An open question to all of you who smoke Weed.

[virusag11]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: Lucky

Marijuana is theoretically not a drug cuz it doesn't make you addicted to it. You can get addicted but it's not like nicotine, you get mentally addicted. It's not that I _must_ have it, it's just nice sometimes. I'm not talking about every day, once a week or once every two weeks, why not?

Sorry, wrong on all counts. it IS a drug and you CAN become physically addicted (I met a guy in rehab going through weed detox).

I've never heard of a physical addiction to weed; only a psychological one.

I agree with skoorb. I have never heard of anyone addicted to marijuana physically. I know people that smoke an Oz. a week and when their source dries up and they have to find a new dealer (can take up to a month) they don't freak out or anything, they just continue on with life. If you hide their cigarettes for 2 hours they beat you down (learned my lesson). my proof from the 1972 Schaffer Report on Marihuana (Report/study at the request of Pres. Richard Nixon):

Addiction Potential

Unfortunately, fact and fancy have become irrationally mixed regarding marihuana's physiological and psychological properties. Marihuana clearly is not in the same chemical category as heroin insofar as its physiologic and psychological effects are concerned. In a word, cannabis does not lead to physical dependence. No torturous withdrawal syndrome follows the sudden cessation of chronic, heavy use of marihuana. Although evidence indicates that heavy, long-term cannabis users may develop psychological dependence, even then the level of psychological dependence is no different from the syndrome of anxiety and restlessness seen when an American stops smoking tobacco cigarettes.

Search for Addiction potential and read the 1st and 2nd result

 

[Lucky]

I agree with skoorb. I have never heard of anyone addicted to marijuana physically.

Cmon, just because you haven't heard of something doesn't mean it doesn't occur. 😛 I've provided a link that says it can happen and the NIDA backs that up I've seen it first hand.

 

[Amused]

Nope, pot is not physically addictive. Mentally, well, that's another story.

But pot is nothing like nicotine, caffeine, cocaine or opiates.

The NIDA has an agenda. It's controlled by the War on Drugs propaganda machine.

 

[BD2003]

Sigh, why does every marijuana thread have to degenerate into a battle/flamefest?

I could list a million reasons why I smoke, but I need only one word. Fun.

Its fun to smoke it and its fun to get high. Makes food taste better, makes everything funny, makes you chill out and relax, and makes sex AWESOME. Sure, all of these things are fun without weed, but theyre even better with it. And it feels great. I've never hurt, hell Ive never even been angry at anyone after smoking.

Dont think for a second youre better than your friends who smoke. If they let their smoking get in the way of their life, theyre an idiot, but the vast majority of people I know, it doesnt affect them. It just has to be done responsibly. A hit will make you relax, 5 hits will make you creative, and 10 will make your troubles worse 😀, but smoke through to 20, and you'll be in wonderland.

 

[ndee]

No flamefest here 🙂

Well I was just wondering cuz I have a couple friends who smoke, and we disscussed that before, and we did research it, and we couldn't find anything. But I think if he smokes so much, that wasn't his only problem 😉 That's maybe one of a bajillion-zillion.

And I agree with BD2003, mainly, it's just pure fun.

 

[Desslok]

So all you guys that smoke weed feel that you need to take a mind altering substance just so you can relax or become more "creative"? Don't you guys worry about the long term effects this crap will have on you?

Like one the of the other poster said I would much rather spend my money on my car or my dirt bike and get a rush that way.

Don't you guys worry about becoming a burn out? I have met people that are like no lie Towelie from South Park so out of it that it is sad.

 

[virusag11]

From Nida http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/marijuana.html

A drug is addicting if it causes compulsive, often uncontrollable drug craving, seeking, and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences. Animal studies suggest marijuana causes physical dependence, and some people report withdrawal symptoms.10

Animal studies suggest that carcinogens in baked or fried potatoes will give us cancer, but potatoes have been a staple food from how many centuries? People report seeing elvis at target and his cloaked cadillac, are we to believe these individuals as well? They have no scientific basis stating marijuana's addictive potential. They speculate that marijuana is addictive physically. On the other hand the report I reference is from a scientific examination presented to former president Nixon. Nixon a person that pushed the DEA from it's birth.

