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The characteristics of a true addict are hard to define. I don't believe that everyone that has used drugs is an addict. We live in a society that allows for mental alteration, in moderation. If we did not allow this then alcohol would be illegal. Alcohol is actually much more mind-altering then some of the illegal drugs. So what does this say about our society. It is okay to get messed-up but the government will decide how you go about it.

Cannabis is legal in many countries. According to scientific tests, it is not physically addictive. All though it does impair your judgment to an extent, it also has many positive aspects. It has been legalized in certain states to help cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. This would be wonderful for Aids patients to help increase their appetite. It could also be used as a way to deal with pain and sleeplessness.
Getting back to the subject of addiction-I feel too many people associate addiction to illegal drugs. Even though food is not considered a drug, many people are as addicted to food as a heroin addict is addicted to heroin. These people are not put in prison because of their inability to control what they eat. After all they are only hurting themselves. Or are they? Have you ever seen a person declared an unfit parent because their children are obese? Obesity ranks right up there with drug usage as a cause of premature death. I think society needs to take a closer look at all types of addiction. Not just drug usage.
If you think this article is pro-drug, it is not. I clearly understand the ramifications of drug usage in this country. Addiction is not about the drug, but the person who takes the drug. If a person becomes dependent on a substance to be able to function, thinks about the substance all of the time, rearranges their life around it, then they are addicted and should seek help.

Learn more about this author, Vicki Helgeland.
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