Duuuddee... Pass the blunt...

[Cosmical El Amarna]

Yeah idk.. if you NEED marijuana in order to even deal with life, you've allowed yourself to get into a bad spot that will have implications for the rest of your life. I don't mean to come off as merciless or compassionate, as I too have dealt with some of life's difficulties and tragedies and I can imagine the struggle/hardship that others go thru. But seriously, there are all sorts of safe, natural, and holistic ways of reducing(even eliminating) stress/anxiety or whatever it may be. People with OCD can even overcome their neurological situation by natural means and discipline. I like mary jane too, but it's totally possible to be able to cope without it. That is unless you're speaking about aliments such as cluster headaches. But if you're just meaning that life is hard/sucks then I would advise you to reconsider and contemplate the matter a little more.

[OldManJenkins]

Yeah idk.. if you NEED marijuana in order to even deal with life, you've allowed yourself to get into a bad spot that will have implications for the rest of your life. I don't mean to come off as merciless or compassionate, as I too have dealt with some of life's difficulties and tragedies and I can imagine the struggle/hardship that others go thru. But seriously, there are all sorts of safe, natural, and holistic ways of reducing(even eliminating) stress/anxiety or whatever it may be. People with OCD can even overcome their neurological situation by natural means and discipline. I like mary jane too, but it's totally possible to be able to cope without it. That is unless you're speaking about aliments such as cluster headaches. But if you're just meaning that life is hard/sucks then I would advise you to reconsider and contemplate the matter a little more.

Its hard to explain but Ill do my best. Im talking about dehabilitating mental/emotionial disorders. Bipolar disorder in particular because thats the one I have the most experience with. Bipolar isnt just "Ah life is so hard, why do I have it so tough" emo bull ****. Its a serious neurological chemical thing. And they dont need it because they are at a bad point in their life they need it to deal with life, period. Safe, natural, holistic means dont cut it. (actually now that I think of it weed is a safe natural holistic thing but I know thats not what you mean. You mean meditation and therapy and all that bull ****.) That stuff is for people who THINK they have problems. I know. I come from a long line of alcoholics and drug abusers and they werent doing it for fun or because they had no future. Yes its possible to cope without help from some kind of substance but it is EXTREMELY difficult and it makes life miserable. Also Im not just talking about weed, weed is just the safest way to cope. Alcohol is by far the most common.

[Cosmical El Amarna]

Its hard to explain but Ill do my best. Im talking about dehabilitating mental/emotionial disorders. Bipolar disorder in particular because thats the one I have the most experience with. Bipolar isnt just "Ah life is so hard, why do I have it so tough" emo bull ****. Its a serious neurological chemical thing. And they dont need it because they are at a bad point in their life they need it to deal with life, period. Safe, natural, holistic means dont cut it. (actually now that I think of it weed is a safe natural holistic thing but I know thats not what you mean. You mean meditation and therapy and all that bull ****.) That stuff is for people who THINK they have problems. I know. I come from a long line of alcoholics and drug abusers and they werent doing it for fun or because they had no future. Yes its possible to cope without help from some kind of substance but it is EXTREMELY difficult and it makes life miserable. Also Im not just talking about weed, weed is just the safest way to cope. Alcohol is by far the most common.

Well yeah, like I had insinuated, I feel for you and know what some of that is like. And yeah I know its a neurological thing (depression, anxiety disorder, etc.). By natural I'm meaning non pharmaceutical medicine. Yes weed is holistic but if you use it too frequently it does alter your brain chemistry (your brain's natural cycle of releasing dopamine or serotonin, or whatever chemical it is that your body produces/releases in this instance. I'm drawing a blank but I remember seeing a documentary on weed, not an anti weed one, and something was said about how our bodies naturally get us high by natural chemical processes and when we use any substance it forces the releasing/over production of whatever chemical, but over time with continual use it gets harder and harder for the brain to release or act that way on its own). That's what drugs do over a long period of time with continual use and I'm not referring to just illegal ones. With that said, I'm not saying that weed is unnatural or really even harmful.

