Are taking drugs and being a good parent mutually exclusive then?

[wanderlust]

I don't want to get told off lots or start a fight, its just that I (along with most of my friends - parents or not) will take drugs every now and then, but I am aware that the people I know are not necessarily representative of what's really normal or acceptable - so what does everyone really think?

Does cannabis have a passive effect? I only ask because one parent of one of my dd's friends seems to continually smoke it (albeit out of sight in the garage) but the smell permeates the whole house permanently and was wondering if this is why their kids are so chilled?

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Sorry, but I simply do object to the idea that All Drugs Lead, inevitably, to a personal inferno of Doom.

Because they self-evidently don't.

Aaaargghh I only did the nursery run and now look - I'm all lost in the conversation.

TMMJ - I very rarely spend any money on drugs. I have friends who take lots of drugs and offer me some of theirs if I am there. I would never spend money that was needed for food/heating/whatever on drugs.

I have seen the worst of drug addiction - I have lived on the streets and I have known several people who have died from drug abuse. I don't speak from an ignorant middle class twat point of view!

Binklebells - yes, it can. Children should not be anywhere near smoke, tobacco or cannabis.

I am however very apologetic for personal offence that I've caused. I should not have done that, and I'm sorry.

I still think the definition of 'good' parent is wide open to interpretation, really.

My mum looked after us all very well, we always had food, shelter, hugs and clothing. But she also had a dreadful temper and could be very violent. I acknowledge happily that she was sometimes barking mad, and did a lot of damage in some ways.

But I'd have to clearly define good parenting before I could say she was a bad parent, actually, because in some ways she was fantastic.

Can't be arsed frankly to read the whole thread but one post caught my attention about taking prescribed pain killers instead of cannnabis.

For the information of the obviously clueless poster, the prescribed drugs I can take will wreck my stomach and cause havoc to my kidneys as long term use does. Also, as you become tolerant to chemicals you need more and more codeine and morphine for it to work to the same degree.
Cannabis has none of these side effects and is far less damaging. I have smoked cannabis off and on for the last 16ish years, at first for pleasure but now more on than off and purely medicinally as my condition is deteriorating.

I am not addicted to it, have managed to come off the cocktail of prescription drugs I was on as a direct result and have the approval of my consultant, GP and physiotherapist.

Stop being so judgemental all of you who disagree with medicinal usage and remember that until you have suffered from persistent chronic pain it is very easy to have a negative opinion (and also very easy to change your opinions if God forbid you should ever be in a similar situation as is borne out by many people I know)!

I am not in any way mentally affected by schizoid or paranoic behaviour as a result and manage to run a happy household with well balanced children.

Stripeymama - were you at the Newbury road protests?

i used to be all eco warrior too. now look at me. married kid, car!!

i agree with what Vacua said further down. the bit about there being a vast difference between queuing up for methadone and having the odd toke.

and Cod - the reason these debates always turn into drugs vs alcohol is that some people (me included) cannot understand the two facedness of people who go out and get shitfaced on alcohol then say, "But drugs are bad!"

I'm sure I've heard many times that if alcohol was a newly-discovered intoxicant it would be illegal in every country. Personally I prefer a glass of red wine to anything else, but there is undoubtedly a double-standard at work.

I was too young for Newbury I have lots of friends who were there though - we prob know some of the same people!

Birmingham Toll Road, Crystal Palace, Nine Ladies.

Wisteria in the US you can get it prescribed. i do not understand why the DoH in the UK won't do this, as a rule.

oh, and for those of you who were wondering why cannabis etc isn't legal, it's because it's too difficult to tax. and the majority of cannabis and MDMA and LSD are manufactured in this country, and the profits do not go towards subjugating South American street children, or whatever. (less airmiles too)

and i have never, ever heard of anyone dying or OD-ing on magic mushrooms. how bizarre!! (AFAIK, it's not medically possible to OD on Psilocybin)

stripeymama - do you know King Arthur?

Yes I do!! Do you know Manic Martin, Sir Galahad, Muppet Dave, Rebekah-the-man?

i know Muppet Dave!! he was at the summer Solstice at Stonehenge last year!!

did you hear that Tim thingy had died? brain tumour apparently (not drug induced)

how old are you then?

you're younger than me!

i'm such a div. you're really not are you?

Wisteria - whilst it's obviously a positive thing that you have personally found something which helps with your pain when nothing else does, there can be no guarantee that another person living with your condition who tries cannabis will not suffer the mental health problems associated with the drug. i know there are risks with all drugs, prescribed, illegal and over the counter, but at least with legal drugs there is some kind of accountability to the manufacturer, so they have a vested interest in making the drug as safe as possible. unlike dealers.

I'm 26.

Tim thingy? I know about Greg dying recently?

Feel free to email me - lollipoptree at hot mail dot co dot uk, without the gaps!

Yes Yummers, however the research pointing to the associated mental health problems is flawed as any of those health problems to which you refer generally only affect people in their late teens and early twenties which is when those CMHPs usually emerge so no one can actually say that there is conclusive evidence which links the use of cannabis to it....in other words they can't prove that those sufferers wouldn't have got the mental health problems anyway.

If you cane alcohol every day you WILL have associated health problems if you cane cannabis every day it MAY adversely affect your mental health, that's what makes me so angry.

However the health benefits to those of us who suffer painful, debilitating diseases are evident and outweigh the risks of being on the legal medication for the next 30 years (if we get that far!).

the perception of risk thing is weird isn't it, what are the actual risks of a few pills against, say, the risk of horse riding, being fat, riding a motorcycle or putting your pants on when half asleep?

at accountability to the manufacturer as well! There is no accountability for long term stomach & kidney problems with the drugs they want me to take as they are already aware of it and it is an 'acceptable side effect'.........

It's just a joke really isn't it......

Oh and PMSL at putting pants on when half asleep!

oh yes, laugh away Wisteria, scroll down for dangerous underpants

vacua- are you condoning putting pants on when half-asleep that is completely different. I would never even contemplate such an irresponsible activity. I believe it's illegal in some countries. and for very good reason.

Stripey I threw sandwiches up to the people in the trees during the battle at newbury. I joined the camp at Fairmile (Swampy and the tunnels) and hung out there round the fire for a bit.

Then I had kids and stopped.