Cannabis vs Alchohol and Other Man Made Pharmacuticals

by OpenFireGlass 145 Replies latest jw friends

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  OpenFireGlass

  Now I'm not saying that a person that uses Cannabis always thinks clearly, But at least they Think... when someone is under the influence of alchohol or (manufactured) opiates, they "generally" don't think..

  I beg to differ. When I tried to smoke pot, it made me paranoid as hell! I didn't like the high, couldn't understand the high, all that I could "think" about was when is this going to be over!

  So paranoia whoul be produces by "over anylizing" the situation (thinking too much)?

  I guess it depends on the person's body? I hate weed.

  But do you hate the person that uses cannabis? I don't think that was what you were saying... I was just asking..
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  OpenFireGlass

  Kid-A, just went to the top of my, "Posters I Would Like To Meet" list..
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  jstalin

  I think it's immoral to tell someone what they can and can't put in their body, regardless if it is cigarettes, marijuana, alcohol, or heroin. Making drugs illegal only increases drug-related crime and creates a gigantic black market ruled by violence. I think the war on drugs is probably the most destructive government program, or at least in the top five.

  All drugs were completely legal until 1914 in the United States. Most drug prohibition movements in the late 1800's and early 1900's were related to racist attacks against "opium-smoking chinamen" or "cocainized niggers."

  PS: I've never done a drug in my life - I just don't think anyone should be thrown in jail for doing so.
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  MadTiger

  "and for those that believe in God.. Why would IT create something that we should not take advantage of?
  Cant help you on that one.
  I'm not a believer myself... But I am interested in the "opinions" of believers..."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  heathen

  I agree it's a complete waste of time to incarcerate people over a victimless crime . I strongly believe that prisons should only be for violent people that can't live peacefully on the outside . It costs a fortune to keep people behind bars for the tax payer , money that could be spent on education or medical or any number of better ways than catering to a paranoid delusional and often petty group .
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  sammielee24

  Is Cannabis a gateway drug? Or is Tobbacco and alchohol the real culprits?

  Today, there are something like 4 million kids..and I mean young kids - on drugs like ritalin, prozac and a whole host of other anti depressants and mood or mind altering drugs. In fact, it might have been 4 million in the USA a few years ago so no doubt it's well over that figure now. The bottom line is, meth and crack are overtaking weed as a drug of choice and now some in the medical field are linking the prescribed drug use in children to adult drug addiction. It makes perfect sense. When did we become a society that has to drug millions of kids? When did we say it's okay to do that? There are some real cases of ADD and ADHD that require medical intervention, but I would hazard a guess that most of the millions are simply turned off and tuned out for a lot of other reasons we aren't dealing with. In the 50's/60's and even 70's, we turned out good kids in the same numbers we do today, and I can't recall any one of the kids I knew being on prescribed drugs. Suddenly in the 80's and upward, a buzzword came out and a drug to go with it - ADD/ADHD. One of my nephews was tested and drugged for years because of ADD and I recall him having an anxiety attack when he realized he was out of meds at school - he called home in a frenzy - he was all of 11 years old. When I discussed it with him later, he told me (very naturally and casually) that oh yeah - there were about 20 of them in the school that took the same stuff and they lined up for the nurse to give it to them at specific times of the day. Multiply that scene 500 fold and we have a problem.

  I think if someone gets relief for pain when smoking weed - then he should do it if he wants. In fact, I think it should be legal to grow a plant or two for your own medicinal use, just as anyone would use dandelion for wine or catnip for tea. Get it out of the legal system and the dealers disappear, you control the cost, unclog the courts. I don't think people should drive under the influence of anything but heck - how many people are driving around taking allergy medicine that makes them drowsy, or prescribed pain killers, or 10 cups of coffee that make them jittery?

  I have never understood a society where people in hospitals, in excruciating pain and dying, beg for morphine and the doctors cannot or will not increase the dosage, yet the same society has a death penalty by lethal injection so it's painfree and where we euthanize our pets in the most careful and least painful way. An elderly man who was riddled by cancer and in constant, wearying and tremendous pain lived up the road from me. It was frustrating to hear him moan and broke your heart out when he couldn't walk because of the pain. The drugs he was given did little for him...until he was given some marijuana by a young relative. By that point, regardless on his stance before on the drug, he smoked some and from that minute, until he died 6 months later, that became his primary drug to reduce the pain. During that time he was able to move around more than he had in the entire year before and his quality of life improved to the point that he was able to get out of the house and visit with people and enjoy himself. Had the person supplying him with the stuff been caught, he would have been charged regardless of the motive he had for possessing or buying the drug.

