"Until someone you love is killed by a potsmoker who decides to drive while high, you have absolutely no right to pull a bullshit story about how harmless pot is."
Well Val, I'm sorry about your loss but I'm not sure you can blame it on pot, but rather on the user. And are you sure that the fact that he was high (or a test showed traces of something in his system) caused the apparent accident?
I personally do not drive on pot or any more than a glass of wine or beer, having lost two close friends due to drunk driving. I indulge my vices in the evenings at home and for me, I do believe that it is relatively harmless.
I do believe that it affects my memory to some extent, but I enjoy it and it helps me sleep. As far as intelligence goes, I wouldn't want to have to take a test while high, but I wouldn't hesitate to take a bong hit the night before and get some good rest.
If I had the choice of driving on roads full of stoned people and roads filled with drunks, I'll take the stoners every time.
Pot isn't totally harmless even when used in moderation, but it is certainly less harmful than most other substances that people take to catch a buzz, and for that matter, steriods are not harmless either.
I think its up to the individual to decide whether the benefit he gets from the buzz or whatever is worth the detrmiment to his health. He also has the moral obligation not to endanger anyone else.
"The only people who say pot does absolutely nothing to anyone are the people who smoke it."
Well, I'm not sure this statement is true, but assuming, arguendo, that it is, so what! Would you also say that the only people who say steriods are not harmful are juicers? And are pot smoker's saying that pot cannot be harmful?
Maybe I shouldn't have quoted your post because it may appear that I am flaming you. I am not, especially since you have apparently lost someone close due to irresponsible use of pot, and I think you are correct to some extent, but there is really more to it IMO.
BTW, unless you are smoking crap weed or just a hell of a lot of pot, you probably aren't getting a significant amount of carcinogens, it is certainly nothing like being a cigarette smoker. You probably inhale much more just living in a city than you do from a few tokes. And water from a bong does filter the smoke somewhat.