Of course it's something to go to rehab for, people go to rehab for alcohol problems so why not Weed? 

Yes in a way she is.

Well you being upset at her choice to stay off a drug that is known to impair ones abilities, cause short term and long term memory loss, paranoia, and can bring out mental illnesses, then yes she is being pressured. 

 Personally I'm glad I don't smoke the stuff anymore, my life has improved considerably since I stopped.

If you are smoking it more than once a week, it ain't moderate, its habitual abuse. If you smoke it every day, then you have extreme problems.

So let me undersstand this, your pissed at the fact that your female friend is no longer smoking a damaging substance and you are upset about it? I'd be happy for her!

 I'm sorry to say, you are seeing it the wrong way. Support your friend in her decision, be an actual friend to her.

If you have a weed problem, you should go to rehab. If you smoke in moderation, you shouldn't. If you go to rehab, Static thinks they should give you REAL reasons for remaining healthy. He does not seem to have a problem with rehab per se, more like he has a problem with rehabs methods for getting people to remain sober.

The OP only said she was arrested for posession, he did not indicate she was abusing the substance. Was she?

It does not seem as though the OP is upset that she is staying off the drug, the OP is upset at her newfound holier than thou attitude about it. He is upset because he does not think the rehab clinic gave her real reasons for staying healthy. see:

That's good. I am glad you have found the best way for you to interact with the stuff.

This is quite true. I completely agree. So Static_, how often was she smoking?

He is pissed that she has had drilled into her head the line of reasoning that it is never ever okay for anyone to smoke weed ever, and if they do it even once a year then they are not healthy people of sound mind. The OP never said he was pissed that she was not smoking weed, he said he was pissed at her attitude.

Swearing off weed is fine and great and wonderful. However looking down on everyone who ever smoked as though they are merely meantally unsound victims of peer pressure is wrong. I think this is the problem the OP has.

I worked in a rehab, and they tend to assume anyone sent there for any reason is an addict - if they think they are that's evidence, if not they are in denial and that's evidence - basically everything counts as "for" and nothing as "against."

Often courts will send anyone who gets a DUI or any possession offense there for "evaluation." Of course they only make money if they call the person an addict. It's a big business. And AA/NA run almost like a cult.

Every evaluation that a rehab place does, they get paid for. This is at least the case of for-profit or hospital drug programs. I don't know about not-for-profit programs, however. 

Interesting as after they reject everyone they might end up lonely and finding a drink or two or three... can keep them company. 

I have read all the posts and this is a lot to responde too.

First, I recommend for everyone to read "Avoiding 12-step coercion" by Stanton Peele. This will clarify most of the questions that are being posed here. Specifically regarding court and employee mandated treatment for substance use.

Second-The most empirically support treatment for substance use problems guides the individual to come to their OWN conclusion and reasons for why THEY need to stop or reduce their consumption. Just telling people they are a victim and powerless is nonsense and is not good treatment.

Third- Just because somebody is in a rehab does not mean they meet criteria for a substance use disorder. You can't assume anything because somebody is admitted to a rehab, treatment, hospital etc. I refer you to an artical entitled "Being sane in insane places" where actors posed as being mentally ill and everything they did was pathologized as being schizophrnic behavior. This points to the fact that they still need an objective assessment of their situation, problem, and symptoms before we start labeling people.

Many individuals are drug dealers or small time users who have DHS involved in their lives. Yes, a good amount of the time DHS is involved due to the role of drug use, but this is not always the case. Yes, these people need help with some type of life problem or issue if they are being court referred or referred by DHS. However, having 12-step rammed down your throat when you need to find transportation to work is counterproductive.

Lastly, Shizzle is right in that anything is considered to be evidence of addiction, especially in the case of denial/admittance. If somebody you didn't know gave you a label of any kind and you didn't believe it, what would you do??

Just based on everybody's responses here, I'm going to assume that none of you have ever been in rehab.

First of all, anybody admitted to rehab for smoking pot would be laughed at incessently during the requisite war stories and competition for the biggest junkie of the year prize.

Secondly, people should understand that drug use, and even dependance, is commonplace in society, and the issue here is that it is a supposed "illicit" substance. How about everybody on mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, or anti-depressants goes to rehab as well to cure their addiction?

People use drugs because it makes them feel better, and if they are able to maintain their functionality and it doesn't impede on other areas of their lives, then it shouldn't matter at all if you smoke pot every day. 

