There are many reasons people start taking drugs. Some start because they are prescribed medication, and then later may start taking it recreationally. Others see friends/family taking drugs, so they will try it as well. Some may start legally using drugs and slowly want to find new experiences with other drugs. Whatever the reason is many people are taking drugs, and many researchers are trying to understand their behavior and where it starts. Andrew Weil in the article Why People Take Drugs, explains why he believes others take drugs and what got him into certain drugs as well. Weil’s believes that everyone has the desire to alter their consciousness, that it is a natural human desire, much like eating and sexual behavior (Weil, p. 72).
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Becker in the article Becoming a Marihuana User explains how becoming a marijuana user is a learned experience. Becker explains that first time marijuana users are not actually doing the activity for pleasure, most times the first time you try marijuana you do not actually get high (Becker, p. 82). According to Becker, the first step of becoming a marijuana user is learning how to smoke correctly to get high (Becker, p. 82). You need someone to explain how to breathe it in and keep it in until you cannot no longer (Becker, p. 82). Many first time users are not use to holding something in or get it deep enough to actual feel the effects of the drug (Becker, p. 83). Becker proposes the second step to becoming a marijuana user is learning what the symptoms of being high are and recognizing them (Becker, p. 83). One person being interviewed explained that one time he was with someone who was extremely high but did not know it (Becker, p. 83). The person had to be told the symptoms of being high, before they could recognize themselves as being high (Becker, p. 83). Now the third step is the interesting part. Becker states that you need to learn to find the effect of marijuana pleasurable (Becker, p. 85). He has interviews of people explaining their first times being high and how they were either scared or uncomfortable with this new sensation (Becker, p. 85). To become an avid marijuana user you need to learn to find pleasure in the effects of marijuana. This can show …show more content…
One of the first test of using marijuana as a substitute for alcohol was done in 1970 (Reiman, p. 109). An alcoholic woman started to use marijuana instead of drinking alcohol (Reiman, p. 109). The woman reported that she was able to control her marijuana intake and saw an increase in her health, concentration and better able to control her emotions (Reiman, p. 109). In Remian’s study it showed that those who used marijuana as a substitution for other drugs found they were getting better outcomes from marijuana than their previous drug of choice (Reiman, p. 110). Out of those included in the study, 65% of them found they had less adverse side effects, 34% find less withdrawal potential and 57.4% had better symptom management (Reiman, p. 111). However, not every aspect of this substitution was good, marijuana is a lot harder to obtain than alcohol and less socially acceptable. This could be a great thing for those who are alcoholics. Having someone substitute a drug for another might not seem like a logical solution, but some addicts refuse to not alter their consciousness in some way. If you can get someone who is addicted to something harmful in large amounts like alcohol, using marijuana instead they can see an increase in health and have more control of themselves in personal and public settings. Drug use comes in many different
Becker in the article Becoming a Marihuana User explains how becoming a marijuana user is a learned experience. Becker explains that first time marijuana users are not actually doing the activity for pleasure, most times the first time you try marijuana you do not actually get high (Becker, p. 82). According to Becker, the first step of becoming a marijuana user is learning how to smoke correctly to get high (Becker, p. 82). You need someone to explain how to breathe it in and keep it in until you cannot no longer (Becker, p. 82). Many first time users are not use to holding something in or get it deep enough to actual feel the effects of the drug (Becker, p. 83). Becker proposes the second step to becoming a marijuana user is learning what the symptoms of being high are and recognizing them (Becker, p. 83). One person being interviewed explained that one time he was with someone who was extremely high but did not know it (Becker, p. 83). The person had to be told the symptoms of being high, before they could recognize themselves as being high (Becker, p. 83). Now the third step is the interesting part. Becker states that you need to learn to find the effect of marijuana pleasurable (Becker, p. 85). He has interviews of people explaining their first times being high and how they were either scared or uncomfortable with this new sensation (Becker, p. 85). To become an avid marijuana user you need to learn to find pleasure in the effects of marijuana. This can show …show more content…
One of the first test of using marijuana as a substitute for alcohol was done in 1970 (Reiman, p. 109). An alcoholic woman started to use marijuana instead of drinking alcohol (Reiman, p. 109). The woman reported that she was able to control her marijuana intake and saw an increase in her health, concentration and better able to control her emotions (Reiman, p. 109). In Remian’s study it showed that those who used marijuana as a substitution for other drugs found they were getting better outcomes from marijuana than their previous drug of choice (Reiman, p. 110). Out of those included in the study, 65% of them found they had less adverse side effects, 34% find less withdrawal potential and 57.4% had better symptom management (Reiman, p. 111). However, not every aspect of this substitution was good, marijuana is a lot harder to obtain than alcohol and less socially acceptable. This could be a great thing for those who are alcoholics. Having someone substitute a drug for another might not seem like a logical solution, but some addicts refuse to not alter their consciousness in some way. If you can get someone who is addicted to something harmful in large amounts like alcohol, using marijuana instead they can see an increase in health and have more control of themselves in personal and public settings. Drug use comes in many different