Marijuana Legalization; where do you stand?

[bluepiz]

Originally posted by Timmee

I have a question for all of the people that smoke MJ. Why do you smoke? Is it to get high? To reduce depression? To reduce physical pain? Is there another reason?

music! i've been playing guitar for almost 8 years now, and there isn't anything better than playing an instrument while high. i'd explain it to you, but no words could ever describe what it feels like to play music while high.

not just playing music, but listening to music as well. i love goin to concerts, and seeing your favorite band live while high is, once again, an indescribable experience.

[ReTroMagBoy]

i 100% agree bluepiz! i am a guitarist, and i had quit playing for several years until i started tokin up again and now even though i cant smoke, i still love it and cant put it down at times! i agree seeing a band live is a wonderful experience...especially when u;ve smoked!

[TransMan]

Yes Music is the best thing to experience while stoned wether it be playing it or listening to it is the best well besides sex but i wont get into that at the moment

Also taking a math test is a pretty cool experience as well ive takin a couple stoned and have done about the same as i generally do which is usually 100% but usually get bumped down to 95 for me using a pen but anyways it seems to help me think faster while im stoned so i get done with the test in liek half the time

It also helps with the pain i have in my Knees back and neck thats caused from when i used to play football. i would rather smoke then take tabs or other addictive drugs..

I dont smoke to take care of emotional problems because i personaly see that as a weak thing to do and also starts people on a bad road to otehr things

[Restola]

Re: Not Really

Originally posted by 1stdeadeye
I stopped responding here because those of you who are convinced they need/want/have a right to there pot no longer listen to any point that does not support your POV. So why should those of us who may no better bother responding? Ever wonder why they call pot dope, dope?

Its unfortunate that the side of the arguement I agree with for so many reasons also has in its ranks all the loser jr high drop-outs (who insist on posting their immature and uninformed opinions here...).

It would be much more productive to have an analysis of the benifits of legalization (reduced crime, reduced funding of criminals, increase in help for people), rather than an incredibly immature and irrelevant "i smok it caus i feel betr" arguement (which accounts for all BUT 6-7 posts on this ENTIRE thread).

The drug users, through obvious immaturity (they were stupid enough to start doing drugs in the first place) are doing more harm to their cause than they will ever realize by constantly and consistently moving the arguement away from the issue, and onto themselves (which is an arguement a drug user will always lose).

So keep it up children. Keep letting us know how great pot makes you feel, and how you are too immature to handle your own life without it, or how you can't enjoy music, or girls, or whatever. Make THAT the issue, that should help those of us who want legalization...

[cphilip]

Originally posted by Conine
There are some who use to reduce depression - I've heard claims in posts that people were about to commit suicide and smoking stopped them. (If that's true or not, you can decide, I only repeat it because it's relevant to what you're asking.)

Nope... can show that this is not the case at all. My first wife was a cronic user and indeed did commit suicide... It more than likely masked symptoms and interfered with medication that MAY have altered her depression. It certainly made evaluating the medications effects difficult. It does nothing to cure that problem in the long run but may have some short term effect or make you think it does for a while. It does not get to the root of the problem and will not cure it. And eventualy fail to do anything for it. Its not the way to treat depression at all.

[fenris69]

IMO no drug of any type should be used to treat depression unless you can't avoid it. I use extreme activity, it's hard as hell to focus on those black thoughts when you've got so much else to deal with...not a cure but it works.

thc's going to do different things for everyone...the effects seem to be wildly varied depending on the individual. I couldn't take a bloody math test high, thats for certain!

but this is off topic really, there have been many great points for legalization, and more than a few against, I'm leaning towards minor decriminalization, but standard legal action against major dealers etc...

[TransMan]

Restola i see your point but i was responding to a poast in which someone clearly asked why do you smoke and that is why i responeded in that way. It was just a response to a question i wasnt bragging....

