HST on marijuana and writing

Citing fair use I reproduce a passage of the obligatory article / obituary / tribute to Hunter S. Thompson from eXile which it won't let me access or link to any more:

Ever since he got famous and kept saying openly that he loved and used speed, they'd been waiting eagerly to see him turn into something they could use to scare the kids back to nice, dumb, cell-toxic booze. They were willing to tolerate a discreet stoner -- marijuana users are pitifully harmless people -- but not a smart, tough, 6'3" redneck who sang the praises of the hard stuff. (In fact, one of my favorite comments he made about drugs was that he could write effectively on every drug EXCEPT marijuana.)
(John Dolan, eXile #208)

The original article is here, see if the server will let you read it.

It took me such a long long time to finally admit to myself ("Weakness, Mike! Can't handle it, you feeble mind?") that cannabis is not helping with what I want to do. Oh I smoke every so often, I smoke now, but that is for sedative purposes - programming my brain chemistry - it soothes this harried wakefulness.

There are drug users and there are skilful drug users. Which one you are is what makes all the difference.