Cannabis legalization

[Tiamat]

Well I'm sorry to hear that about the mother. The bond between mother and child is everything. I'm a mother of three girls and I can tell you it's what life is about. Hopefully she will find a way back to him if she's lost. Never doubt how strong that bond is. Even if you want to blame yourself for some part of it, in the end it is her choice and her's alone that either brings them back together or keeps them apart. We all have to be responsible for our own happiness.

And I said some days I do and some days I don't. Here lately I haven't been, way to much on my plate right now. See it's my opinion that there are some people who are just stupid about it. It's like anything else you do to excess. We all get our high's from something if not pot the shopping, if not shopping, then shoes, if not shoes then working on your motorcycle, if not that then gaming, if not that....you get the point.

We all each and every one of us has something that we really love and enjoy that we get a high off of. I'm begining to think it's in our very nature. Something I saw on history or discovery or animal planet...one of those shows said that we as far back as they can trace, have always had some type of mind altering substance. Natrual assumption there would be plants, mushrooms, poppy's , wacky tabacky etc. around to cultivate. So is it in our very nature to pursue this? Or does it simply come down to something as simple as choice.

On the medical side of it. Yes, I think it should be legal but again only because I can speak of things I have seen and experienced as a medical professional and as a patient. You will find as a rule that I usually won't make an argument unless it is something I've had experience with.

Besides **puts on best southern simper** You guys are just way to good for the likes of little ole' me to ever think I could win a debate against ya'll

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Tiamat
Well I'm sorry to hear that about the mother. The bond between mother and child is everything. I'm a mother of three girls and I can tell you it's what life is about. Hopefully she will find a way back to him if she's lost. Never doubt how strong that bond is. Even if you want to blame yourself for some part of it, in the end it is her choice and her's alone that either brings them back together or keeps them apart. We all have to be responsible for our own happiness.

The worst part about drug addiction is that it makes you not care anymore. People don't even care about their kids anymore. It's a horrible thing. My son is doing pretty well. I sent him to a therapist. I don't know if that helped or if he just isn't affected by it. I don't mind saying that his pop is a pretty good parent, although I have my faults. I try very hard since he only really has one parent. She might as well be dead at this point, if she isn't in fact dead.

And I said some days I do and some days I don't. Here lately I haven't been, way to much on my plate right now. See it's my opinion that there are some people who are just stupid about it. It's like anything else you do to excess. We all get our high's from something if not pot the shopping, if not shopping, then shoes, if not shoes then working on your motorcycle, if not that then gaming, if not that....you get the point.

I don't think you need to get high on something to be happy, at least not the way that you seem to be putting it. To be happy you really need to be healthy both physically and mentally. If you are healthy you will be happy.

We all each and every one of us has something that we really love and enjoy that we get a high off of. I'm begining to think it's in our very nature. Something I saw on history or discovery or animal planet...one of those shows said that we as far back as they can trace, have always had some type of mind altering substance. Natrual assumption there would be plants, mushrooms, poppy's , wacky tabacky etc. around to cultivate. So is it in our very nature to pursue this? Or does it simply come down to something as simple as choice.

I think that some people definitely pursue something to get them high, but I certainly don't think that's healthy, because like I said, if you are healthy you will already be happy and you don't need to be high.

On the medical side of it. Yes, I think it should be legal but again only because I can speak of things I have seen and experienced as a medical professional and as a patient. You will find as a rule that I usually won't make an argument unless it is something I've had experience with.

Besides **puts on best southern simper** You guys are just way to good for the likes of little ole' me to ever think I could win a debate against ya'll

Sorry, I don't debate. I only argue.

[Tiamat]

Oh yes, and btw I totally forgot to tell you that I am 100% totally and completely and was above.

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


That was a bit tongue in cheek.

They were fairly heavy users for awhile, and ended up quitting.

Both of them said it was affecting them too much and don't smoke at all anymore.

Secondly, I've had a friend in the hospital who has schizophrenia. The joints really helped him. Totally screwed up his life, and now he has to take antipsychotics.

Marijuana can mess with some things that smoking and alcohol do not, as bad as those things are, you don't end up in the psycho ward after.

I don't see that happening to folks who drink and smoke.

I have bolded the important things in Marihuana however.

Had your friends been heavy users of Alcohol it would have been very problematic for them to "just quit".

A friend of mine was an alcohol addict and I can say from her experience (or rather my experience with her) that the alcohol addiction affects your whole life afterwards.
The saying among Ex-Alcoholics goes that there is no such a person like a "sober Ex-Alcoholic".
Even if they had a therapy these Ex-Alcoholics have still a craving for alcohol and there are often (up to several times a year) moments when they give in to the craving and have a drink (which in Ex-Alcoholics mean that this drink is followed by a second, a third, a fourth and so on).

The fate of then one friend you mentioned is sad, but I assume that the percentage of people who had such extreme experiences with Marihuana is way lower than the percentage of Alcohol Addicts (or Ex-Addicts among (former or present) Alhcohol users.
(And normally even heavy (ab)users of Marihuana normally have much less problems quitting than heavy (ab)users of Alcohol)

[Tiamat]

I can certainly sympathize with your situation. I raised my three girls by myself for over 11 years. It's not always easy so my hats off to you and I think you are to be commended. Alot of men, given the opportunity, would take the easy way out and not complete the obligation. Your son's lucky to have you. And she, at some point, will come to know and understand all the things she missed out on with him and will never be able to get back.