 

[ndee]

American Gov', veeeeeeeeeery reliable 🙂 If someone get caught with a J, does he get a death-penalty? War on Drugs.... uhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu 😀

 

[BD2003]

Its not a need to take it. Its still possible to relax or be creative without it. But why eat with your hands if you have a fork next to you?

All the kids that you see that are burnouts, are either doing something other than just weed, or just natural bums that wouldnt be doing anything else anyway.

Most of the time I'd rather spend my money on other things too.

Not everything is black and white, you know :|

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: AMDStunna
All I have to say is weed is ghey. Flame away as much as you want. With the money that the average person spends on weed a year... I could put my car on the bottle, take it to the track, and get a better stimulus from drag racing than what weed would ever give me.

Why would you do something so stupid as to put nitrous on a cavalier?I think some pot would do you good.

 

[virusag11]

Originally posted by: Desslok
So all you guys that smoke weed feel that you need to take a mind altering substance just so you can relax or become more "creative"? Don't you guys worry about the long term effects this crap will have on you?

Like one the of the other poster said I would much rather spend my money on my car or my dirt bike and get a rush that way.

Don't you guys worry about becoming a burn out? I have met people that are like no lie Towelie from South Park so out of it that it is sad.

Most of us don't NEED to smoke to have a good time. I have a great time with friends that don't smoke, and I don't always smoke with my smoking buddies and we still have fun. We just like getting together, smoking and acting like morons. I admit that I am much more productive and creative sober that intoxicated in any manner, and I do all my art work while sober. As for the money thing, it is just a toss up between marijuana, alcohol or going out and paying for dinner and doing whatever else. Sometime we have more fun with games like Mario party, Super Smash Brothers Melee, Godzilla, and other party games while high. We still play them sober, but either way is a good time.

I am not afraid of becoming a burn out. I smoked the first time when I was 12 and I am graduating college this semester with a double major (geography and economics). If you don't let things control your life you will prosper (this includes money, socioeconomic status, materialism, drugs, food, or anything else).

All the kids that you see that are burnouts, are either doing something other than just weed, or just natural bums that wouldnt be doing anything else anyway.

I sense an omitted variable? Anyone else agree?

As for quoting a government document, I did it not only because it is one of the earliest valid studies available, but shows how ironic it is that the government has reported the minimal impacts of marijuana, but still has it listed as a schedule I drug.

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: Desslok
So all you guys that smoke weed feel that you need to take a mind altering substance just so you can relax or become more "creative"? Don't you guys worry about the long term effects this crap will have on you?

Like one the of the other poster said I would much rather spend my money on my car or my dirt bike and get a rush that way.

Don't you guys worry about becoming a burn out? I have met people that are like no lie Towelie from South Park so out of it that it is sad.

What are some long-term damages when I smoke a Joint, every once in a while? I have a friend who smokes every weekend a couple joints and he was THE smartest in our last class, scroing A's in Math, etc. and "mind-altering" sounds so "hard", try it, judge it. Period.



[Edit] BD2003, I fully ACK with you. [/Edit]

 

[BD2003]

Hehe, he is right, there is nothing better stoned than trying to play Super Monkey Ball, Smash Bros, Mario Party....and watching Scariest Police Chases. 🙂

 

[Maverick]

I don't smoke weed any more, but I did quite a bit when I was in college. I can say first-hand that marijuana addiction DOES exist. But the addiction is not at the chemical level the way it is in drugs like cocaine. Its more of a mental thing. Marijuana can make a person lazy, apathetic, and sometimes even depressed. Alcohol can do the same things to a person. I've known many people that took smoking weed to a ridiculous degree. Those are the token "potheads" that many of you stereotype all weedsmokers to be. Honestly, thats like calling any person who drinks alcohol an alcoholic. I've also had friends who've become alcoholics and I can't say there's much difference between them and the potheads. In fact in many cases its worse because they're violent, they drive drunk regularly, and they're much more defensive about getting help.

