I'm joining NORML. - Page 2

Blarg · #1 10-23-2005, 01:39 AM

I've been around potheads all my life, and never heard a single one describe withdrawal symptoms. My sample size is not small, and I've done the occasional bout of reading this and that about pot.

When it comes to drugs, there's almost nothing negative that won't be said about them, no matter how transparently false or purely alarmist, so I'm more than a little skeptical of what a Nightline program says, as well as what anyone says, scientists included. One thing for sure is that the government and scientists have a long and dishonorable record when it comes to straight talk about drugs.

WichitaDM · #2 10-23-2005, 01:49 AM

If there was concrete evidence that marijuana caused cancer or really anything that was as damaging as most drugs/alcohol/tobacco then im sure it would be used in the commercials instead of the WEED KILLS!!! ridiculous commericals with the kids with guns or running over people in drive thrus. Weed isnt legal because it directly threatens many industries that have large lobbies in this country, mainly alcohol, tobacco, oil, phama, and in the past cotton. Money talks in this country, and that more than any apparant real danger from weed is the reason behind its illegality.

The saddest thing about this set of laws is the ridiculous incarceration of people either possesing, or selling weed. The second saddest thing is the insane ammount of money spent catching, prosectuting, and jailing these people. This is our tax dollars being wasted on an unjust drug war that will never be won anyway.

Dont know if you have checked it out yet but www.overgrow.com is a good site for lots of related info whiskey.

whiskeytown · #3 10-23-2005, 01:49 AM

One of my biggest arguments is against the hypothesis of the gateway drug.

Two problems with this.

1. - things like this lead to other things depending upon who you're buying from - if you buy beer for a liquor store, you will probably end up buying hard liquor from them too - if you just buy it at 7-11, you won't be buying hard liquor because 7-11 doesn't offer it.

Marijuana users and dealers are lumped in a culture with harder drugs and if they were removed, it would be a gateway probably to other tobacco products (if sold in tobacco shops) or to baked Lays (if sold in grocery stores) -

Take it out of the hands of people who sell harder drugs and do things like spike it with other drugs, and it won't be the gateway.

My other issue is with public perception. In the 50's and 60's, the Government fed a complete line of bullshit to the American public about the dangers of marijuana. After smoking it, almost everyone realized the Government was full of [censored] - this destroys their credability on other topics, and probably contributed to the higher incidence of other drugs among marijuana smokers who reasoned that if the govt. was full of [censored] on marijuana, then they must be on Heroin or Cocaine as well - If you give people honest info, they'll make the right decisions - lie to them, and they're right to call you a [censored] and treat everything you say with contempt - that's why I no longer listen to anything GWB says with more then a passing interest. He's a goddamn liar and I know it for a fact, so why should I believe anything he says?

RB

ptmusic · #4 10-23-2005, 01:49 AM

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I've been around potheads all my life, and never heard a single one describe withdrawal symptoms. My sample size is not small, and I've done the occasional bout of reading this and that about pot.

When it comes to drugs, there's almost nothing negative that won't be said about them, no matter how transparently false or purely alarmist, so I'm more than a little skeptical of what a Nightline program says, as well as what anyone says, scientists included. One thing for sure is that the government and scientists have a long and dishonorable record when it comes to straight talk about drugs.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not making judgements about smoking pot. It's obviously a positive for some people. And you're right, the government can't really be trusted in this area, and marijuana should probably be legalized and regulated.

But I've worked with all kinds of addicts to overcome their addictions, and believe me, potheads have had physical withdrawal symptoms. Nothing like heroin addicts, mind you, but definitely not just psychological: heavy sweating and severe migrane headaches for two to three days are not uncommon. True, most potheads do not have physical withdrawal symptoms, but many do.

The Nightline piece had to do with the physical changes from marijuana done to the brain as seen on MRIs. Marijuana has also been proven to lower sperm count and motility. You may not trust scientists, but it would be foolish to believe that marijuana has no physical effect on humans.

-ptmusic

#5 10-23-2005, 09:30 AM

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What about people like me who use it as a surrogate for alcohol because it doesn't have the addictive qualities of alcohol.

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i agreed with your entire post except this part. marijuana can create addicts too, but the comparison to alcohol is good, as in my semi-educated on the subject opinion alcohol seems to be just as harmful if not more than marijuana.

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Alcohol is much more dangerous than pot. Alcohol consumption can kill. I've never heard of a pot OD.

Also, keep in mind that your body likes THC. In fact it stores it. On the other hand, your body goes into overdrive to remove alcohol from your system, as it's a poison.

whiskeytown · #6 10-23-2005, 09:39 AM

there are receptors in the brain that are ONLY triggered by cannabis - they have no other purpose then to fire when exposed to marijuana or other THC - it is a BIOLOGICAL trait, not a learned or adapted trait - they're in people who have never smoked before.

The body/brain seems to be engineered in such a way to take maximum advantage of the chemical.

RB

StevieG · #7 10-23-2005, 10:38 AM

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Alcohol is much more dangerous than pot. Alcohol consumption can kill. I've never heard of a pot OD.

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That's because there have been none. Ever. Not one documented case of death by overdose of cannabis.

BigBaitsim (milo) · #8 10-23-2005, 12:50 AM

I may be one of the few 40 year-olds who has never used marijuana. Nonetheless, it is clear that marijuana is a relatively safe drug when used in moderation, and is safer than alcohol, or any other recreational drug, legal or otherwise.

This does NOT mean that I advocate it's use, but it is clear that the money spent on interdiction and prosecution would be much better spent on other endeavors.

#9 10-23-2005, 12:59 AM

While you're at it, join the Marijuana Policy Project.

http://www.mpp.org/

#10 10-23-2005, 01:05 AM

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While you're at it, join the Marijuana Policy Project.

http://www.mpp.org/

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And if you're still at it, can I PM ya 'bout this great project I've got goin'? I'll getcha in on tha ground floor, man. It's gonna rilly, rilly be big!

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