Cannabis.. yes or no

[BillyB]

I see no connection whatsoever between the current thread's subject and the purpose of RWD.  

Just as alchohol consumption by men at this forum can affect the RW we interact with so is drug use which is a rarely talked about subject but is affecting some people's lives at this forum. The OP wanted to open people's eyes on this issue to accept it in their lives but hopefully his eyes get opened and realize it's not a necessity in his life and a turn off for most RW.

[Sculpto]

I agree with Billy.  if you fully legalize pot, the drug cartels will come out with a version of pot laced with a more addictive drug.  furthermore, medical research shows that thc in pot destroys the proper functioning of the brain synapse.  additionally, pot is more corrosive to the lungs than tobacco.  who is going to pay for the increase in emphesema and lung cancer??  of course the average taxpayer.  is this fair to the average taxpayer?  I think the best solution is that pot is only legal in very small quantities.

hahhaha  the following comment I swear is not a personal attack.. it is soley a comment on your comment.. so please don't get bent..

your comment is completely delusional. 

Oddly you finish it up with "in small quanitities" which is exactly what they will do.  The rest of what you wrote.. especially the part about cartels.. is just really funny man..

[kievstar]

Brad makes good points on pot.  I agree.

I would also add alcohol and improper diet is not fair for the tax payer.  We should have a weight to height tax and bi annual health check which taxes you on poor health.  Would be a good way to pay for the health insurance.

[Sculpto]

Just as alchohol consumption by men at this forum can affect the RW we interact with so is drug use which is a rarely talked about subject but is affecting some people's lives at this forum. The OP wanted to open people's eyes on this issue to accept it in their lives but hopefully his eyes get opened and realize it's not a necessity in his life and a turn off for most RW.

Billy the only thing you have opened my eyes to is ...

You and Ed once again got it all wrong.  But I gotta give you guys credit for one thing.. you are consistent.

But.. what I have been saying almost since the beginning.. that on this forum, and in the general population, cannabis is commonly used by Americans and slightly less commonly by FSUW in their native habitat seems to be proving true.

And Ed.. I am amazed at how you can justify almost everything in the frame that you wish for it all to appear.  It is really a pity you didn't look me up when you were in San Francisco.  And, I also see that you have not accepted my invitation for a reality tour in Mexico, same for you Billy.  That says a LOT about both of you guys.  "all for me and screw you" seems to fit pretty well.. maybe I will send you guys some t-shirts?

So, I think I will keep smoking delicious stinky sticky green buds with a relaxed smile and the knowledge that you have no clue what you are talking about and you guys can keep clenching.    My girl agrees, you guys clench too much.  She wonders how you get anything out and asks if it is painful?   But, she did get a good laugh from your comments.    And Bill I will spare you the embarrassment of the rest of her comments.  

By the way Ed.. you called every girl in Cuba a whore.  Funny thing because a lot of Americans say the same about FSUWs.  I distinctly recall a number of Russian women saying the same thing about all Ukrainian girls.  By framing your comments that way do you even get the smallest clue about how far from reality that comment and the rest of the hatred you spewed really is?  You really showed your true colors on that one Ed.

And to all the ladies.. I absolutely apologize for the above comment.  I think all the ladies here have the intelligence to understand what I really meant.  Nevertheless sorry to have had to drag you into the dirt.  

[Sculpto]

Brad makes good points on pot.  I agree.

I would also add alcohol and improper diet is not fair for the tax payer.  We should have a weight to height tax and bi annual health check which taxes you on poor health.  Would be a good way to pay for the health insurance.

how about a McBurger tax?  And I think a high fructose corn syrup tax is highly appropriate.. and while we are at it how about a tax on oreos and especially on twinkies.. maybe we can put some tax on people that need glasses and definitely gotta tax those people in wheelchairs 

[Sculpto]

anyway.. I unfortunately have to go be productive today so that should make Billy happy.. so.. enjoy yourselves today and Bill.. there really are medications to help you with that problem. 

[ECOCKS]

By the way Ed.. you called every girl in Cuba a whore.  Funny thing because a lot of Americans say the same about FSUWs.  I distinctly recall a number of Russian women saying the same thing about all Ukrainian girls.  By framing your comments that way do you even get the smallest clue about how far from reality that comment and the rest of the hatred you spewed really is?  You really showed your true colors on that one Ed.

