Marijuana is an insideous beast. It has a tendency to insinuate its way completely into the everyday lives of its users. No, this doesn't happen to all users. Many many people only smoke once in awhile and never fall into the lifestyle of the habitual pot head, but the proclivity of marijuana to become a central part of its users existance is undeniable.

Some other drugs have this tendency as well, but the only ones that do so on the same level are opiates. Even though methamphetamine and cocaine are highly addictive they don't lend themselves to the same type of total, long-term personality saturation. Unlike the habitual marijuana user, you can't take equivalent amounts of speed or coke every day for more than a couple years without totally destroying your life. They are drugs that reinforce the concept of moderation, at least among users who value their lives.

Sure, we all know that guy who spends entire weeks tripping, or the chick who goes clubbing on ecstacy almost every night of the week. The difference is that these people are the exceptions, and they never keep at it for very long. Their activities are more a function of age and transitory lifestyle than of the drugs themselves.

Some would argue that alcohol fits the same lifestyle-saturation pattern as marijuana and opiates like heroin. Some may even suggest that cigarettes fall into this category. What sets them apart is a matter of degree. Having a drink to relax is fundamentally different than getting a little stoned to relax. Even a little stoned is still stoned, and you still have glazed eyes, a stupid grin, and an inability to carry on a decent conversation with non-stoned people. Yes, there are alcoholics, but they are definitely a small minority. As for cigarettes, the narcotic effect is so miniscule as to almost not be worth mentioning.

The tendency of other drugs to inforce moderation in their users can usually be rightfully seen as corollary to their potential danger to the user. In this light marijuana may seem superior in that it doesn't present such a health risk. However, it is that risk that keeps those other drugs in their proper place.

A drug is something that alters you and changes how you react to the world. If you engage in drug use on weekends or special occassions then you are essentially taking a break from life. You are on a drug-induced vacation. But if you take drugs damn-near every day then your use takes on a whole different meaning. You are not doing it to have fun anymore, you are taking medication.

Are you a habitual marijuana smoker? Do you need daily medication from life? How did you get to this point? You started smoking with your friends when you were out having a good time. It enhanced the fun. What changed?

The above points can be addressed with the same answer to the question of what makes marijuana worse than heroin and opium. Unlike those drugs, marijuana lies. Every junkie knows that they are a junkie. Every person who wastes away each evening in an opium den knows that they themselves are also wasting away. Every other drug out there reminds its users that, no matter how much enjoyment they receive, there is a price to be paid. Every one except marijuana.

Marijuana tells you that you are a better person for having smoked marijuana. Marijuana tells you that you are more creative when you smoke marijuana. Marijuana tells you that it helps you concentrate. What marijuana doesn't tell you is that you feel more creative because you have lost the ability to judge your work from the vantage point of someone who isn't stoned. It doesn't tell you that it replaced your critical thinking skills with the naive wonder of a six year old. It doesn't tell you that your present vague awareness of your surroundings is not the same thing as being relaxed and at peace. And most importantly, it doesn't tell you that when you become an habitual user its effects persist even when you are not longer stoned.

The similarities of former marijuana smokers' testimonials should tell you something. "After two weeks it was like a haze was removed from my life." "I felt like I had finally woken up." "I couldn't believe how much more alive I felt after a month away from it."

Any drug that takes two to four weeks of non-usage before you even realize what a mess you were is seriously evil. Drugs that deceive are not to be trusted. If a drug's entire purpose is not to have fun, but rather to make the user believe that the drug itself is harmless and has little real effect, then what point is there in taking that drug?