OK so I am new here and thought I wold post something in this portion of the forum since there had not been much activity here this year.
  Well, smoking herb used to be one of my favorite things to do.
  Growing up at the beach and being a surfer kid, turn surfer adult, it was just a natural corse of things that smoking some fine herb (ie. vbarious forms and potenticies of cannabis) was a part of.
  After 25 years of it as my primary drug of choice, I had to ask myself, when is a drug a drug. The herb of today was not like the herb of yesterday, and although it may have been something that would have had a place in any normal persons life, for me it was a way to find peace, then it became anything but peaceful, often leaving me feeling like I needed to go to ER.
  The fact is, that today the seriously tasty, and complex variations and varietals of Cannabis, are strong, and are every bit of a serious drug as any other. I suppose I was just lucky, that I only dabbled in the other more serious drugs. We were all active people in my circles, so sticking a needle in our arms just did not seem like a great idea, and since I grew up in a metropolitan area, we saw the junkies, and knew we did not want that.
  At any rate, I am here to say that a drug is a drug, and more often than not it is the "leagal" ones that cause the most damage.........and ya'll know what the big two are so I will not even say it.
  If there is any one that struggles with their pot addiction, let me say only two tihings to you, One, you are certainly not alone. and Two, your life without this substance will be a world better and just think of the money you will save, not to mention the clarity of self and new possibilities for new friends you will have.
  Peace to you all.

Stonecarver5

Just for the sake of argument, is it possible that a drug is a DRUG when you regret (either sooner or later) what it makes you do? When you have to apologize for you actions? When it affects you life in other ways than just the small amount of time you use it? When it is used as reality as opposed to a temporary escape from reality?
     There are people that appear to be able to do things in moderation, with me it was all or none. They always seemed to be able to slip that psychological hook that I couldn't. For me a DRUG has to be any mood altering substance used for other than medicinal purposes under a doctors supervision...
Take care,
Dennis

Cool Dennis, thanks for the response. Certainly when anything becomes a problem it is worth taking a look at. I was pondering at a meeting this evening that I was addicted to bicycles and surfing long before I started using,  there is an addictive personality at play with me, and I think there are "healthy" addictions and ones that are not so healthy.

I am grateful for the ability to see the defference between them, and also for the ability to be mindfull of even the so called healthy ones when I spend too much time doing them.............for a long time I loved the saying, surf first, work later, and always figured it was just because the surf was often better in the morning!


Anyhow it is good to have found this place, and to have more contact with folks in recovery.

It seems that being kind to ourselves is not such a bad way to first approach many of the big questions in life, and this is my focus these days ever more so than before.
 
Stonecarver5

 Carver -
     Yeah, thats part of my bio - us 'holics never seem to have just one. Anything worth doing seems to be worth overdoing. Duh. Go figure.
     Being nice to ourselves is a good point. Back when I was in the cups, I figured I just didn't have the gumption, will power, fortitude or something like that to stop being stupid. I was a classic case. My best intentions got me nowhere. And I beat myself up every time. Then did it again.
     Maybe it was good that way. It probably helped get me here sooner. But you wouldn't beat yourself up if you had a cold - or cancer. I now know this is just a disease, nothing more or less. I find the medication for it well worth taking - especially given the alternative of a short miserable life folllowed by a premature dirt nap...
Take care,
Dennis

Stonecarver,
Always something interesting and thought provoking on this site-thank you!
A drug is a drug is a drug.... for me it's a drug when the substance changes my feelings, gives me a different perception that what I had earlier or affects my mood.
I have used many things to change how I feel because I didn't like what I was feeling at the time. 
Is prayer a drug?  It changes how I feel... because it changes what I am thinking. I guess that's the safest drug I can take just for today!
Kariemac

Thanks for all your comments!
  Certainly it is all a matter of finding healthy modes of applying our atttention, and to do the positive things in life for ourselves that we enjoy; like having fun with clean-friends, going to meetings and talking to our sponsors, etc...

  In the past, it may have been that the un-healthy practices were enganged-in we actually did for ourselves, it was our time, so in a way we were taking care of ourselves, but unfortunately in an unhealthy way, and ultimately in a destructive way. Now the challenge is to find peaceful and healthy ways to treat ourselves.

  So today I think for sure, prayer and meditation are positive and healthy aspects of attraction and attention that we can give ourselves. I find myself walking regularly, riding my bicycle, playing music, having tea with fellow recoverees, and just doing my best to feel some comfort in the uncertainty of life.

 All I know is that being clean is a blessing, and worth tending with grace and balance.

-Stonecarver5:)