I know facts are difficult and reading comprehension is challenging for you based on all that we have seen but the FACT here is that I wrote that three Canadians who described visiting the area basically all provided the same story except one who held out the belief that a few of the administrative workers might not be available IN THE TOURIST AREA.

Your charge that I called "every girl in Cuba a whore" evolved from somewhere in your mind. You make some of us see credence in the belief that frequent, sustained drug usage rots your brain and soaks the frontal lobes with this sort of statement.

Simply, you have no idea how to accept that someone disagrees with your POV in a discussion and decide to begin inventing interpretations and triumphantly shouting your accusations to the world as proof that you have somehow "won". In fact, most here are smart enough to just bypass discussions with you.

My true colors are exactly what I show Eric, unfortunately yours show as well.

Your continual reliance and use of hyperbole, histrionics, arrogance, condescension and exaggeration are overwhelming parts of your personality which most have tried to walk around or politely deny for the sake of civility. But the general view seems to be that these traits effectively lead to what many take as your Don Quixote approach to the world on whatever topic you chose to engage in for the day.

Live out your fantasy.

[chivo]

and while we are at it how about a tax on oreos and especially on twinkies..

Shouldn't those come with the marijuana? 

[kievstar]

I would like a tax on everything but income.  Make USA economy a use tax.  You use something pay for it.  You want health insurance pay based on a health examine.  There is already sales tax on McDonald's in many states.

Pot smoking argument will never be settled here.  It is true that drug use in Ukraine is just as high as USA.  Only reason why my wife does not want to live in Ukraine as she feels not a good environment for children with all the drug use in Ukraine. 

Californians think legalizing pot means they will make money off homegrown.  I bet foreign countries dominate the pot business with low labor and land costs.  California's plan will backfire.  Very cheap to ship pot via ocean.  Best soil not in usa. 

[chivo]

I would like a tax on everything but income.  Make USA economy a use tax.  You use something pay for it.  You want health insurance pay based on a health examine.  There is already sales tax on McDonald's in many states.

Pot smoking argument will never be settled here.  It is true that drug use in Ukraine is just as high as USA.  Only reason why my wife does not want to live in Ukraine as she feels not a good environment for children with all the drug use in Ukraine.  

Californians think legalizing pot means they will make money off homegrown.  I bet foreign countries dominate the pot business with low labor and land costs.  California's plan will backfire.  Very cheap to ship pot via ocean.  Best soil not in usa.  

Try telling the people in Humbolt county that.

The fact is it will generate big money not only in sales it will save big money in unnecessary court costs and legal situations. Why do you think the law authorities are strongly against it? It will most definitely cut into their bottom line. The flip side, California doesn't seem to be so good in, ahem, managing their money, so abuse will be a symptom no doubt.

I don't care one way or the other but really some of you need to your homework on this. You can start by having a conversation with the head of NORML.

[groovlstk]

Very cheap to ship pot via ocean.  Best soil not in usa. 

I don't think the very best pot is grown in soil, nothing can compete with hydroponics.

I never cared for pot, tried it a few times in my teens and felt paranoid and beady-eyed. I never could understand why people would want to feel that way. Then, about two years ago, I tried some of a family member's medical weed on a dare and was surprised at how much more potent (and pleasant) it was.

[BillyB]

 My girl agrees, you guys clench too much.  She wonders how you get anything out and asks if it is painful?   But, she did get a good laugh from your comments.    And Bill I will spare you the embarrassment of the rest of her comments.  
 

Now I see why you got an inflated ego the past few weeks. Your RW enjoys smoking pot and it's free at your expense. Feel proud you are getting her hooked?

She has a 3 yo daughter and maybe someday you are going to be the father. Don't you think you need to warn her of the dangers of pot and other drugs because it may hinder your parenting skills? Do you think there are any dangers? So far you think anything said negative about weed is propaganda and you been promoting benefits one being it'll get you closer to God.