Next we'll be sending people to rehab for caffeine addiction. The only drug that detoxing from will actually kill you is alcohol, so obviously a chronic alcoholic needs medical treatment to quit. Shouldn't the focus be more on a drug that causes more deaths yearly than ALL illicit drugs combined? People are stupid and this topic annoyed me. Sorry.

Not to mention the "higher power" bullshit that is forced on you in those places. It's sick.

Then i will counter with this, from personal experience and having many friends that smoke weed (and still due) if it is everyday, then yes they can be imped them, again i say can be, i have seen some that aren't, one example is Andrew, that smoke weed from the moment he wakes, up, then at lunch, then after coming from work and before heading to bed, everyday, why i don't know why, however he is a guitar virtuoso and i haven't seen anyone play the instrument as good as him, this man can also name off the differences between a 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69 camero, GTO, mustang and corvette by parts not just body style. (as well as various truck, car and luxury vehicles) Plus just out of sheer boredom he built a taser (although not nearly as powerful as a real taser) with a wireless door contact, 2 screws and a disposible flash camera in about 10 minutes.

    In moderation (what i mean by this, less than once a week) i see no harm, the short term memory loss and anyother problems come not from moderation, but from habitual usuage, however they are do go away after 1 month.

    I myself rarely use it anymore, and only really to numb any pain (usually after a long day of snowboarding). The decision is really divided on the usuage of marijuana in the medical community as well depending where you are, the enforcement agencies. As is cigarrets and alcohol are far worse than smoking weed, yet they are completely legal, why, because, society has grown up with them alcohol is nearly a passage requirement into adulthood (and i know many of you can probably remember drinking underage, or having a huge drink fest for your 19th or 21st birthday) But we do know that mass consuption of alcohol can kill you, if not cause brain damage, liver damage, damage to the nervous system etc. However with weed, you will pass out well before you reach the limit that it can kill you (roughly 10 pounds worth of it, if you smoke this much and if you survive you will have other issues to deal with....like massive lung problems)

    I do believe that people that do smoke everyday and that are impeded of doing their work or living a normal life, then yes they should get help, there are other problems there. However if it doesn't imped them, why should i stop them? If I stop them, should we stop other people that use other forms of legal drugs, such as prozac, lithium, ritalin, or any of the other drugs than can and have imped people from living a normal life, and what should we do with this drugs, i mean they do have side effects (such as ritalin that can cause psycosis/paranoia) yet are completely legal.  

Well usually the purpose to smoking pot is to 'get high', 'zone out', 'feel good', 'get a buzz', 'relax easier', etc. All of those goals are designed to change the way you function, otherwise there wouldn't be a reason to smoke it in the first place. (I'm not counting those that smoke it to relieve pain in that statement)

Would you allow them to drive home? If not, then they have problems functioning.

I totally and utterly agree, people shouldn't run around saying that it is ok and fine to smoke pot on a regular basis, and definately shouldn't say that it's harmless. 

Marijuana use can affect all those quite easily. In brief: Relationships - Conflict, Financial Life - Money spent on pot better spent elsewhere, Employment - Impaired Working Ability, Education - Reduced Learning and Concentration. The effects can range from major from the point of smoking pot to minor from several hours after smoking pot. 

On minesites they have random drug tests, any trace of pot use is grounds for loss of job. 

Well that depends doesn't it, people drinking have been known to wander all over the place, pass out, be abusive towards people, hit people, sing loudly in the dead of night, cause damage to property, etc. In the case of the fool next door, just as he is about to arrive home, he drops his pants whilst in the middle of the road in the dead of night and goes for a piss, I've nearly hit him twice now with my car when coming home. And hey when I used to drink all the time I did some of those things too, so I'm just as guilty.

If people were having a cone about once or twice a week, I would totally agree with you. Sadly however it's a drug that quite a few people use on a daily basis. This to me is where the danger is.

In those cases the effects are physical rather than psychological, physical effects are just as important as psychological however this whole thread has been more about the psychological effects. 

Your view of illicit substances, UltraMonk, seems to be a bit subjective.

People have been trying to say that weed, just like anything else, is harmless when used responsibly. Obviously getting high before you drive somewhere isn't responsible. Being high at work isn't responsible.

If you're at home, with your daily obligations behind you, there's no harm done - period.