As for why I smoked weed...it was fun. I liked smoking weed and watching movies like Army of Darkness and Half-baked. I liked raiding the kitchen when I had the munchies. I enjoyed talking to people about abstract stuff and seeing them in a whole different perspective that I wouldn't have seen if we were sober. And myself loosened up a little when I smoked. Some people enjoy it and some people don't. But not everyone who does it is a "pothead".

 

[CoolTechie]

I havent smoked weed in 3 years.. im done with it..

but seriously guy... if youve actually ever been high you wouldnt ask this question... all other things being equal, getting high feels great

as far as addiction. I took 2 drug classes in college. Both of which stated that weed(itself) does not create a physical dependancy.

 

[HappyPuppy]

I've never had anything against smoking dope as long as it's done in moderation and responsibly. The biggest drawback I know of is that an awful lot of companies issue a pre-employment drug test nowdays. Once you take the test and fail it you are never considered to be a candidate for employment with that company again.

My son is almost 21 years old and thinks that "the herb" is manna from God. He's going to damn well smoke all he wants, when he wants.

All well and good, except that he works as a part time busboy at a hamburger joint because he can't pass a drug test. I could get him a good paying with the mega corporation I work for, but the company has a pre-employment drug test. I have friends who work for UPS who have been after him to apply there, they would give him a recommendation, but UPS drug tests. There's a huge IKEA opening just 1 mile from our home and they're hiring like crazy. My son can't work there because they drug test.

Maybe I should reconsider my opinion of marijuana.

 

[stev0]

Originally posted by: Millenium

Originally posted by: stev0

Originally posted by: Millenium

Originally posted by: virusag11
1) I can smoke as much as I want and not die (unlike alcohol)
2) I don't get a hangover when I smoke
3) It makes everything more entertaining and fun
4) People are more peaceful when they smoke. Have you ever seen 2 stoned people get in a fist fight? Probably not.
5) Cheaper than alcohol and doesn't make you puke at the end of the night.

Pot is not cheaper than alcohol.

I don't care for pot. I use to smoke several times a day for a long period of time. I would rather drink. I don't need to take the risk of failing a drug test for employment or getting caught with pot(still illegal). I would rather do nothing or drink ocasionally.

depends on what type of pot your smoking and how much alcohol it takes to get you messed up. back in my drinking days i could take a case of beer down no sweat... a bowl would kick my a$$ though.

edit: but if you smoke everyday or a few times a day, yes, it is going to be more expensive than alcohol, just because you don't do alcohol as often... if you drank as much as you were smoking... it would cost more for the alcohol right?

Drinking a case no sweat is not exactly something I would be proud of. How much do you weigh? Were you drinking everyday?

195/200 lbs some where in there. in the summer i would drink 5 out of 7 days a week.

edit: i'm really not proud of my tolerance, it's actually crappy. but for me, pot was more bang for my buck.

 

[beatniks3]

Desslok, it is possible that you didn't feel anything if you only tried it twice. some people don't feel anything until their 5 or 6 time, then they feel the FLOW. just keep that in mind before you start making blanket judgements about something.

drugs are about escape no doubt, but they are also about choice. some people that use drugs use them because it is the only choice or power that person feels they have over their lives. this is a major probelm and it is called drug abuse....a dependency that is different from recreational drug use.

[steps up on soapbox] 'In the united states, we continue dealer/narc revolving door by making it possible to profit from the sale of 'illegal' drugs.'
(i have made no confessions and of course i have an alibi!)

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: virusag11

From Nida http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/marijuana.html

A drug is addicting if it causes compulsive, often uncontrollable drug craving, seeking, and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences. Animal studies suggest marijuana causes physical dependence, and some people report withdrawal symptoms.10

Animal studies suggest that carcinogens in baked or fried potatoes will give us cancer, but potatoes have been a staple food from how many centuries? People report seeing elvis at target and his cloaked cadillac, are we to believe these individuals as well? They have no scientific basis stating marijuana's addictive potential. They speculate that marijuana is addictive physically. On the other hand the report I reference is from a scientific examination presented to former president Nixon. Nixon a person that pushed the DEA from it's birth.

