Is pot addictive answer the poll please

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Mik3y
pot is just a gateway drug

You realize the whole 'gateway drug' theory was dreamed up by the anti-drug PR people, fueled by money from alcohol & tobacco manufacturers?

Heh Gateway drug! If you took all the pot I ever smoked you could build a raft to float every Hatian refugee

I never was tempted to doi any "harder"drugs.

Ausm

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Skoorb
if you introduce [pot] into your life, it will be difficult to quit

Patently false, a minority of smokers experience the psychological addiction. They are generally the type with addictive personalities who could just as easily be addicted to TV, food, etc. For most, it's a once in a while thing with little to no negative consequences and which would be no biggie to stop if they wanted or had to.

I don't know anybody who, if they stopped drinking now, would get the shivers and physical withdrawal symptoms, but I know a lot of people who know they drink too much and 'can't stop'. Sure they could, but it's part of their life.

Glad you don't know anybody in the severe stages of alcoholism, but alcohol can indeed be physically addictive to the point where stopping can lead to withdrawl symptoms or even death.

Originally posted by: GhettoPeanut
True, but there is most defiantly a physical addiction. At UVM they are doing an ongoing study, my brother helped with the research as part of a lab science requirement. They had one guy come in that had quit recently, he had been smoking for years, he had the shakes, cold sweats, nausea, and a multitude of other symptoms. Pots like alcohol, a little bit is ok, but eventually to much will catch up with you. most of the "pots not addicting" "facts" come from people with no actual proof who just want to justify there continual smoking. don?t get me wrong, I?m all for legalizing it, but like i said, its most defiantly addicting. and like alcohol, different people will have different tolerances. go figure.

Your anecdotal example does nothing for your argument. For all you know the guy could have been giving up heroin at the same time or could be epileptic. There is no physical addiction associated with marijuana.

I'm so sick of seeing misinformation here. I think the problem is most of AT is < 20 years old. Their experiences with marijuana are limited to the 'bad' kids at high school who were stupid before ever trying it and are only smoking it because they think it's cool and rebellious. It's a vicious cycle; it gets stigmatized by the government (fueled by money from tobacco & alcohol manufacturers), which encourages degenerates to use it, which in turn fuels the stigma. It's very unfortunate.

Edit: I know you're over 20 skoorb, and I'm not referring to your post, but rather to the huge percentage which voted yes and especially to the frequent hateful comments seen in these threads.

Quit it with your bullsh!t assertion.

I probably smoke more every day than you have in your entire life.

And I'm telling you that if I quit smoking tomorrow I would NOT be a happy camper.

It's different for everyone. And like I said, even the circumstances make a difference...

Basically, there are too many variables to say "this bag of chemicals(marijuana; 60+ different cannabinoids) effects this bag of chemicals(our bodies) in [this] very specific way".

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: spidey07
Yes.

those that say no are simply uniformed/ignorant.

Have you tried it? Did you get addicted?

Let's just say that I'm very "informed" on the subject, and NO, it's definitely not addictive.

What the fsck is wrong with you people?

I'm just as "informed" as you are. IMO, the people that are saying it isn't addictive need to be saying "It isn't addictive FOR ME".

If I quit smoking tomorrow, I would feel like sh!t. If that isn't a withdrawl, what is?

 

[91TTZ]

I think America has a lack of self-control and they want to classify anything that they lazily abuse as "addictive". These fat lazy fux abuse pot, alcohol, donuts, coffee, soda, anything that requires self control.

Message to lazy fools: Stop blaming the things you abuse, take responsibility for your own actions. Do what you like, but don't blame anybody for the result stemming from your own actions.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: RichPLS

Marijuana, or a lack thereof, most certainly causes withdrawl symptoms in me and my family.

You are a medical oddity and should check yourself and family into a research hospital for evaluation and testing on these physiological symptoms.

hahahaha, what on Earth are you talking about?

I'm a medical oddity because altering my state of consciousness every day for a length of time - and then forcing myself back to reality - causes some light physical symptoms, just like it does in nearly everybody else?

Right.