When that daughter grows up, if you and her mother doesn't guide her right, she may get addicted to drugs. If you by chance didn't smoke up all your money and is able to send her to college, she may fail if she parties too much or can't focus on studying with a drug habit. She may get addicted so much that she will do anything to earn money to fund her habit. Steal, strip dance, sell her body on the street or exchange her body with drug dealers. She may engage recklessly with the some of the lowest and most perverted people in society. She may catch a disease and your grandchildren may be born with a disease. Your daughter may not know who the real father(s) of your grandchildren even is/are.

If all this happens will you accept some responsibility and take care of your daughter if her life is destroyed or will you have no shame and direct her on how to use social programs paid by tax payers to take care of her?

This thread if fun and games for you but there can be serious consequences having your attitude. Does what I say make sense or will you and your RW girlfriend smoke another joint ridiculing my comments?

[Sculpto]

I don't think the very best pot is grown in soil, nothing can compete with hydroponics.

I never cared for pot, tried it a few times in my teens and felt paranoid and beady-eyed. I never could understand why people would want to feel that way. Then, about two years ago, I tried some of a family member's medical weed on a dare and was surprised at how much more potent (and pleasant) it was.

Soil or hydro.. thats a HUGE debate.. and if you are indoors.. the new thing is LED full spectrum.. I saw a little system at the festival that grows dwarves no more than a foot tall.. all flower.. really beautiful. 

[Kuna]

Nice thread guys...  seems like a great help for men seriously seeking marriage to a FSUW.  

I'm sure you feel very important now you've been able to push your wheelbarrow full of BS.



What get's me about pot smokers is that they smoke it to alter their state of mind,  yet when someone puts a case against the smoking of weed they claim it has no effect on their state of mind - or worse, the really do believe it improves their state of mind.

These guys are really off their rockers if they think everyone in the world has an inferior ability to deal with life and life's decisions and it's only the pot smokers who are "riding high."

I know regular choofers DO have a reduced ability to succeed in life.  I know this because i have several of "those people" in my family and circle of friends.

Obviously the OP doesn't think his drug habit has anything to do with his sh!tty decision making ability and the poor decisions he seems to make over relationships, and not just FSUW.

It's not a personal attack,  it's just an observation that some people really can't identify with reality anymore.

And yes,  I smoked pot, at times heavily in the past, but I think sooner or later most people grow up, and out of it.

[Sculpto]

HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!  Dude!  You really need to get a grip.  hahaha!  But thanks.. I needed the humor after work.    So, just for fun I am gonna break it down for ya.. LOL..

Now I see why you got an inflated ego the past few weeks. Your RW enjoys smoking pot and it's free at your expense. Feel proud you are getting her hooked?

Do you really believe what you just wrote?  HAHAHAH.. if you do.. I really feel bad for you haha.  Inflated ego?  No.. I am just happy Bill.. I think you could use a bit of happiness..  And.. my RW is an UW if you could manage to pay attention to details for a change.  LOL.. we smoked a very little one time.. for the record.. and there is no cost for me Bill.. I either grow.. or friends give it to me.. or if I really don't feel like messing around I make trades at the dispensary.. lol.. dork.

She has a 3 yo daughter and maybe someday you are going to be the father. Don't you think you need to warn her of the dangers of pot and other drugs because it may hinder your parenting skills? Do you think there are any dangers? So far you think anything said negative about weed is propaganda and you been promoting benefits one being it'll get you closer to God.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!  Now I am married and the father of the three year old?  Dude you better check yourself.. Miss Sacto is LONG way from being ready for that.  She has trust issues up the wazoo from a lifetime of Ukrainian dudes and the actual father of her child.  The advice given on the forum to take things slow was golden and even if I had wanted to rush.. SHE wasn't going to let that happen.  It will be at least one year before there will be any further discussion of future plans with miss Sacto.. per her request.  Understand that Bill?  AT LEAST ONE YEAR.    

Seriously Bill.. how do you manage to so consistently extrapolate and project and assume to extreme?  Do you realize how silly some of that stuff is?  I mean I know i might get people riled up and pissed off and some of them think I am nuts.. but.. I don't believe anyone here thinks I am stupid.. maybe but I don't think so.. comprendes hue que te digo?  ya sabes que hablas desde tus profundos y misteriosos regiones donde salen muchos olores y gases ofensivos.  

