Taking a class called Drug Use and Abuse this semester

[Necridous]

and this is the text book we will be using:
http://www.amazon.com/Drug-Use-Abuse-St ... 37&sr=11-1

does anyone have any opinions on this book? Is it completely biased against all substances or does it look at drugs with a fair and balanced view? I'm trying to get an idea of whether this class is going to be a hell of propaganda and false information making me the principal iconoclast (I plan on attending on w/e drug we are discussing at least once or twice) of the class or will it be a really insightful and interesting class.

 

[st.bot.32]

Just read this and am going to give my (uneducated) opinion. I'm going to assume that the book is somewhat distorted and full of the typical nonsense that does nothing to curb real drug abuse while spreading absolute (and dangerous) misinformation at the same time.

To be quite honest, I imagine if you try to just stand up for the usage (even responsible usage) of any particular substance, depending on the teacher and class you will probably just be marginalized and insulted. And if you have any substances.. don't get yourself arrested or something for bringing them into class. :lol: Some people have no sense of humor at all when it comes to these things. Hrrm.

But there are other ways to go about it. Rational, objective, MODERN resources, the type the reefer madness publications avoid.

For example: recent studies in the netherlands on magic mushrooms, oodles of studies showing benefits and (relative) harmlessness of cannabis, recommendation of multiple inquiries (canada, britain) that pot be legalized, check out MAPS (the organization that is helping push the medical research and usage of extasy and LSD for terminally ill and cluster headache patients), medical use of opiates, traditional use of psychedelics in religious cultures around the world spanning thousands of years. Also arguments for responsible drug use, etc...

caveat emptor: although you will probably be saying something tantamount to heresy.. :lol:

 

[Forkbender]

If they are only negative, listen to the information and argumentation given to you and counter it with subjective experiences to show that it is not as black and white as presented, and if you can find sources that prove that some drugs can be very helpful. I don't know how your professor or teacher is going to be like, it kind of depends on that.

 

[JustinNed]

If you ask me, if you have or can produce proof of anything contradicting a lie told anywhere in there that you can, and should step up and inform everyone of the information.
Isn't a class about learning information? Why go to a class if you are only gonna learn false information? What happens if no statement is disputed?

 

[Meduzz]

the fact that they separate use and abuse seems like a promissing point

 

[No-Key]

The pessimist in me says that it "drug use" indicates legally sound use of a drug, and abuse indicates illegal use. Like your "drug use" section is going to go on about how wonderful it is that we have morphine for the terminally ill or those in chronic pain, but the "abuse" portion would refer to everything from getting drunk to smoking pot, to shooting up heroin, to finding yourself in the heart of God on a shroom trip.

 

[BrainEater]

hey!

i think it'd be the best to test the drugs yourself and report your experiences!!
that's the best way to learn about drugs!

peace!! :weedman:

 

[silv]

hey!

i think it'd be the best to test the drugs yourself and report your experiences!!
that's the best way to learn about drugs!

peace!! :weedman:

it is, but in any case I'd rather stay away from methamphetamine, freebase cocain and heroin.

 

[user_1919]

I can't see the class being taught about the negative effects of Magic Mushrooms, or Ayahuasca, casue simply their isn't any. These are the safest drugs known to man, if you eat the correct ones. There wouldn't be any reason for your teacher to 'look down' upon these substances, and if he does, stand up for your fellow drugs.

We need to start to change peoples point of view about these substances, because the government is shoving it down our throat, saying this is bad, and this is good, so they can reform reality to what they want it to be. And if you bring this up in class, maybe people will start to second guess their opinions on these 'drugs'. But I do agree that stuff like meth, cocaine, etc are bad. And what I can picture from that class, is your teacher talking about those drugs, and not the safer ones.

 

[Meduzz]

I can't see the class being taught about the negative effects of Magic Mushrooms, or Ayahuasca, casue simply their isn't any.

you'd be surprised! i study at the university, and in the lesson organic chemistry the subject was alkaloids. the professor also explained how LSD is derived from ergotamine, told us about ergotamine poisoning and then said that LSD is very dangerous because you can get erot poisoning of it :roll: .

i mean WTF :?: :?: :?:

 

[st.bot.32]

The problem is that in the eyes of the war-on-drugs people, smoking pot or drinking a bit of mushie tea is no different than dealing meth or shooting heroin. It's the four letter d-word:drug, which is therefore all the same and bad. :roll: It's a purely emotional knee-jerk reaction, they aren't interested in learning the difference between different substances.

Just my opinion, but I don't know how wise it would be to share personal experiences with a class. Admitting to having tried illegal drugs in class can get you in serious trouble in some places, and maybe I'm stereotyping a bit, but the parent poster is based in the States where they are generally pretty hardcore about drugs. I would tread with care.