But there are a good amount of people who have used natural means and methods and have succeeded. People with OCD, depression, anxiety, etc. have had success. I still think that weed is safe and holistic, just that overuse (like anything) has the potential to at some point or in some way cause harm. Meditation actually has a lot of legitimate science to back it, meditation is very beneficial and healthy to anyone and everyone regardless. Its been proven. And no, its for people WHO DO have problems as well..., not just people that think they do.

I think you understand my point though, and that's all I was trying to convey. I'm not here to pressure you or persuade you and if you think that it helps you and makes things tolerable then good. Like I've also said I don't know your situation so I can't really dish out criticism, nor would I necessarily want to.

[OldManJenkins]

Well yeah, like I had insinuated, I feel for you and know what some of that is like. And yeah I know its a neurological thing (depression, anxiety disorder, etc.). By natural I'm meaning non pharmaceutical medicine. Yes weed is holistic but if you use it too frequently it does alter your brain chemistry (your brain's natural cycle of releasing dopamine or serotonin, or whatever chemical it is that your body produces/releases in this instance. I'm drawing a blank but I remember seeing a documentary on weed, not an anti weed one, and something was said about how our bodies naturally get us high by natural chemical processes and when we use any substance it forces the releasing/over production of whatever chemical, but over time with continual use it gets harder and harder for the brain to release or act that way on its own). That's what drugs do over a long period of time with continual use and I'm not referring to just illegal ones. With that said, I'm not saying that weed is unnatural or really even harmful.

But there are a good amount of people who have used natural means and methods and have succeeded. People with OCD, depression, anxiety, etc. have had success. I still think that weed is safe and holistic, just that overuse (like anything) has the potential to at some point or in some way cause harm. Meditation actually has a lot of legitimate science to back it, meditation is very beneficial and healthy to anyone and everyone regardless. Its been proven. And no, its for people WHO DO have problems as well..., not just people that think they do.

I think you understand my point though, and that's all I was trying to convey. I'm not here to pressure you or persuade you and if you think that it helps you and makes things tolerable then good. Like I've also said I don't know your situation so I can't really dish out criticism, nor would I necessarily want to.

Yeah I get what your saying and you mostly get what Im saying. Im not just talking about me though Im talking about a lot of people. And yeah I know meditations not all bull and it helps alot with clearing your mind but meditation alone doesnt have near the same helpful effect as a crutch.(ie weed, alcohol, etc.) I personally cant even meditate without weed, my mind is too cluttered and I cant sit still for that long as hard as i try. Its not like Im just giving up without trying life w/o a crutch. I spent 3/4 very miserable years trying my hardest to get my mind and life straight before I had tried any drug and without any help at all and it doesnt work.

[Cosmical El Amarna]

Yeah I get what your saying and you mostly get what Im saying. Im not just talking about me though Im talking about a lot of people. And yeah I know meditations not all bull and it helps alot with clearing your mind but meditation alone doesnt have near the same helpful effect as a crutch.(ie weed, alcohol, etc.) I personally cant even meditate without weed, my mind is too cluttered and I cant sit still for that long as hard as i try. Its not like Im just giving up without trying life w/o a crutch. I spent 3/4 very miserable years trying my hardest to get my mind and life straight before I had tried any drug and without any help at all and it doesnt work.

Meditation does more than just help with clearing your mind, it has physiological benefits as well. I think that I do understand what it is that you are essentially conveying and can feel for you. Just the dependence aspect of it is what trips me up, because if there is ever a time when you can't get any or use it, etc. it is going to be hard on you.

Meditating properly takes a little bit of practice. The goal is to quiet and eliminate all the noise and thoughts in your mind. This is not something that is easy at first but it definitely does happen eventually. If you think before or during that 'my mind is too active' or 'I need to quiet my mind' it won't happen lol. The silence comes naturally, on its own. But hang in there bro I hope things get better for you.