When that daughter grows up, if you and her mother doesn't guide her right, she may get addicted to drugs. If you by chance didn't smoke up all your money and is able to send her to college, she may fail if she parties too much or can't focus on studying with a drug habit. She may get addicted so much that she will do anything to earn money to fund her habit. Steal, strip dance, sell her body on the street or exchange her body with drug dealers. She may engage recklessly with the some of the lowest and most perverted people in society. She may catch a disease and your grandchildren may be born with a disease. Your daughter may not know who the real father(s) of your grandchildren even is/are.

Oh this is too good to pass up.. oh boy.. I am gonna try and go easy you on you man of little ... well .. little everything.  LOL.. First I just gotta laugh.. smoke up all my money?  I know you are joking right??  Which part of GROW YOUR OWN have you not figured out in the last 12 months?  Second of all.. same as I did.. if I ever have a child they will work and pay for their own college.  I will certainly help, but, even though it is painful there is nothing wrong about working through college and I know I valued my time there a lot more than the kids who had parents paying for everything.  On tons of weekend when most everyone else was out getting wasted I was in studio with the other hardcore sculptors grinding steel and stoking cuppolas with molten iron inside and firing kilns and making explosives and very large fires.. we liked fire.. we burned a lot of stuff.. big fires.. fires too hot to go near.. fires that were on the verge of out of control... but.. somehow.. they were in control and we knew what we were doing.. it was primal.. I worked my arse off in those years Bill and I smoked crap loads of weed when I was doing it, we all did.. and we did other things too.. I distinctly remember some coolaid and about 500 artists on a beautiful spring night that never really ended... thats a night people still talk about 25+ years later..

So.. now you have my non existing kid turned into a street whore?  Actually Billy boy.. I think once again you just revealed a lot more about what you REALLY think about women.    Anyone else making that connection?  

If all this happens will you accept some responsibility and take care of your daughter if her life is destroyed or will you have no shame and direct her on how to use social programs paid by tax payers to take care of her?

This is too funny to even answer.  Seriously, are you sure you don't use drugs?  I mean hard stuff like meth or crack because you are really delusional.  

This thread if fun and games for you but there can be serious consequences having your attitude. Does what I say make sense or will you and your RW girlfriend smoke another joint ridiculing my comments?

I think no one needs to smoke anything to ridicule your comments.  

Let me make one very clear point Bill.  You and some others have constantly criticized my opinions because I have never been married.  You constantly say my opinions or views are less valuable because I have not had that experience.  So, how do you qualify your own very misguided and truly bizarre views about cannabis?  You said you have never even tried it once right?  So, how do you know what it does?  Based on your own value system I have absolutely no reason to listen to even one word you say, except for the fact that its so funny.  

And no, this thread is not all fun and games.  It is in fact very serious.  If you take a real look at Russia today you will see that heroin addiction is out of control.  Cannabis is relatively harmless, but, in a society where its cheaper to buy vodka than milk and easier to score Afgani heroin than a joint it is in fact highly relevant and even critical that every western man going to the FSU understand the actual risk of getting involved with someone that has a sordid history.  Weed is in my view a lovely thing.. but.. some people abuse it and for others it is a gateway to heroin and other drugs that are not so benign.

And let me tell you one other thing.  You could be sitting right next to a closet junkie who is managing to keep a functional outward appearance and never even have a clue.  You would be shocked to find out who around you does do drugs and does them in secret.  You will just have to trust me in this.. because.. it is a shock when you find out what secrets people keep.  I on the other hand.. can smell a junkie a mile a way.. not because I have ever used.. but because I have been around enough users to be able to immediately identify the telltale signs.  So, in answer to all your absolutely ridiculous hypotheticals..

I would much prefer to raise a child in an atmosphere of open communication about EVERYTHING in which a child is educated enough to make their own correct decisions.  I am going to have on occasion bit of alcohol and there will be cannabis growing in my home till the day I die.. and my children will learn how to appreciate such things responsibly without any stigmas or repression.  I am 100% sure my children will not grow up to be clenchers full of bile and bias.  Can you say that about your kids?  Seriously Bill.. I have no intention of training my kids to be good citizens like you.. on the contrary.. my kids will be given all the tools to tear down every limitation people like you create.  You can't win.. you are on the losing side.. freedom ALWAYS wins.  