When someone else made the point that it doesn't affect your financial stability when used properly, you responded by saying, "They'll spend money to buy more pot rather than better things."

So there are "right" and "wrong" things to spend your well-earned money on? Like what? Cigarettes? Coffee? Teeth-butchering soda? Junk foods? A tanning salon? Am I wasting my money when I dish out $60 for a video game, or $350 for a condenser microphone?

Anyway, Kelly was the only one who hit was I was trying to say right on the mark.

People are being sent to rehab clinics when they don't need to be. They're being labeled as addicts when they're not. This isn't limited to illicit drug abuse, but psychology in general. People are being "diagnosed" with mental disorders, and pills crammed down their throats, when many "disorders" can be fixed through the individual understanding their problem and simply taking the time to work on it.

What none of you guys have addressed is the notion that people are being "treated" in a corrupted manner that seems to guarantee that the victim will return to the doctor/clinic for more corrupted treatment. The treatment isn't honest. I would assume that anyone with a doctorate in . . . well . . . anything . . . would be able to pick up on this as well. Much of it seems like a scam, and it's f*cked up.

Why don't the victims pick up on this stuff? The same reason that victims of theism don't pick up on their delusion. We live in a majority populace that lacks critical thinking. This needs to change.

Correlate my problem with my friend, who has a newfound pride over her sobriety, with someone who just got suckered into being "born again", and you'll understand my dilemma a bit better.

Heh, I've got my hands full now with this whole discussion.

The very nature of pot and drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol *IS* that your thinking and functioning is impaired. This includes your judgement in making decisions, and that also includes whether or not you are using responsibly. So how can the individual user determine whether or not they are using responsibly?

This is a point that we definately disagree on, after 18 years of either me using pot and watching other people using pot the consequences are there. Some of the consequences can be minor for sure, but can have long reaching effects spanning years or even decades.

In Australia it is illegal for a person serving alchohol to serve it to anybody that they determine has had too much to drink. In some communities here you cannot take alchohol outside of the pub/bar, that includes not being able to take a six pack home.

So yes it is a serious enough problem that things are gradually being done about it. That even includes tobacco, you cannot smoke in a pub here, or restaurants, nightclubs and several other places. 

To me the problems of pot usage afflicts the majority of pot users.  

No hypocrisy considering that trans fats are banned in New York City Eateries. As we understand more and more about various things the better the chance that other fats and possibly high sugar content products will be banned.

I'm not denying that there are physical problems associated, but the physical side of things add a whole new dimension to this whole conversation. I recognize that there are physical problems caused, you recognize that there are physical problems caused. I'm just trying to keep it to more of the psychological side of things instead of bringing in long winded discussions about the physical. As I said physical is just as important but I don't think we really need to go over it, especially since I'll probably agree with most of the physical side of things. 

    First of the judgment part, how much weed smoking are we talking about here? Most people that i know, when smoking weed, don't do stupid things such as, get into fights with random people, run around naked, smoke to the point that they puke/pass out, call ex's professing their love, annoying people generally right out, raping someone, killing someone, which is why, with my talks with the local law enforcements (Canada and the Holland) they rather deal with someone that is high on weed than drunk, and least the weed smoker can make rational judgements, the drunk tend to be violent. Smoking a gram or 2 ain't going to put you out to the point that you cannot function or make a judgement call at all.

   For the most part many pot heads that i know (and it's quite a few actually now that i think about it) are responsible enough with it yes there are the that smoke way to much (for them i do suggest to get some form of help) however the majority don't smoke before or during work, don't drive while high, don't spend their entire paycheques on weed (usually on average the people that i have spoken to we tend to spend around 60 to 100 bucks a month) while most of the drinkers that i know spend oh about 300 to 600 a month easy (2 nights a week, between 50 to 100 dollars a night adds up quickly) so i would still need to understand your irresponsible part? Are some people irresponsible, sure, are the majority i have to argue with pot, no, those that have kids, one of the parents won't smoke (if the kids are at home, if they are at the grandparents or aunts then yes they will)

    Unless your taking on the extreme cases (those that cannot function because all they do is smoke weed all day long) then yes i agree with your statements, but those statements you made do not apply to moderate users at all, they are pretty much an exaggeration, again moderate users less than once a week. 

First off, apologies to RationalSchema for not acknowledging your first post. It totally slipped my mind, and that post was absolutely relevent. In the words of Optimus Prime, "Sorry, my bad."

