Dealing with "Dope" and Other Slang-isms

I've been told that I speak like an English major, meaning that I frequently use big words. Guess that means I chose my major wisely. I've also told that I speak very properly. Uh, I guess. I talk like I think so I really don't notice a big difference in the way I speak compared to how everyone else does. I mean, I don't use slang as much but that's not so much because I want to sound proper as much as because I object to some of the slang words specifically.

Let's take "dope" as an example. The first time I was introduced to this very charming word, it was slang for some sort of (illegal) drug or another. I really didn't care to learn the specifics. The next time I heard it, "dope" was being used as a synonym for "cool". Um, what?

Pardon my naivety, but I was under the impression that the abuse of controlled substances was very much not-cool. Maybe I'm just terribly old-fashioned (I've been told that too) but equating something like a drug (did I mention it's illegal?) with the idea of something good, cool, great, awesome, etc. is rather...dopey. (Pun intended-and not with the connotation of cool either. Or the endearingness of Disney's seventh dwarf)

Maybe I'm just pretentious and whatnot but you won't catch me using "dope" as an adjective to mean anything positive. Call me crazy, but I'd think that it'd mean just the opposite....

Use it how you want. Although people assume that since I'm an English major, I'm automatically uptight about other people's use of language, I really don't care all that much. Only sometimes, I wonder if people actually think about the words that they use and what they mean. I mean, words actually mean something and have implied meanings as well... Like I said, use it however you want. But do me a favor and think through what you're actually communicating and decide if that's still something you want to say. If it is, good for you. You use that word! But if not, maybe you'll find that something else fills that space even better.

This probably will not be the only poor, misused word that I end up writing about. You have been warned, dear reader(s?).