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What a weird article. As I understand it, the writer wanted to combine satire with some creativity with an emphasis on how the hip youth perceive themselves. B

What a weird article. As I understand it, the writer wanted to combine satire with some creativity with an emphasis on how the hip youth perceive themselves. But I can also see how this was meant as a serious piece. The best that this article can offer as a HN submission is a discussion on “so is weed good or bad” …

JohnFen 2y ago
> “so is weed good or bad” My answer to this is "yes". Like most things, it's both. Also: "A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an asshole." -- Frank Zappa
- dyauspitr 2y ago
  The drug changes your core motivations and mental/emotional states. Attributing bad behavior to a lack of will power is not being honest about it.
  - JohnFen 2y ago
    I'm not sure what you're saying here. I assume you're talking about the Zappa quote? I suspect that Zappa would have said he wasn't attributing bad behavior to a lack of willpower.
  - michaelt 2y ago
    Sorta yes, sorta no. If I know that when I drink brandy I start fights, and I nonetheless decide to drink brandy - that's on me, not the brandy.
  - hermitdev 2y ago
    > Attributing bad behavior to a lack of will power is not being honest about it. No, it's not being honest about it. Having read the article, it's apparent to me that the author has a lot of problems, and weed isn't the cause of them. The person is an addict, period. And, basically, the entire article reads as a celebration of their addiction and their "I don't care" attitude. The author ought to consider attending AA or NA meetings. I say this as an alcoholic (nearly 4 years sober) and a daily marijuana (edibles) user. Driving while high, like drunk driving, is very selfish behavior. It's not about your own safety (I couldn't care less if this person killed themselves while driving high), but rather the safety of innocent bystanders you're more likely to harm. Especially given the admission that they drove into a parked car while sober! I, like the author, often use marijuana daily. However, I'm not stoned all day, and it doesn't make me unmotivated. I use weed as one of many tools for dealing with chronic pain (I have arthritis in every joint in my spine and every disk is degenerative), but I'm also working with my doctors on treatments, including physical therapy (which is painful, but also very effective) and, pain blocks, injections, braces and other treatments. Because weed is effective for me dealing with pain, it's actually a motivator and productivity booster for me. But, one needs to be responsible about it. I often work from home, so I don't have to worry about driving. On days I do have to go into the office (I take the train for most of it, but do have to drive several miles to get to the station), I refrain from using until I am home for the day.
  - TehCorwiz 2y ago
    He's not talking about willpower. I once heard it said that there are no "bad people" only people behaving badly. I would beg to differ, some people use their willpower to mask the fact that they want to behave badly until they think they can get away with it. These people use anything they can as an excuse for taking off their mask and abusing those around them. I've had past partners who blamed their abuse on some substance or circumstance or other. Drugs don't make you bad, drugs don't remove empathy or insert sadism. But people like to blame them for when they let those behaviors out. That's what Zappa was talking about.

JohnFen 2y ago

> “so is weed good or bad” My answer to this is "yes". Like most things, it's both. Also: "A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an asshole." -- Frank Zappa

dyauspitr 2y ago
The drug changes your core motivations and mental/emotional states. Attributing bad behavior to a lack of will power is not being honest about it.
- JohnFen 2y ago
  I'm not sure what you're saying here. I assume you're talking about the Zappa quote? I suspect that Zappa would have said he wasn't attributing bad behavior to a lack of willpower.
- michaelt 2y ago
  Sorta yes, sorta no. If I know that when I drink brandy I start fights, and I nonetheless decide to drink brandy - that's on me, not the brandy.
- hermitdev 2y ago
  > Attributing bad behavior to a lack of will power is not being honest about it. No, it's not being honest about it. Having read the article, it's apparent to me that the author has a lot of problems, and weed isn't the cause of them. The person is an addict, period. And, basically, the entire article reads as a celebration of their addiction and their "I don't care" attitude. The author ought to consider attending AA or NA meetings. I say this as an alcoholic (nearly 4 years sober) and a daily marijuana (edibles) user. Driving while high, like drunk driving, is very selfish behavior. It's not about your own safety (I couldn't care less if this person killed themselves while driving high), but rather the safety of innocent bystanders you're more likely to harm. Especially given the admission that they drove into a parked car while sober! I, like the author, often use marijuana daily. However, I'm not stoned all day, and it doesn't make me unmotivated. I use weed as one of many tools for dealing with chronic pain (I have arthritis in every joint in my spine and every disk is degenerative), but I'm also working with my doctors on treatments, including physical therapy (which is painful, but also very effective) and, pain blocks, injections, braces and other treatments. Because weed is effective for me dealing with pain, it's actually a motivator and productivity booster for me. But, one needs to be responsible about it. I often work from home, so I don't have to worry about driving. On days I do have to go into the office (I take the train for most of it, but do have to drive several miles to get to the station), I refrain from using until I am home for the day.
- TehCorwiz 2y ago
  He's not talking about willpower. I once heard it said that there are no "bad people" only people behaving badly. I would beg to differ, some people use their willpower to mask the fact that they want to behave badly until they think they can get away with it. These people use anything they can as an excuse for taking off their mask and abusing those around them. I've had past partners who blamed their abuse on some substance or circumstance or other. Drugs don't make you bad, drugs don't remove empathy or insert sadism. But people like to blame them for when they let those behaviors out. That's what Zappa was talking about.