[OldManJenkins]

Meditation does more than just help with clearing your mind, it has physiological benefits as well. I think that I do understand what it is that you are essentially conveying and can feel for you. Just the dependence aspect of it is what trips me up, because if there is ever a time when you can't get any or use it, etc. it is going to be hard on you.

Meditating properly takes a little bit of practice. The goal is to quiet and eliminate all the noise and thoughts in your mind. This is not something that is easy at first but it definitely does happen eventually. If you think before or during that 'my mind is too active' or 'I need to quiet my mind' it won't happen lol. The silence comes naturally, on its own. But hang in there bro I hope things get better for you.

Im not any more or less dependent because I smoke. It was hard before I started smoking. It would be hard if I quit smoking. And theres no getting better really because theres nothing wrong. Im not whining about having anxiety and depression Im just trying to prove a point. But yeah you get what Im saying and I hear ya.

[ShinyUmbreon189]

Im not any more or less dependent because I smoke. It was hard before I started smoking. It would be hard if I quit smoking. And theres no getting better really because theres nothing wrong. Im not whining about having anxiety and depression Im just trying to prove a point. But yeah you get what Im saying and I hear ya.

Yea, marijuana never "cures" the mental illness but it does help it.

[OldManJenkins]

Yea, marijuana never "cures" the mental illness but it does help it.

Yeah this guy gets it. ^^^

[RainaXainne]

*side note* It's good to see we lost some haters.

I was thinking about what someone posted awhile back. They mentioned that because they can deal with their depression(etc) on their own everyone should. It really irks me when people try to act like just because something is true for them, it's true for the whole world.
I mentioned before that I was on different prescribed meds for my depression/anxiety and adhd. Nothing ever worked and I just kept falling deeper and deeper in depression. I was at the point where I refused to get out of bed, I dropped out of college without hardly attending a single class. I'm definitely not saying smoking cured me, but it took the edge off enough for me to get my act together.

I never saw the documentary in full, but I was told in "Super High Me," the guy took an IQ test before and after he started the smoking trial. Believe it or not, he got a higher score when he was stoned!! How can weed make you stupid with results like that? Now yes, that wouldn't happen with everyone, and even with a control group I doubt the majority would result the same.
I also read today that they have found some evidence that says smoking can help prevent a certain type of Alzheimers. Now how would that make sense if weed is supposed to make people more forgetful and lose short term memory?

[Klizcool]

Legitimately, the legality of Marijuana determines if people will smoke it. Without the thrill of knowing you're breaking the law, what's the point. Not to mention that weed is one of the weaker illicit drugs out there. If weed was legal for street sale, I doubt there will be street dealers anymore. If anything, you'll probably be seeing coffee stores selling pot like in Amsterdam. If its legalized, nothing will really change. A shot of Vodka is worse for you than a blunt (although some may beg to differ). If you don't want to smoke pot, then don't, no ones forcing you. Just don't drink and drive.

[Cosmical El Amarna]

Without the thrill of knowing you're breaking the law, what's the point.

Umm, what?

[ansem the wise]

Umm, what?

hes saying that people break the law because they can...not for the weed.
also another thing, if it is legalized then people will just find something else illegal to get....maybe something stronger...and yes maybe weed ist bad for u...but other drugs are...and people will just go down the line if its legalized.

[Cosmical El Amarna]

hes saying that people break the law because they can...not for the weed.
also another thing, if it is legalized then people will just find something else illegal to get....maybe something stronger...and yes maybe weed ist bad for u...but other drugs are...and people will just go down the line if its legalized.

There is actually quite a decent amount of evidence to the contrary of what you're suggesting. In fact, the opposite is true; we see less drug use in areas where marijuana is allowed, etc. We don't see people turn to/or use harder drugs because marijuana is legal/allowed. I can understand why you would think that, but that's not the reality.