UltraMonk, for the most part I've been trying not to press you too much on your feelings over drug use being empirically "wrong". What I, and it seems a few others, have been trying to say is that this is a Red Herring. We're trying to discuss the very obvious flaws in the reasons people are becoming sober. I pointed out that the flaws are so asinine, so apparent, that the people running these places must be real morons if they don't realize the scam they're contributing to.

Evil Religion, I'm right there with you. After how this thread has progressed, I really want to confront my friend about this. The problem is she's still a part of the program, living in a "sober house" with a group of ex-addicts that never leave each other alone. They always travel in a group. They lean on each other for support. Ugh. I'm afraid that I'd be stirring up trouble if I showed up and went, "You! Everyone! Bullshit!"

I don't see the issue as being a scam as much as a result of religious thinking. It's never your fault, it's due to "satanic forces" and so on. It's then also "god" that saves you. It's the typical cycle of repression and compulsion, coming from an unwillingness to deal with the real issues.

 The bigger aspect that I've never understood is the preoccupation with the object of people's escape. I see it all the time, and not just with theists. It doesn't matter whether it's a substance or a behavior (gambling, sex, shopping, eating, even internet or television usage). I see so many people that do something to the detriment of their responsibilities, realize it, fixate on the substance or action alone, and cut it out of their life only to replace it with something else. Of course the cycle then repeats, but for some reason they never realize that it's the escapism/addiction itself that's the problem, and not what they're addicted to. They never realize that if they actually addressed the issues in their lives, they wouldn't need to escape it so much. I find these people all too often get to be elitist about it because it was so easy for them to overcome the problem - which is only because they replaced it with something else. 

It's bad enough when someone does this on their own, but it is indeed sickening to see it happen at the instruction of some authority. Unfortunately I just really don't think they even realize it, it's simply how they approach everything in their world. It's a result of emotional reasoning rather than logic - appeasing feelings rather than actually addressing them in any real way. As long as they feel like they've accomplished something, it doesn't matter whether they really have or not. It's also just one of the many far reaching problems that religion causes, and why it needs to be eliminated. 

I know you are bowed out, but I don't think anybody was saying she made a bad decision or has a problem with her stopping her use. What myself and others have a problem with is that she was indoctrinated to make a decision based on false information. She was not given the opportunity to make the choice for herself, but told to make a decision.  I have to agree with evil religion on most of the points. Those were the points I was trying to make, but he did it more eloquently. I do disagree with him on the Short-term memory aspect. It does lead to ST memory problems, but certainly not mental illness or paranoia. Paranoia while high, but not after usage.

Others have pointed out your subjective opinion and it seems to me you think any use of any substances leads to a complete loss of ones cognitive and judgmental faculties. I think we can all agree that a person who has 1 or 2 drinks is likely to make better decisions than somebody who has 12 drinks. I see to much all-or-nothing/black and white thinking in your responses. As stated before you can tell if a person is using responsibly by the consequences of their use. If they get arrested, beat their wife, miss work and splurge their entire back account I think we can say that this is irresponsible use. If they are leading a healthy life who the F am I to tell them they should stop??? I am trying to highlight that there a significant gray areas when it comes to drug use. These gray areas are frequently dismissed by 12-step groups and the substance use treatment industry.

Although what I have said are my opninions, they are based on the science in the field and backed by the research.

People have been shown to be able to control their drinking at responsible levels, even people who met previous criteria for substance use problems.

http://www.moderation.org/

http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/AbstinenceHR/Mm2004-WhoSeeksCd06.htm

I just had to add this other one.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/

And as I mentioned in another post, I don't know enough about the whole program to be able to comment on it, and thus I haven't! I've been researching it all and learning about it. They may have good reasons for some of the things they do, then again they may not. Until you actually go through the program yourself then who can say?

If your friend had come out of it still smoking pot, would you have mentioned the problem in the first place? In your OP you said this:

So is it just me when it seems to me that it reads that you and anybody else wanted her to stay on drugs? From what nearly everyone elses responses are it seems to be just me, so that is why I am bowing out of the discussion. I got things wrong.

Yes, I do believe you are the only one who read into Static's post that he wanted his friend to stay on drugs. I can see why you might read what you read into his post. At any rate, misunderstanding someone is no reason to bow out of the conversation. So long as you realize the misunderstanding and move on