Dear Richard and all,
I don't think anything is wholly irrelevant to the Baha'i Faith. The Baha'i Faith relates to our relationship with the Creator, and that includes understanding of His creation.
I think what the forum was set up for was those times people just wanted to talk about something for which there was no special direct relationship to Baha'i teachings. For example, discussing a specific Bears vs. Packers football game is not really of general interest to people who come here to learn about and discuss the Baha'i Faith. On the other hand, discussing the role of sports according to our Writings would be a reasonable Baha'i topic in the other section(s).
You are most correct to say that morality and goodness does dictate a Baha'i stance on such subjects. As our Writings themselves urge, we should first turn to the Writings themselves to gain a sufficient understanding of these difficult questions--as it is the Prophet (and His designated Successorship) Who, as we must admit by following Him, can alone guide humanity to see a greater moral clarity and vision on these subjects.
There are unfortunately a few individuals who frequent this board more to cause trouble than to contribute anything meaningful. Some do so openly, while others are more subtle. But the common ingredient to avoid is people asserting their opinions as categorically representative of the Faith--regardless of evidence in the Writings to the contrary (especially when they seek to assert their egos against how the Faith and Administration have been actually given to us by God in our Writings), derisively categorizing Baha'is as being "liberal" or "fundamentalist", challenging the institutions openly or indirectly, etc.. There are plenty of warnings in the Writings against those who seek to sow such divisions and our admonition not to engage them in argumentation. We do need to also guard against excessive attachment to our own opinions, even if we in all sincerity have sought to realign our own understandings and actions according to the Faith's teachings (and to new scientific discoveries)--rather than the other way around.
One of our best guards against being misled is to refer constantly to the Writings themselves and make sure we are making a daily study of them (and following the other spiritual laws).
As far as opium, it is in fact quite clearly and severely condemned in our Writings:
Gambling and the use of opium have been forbidden unto you. Eschew them both, O people, and be not of those who transgress. Beware of using any substance that induceth sluggishness and torpor in the human temple and inflicteth harm upon the body. We, verily, desire for you naught save what shall profit you, and to this bear witness all created things, had ye but ears to hear.
(Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book), par. 155)
It hath been forbidden you to smoke opium. We, truly, have prohibited this practice through a most binding interdiction in the Book. Should anyone partake thereof, assuredly he is not of Me. Fear God, O ye endued with understanding!
(Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book), par. 190)
There is an extended authoritative elaboration of this in the notes prepared under the Universal House of Justice:
note 170.