[Seeker]

I would much prefer to raise a child in an atmosphere of open communication about EVERYTHING in which a child is educated enough to make their own correct decisions.  I am going to have on occasion bit of alcohol and there will be cannabis growing in my home till the day I die.. and my children will learn how to appreciate such things responsibly without any stigmas or repression.  I am 100% sure my children will not grow up to be clenchers full of bile and bias.  Can you say that about your kids?  Seriously Bill.. I have no intention of training my kids to be good citizens like you.. on the contrary.. my kids will be given all the tools to tear down every limitation people like you create.  You can't win.. you are on the losing side.. freedom ALWAYS wins.  

I raised my daughter this way, and she is 30, has been married for over 10 years, is very happy, and has four kids of her own.  No addictions, no felonies, never once sold her body for drugs.

There are EXTREMES in any situation.  For the vast majority, it is a good way to raise your children.  Honest, open, and even allow them to know where you made your mistakes.  How else can they learn from us?  If we demand they act a certain way, that is going to fail.  Ask any teenager.

[ECOCKS]

Nice thread guys... seems like a great help for men seriously seeking marriage to a FSUW.  

Mostly I agree with you on this. However, it is somewhat legitimate to consider the question of how a guy's drug habit may affect his relationship with an FSUW. This seems particularly relevant if he expects her participation and support of his preferences in a long-term relationship. Given the players though, digression was inevitable. At least it was in Odds and Ends section.

Among the adult FSU community I found very little interest in recreational drug usage and considerable repugnance and fear at the effect of harder drugs on family members after the legacy of alcoholic issues in the FSU. Wherever they learned it the concept of grass as a gateway to higher level drugs and eventual abuse seems pretty well accepted. Some people don't want to hear that observation though and, as you point out, will jump to hysterics and denial mode PDQ.

I did find Daveman's little story interesting. My wife would have just lived on with the misery of seasickness before putting something smoldering into her lungs. Since we're cruising in August I picked up two packages of motion-sickness pills today and placed them in the luggage compartments of the bags I know we'll be packing. Better safe than sorry.

[Sculpto]

how a guy's drug habit may affect his relationship with an FSUW.

Actually Ed.. if you read my response to Bill.. now we have gotten to the reason I started this thread..

There is an epidemic of drug abuse going on in Russia in all age groups and all levels of society.  Cheap heroin is the main problem.. but.. there is a lot of other stuff also. 

So, lets get off the topic of my smoking with my new friend.. and lets talk about something more serious..

Heroin and "E" are readily available and cheap.  How can any western guy be sure that his love interest does not have a history of abuse or worse is a closet junkie?? 

my point is.. there are literally millions of functional junkies all around the world and apparently tons of them in the FSU. 

I know.. because I know.. nuff said. 

[acctBill]

Actually Ed.. if you read my response to Bill.. now we have gotten to the reason I started this thread..

There is an epidemic of drug abuse going on in Russia in all age groups and all levels of society.  Cheap heroin is the main problem.. but.. there is a lot of other stuff also. 

So, lets get off the topic of my smoking with my new friend.. and lets talk about something more serious..

Heroin and "E" are readily available and cheap.  How can any western guy be sure that his love interest does not have a history of abuse or worse is a closet junkie?? 

my point is.. there are literally millions of functional junkies all around the world and apparently tons of them in the FSU. 

I know.. because I know.. nuff said. 

2012 is correct.  Drug abuse in Russia and the other former SU countries is as bad and probably worse than anything in America or Europe.  My wife had a cousin who died from an overdose and I've seen more addicts in greater Moscow than I care to remember.  Worse than London.  If you stay in the tourist or business areas in Moscow or St. Pete you're not going to run into much of the drug culture, the police tend to keep them out of sight.  Go outside these areas and drugs even in Moscow aren't hard to get. 

[BillyB]

Now I am married and the father of the three year old?  Dude you better check yourself.. Miss Sacto is LONG way from being ready for that.  