And I don't smoke weed because I wanna break the law....

[OldManJenkins]

I was on different prescribed meds for my depression/anxiety and adhd. Nothing ever worked and I just kept falling deeper and deeper in depression. I was at the point where I refused to get out of bed, I dropped out of college without hardly attending a single class. I'm definitely not saying smoking cured me, but it took the edge off enough for me to get my act together.

I never saw the documentary in full, but I was told in "Super High Me," the guy took an IQ test before and after he started the smoking trial. Believe it or not, he got a higher score when he was stoned!! How can weed make you stupid with results like that? Now yes, that wouldn't happen with everyone, and even with a control group I doubt the majority would result the same.
I also read today that they have found some evidence that says smoking can help prevent a certain type of Alzheimers. Now how would that make sense if weed is supposed to make people more forgetful and lose short term memory?

I know that feel ma'am.

And yeah Ive seen that documentary and it did a pretty good job of showing how harmless weed is.

@Ansem, Yeah Cosmical is right. Just look at amsterdam. They partially legalized marijuana and their rate of hard illicit drug use has actually gone down.

[Cosmical El Amarna]

There are way better documentaries than Super High Me, come on now lol.

[OldManJenkins]

There are way better documentaries than Super High Me, come on now lol.

Its the only one Ive seen haha. It isnt really very scientific or persuasive but it was interesting enough to keep me watching and thats pretty important. I dont want to watch a documentary if its just some british guy doing a voiceover and a bunch of guys in lab coats standing around.

[Brutaka]

I don't see the problem with it. It's better than alcohol and cigarettes.
Like, sure, you can't drive while you're high, but if you are high, you wouldn't have an intention of driving...or anything else really.
And there's no tar in your lungs from smoking it.

Not only that, but you know a way to alleviate a lot of national debt? Legalize marijuana and tax the crud out of it. The government would make plenty of money pretty quickly, lol.

[OldManJenkins]

I don't see the problem with it. It's better than alcohol and cigarettes.
Like, sure, you can't drive while you're high, but if you are high, you wouldn't have an intention of driving...or anything else really.
And there's no tar in your lungs from smoking it.

Not only that, but you know a way to alleviate a lot of national debt? Legalize marijuana and tax the crud out of it. The government would make plenty of money pretty quickly, lol.

Well there is some amount of tar in your lungs from smoking it just like smoking anything else. Any seasoned smoker could tell you that. If you vape it then you dont inhale any of the dangerous parts and you get higher off less weed and it doesnt smell. If only vaporizers werent so expensive... And you can still drive plenty safely unless you are royally stoned. When you are used to it you can still do everything you can do sober while high and just as well.

[KiaAsakura]

There has been a recent study that smoking pot in the developing years can lead to a bit of mental strife. I originality read this article on bbc,
Here is an article on itg
However, I really doubt that the research is completely unbiased.
I don't believe it's a wise idea to let teenagers have drugs and alcohol, since there's a lot we don't know on how brains develop in that time.

Other then that, I live in a house of daily smokers, and hang out with a lot of friends who smoke a LOT.
They're great people.
It's pretty easy to come by here, it doesn't feel illegal.
Though, the second we legalize weed, the potheads will have nothing to talk about. Haa haaaa.

[OldManJenkins]

There has been a recent study that smoking pot in the developing years can lead to a bit of mental strife. I originality read this article on bbc,
Here is an article on itg
However, I really doubt that the research is completely unbiased.
I don't believe it's a wise idea to let teenagers have drugs and alcohol, since there's a lot we don't know on how brains develop in that time.

Other then that, I live in a house of daily smokers, and hang out with a lot of friends who smoke a LOT.
They're great people.
It's pretty easy to come by here, it doesn't feel illegal.
Though, the second we legalize weed, the potheads will have nothing to talk about. Haa haaaa.

I think any evidence that smoking pot causes mental strife comes from people who already have mental problems being more likely to smoke.