Long-time pot user here. Non democrat. Libertarian, basically.
Despite my love for marijuana and its intoxicating effects, I'm tired as shit of these hippies telling me how good it is for you. In terms of immediate effects, marijuana ups my pulse rate, marginally slows my reaction time, and makes multi-tasking significantly more difficult. But holy shit does it make watching movies and playing videogames fun as shit. When I was heavily into martial arts training in my younger years, I used to -love- sparring stoned, but holy shit after a couple bong rips my cardiovascular stamina went way downhill for the duration of the high.
The only place where pot ever really benefitted me in any real way was -possibly- in terms of creativity when I'd draw or compose shitty music. And even then, I can't say for sure that it enhanced anything. . . might have just been stoned enough to enjoy the garbage I was creating whereas sober I'd recognize it for the shit it was.
Anyway, what I'm getting at, to begin with, is that marijuana is IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM a performance enhancing substance. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to romanticize a favored passtime, which is pretty natural among humans. "I like this, and I'm me, and I know that me wouldn't like something unless there was a real, measurable reason to like it."
That said, **** OFF. That goes for the government and anyone else who seeks to restrict my pot use because of the negative effects. Every time I hit the bong, I understand that I'm trading short and long term faculties for immediate gratification. I also understand this every time I crack the cap on a Heineken or throw down a shot of 1800. I also understand this every time I inhale a McDouble. When I log onto usmessageboard.com and type out a 5 paragraph rant about random bullshit, I do it with the understanding that enough of those rants are eventually going to lead to carpal tunnel, and in trade for no benefit other than the enjoyment of typing out a rant.
We are all deteriorating, and we are ALL accelerating that process via hobbies and habbits that are self destructive to varying degrees. As long as I'm not harming anyone else with mine (and I'm not. I'm what you call a functioning pothead. I excell at my career, I take care of myself and my responsibilities, I always do right by those I care about, and I don't do irresponsible shit under the influence of intoxicants. Recreational activities NEVER take precedence over my personal, moral/ethical code), then nobody has any business telling me I can't indulge in them. Criticize if you must, but if you attempt to snatch the joint from my fingers, don't be surprised if I attempt to jaw you.