Basic questions.
The ultimate question for those with a drug or alcohol issue is; would they turn back the clock and never try the product again?
When could they identify the change from leisure to dependence?
Do they look forward to drinking or smoking again for pleasure or have to out of dependence?
Would their next episode really be the fun they imagine or would it likely end in catastrophe?
What is the likely outcome from someone getting stoned?
They may eat pizza, fall asleep, talk a lot, giggle or are they likely to die?
This can often be dictated by external circumstances often depending on location i.e. Colorado or Saudi Arabia?
The cannabis issue is often external punishment is far more damaging than the effect of the drug itself which is easily slept off.
How someone behaves when high is very subjective and difficult to predict.
Marijuana is a mind and behavioral altering substance and can evoke changes perspective, awareness, increasing sensitivity to social interactions.
If more aware of themselves, then new or unfamiliar circumstances can cause paranoia or irregular behavior.
Any drug use it opens up an individual for high levels of scrutiny and can exaggerate so expose cracks in ones personality.
The following social isolation for anyone using crack, meth or heroin would quickly see their lives deteriorating around them.
This is similar to Marijuana but perhaps more subtle and slower due to the perceived tolerance and acceptance in some circumstances.
The real chicken & egg debate about substance abuse and trajectory of behavior is the question;
Does the drug cause the deterioration of someone's life or is that a personality flaw cause the person to use drugs to escape them from their inevitable collapse / bottoming out?
Money is an interesting analogy for addiction, as it’s easy to see that someone who loses a job, money, or the ability to earn quickly deteriorates into poverty.
The inevitable outcome of being broke and the need for help or assistance is hard to find.
Is anyone who starts habitually using drugs inevitably headed to a point where they will have to quit or die?
To then restart their lives without said drug?
It often correlates with their financial circumstances deteriorating, hitting rock bottom, the loss of close relationships, partners, family and friends.
I've never heard of a drug addict getting rich, but drugs are not exclusively the curse of the fiscally challenged but a major issue for all, a truly universal pit fall for all ages with the younger generations most vulnerable.
The Surgeon General in the US openly admits that cigarettes and alcohol are far more damaging to health and potentially fatal.
Pot is fairly soft in this capacity, with many individuals going their whole life's without major cause for concern or reported abuse.
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