 

[Linflas]

No. I "knew this person" that smoked it pretty much from high school up until age 28 and this person had 0 problems with stopping smoking it once he got married and took on responsibilities.

 

[Ns1]

Whatever guys. I poke smot. alot. and while I know technically it's not "physically addictive", I still can't stop doing it.

 

[Vanman]

As said before it is mentally addictive but not pysically addictive like heroin, cocaine, etc. As a long time pot smoker who had to quit for a job, was it difficult to quit..not really, just quit using with no adverse affects aside from some sleep issues (hard to go to sleep at first). Did I think about it or wish I had some at times...yes.

On another note, as a former cancer patient it definitely made dealing with chemotherapy a lot easier. I had a prescription for some anti-nausea medicine that cost close to $600 a month, after co-pay it was still costing me about $130 a month and it worked half as well as $100 bag of pot. The other postive effect was that it definitely helped me keep my appetite during chemo which is an issue with a lot of cancer patients.

 

[torpid]

Well we all know that cigarettes are addictive, but I know more than one person who has gone cold turkey after being a habitual smoker and not experienced any of the usual withdrawl symptoms. Also, codeine is habit-forming but even after taking it almost every day for 14 days I had no withdrawl. The point? Merely that it's not always black and white or 100% for everyone.

 

[40Hands]

nope. I used to smoke and I moved into a new apt. with new roomies and I quit straight up, wasn't that hard.

 

[RichPLS]

sMoKe Em If YoU gOt Em ! ! !

Eli, do you evar run out of stash?

 

[AMDZen]

Simply asking it its "addictive" won't fetch any logical answers.

There are different kinds of addiction, however its mostly described as something the body thinks it needs after using for a given amount of time. So the answer is No.

Although it is addictive mentally for some people, but not physically addictive in any way - such as nicotine, alcohol, and almost every other drug on the face of the planet.

 

[Eli]

Skoorb was right. The issue here is the definition of "addicted". Clearly everybody has different definitions.

We can all only go on our personal experiences. Nobody knows us but ourselves.

If you try and tell me, my family or a great majority of the people I know .. that there are no withdrawl symtpoms associated with marijuana, you'll get some raised eyebrows and a good laugh.

It affects my brother particularly hard. No appetite, nausea, cold sweats, tired but can't sleep, cranky..

What IS the definition of addicted then? I mean...

If you do ANYTHING every day for a long enough time, it will become a habbit. When your body gets "rewarded" for the habbit, there will be withdrawl symptoms associated with stopping the habbit, even if they are insignificant and you don't notice them.

Don't get your coffee fix? You get a headache and want caffeine.

Don't get your morning donut that you've been having for the last 25 years? At the very least, you'll miss it. Isn't that a physical symptom related to being without something that you were... addicted to? Having a donut every morning?..

Amused, again.. where is the line? I understand those things I mentioned were typically thought of as being OCD, but that's not what I meant. Someone who is addicted to masturbating isn't OCD, they're addicted to masturbating.. lol. Maybe not washing your hands, but you know what I mean.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: RichPLS
sMoKe Em If YoU gOt Em ! ! !

Eli, do you evar run out of stash?

No.

But like I said before, I've quit twice before...

The first time, I had to.. and it wasn't fun. The second time, it was just what was happening in my life.. and I didn't notice it at all.

I did actually quit a 3rd time, and that wasn't any fun either.. I thought I was going to have to take a drug test. But I didn't, so that only lasted like a week.. lol.

My girlfriend can quit and it doesen't even phase her. Everyone is different.. like someone said, it isn't black and white for everyone.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Eli
Quit it with your bullsh!t assertion.

I probably smoke more every day than you have in your entire life.

And I'm telling you that if I quit smoking tomorrow I would NOT be a happy camper.

It's different for everyone. And like I said, even the circumstances make a difference...

Basically, there are too many variables to say "this bag of chemicals(marijuana; 60+ different cannabinoids) effects this bag of chemicals(our bodies) in [this] very specific way".