[Conine]

Originally posted by cphilip
Nope... can show that this is not the case at all. My first wife was a cronic user and indeed did commit suicide... It more than likely masked symptoms and interfered with medication that MAY have altered her depression. It certainly made evaluating the medications effects difficult.

Ah, well, I'm not going to sit here and make some grandiose claim that it's a cure-all for everything, but I can't accept that it's the core reason behind a suicide either. I would not claim that it would prevent all suicides, but it -might- make a person who was going to kill themselves anyway either hang in longer, or (as some have claimed) not do it at all. You say masked symptoms, I say treat symptoms.... same concept, either way, they temporarily subsided.

As far as anti-depression medication goes, it behaves in a similar manner. It won't cure depression either, it behaves in the same manner by treating the symptoms. I can see why it might make evaluating the effects of medication difficult because it has a similar effect as the meds, and a mind-altering effect as well. In essence, you wouldn't be able to properly evaluate which one was doing the job or make accurate dosage determination because the meds would be sharing the load with the pot.

But think, wouldn't it have been better in your situation if your wife had been able to freely discuss her usage with her doctor? Rather than hide her usage, and keeping information from the doctor? As you saw first-hand, prohibiton didn't keep the marijuana away from her, rather, it forced her to keep her usage hidden for fear of persecution. By removing the legal repercussions attached to it, she could have freely discussed this, much as an alcoholic would, and that factor could have been taken into consideration. By not treating marijuana abuse as a health issue, but rather a criminal issue, she can't feel very comfortable discussing that.

It does nothing to cure that problem in the long run but may have some short term effect or make you think it does for a while. It does not get to the root of the problem and will not cure it. And eventualy fail to do anything for it. Its not the way to treat depression at all.

Agreed that it does not cure the problem, agreed that it has a short term effect, agreed that it will not get to the root of the problem and not cure it. Whether or not it eventually fails, I don't know. If I accept that statement, then I'd say that the same would apply for prescription anti-depression meds. Given the choice, the best solution is full disclosure with your doctor.

On the same note, it's probably better to smoke the pot than to take nothing. If you're in a situation where you don't see a shrink about your problems and aren't taking anti-depression meds, for whatever reason, then pot would probably help more than hurt.

[Conine]

Originally posted by fenris69
IMO no drug of any type should be used to treat depression unless you can't avoid it. I use extreme activity, it's hard as hell to focus on those black thoughts when you've got so much else to deal with...not a cure but it works.

I think it's tough to understand depression unless you're experiencing it or intimately know someone going through it. It's easy to kick back and say "get over it" or "deal with it," or whatever, but it is a real issue. People relate it to their own depressed feelings when they're down, or in a slump that you can eventually break out of. These people can't break out of it. There really isn't something out there that will cure depression, it's an on-going thing that you treat the symptoms for.

Fortunately for you, you've found something that works well for you to deal with those situations. I also find that immersing myself in something helps me deal with my dark times, so I can't relate to the point where I would need to take meds - I suspect many people who don't understand depression feel the same way.

[fenris69]

Conine: Aren't you back to the same thing then? A Yiddish saying pops to mind, "If my grandmother had testicles she'd be my grandfather"

We don't really know, and while there are plenty of studies available...they tend to always differ slightly which is a pain. It's really up to the individual what the effect is and how they deal with it mentally. I recall my buddy who in high school must have smoked twice the amount I did...yet he had no trouble at all coping with the workload or complex figures in math. I on the other hand...best not mentioned.

edit: yeah good point...that was my response to my doctors and family "we'd like you to try this..." I found something else that worked, but again it's trial and error so I can't really tell anyone else it's gold. In my case trying pot when younger opened a new world for me. I COULD have simply had it explained to me perhaps...that every little thing that was weighing me down wasn't important in that cosmic or long term sense. That I needed to stop and take a breath, smell the flowers now and then for my mental health. But 15 min and a joint did all that anyway :P