It has come to my attention that certain members of my circle of acquaintances are quietly smoking a substance that is at the present time illegal. I can't say I'm surprised by this. I imagine that it's quite common for individuals in any circle of friends to do things that are technically illegal. Like parking too near a stop sign, or speeding on the freeway. I personally know adults who have shoplifted and others who have cheated on their taxes. I'm not immune, either. I walked drunkenly down a street shortly after celebrating my engagement. I regularly go faster than I should on roads that are not near schools. I reuse stamps if they haven't been canceled. And I have knowingly kept several extra mints from the bowl at the entrance to Macaroni Grill. But the idea of smoking pot, well, that's kind of different. I worry about the rather serious consequences of the act even as I acknowledge that they rarely happen. I also worry about the problems caused when one is impaired. It likely isn't much different than the effects of alcohol, however, the results can be much more significant. So I wonder how others feel about this. My generation has had their go at laws regulating mind altering substances. What will the next generation do? Is it looked on differently? Should I worry about these friends or just smile and think perhaps I'm just old fashioned?
