Jedi and "Drugs"

Kitsu Tails wrote:

Venator Mortis wrote: Kitsu what is your stance on the Marijuana issue? If I may ask?

In my guideline it asks "Is it illegal?" As Jedi we should always strive to Uphold the Laws. If it is Illegal then you probubly should avoid it.

As an Herbologiest myself....I don't see any issues with it when used within reason and proper application. I find it to be a great herb for many ailments and not against Jedi Morals. However, It is not the Jedi thing to go sneaking seeds over boarder and growing your own Marijuana garden for the pleasures of smoking it to get a buzz.

Agreed:)

Venator Mortis wrote:

Kitsu Tails wrote:

Venator Mortis wrote: Kitsu what is your stance on the Marijuana issue? If I may ask?

In my guideline it asks "Is it illegal?" As Jedi we should always strive to Uphold the Laws. If it is Illegal then you probubly should avoid it.

As an Herbologiest myself....I don't see any issues with it when used within reason and proper application. I find it to be a great herb for many ailments and not against Jedi Morals. However, It is not the Jedi thing to go sneaking seeds over boarder and growing your own Marijuana garden for the pleasures of smoking it to get a buzz.

Agreed:)

I can't speak for other Jedi, but I am for responsible use of recreational (and medical) drugs. The legality of drugs has never been a major point of concern for me, but I don't personally consume anything illegal these days (or legal - rarely even drink caffeine). Twenty years ago may have been a different story, but now there are no justifiable reasons for putting unnecessary chemicals into my body, and at this time I see no apparent benefits to my physical or mental health.

Both alcohol and marijuana are legal where I live, and as I've said previously, I much prefer dealing with stoned people than drunk people. As far as I'm concerned, alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs available, and when abused it becomes as much of a death sentence as heroin or crystal meth. I've known stoners who have nearly destroyed their lives due to excessive pot use, but in no way do their experiences compare to the lives I've seen destroyed by alcohol.

Venator Mortis wrote:

OB1Shinobi wrote: a drug addict is in need of learning to live a jedi lifestyle more than anyone i can think of

if youre not already a drug addict i would recommend not doing anything which might alter that situation

Not to get too personal but my brother is an alcoholic and still is. I've tried to help him but he ends up back on the bottle. I agree addicts would improve by becoming Jedi and dropping their addictions.

i went through a good bit of addiction myself
i dont care so much about the legal issues as about the health issues (psychological/spiritual health included)
imo dependence on external substances is not healthy, ever
sometimes the substance alleviates the symptoms of a condition that cannot be handled any other way
once something becomes an addiction i can tell you from experience the situation doesnt get better on its own but it most likely will get worse

i cant think of a substance thats it "ok" to be addicted to, even marijuana, although imo pot is basically healthy in and of itself whereas things like meth and cocaine and booze are not

if you can do 'a glass of wine a day" then youre not an alcoholic by my definition
its when you dont feel like you are normal without the substance or you just cant stop yourself from using it that you have a problem and the only solution is to face it - it gets worse 99.999% of the time

i dont advocate being judgemental but i do advocate being honest

What I believe for myself personally and what I believe should be the rule in general are very, very different.

Personally I do not drink alcohol or smoke anything and I even cut caffeine almost entirely out of my life. I do not like the idea of taking any drug as I do not like to alter my mind or judgment. I'm kind of a control freak. That's the way I was raised and that's the way I shall live.

As for everyone else, as long as it doesn't affect anyone else I think you should feel free to do whatever you want. Just because I don't do it doesn't mean that I think that I have the right to tell you not to. If you want to drink or get high that's fine so long as you don't drive while impaired. I think that laws are too lenient on people who drive while impaired in any way. (I also don't like to talk on the phone, text, or even eat while driving but that's a different story.)

I'm sorry if this seems like an overly cerebral response, but...

Wouldn't it always affect everybody and everything, what you do?

Hell, what I eat every day affects everybody around me because my behavior is a response to everything I put in my body as well as how it affects my hormones and brain.

Soooo... My guess is that any drug I take will change my perspective on everything.

i am very firmly in the position of allowing people to choose their own way of life

but am i the only one who has the sense that as jedi we should hold ourselves to a more demanding (lol i almost said HIGHER) standard

it seems to me that addiction is a sign of spiritual illness which is in contradiction to the development of the jedi ideal

is this not logical?
are my expectations greater than appropriate?

does anyone agree/disagree that addiction is a symptom of psychological/spiritual illness?

surely no one would suggest that an addict is spiritually HEALTHY?

is there not even a base line minimum of developmental health necessary before one is considered a jedi?

does the word not imply a certain level of control over ones life?

should it?

Addiction is a funny term.

I have spent many years in the martial arts.

Tons of money gone.

Sacrificed time with my family going to seminars and workshops.

I train 6 days a week on average, more if I go more than once a day.

I teach one class out of the week.

It has affected my health, my shoulder, elbow, both wrists, ankle.

I feel like crap when not doing it for an extended period of time.

I have seen people addicted to spiritual pursuits in similar ways.

No one calls my addiction unhealthy.

Probably because even with the chronic injury, I am in great shape and people on the hole consider it healthy.

It is still a vice.

Everyone has a vice.

Addiction need not be to a substance that you ingest.

I have seen people addicted to academics,meditation, adrenaline rushes, etc,etc.

Everyone pics there poison.

Khaos wrote: Addiction is a funny term.

I have spent many years in the martial arts.

Tons of money gone.

Sacrificed time with my family going to seminars and workshops.

I train 6 days a week on average, more if I go more than once a day.

I teach one class out of the week.

It has affected my health, my shoulder, elbow, both wrists, ankle.

I feel like crap when not doing it for an extended period of time.

I have seen people addicted to spiritual pursuits in similar ways.

No one calls my addiction unhealthy.

Probably because even with the chronic injury, I am in great shape and people on the hole consider it healthy.

It is still a vice.

Everyone has a vice.

Addiction need not be to a substance that you ingest.

I have seen people addicted to academics,meditation, adrenaline rushes, etc,etc.

Everyone pics there poison.

Well said:)

I think the distinction is that a drug is a non-food substance introduced to the inside of the body.... and for that I'd just say perhaps a Jedi needs to inform themselves about what it is, what its effects might be under various conditions (dosage, drug interactions, allergies), how it works and how to react if things seem to be going wrong. Once established, then usage needs to be based on suitable circumstances/environment so not to endanger oneself or others directly or indirectly. Otherwise its like any other substance, do you know what it really is, and who are you supporting by acquiring it.