There are plenty of objective reported experiences available in legitimate medical research (like I mentioned, the recent MAPS studies, or even the 2 decades of legitimate LSD research in the mid 20th Century, or people who have visited tribes and tried ayahuasca and psilocybin, that would be far safer to bring up to counter any B.S. propaganda.

Also snopes, the anti-urban legend site, could be useful to counter myths. eg: LSD changing DNA of users or people thinking they are an orange or staring at the sun or any other nonsense. Because you STILL run into that kind of crap, believe it or not.

 

[user_1919]

I can't see the class being taught about the negative effects of Magic Mushrooms, or Ayahuasca, casue simply their isn't any.

you'd be surprised! i study at the university, and in the lesson organic chemistry the subject was alkaloids. the professor also explained how LSD is derived from ergotamine, told us about ergotamine poisoning and then said that LSD is very dangerous because you can get erot poisoning of it :roll: .

i mean WTF :?: :?: :?:

It's beyond me how someone can be so smart, and yet know such little about 'drugs'. I'm almost postive your professor was wrong. The only way you could get erot poisoning is if the synthesis went wrong? Am I correct? People need to wake up and seek the truth!

 

[Meduzz]

I'm almost postive your professor was wrong. The only way you could get erot poisoning is if the synthesis went wrong? Am I correct?

yes you are correct, and yes the professor is wrong. but i wasn't going to correct her on that subject before 200 fellow students

 

[ararat]

no professor of organic chemistry would ever claim that. I think you missunderstood something. maybe she or he was talking about a mole of lsd or something...
or the professor is a very very conservative person who says such things in order to frighten people off.

or maybe the professor thinks that tripping balls is a poisening

 

[random]

yes you are correct, and yes the professor is wrong. but i wasn't going to correct her on that subject before 200 fellow students

You should!
At least 201 persons would be better informed about this substance.

 

[achilless]

dude, i had quite the same class. DO NOT fuck around about 'responcive' drug use'. here are some rules you should remembre:
1- teachers are always right
2- teachers are always right, even when they are wrong
3- teahcers are always right, even when you prove that they are not
4- teachers dislikes students who can prove them they're wrong
5- teachers who dislikes you, will try to get you into problems
6- teachers who know you've been using drugs, could and most probably WILL inform the school-staff/direction(might include psychatrist) and eventualy parents or even police.
7- in dutch they say 'talking is silver, shutting up is gold'.
consider this: taking drugs, whatever they are, is a certain risk (so for driving a car or going on ski holiday). if your schoolmates don't try, they don't risk. but so far this is about them... don't get YOURSELF into trouble to defend your ideology. keep it underground, it's far more safe.
if all christians in the early years would have clamed being christian, they would all have been killed and christianity was gone. these days we have the media (i'm talking about internet news and wikipedia and so) to give objective information. if your teacher's wrong, fine! be glad that you're not getting influenced by that propaganda eventually if you see a classmate trying to reach a little deeper than that flat propaganda, take him aside and teach him. that's the way psychonauts will survive those ruth times!

peace !

 

[Dantediv86]

WHITE RABBIT -- Jefferson Airplane

One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small

When men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said:
"Feed your head
Feed your head
Feed your head"

resist and fight!!!!
:? hmmm maybe that is too far left ideology.....
still....
hang in there!!

 

[Malaeus]

i tell you why you are having this class... and why it will suck.... you are in florida... thats why... FCAT my ass...

they will probably be pushing all the propaganda that the gov't is pushing.. and i can almost guarantee it will be like that in florida.. if it isnt, i wanna know. and i will personally go hug that teacher.

 

[Forkbender]

dude, i had quite the same class. DO NOT fuck around about 'responcive' drug use'. here are some rules you should remembre:
1- teachers are always right
[in different variations]

I do believe that teacher have a built in shit detector, but that it is overreacting sometimes. Most teachers are really willing to listen to rational arguments, backed by scientific data, so get your facts straight.

A teacher that is not willing to learn is just another preacher.

 

[achilless]

i admit i was exaggerating a little , in our countries it's probably true that some teachers can take rational counter-arguments. That guy is from florida, though. Take the time to go once on the DEA-site for youth (http://www.justthinktwice.com/). Or even the offical DEA-site... USA's 'war against drugs' :roll:
the youth site seams to put pot on the same foot as meth :s i mean, how irresponcible can you be :s
but i am getting a little far of the subject, am i not ?

for my part, we had also a kind of drugs-class and i stood up against the teacher, who was taking the 'lsd-guy-who-thinks-he-is-an-orange' hoax as a fact :s but my parents got informed about my "intrest" in drugs, my possible dangerous behavior for myself and my bad infuence on my pears... :? that was a hard-learned lesson for my part.