Could you for once stop thinking of yourself and what others are saying and focus on something serious? Could you for once stop thinking of yourself and what others are saying and focus on something serious? You got plans for getting into momma's pants but you don't have plans for momma's girl. Can you give some detail on how you'd raise the kid and take care of her? Can you tell us some words of wisdom you'd pass on to a child? If you were an attractive male candidate and father figure, you probably would be on the fast track with your RW.

She has trust issues up the wazoo from a lifetime of Ukrainian dudes and the actual father of her child.  The advice given on the forum to take things slow was golden and even if I had wanted to rush.. SHE wasn't going to let that happen.  It will be at least one year before there will be any further discussion of future plans with miss Sacto.. per her request.  Understand that Bill?  AT LEAST ONE YEAR.    
  

Sorry bud(no pun intended) but the girl isn't into you yet you tell everyone you're thrilled with the lady you found. She holds it against you for all the wrong she recieved from other men. That's a big red flag. She may be the problem since she has a habit of finding the wrong men.

You got a long drive to see her where she lives and you can see her at the most one weekend every week. You've always given people the impression that you're a one woman at a time kind of man. Since she isn't going to discuss the future with you until a year or later, are you going to remain faithful only to her?

smoke up all my money?  I know you are joking right??  Which part of GROW YOUR OWN have you not figured out in the last 12 months?
 

Ship me a box of those free weed seeds and I'll pay for postage. Stealing electricity or is someone else paying for it to power your heat lamps? How much did it cost you for the dirt you filled up in your bathtub and other pots to grow marijuana? Who are you fooling? There's a big cost in growing marijuana. The new LED lights my provide the right spectrum of light simulating the sun and saving electricity but it won't provide much heat. You're still going to have a huge electric bill.

Now I know why you're drooling over new equipment to grow weed. With the law passing you see money making opportunities as a farmer.

Let me make one very clear point Bill.  You and some others have constantly criticized my opinions because I have never been married.  You constantly say my opinions or views are less valuable because I have not had that experience.  
 

I've never criticized the fact you've never been married and your opinions doesn't matter on that issue. Being married doesn't mean someone is happy or knows how to make it work. He/she only knows of the experience he/she has/had in one or a few marriages and every marriage is different. I have criticized you on the fact there was a time in your life you haven't slept with a woman for 7 years. That tells me you were not a very attractive mate to the opposite sex. You've made some futile attempts by your own account to catch a lady and many of the ladies you tried to catch had issues that even you complained about yet you still pursued them. You feel good about yourself but have you ever wondered why the ladies don't feel good? I thought you said smoking dope sharpened the mind. Prove this to me.

So, how do you qualify your own very misguided and truly bizarre views about cannabis?  You said you have never even tried it once right?  So, how do you know what it does?  Based on your own value system I have absolutely no reason to listen to even one word you say, except for the fact that its so funny.  

I knew a guy who got arrested for drinking and driving multiple times, lost his license and paid tons of fines and court costs. He had to go to AA meetings and told me what he goes through and what they talk about there. I started to give him tips to get out of being an alcoholic but he soon stopped me and had your attitude. He told me I don't know what he goes through because I've never been there. I stopped him and told him he's wrong, I know exactly what he goes through and that is why I don't do what he does. If he had my understanding and feelings on alcohol, he would cure himself.

Mr.Fiction, I know what you and others go through when doing drugs. I know what goes on in your home when you have a drug farm. I know what people do when needing to finance a drug habit. I know I don't want to be in your shoes....ever.

I would much prefer to raise a child in an atmosphere of open communication about EVERYTHING in which a child is educated enough to make their own correct decisions.  I am going to have on occasion bit of alcohol and there will be cannabis growing in my home till the day I die.. and my children will learn how to appreciate such things responsibly without any stigmas or repression.  I am 100% sure my children will not grow up to be clenchers full of bile and bias.  

Open communication about Everything! Appreciate such things responsibly! NO bile or bias! Sounds good but you are full of being irresponsible, bile and bias on this subject so how can you communicate honestly with a child? You delight in everyone who came forth and admitted smoking dope but when they give the warnings against it, you say it's BS and they've been reading propaganda. You say it's great stuff and gotta try it yet many who tried it have left it behind. You have some good ideas on how to be a parent with that last paragraph but you got life all wrong.