You can find reports from both sides. Yes, there are scientific studies concluding that marjiuana can be physically addictive. I've seen physical withdrawal symptoms first hand. You can state that your report (marihuana?) denies it but then again its rather easy to simply omit something.

And I'll go a bit further and analyze something in there that you are using:

Although evidence indicates that heavy, long-term cannabis users may develop psychological dependence, even then the level of psychological dependence is no different from the syndrome of anxiety and restlessness seen when an American stops smoking tobacco cigarettes.

First off, it IS physchologically addictive, and I say that with personal experience. When I went into rehab several years ago for marijuana my cravings were far, far worse then they were compared to when I stopped smoking cigarettes 3 months ago. Sorry, but you just cannot make a broad generalized statement like that. No one is stating that withdrawal symptoms include foaming at the mouth and having seizures, but using a source that writes off the possibility "in a word" (why isn't there further explanation, the length of the paper certainly would allow it) is not reliable. Of course, neither is the NIDA, but that was part of my point.

 

[virusag11]

Originally posted by: Lucky

Originally posted by: virusag11

From Nida http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/marijuana.html

A drug is addicting if it causes compulsive, often uncontrollable drug craving, seeking, and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences. Animal studies suggest marijuana causes physical dependence, and some people report withdrawal symptoms.10

Animal studies suggest that carcinogens in baked or fried potatoes will give us cancer, but potatoes have been a staple food from how many centuries? People report seeing elvis at target and his cloaked cadillac, are we to believe these individuals as well? They have no scientific basis stating marijuana's addictive potential. They speculate that marijuana is addictive physically. On the other hand the report I reference is from a scientific examination presented to former president Nixon. Nixon a person that pushed the DEA from it's birth.

You can find reports from both sides. Yes, there are scientific studies concluding that marjiuana can be physically addictive. I've seen physical withdrawal symptoms first hand. You can state that your report (marihuana?) denies it but then again its rather easy to simply omit something.

And I'll go a bit further and analyze something in there that you are using:

Although evidence indicates that heavy, long-term cannabis users may develop psychological dependence, even then the level of psychological dependence is no different from the syndrome of anxiety and restlessness seen when an American stops smoking tobacco cigarettes.

First off, it IS physchologically addictive, and I say that with personal experience. When I went into rehab several years ago for marijuana my cravings were far, far worse then they were compared to when I stopped smoking cigarettes 3 months ago. Sorry, but you just cannot make a broad generalized statement like that. No one is stating that withdrawal symptoms include foaming at the mouth and having seizures, but using a source that writes off the possibility "in a word" (why isn't there further explanation, the length of the paper certainly would allow it) is not reliable. Of course, neither is the NIDA, but that was part of my point.

Yes, there are scientific studies concluding that marjiuana can be physically addictive.

Link? I don't doubt that there is scientific evidence of marijuana's addictive potential, as a matter of fact I know it exists. I still stand behind my stance as marijuana as a phychological dependence vs physical. I am sure you will stand by your side, but hopefully someone learned something from post. if not, it was fun argueing.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

my cravings were far, far worse then they were compared to when I stopped smoking cigarettes

Nicotine has been proven many times over harder to quit than heroin. You are a rare exception.

 

[Lucky]

then why are you citing a source that backs your stance on physcial addiction if it contradicts your opinion on mental addiction?

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: Hamburgerpimp
my cravings were far, far worse then they were compared to when I stopped smoking cigarettes

Nicotine has been proven many times over harder to quit than heroin. You are a rare exception.

I meant in terms of mental cravings, sorry. I did not have any physical cravings for weed.

 

[smp]

Why?

Cause it's fun. Why do you post in ATOT?
I think I can put together a pretty reasonable argument that makes ATOT look more detrimental to your health than pot 🙂
But I'm too burnt right now.

 

[eakers]

its fun and relaxing.

its not something i would do every day but its something i enjoy every now and again.