  sammieswife.
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  OpenFireGlass

  sammieswife,

  Thakn you for addressing the anti-depressant / "Gateway drug" issue/spectrum of this discussion...
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  jukief

  I've suffered from insomnia and depression for many, many years. I've been on several different antidepressants over the years, and I've tried everything for my insomnia--from biofeedback to prescription meds to acupunture. The only thing that really helps me fall asleep is weed. Because I use it right before I go to bed (in bed, actually), I don't have to worry about munchies because it knocks me out in about 20 minutes to half an hour. It hasn't harmed my motivation--just the opposite, in fact, because when I'm more rested I have more energy to devote to work and home projects. I've never been able to smoke (my lungs hate it), so I bought a vaporizer, and it works great. I can use a smaller amount of "product" than otherwise, too, which is good because it is pricey. No aftereffects. No hangover the next morning, and no drowsiness like I get some sleep medications. Yeah, alcohol can put you to sleep, too, but the older I get the worse I feel after I drink too much, not to mention the calories, the effects on blood sugar, chances of harming your liver, etc., etc. I think it's completely hypocritical that cigarettes (a known addictive substance that kills its users) are legal and alcohol is, but pot isn't. It's stupid, and the amount of money spent fighting the "war on drugs" and the number of people in our prisons for this "crime" is insupportable. Legalize pot, and life would be a lot better for everyone concerned. But I bet the big pharmaceutical companies wouldn't like that much, would they?
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  Makena1

  Jukief - great post. You summed up the reasons why I think it needs to be legalized. Here in Maui, you can easily get a card to legally smoke and grow limited amounts if you can prove that because of an operation or an injury you have chronic pain. My doctor told me that my multiple knee surgeries would qualify me easily, but for now, I have opted not to go on record and get a card. Getting a good nights sleep is the main reason I started smoking a little before bed. Others perhaps can do it, but "waking and baking is not for me" - I need to be somewhat coherent during daylight hours. lol GLTY
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  BrendaCloutier

  Without reading ALL of this thread, I'm going to chime in as a Medical Marijuana Patient in Oregon, where it is state legal (with pleanty of hoops to jump to get and remain legal).

  I take an anti-depressant: Effexor time released. I will never go off of it unless something comes along that works better for me because this chemical has saved my life. Period.

  I have been alcohol free since 1990. Rehab, AA, etc. Alcoholism KILLs 90% of those who have it. And sadly, too many who don't have "it".

  Even Asprin Tylenol Advil and Aleve kill - no overdose needed. Nacrotics? Even deadlier.

  However, they ALL have their place.

  So does cannabis. For those of you with Christian leanings check out Genesis 1:29. If God created everything - then gave mankind all the fruits of the earth, then doesnt that include cannabis?

  Deaths from Viagra: 2,290. Deaths from Cannabis: 0 = both are recreational drugs.

  I started vaporizing and ingesting MMJ (Medical Marijuana) when I got "legal" 11/05, for the pain, muscle spasms, and sleep problems associated with FibroMyalgia. And for migraines. I seldom take it during the day especially if I'm going to be out and about - I won't drive "under the influence".

  However, since beginning MMJ 6 months ago, I am sleeping less - about 9-10 hours instead of 12-16 hours a day. I have reduced my anti-depressant use down to 150mg from 225mg. I now only use analgesics (asprin etc) 4 or 5 times a week instead of 2 or 3 times daily. My need for clonazapam (Klonapin) has dropped to .5mg from 1.5mg. Gone are the Neurontin, Gabapenton, Relafen, Tradol, Immatrex.

  Biggest medically noted improvement is my blood work. For 10 YEARS it has shown inflamation that my rheumatologist had not been able to locate. Well, my blood test 2 months ago - EVERYTHING was normal, and my platelet count was 370 - it has been as high as 550 - 150 over "normal high" of 400. Same for sed-rate, and a couple other items!

  And I have not had one incident of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) since I began taking MMJ!

  Most of the MMJ I use is ingested or sub-lingual. I make my own extracts/tinctures, activated MMJ capsules, and some medicated foods, like brownies made in mini-muffin tin. I only vape at night when I go to bed.

  Why is it still illegal? Follow the money. It's to the US best interest to keep it illegal - it funds the DEA, and it's medicinal powers threaten Pill Hill. Heck, Bayer (as in Asprin) is now partnered with GW (a Brittish pharma co) on Sativex - a alcohol based mouth spary with THC, CBD, and CBN. Nothing more than a highly refined tincture!