OOOOoooo honey I never argue......I just sit back and watch

[Ben Kenobi]

I have bolded the important things in Marihuana however.

You missed the part where marijuana plays in a different ballfield then alcohol.

The fate of then one friend you mentioned is sad, but I assume that the percentage of people who had such extreme experiences with Marihuana is way lower than the percentage of Alcohol Addicts (or Ex-Addicts among (former or present) Alhcohol users.

The situation is entirely different. He was asymptomatic prior to his use of marijuana, and afterwards, the marijuana served as the trigger for the condition which was already there.

Any substance will lead to addiction, be it alcohol, smoking, or marijuana, and they have their associated pathologies.

Marijuana, unlike the other two affects different areas of the brain and can trigger mental illness.

[-Jrabbit]

If you don't think alcohol addiction can trigger mental illness, Ben, you must be high.

[Proteus_MST]

THC (from marijuana) affects the anandamid receptors instead of the Dopamine-Receptos, that is correct.

I think where we disagree is the amount of danger posed by alcohol and marijuana.
I would say that your friend (the one where it triggered the psychosis) was a rather rare example and that only a very small of marijuana users are affected by such things (i.e. develope a real mental illness) and that such a mental illness is not something that autmatically developes in heavy users of marijuana, but only users where certain preconditions are met within the brain.


As for the addiction itself we have to separate psychical from physical addiction. Marijuana (ab)users (unlike alcohol abusers) don´t develope a physical dependance on their drug. (at least I never heard from a case of physical addiction to Marijuana)

Meaning that once they have been able to quit smoking pot, they will be able to continue their life as before the addiction.
Alcohol addicts however develope a physical addiction, meaning that the brain gets radically restructured thanks to the acohoil abuse (the number of Dopamine receptors decerases). These alcohol addicts, even when they have battled their addiction and appear sober never are. They will for the rest of their life have a strong craving for alcohol (and will occasionally give in their desire).

(Nicotine btw. also results in a physical addiction, but unlike alcohol the consequences of an Ex- nicotinic who gives into his cravings are of course much less grave than for an ex alcoholic who drinks alcohol again).


So from a statistically standpoint I think that the capability of Alcohol to destroy your life are much greater

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Tiamat
I can certainly sympathize with your situation. I raised my three girls by myself for over 11 years. It's not always easy so my hats off to you and I think you are to be commended. Alot of men, given the opportunity, would take the easy way out and not complete the obligation. Your son's lucky to have you. And she, at some point, will come to know and understand all the things she missed out on with him and will never be able to get back.

OOOOoooo honey I never argue......I just sit back and watch

Tyvm. I don't think she will recover though. Like I said she doesn't care. I'm sure of that. Other people who have relatives who are addicted to narcotics report similar things about their loved ones who are addicts. It turns out that the part of you that makes you care is in your brain, not your heart, and some drugs just **** that part up. Alcohol strangly doesn't do that as much as other drugs. Alcoholics still seem to care, at least more than meth addicts or crack addicts. If she does recover I will forever believe in miracles, because I know for sure that she doesn't care and never will without a miracle.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
If you don't think alcohol addiction can trigger mental illness, Ben, you must be high.

Well it is a mental illness so it certainly can't be good.

[Verto]

Ben:

Stop spouting bull****.

[Verto]

By the way, anyone who is smoking four joints in one session is either smoking terribly cheap shwag, or is a dumbass who doesn't know how to properly inhale.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Verto
By the way, anyone who is smoking four joints in one session is either smoking terribly cheap shwag, or is a dumbass who doesn't know how to properly inhale.

I once smoked an 1/8 ounce out of a hooka with one other person. I was in a trance for I don't know how long. It can definitely be done, although you might get an overdose. But you just can't operate heavy machinery.

Oh, and it was the Kind.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


That was a bit tongue in cheek.

They were fairly heavy users for awhile, and ended up quitting.

Both of them said it was affecting them too much and don't smoke at all anymore.

Secondly, I've had a friend in the hospital who has schizophrenia. The joints really helped him. Totally screwed up his life, and now he has to take antipsychotics.

Marijuana can mess with some things that smoking and alcohol do not, as bad as those things are, you don't end up in the psycho ward after.

I don't see that happening to folks who drink and smoke.

From what I've read, MJ tends to be a bad idea for people who have mental health issues. Tia's daughter sounds like an exception though.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Kidicious


I once smoked an 1/8 ounce out of a hooka with one other person. I was in a trance for I don't know how long. It can definitely be done, although you might get an overdose. But you just can't operate heavy machinery.

Oh, and it was the Kind.

I don't think it's possible to overdose on MJ. I used to grow my own super-strong hydro, and one day I made a butter that concentrated several ounces of the stuff into a half-cup of green goo. I swigged it down and was VERY wasted for a couple of days, but there haven't been any long-term effects.