<credentials>I don't smoke much now, but in my heyday I smoked about as much as a person physically can, essentially 16 hours a day for three or four years (to my detractors here, it should be noted that I was a none-too-friendly oddball before I ever touched it - don't blame it for that )</credentials>

Anyway, I think the irritability you describe is a psychological symptom. I'll provide as an example my experience quitting smoking tobacco: I used the patch and was irritable despite getting the same amount of nicotine as when I was smoking. Further, when it was time to wean myself off the patch, I experienced irritability well after the 1-2 weeks it takes for nicotine to clear out of your system.

The 60 odd chemicals you mention are all cannabinoids, which all behave in essentially the same way in the human body & brain. Quitting a psychological addiction can certainly be difficult, but it doesn't mean the addiction is physical. Head over to Software and see what WoW addicts think of taking a week off It was hard for me, and I didn't even like it much (I had experienced the MMORPG goodness that was pre-PoP EQ; nothing since has come close).

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Eli
Quit it with your bullsh!t assertion.

I probably smoke more every day than you have in your entire life.

And I'm telling you that if I quit smoking tomorrow I would NOT be a happy camper.

It's different for everyone. And like I said, even the circumstances make a difference...

Basically, there are too many variables to say "this bag of chemicals(marijuana; 60+ different cannabinoids) effects this bag of chemicals(our bodies) in [this] very specific way".

<credentials>I don't smoke much now, but in my heyday I smoked about as much as a person physically can, essentially 16 hours a day for three or four years (to my detractors here, it should be noted that I was a none-too-friendly oddball before I ever touched it - don't blame it for that )</credentials>

Anyway, I think the irritability you describe is a psychological symptom. I'll provide as an example my experience quitting smoking tobacco: I used the patch and was irritable despite getting the same amount of nicotine as when I was smoking. Further, when it was time to wean myself off the patch, I experienced irritability well after the 1-2 weeks it takes for nicotine to clear out of your system.

The 60 odd chemicals you mention are all cannabinoids, which all behave in essentially the same way in the human body & brain. Quitting a psychological addiction can certainly be difficult, but it doesn't mean the addiction is physical. Head over to Software and see what WoW addicts think of taking a week off It was hard for me, and I didn't even like it much (I had experienced the MMORPG goodness that was pre-PoP EQ; nothing since has come close).

Yeah, I completely agree...

See.. I think the real problem here is everyone has a different idea of what "addiction" means..

As far as I'm concerned, I'm clearly addicted.. I don't want to quit!

Just like I'm going to want some coffee or other source of caffeine later...

I'm not too keen on the differences between physical and psychological addiction I guess.

 

[RichPLS]

Try playing doctor with-out a License. They can.

What if a Doctor played lawyer?

But I see that it's ok for lawyers to play Doctor.

Law makers are playing doctor all of the time.

Our employees are making all of the calls.

This is all that in can reply to at this time.

 

[frankgomez75]

Everything is addictive:
Racing *Speed*
Sex
Chocolate
Food
Drugs
Alcohol

I personally think its a mental thing.
BTW, did you know that alcohol kills more ppl every year than any other drug in America.
You get liver disease, alcohol poisoning and then there is alcohol reltated deaths like shootings and drunk driving.
With tobacco you get lung cancer, throat cancer, etc.... the chemicals they put in there are just disgusting
I know this because I used to teach Drug Awareness to middle school kids.

Thing is I'm not against marijuana, there has yet to be a person who has died from marijuana smoking directly (like cancer or health related). Now thats not to say that their are no effects. IF you do drugs at an age where your brain is still developing than I'm pretty sure you may damage it, though there is no conclusive proof of this but I've seen a lot of dumb potheads, who started smoking early. But with any drug, if you do it as a kid its definetly gonna mess you up somehow.

Now as a developed adult, I think marijuana's effects are nowhere near as devastating as alcohol or tobacco.... so long as the marijuana has not been tainted... meaning added chemicals and such. I think if used moderately its o.k.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Eli
What the fsck is wrong with you people?

I'm just as "informed" as you are. IMO, the people that are saying it isn't addictive need to be saying "It isn't addictive FOR ME".

If I quit smoking tomorrow, I would feel like sh!t. If that isn't a withdrawl, what is?

