I'm completely done responding to in this thread and putting you on ignore after this because it's clear that not only 1) Do you not believe the words that I am typing or the truths that I am expressing, even on matters where I am uniquely qualified to know the truth at hand 2) You are probably incapable of thinking about these concepts objectively whatsoever, with an open mind and free of the weak-minded, disingenuous concepts you've displayed in most of your posts here.

I'd obviously bet against any penny you had with my version of events if I thought you had 2 pennies to rub together.

Also, while we're at it: why is this in NVG? I'm a former pro poker player who now plays occasionally like a recreational donk. Maybe move to politics or OOT?

Sorry if I am being harsh. I guess it is more an expression of disappointment than anything. Like many fallen poker heros, I used to look up to you man... Good luck getting clean some day.

Really really good post. This is the exact sort of unsensationalized info they need in DARE and drug awareness classes in high school. First hand real insight.

I agree with Shane, it's completely unrealistic to think that someone who smokes crack and also plays poker would even CONSIDER smoking crack and then playing poker.

It's not like he hasn't been straining to compare crack to less harmful ("less harmful") drugs like powder cocaine - and everyone knows that nobody who uses powder cocaine and also plays poker would even CONSIDER using powder cocaine and then playing poker.

Yes, I will take the word of the man who smokes crack. (But never, ever smokes crack and plays poker.)

Very good of you to open yourself up personally to this real discussion/issue.
It is a part of life (drugs in general) for a lot of poker players and should be discussed. Best of luck to you in the future.

I guess you've proved me a liar at least once, since I will respond to you one more time and I might not even put you on the ignore list.

I am sorry to disappoint you, but I never wanted people to look up to me on the basis of which substances I chose to consume. If you had respect for me as a poker player (something I never actively sought either) it should because I believe I carried myself honorably in all (well, most) of my professional poker life and was straightforward when it came to money and being responsible to the people I was working with.

I'm sorry you don't believe me when I say I never played poker while smoking crack, but it's true. I never smoked crack particularly near my poker life. If you understood the nature of the high, it wouldn't be too much a stretch to accept that.

+1 and the other +1 from before. +2

.

you guys dont get the poker and crack thing. Why would you want to work when you are getting high?

NVG is a really bad and addictive drug. It should probably be banned.

For selfish reasons I am very happy to hear your writing full time. Never shy away from writing the unblushing truth. To many writers today are afraid to be a lighting rod.

shane (like anyone) should be able to do whatever he wants, as long as he's not hurting anyone else. interesting that hard drugs didn't ruin his life, and that he came out with this on his own accord.

thanks shane and good luck will be checking out your podcast

What does your wife think about it?

Bill Maher a few months ago: "Just because someone does a drug doesn't mean their an addict...I know some people who've doing cocaine for decades and they're highly functoning and successful people."

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/maher-sla...aycare-center/

I will say it is incredibly brave to be honest and it's very helpful for realistic education on drug use. Abusing anything on a daily basis is bad. But moderated intelligence use is different. Although I would think using any hard drug more than once every few months is likely unhealthy, whether it be ecstasy, pills or other things.

You're on a completely different level Shane. I have so much respect for you putting yourself out there like this.

I was writing a well worded and thought out response when my phone app crashed. Here is a summary.

People rightly have an extreme fear of hard drugs due to what they have seen and heard over the years along with wanting to protect others by maintaining it. My view is that we should continue to feel strongly against hard drugs but at the same time educate people more on the truer more accurate description of drug use and do so with compassion.

My unique viewpoint comes from using alcohol, weed, LSD, shrooms, ecstasy, dxm, amt, meth, adderal, Ritalin, opiates but not heroin, cocaine and crack while now having 8 years of sobriety. This has allowed me to see friends who used hard drugs as much as me but never had any problems in life and discontinued them naturally. Along with seeing people who did have serious problems and people who still struggle. I am happy to share my experiences.

How do you know what category you fall into without trying the drugs, it's hard to say. And that's what scares most people. Peoples fears are like "If I talk about using marijuana when I was young it might send my kid the idea that drugs are okay and then they end up ruining their life" etc. so let's encourage abstinence by shunning open dialogue about it. The truths are it may or may not ruin your life to different degrees and it is quite the risk to play with fire but many people will try drugs anyway.

I think we should be honest about the risks associated and that it doesn't affect everyone the same way, but most importantly engage in honest dialogue about how to provide solutions for someone who is struggling. We can't stop people from using, curious minds will want to know what it is like; but we can be there for them when they need guidance or help. With a stigma attached most people who need help will run from help and isolate. Maintaining an honest caring dialogue will hopefully help someone get the treatment they need before it's too late.

Recovery is as popular as ever these days and I think the stigma is declining which hopefully results in more success stories.

good article

as far as some of the discussion itt. cracks way worse than
coke if only regarding the lungs. damage to the lungs is irreversible and sometimes you don't know the effect till years later.

Good post.

SHANIC,

You are a great writer, but this is some dangerous stuff you are writing. It might be fine for most, but you are going to get one of theses guys hooked on CRACK. The **** is far from COOL and this thread is very scary. Come on man, A- get yourself together B- keep that **** private and def. don't put it in a light for others to fall into the trap

C'mon Man, Really!!!

Were you worried about Stars dropping you over all this?

Recreational drugs can be +EV for lots of people, provided they have the right mental traits. How is this news to people?

I keep reading "open a dialogue", "spur some discussion", etc. etc. etc.

Exactly what does this mean, and why should anyone care?

I mean, what exactly is your position...
"Hey kids, here's how to smoke crack responsibly!"
"Hey dude, it'll destroy your lungs if it doesn't destroy your life, but whatever."
"I'm rich and successful and I use recreational drugs! You can be like me someday!"

You want to spur some discussion, then get clean and explain how and why. If you don't want to do that, I'm sorry, I don't have much interest in anything you have to say.

I agree with you, but how isn't it news? The stigmas of almost all drugs (especially illegal ones) go very much against this view. The status quo is probably to disagree with this statement. At least in the area of the world where I live. Anything to the contrary written intelligently is probably a good addition to the discussion.

Like Shane mentioned, I just think poker players of all people should realise this. It's not as if it's some super controversial opinion either, I mean it's brought up any time decriminalisation/legalisation is in the news.

The last sentence is the way a lot of people feel. So, cool, I get it. You only want to hear from the minority of drug users who hit rock bottom, rehab, come clean and then have a perspective to offer. I'm speaking for some of the 80-90% of drug users who don't fit that description.

If I had couched the piece in sorrow and shame (both of which I have plenty on this issue) and more clearly defined a desire to get clean, then you'd be willing to listen to me?

As for who cares...I do. I am interested in human behavior. I've been using a variety of drugs a long time, and I see a lot of confusion in the discussion on drugs. It seems obvious the way we have been treating the "drug problem" is ineffective and ought to be changed if we want to make progress. I chose to take a small stand even it makes only a tiny impact shaping that discussion.

I think the level to which stigma has been attached to me for writing this article is evidence that we collectively have our heads up our ass when it comes to examining drug problems.

It seems that admitting to using makes me a necessarily less loving or trustworthy person in the eyes of some. If I had chosen to remain closeted, my respectability would never have come into question. What does that tell you about how repressed we are when it comes to discussing all this?