[Dismas]

my argument is that you own your own body and only you should be making decisions about what can and cannot go into it.

Absolutely.

However, you should also consider the thoughts and emotions of others, namely loved ones. Your passing due to an overdose, will have a significant negative Impact on the emotional state of close friends and family.

Not everything you do in life warrants the consideration of outsiders. This serves no other tide than to water down what it is to be an individual and to have your own life at all. We all have loved ones and we all have friends and people we care about who will mourn us when we're gone, regardless of how or when we go out.

Should one tell a significant other to consider their parents every time they feel like having a cheeseburger? Should one tell a friend to think about those they'll leave behind when they propose going and meeting someone on Tinder for drinks? You could, but people are going to do what their impulses and thirst for life compel them to do. Thinking about what others will feel in the absolute worst case scenario is just a huge waste of time and a really outdated Boomer take on any potential existential threat.

The potential for bad things to happen is everywhere at any given moment, with any given action. People just look at drug use as this weird exception, where the consequences of individual indulgence is somehow unique in its ability to bring about grief into the lives of those who survive us. All that is is perception. Yes, know your limits. Yes, do the research. But also live for yourself and don't buy into this narrative of "doing right by other people" whose inclusion in your life is mostly about mutual exchange, and not some kind of one-way street where you're indebted to them and owe them complete allegiance in mind, body, and soul, anyway.

"To live is to suffer." Suffer on your own terms, and let people sort out their misery on their terms.

Also: Smoke weed everyday.

You shouldn't base your decisions on the judgement of others, but the propensity for a substance to cause addiction/harm. Drugs like heroin, meth, or cocaine can legitimately cut decades off your lifespan. The descent isn't always immediate and can be slow/insidious. Many people will say "just once" or "only on the weekend", but for many it becomes a habit. I've seen it happen, and the parents/friends are the ones that worry and suffer the most.

Contamination is also a big problem, as dealers are lacing their product. While I don't do drugs, I've gone to raves with friends. In my city, it's common practice for dealers here to sell ecstasy that's "H-based" or "meth-based". As you can imagine, people are overdosing and slipping into comas (unaware of what they took). Unless you reagent test, there's no telling what you're using. I've discovered that when people have a habit, they are liable to make compromises.

If a drug makes you justify disregarding your friends or family, then it's already too late. Not talking about marijuana.