Do not blame your own lack of self control on the drug you're taking. It's your fault. That's just as bad as a fat person trying to tell the world, "Don't try to tell me that McDonald's isn't addicting, I KNOW it is!"

In actuality, it's not addicting, it's just that that particular person lacks self-control, and it manifests itself in their overeating, overdrinking, oversmoking, etc.

 

[phantom309]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Yes.

those that say no are simply uniformed/ignorant.

Earth is 6000 years old and fossils were planted by Satan to confuse and corrupt us.

Those that say otherwise are uninformed/ignorant.

 

[2cpuminimum]

Animals do not self-administer marijuana in studies. Animals will self administer other drugs which are classified as addictive. Thus pot is not chemically addictive.
There is still psychological addiction, such as gambling.

 

[imported_hscorpio]

In 1999 the Institute of Medicine published a comprehensive study on marijuana titled "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base". Here are some of their findings regarding marijuana dependence:

"In summary, although few marijuana users develop dependence, some do. But they appear to be less likely to do so than users of other drugs (including alcohol and nicotine), and marijuana dependence appears to be less severe than dependence on other drugs." [p. 98]

"A distinctive marijuana and THC withdrawal syndrome has been identified, but it is mild and subtle compared with the profound physical syndrome of alcohol or heroin withdrawal." [Pp. 89, 90]

"Compared to most other drugs ... dependence among marijuana users is relatively rare." [p. 94]

It also estimated that only about 9% of marijuana users ever become dependent, compared to 15% for alcohol users. [p. 95]

 

[imported_hscorpio]

Originally posted by: Eli

What IS the definition of addicted then? I mean...

If you do ANYTHING every day for a long enough time, it will become a habbit. When your body gets "rewarded" for the habbit, there will be withdrawl symptoms associated with stopping the habbit, even if they are insignificant and you don't notice them.

Don't get your coffee fix? You get a headache and want caffeine.

Don't get your morning donut that you've been having for the last 25 years? At the very least, you'll miss it. Isn't that a physical symptom related to being without something that you were... addicted to? Having a donut every morning?..

Amused, again.. where is the line? I understand those things I mentioned were typically thought of as being OCD, but that's not what I meant. Someone who is addicted to masturbating isn't OCD, they're addicted to masturbating.. lol. Maybe not washing your hands, but you know what I mean.

I think the problem is that it's sometimes hard for people to differentiate between addiction and dependence. I would say after reading your posts you are probably dependent. Now if your desire to smoke pot completely takes over your life to the point where you no longer have any control over yout desires, and nothing matters anymore except smoking then I would say your addicted. Addiction is more about when someone dependent becomes self-destructive and still wont quit.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Josh
There's no proven physical addiction. It's a "mental" addiction, if anything. Cigarettes are a physical addition where your body "needs" them, weed is just a recreational type thing, you don't "need" it - meaning you are not going to have withdrawl symptoms if you don't smoke a joint

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: hscorpio

Originally posted by: Eli

What IS the definition of addicted then? I mean...

If you do ANYTHING every day for a long enough time, it will become a habbit. When your body gets "rewarded" for the habbit, there will be withdrawl symptoms associated with stopping the habbit, even if they are insignificant and you don't notice them.

Don't get your coffee fix? You get a headache and want caffeine.

Don't get your morning donut that you've been having for the last 25 years? At the very least, you'll miss it. Isn't that a physical symptom related to being without something that you were... addicted to? Having a donut every morning?..

Amused, again.. where is the line? I understand those things I mentioned were typically thought of as being OCD, but that's not what I meant. Someone who is addicted to masturbating isn't OCD, they're addicted to masturbating.. lol. Maybe not washing your hands, but you know what I mean.

I think the problem is that it's sometimes hard for people to differentiate between addiction and dependence. I would say after reading your posts you are probably dependent. Now if your desire to smoke pot completely takes over your life to the point where you no longer have any control over yout desires, and nothing matters anymore except smoking then I would say your addicted. Addiction is more about when someone dependent becomes self-destructive and still wont quit.

I completely agree.