As far as drugs being in the FSU, I have not met one woman who admitted to me doing any drugs and those that discussed it with me told me they are totally against it. I guess I'm doing a decent job finding the good and smart girls.

[mod edit: I have overruled myself, and after further contemplation, have decided that the initial comments should stand as written]

[Sculpto]

Billy.. be quiet now.  thanks.  god you are a real time waster.   

[Sculpto]

ok after a little time to cool off.. Billy.. you post and comment went way over the line of decency.. I am going to say this one time.  You don't know me, you don't know anything that you think you know about me.. don't make assumptions about me.. don't make assumptions about my lifestyle.

And most of all.. never, ever say anything about what my intentions are with a girl.  In fact, I am hereby lodging a formal complaint about your comment.  Your comment was crude and base and wrong and I am deeply offended. 

[Daveman]

Guys, keep it on the topic at hand.  Wives/GF's are off limits unless the poster brings her behavior into the discussion.  That didn't happen in this case.

[Sculpto]

Thanks Dave.

So.. as I was saying.. Heroin is a huge and growing problem in Russia.  I can say more about how it has affected me personally but I won't. 

What is important to understand is HUGE numbers of junkies are actually functional for the most part and their habit is a secret.  This is common in the US also and as I said earlier most people would be shocked to find out that there is junkie not so far away from them.

anyway.. there are a few articles on the topic.  In general where I would like to see this thread go is into the realm of the problems associated with substance abuse as it related to international dating.  This shouldn't be limited to heroin but to any sort of abuse.  I am making a clear distinction between recreational use and true abuse.  Occasional recreational use of weed, alcohol and certain harder drugs doesn't really bother me and I don't see it as a problem, but, alcoholism and drug addiction and general substance abuse is another story.

So.. as one example.. most Americans these days are pretty much anti smoking.. I don't think there is a guy here that hasn't met a lady who had a profile that said no smoking and then later we discover that in fact she does smoke occasionally or socially but is not an addicted smoker... same thing for alcohol... profile says no alcohol yet we later discover she does like her champagne and Bailey and Congac.. or.. profile says no drugs but then later we find out that she did "E" at Kazanatip or she smokes weed on occasion or ate some mushrooms in Altai or smoked opium on her trip to Thailand...

So.. there is this sort of perceptual difference.. An American would say "I occasionally do X or Y or Z" but it seems a Russian will say "I don't do" but then sometimes does. 

But then there is the more serious issue of closet substance abuse.  There is a forum member I know of that got involved with a recovering alcoholic.  She promised him no more drinking.. but.. it didn't last.. and her spiral into alcohol driven depression took him down too..

A few years back I was spending a lot of time with a lady from Kiev here in SF.  I actually stopped seeing her because of her drinking.  She was in fact, a drunk.  I tried to talk to her about it before I dropped her.. her comment was "its normal to drink, why its a problem for you?"

And therein lies the topic.. "its normal to drink, why its a problem for you?"

For me.. "Its normal to smoke a little weed, why is it a problem for you?

For someone else.. "its normal to take "E" and go to a dance party, why is it a problem for you?"

I am not advocating anything from here on in this thread.  My opinion is its personal choice and it ends there.. but.. relationships are a different situation.  Lets not go with the pat answers.. "If she drinks or smokes or does drugs its a deal killer" etc..

What is more interesting to me.. and I think more realistic and relevant, is, what if you find yourself involved with someone that you have developed feelings for and then discover they have a problem? 

Or, what if they had no problem and one develops?

Or what if they had a problem in the past and claim to be on the wagon?

Things along those lines. 

here are the heroin articles if anyone is interested.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/health/22meth.html?_r=1

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-finally-admits-to-its-hidden-heroin-epidemic-1642103.html

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/25/world/fg-russia-heroin25

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7935527.stm

http://english.pravda.ru/russia/history/113684-0/

[Seeker]

In response to the change of thought...

My last real live together, love completely, relationship ended in 2000.  From previous alcohol abuse.  And she still slipped up once in a while when we were together.

I knew our time was limited when I met her.  But I loved her so much it didn't matter.  Probably a bad example, but it is the one I have to give.