Newsgroups: rec.drugs.cannabis Almost two years ago, I was involved in a car accident. A woman (who blew a .022) ran a stop sign and hit me. I blew a .015 so I was also arrested. My expensive attorney was little help: 18 months probation for my first offense! Anyway, in the last two years I realized that alcohol was causing a lot of problems for me, apart from the DUI. A girl I really liked dumped me over the phone and because I was drunk and upset, I punched a door and broke a bone in my left hand. Since I am a bass player, this prevented me from playing for two months. I lost a job I liked because of drinking. I flunked out of Syracuse University because all I did was drink. I never studied or went to classes. Alcohol was slowly ruining my life. As of Sept. 25th, 1994, I have not had one drop of alcohol. Since then my life has turned around 100%. My thinking my cleared up immensely, I don't get mad or moody like I used to, I even took some summer classes and am now enrolled in college full time working towards a B.A. in Psychology. Since I quit drinking, I have continued to smoke marijuana, partly because I don't want to give it up, and partly because I'd rather be stoned than drunk and so when I am, there isn't the slightest temptation to drink. I look at it as my prescription to keep me off booze. As far as my probation went, I have been a model probationer. No drinking for almost a year. No police contact. Back in school trying to better my life. Everything was going great, 'til the law felt it was time to knock me down again. I was playing a lunch time gig downtown with some friends of mine last week when between sets the band leader suggested we go for a walk, ie: go smoke a joint. Four of us went down an alley and hung out next to a dumpster. I had my bowl with me so we passed that around along with the jay. Not two minutes went by when a police cruiser turned the corner and was right there! I had the bowl in my hand so I tried to casually pitch it behind the dumpster but one of the cops saw me do it and got my bowl. They didn't arrest me, but they said they were going to write a report on me and one of the other guys who had a joint on him. I was going to be done with probation next month! Now this! Not another life ruined by drugs, but rather by drug laws!