Read this weed smokers!
 

LINKY



The reason these findings are ignored is because there are a ton of users. They all think there's nothing wrong with it. You can deny all you want that you aren't damaging yourself, but time will tell the facts. I know many people that are dumb as fuck because of weed. Their brains are fried from the shit. I'll continue to sit back and laugh at everyone who continues to destroy themselves. The only thing that really pisses me off is most people fuck their families and kids up because of this crap. Stop getting high and spend some quality time with your kids! Or suffer the consequences. Your children will most likely grow up to be users and abusers also. Or they'll be pregnant when they're 14 and/or get into hardcore porn.

This is a news item that appeared somewhere in a Dutch newspaper. Since you can't read it i'll translate it for ya.

No permanent brain damage caused by Marihuana.

L.A.
Smoking marihuana doesn't cause permanent brain damage discovered scientists of the University of California. From their research they conclude that Marihuana DOES influnece short term memory but does not affect the brain at all on the long term.

If there is any effect at all, we couldn't find it. According to professor psychiatry Igor Gray who led the study. The Scientists did 15 different researches on the effect of marihuana on the long term memory of well educated youth. The findings will be publicized in the July Issue of the International Neuropsychological Society.


BTW:
I don't smoke myself.

I used to smoke weed everyday all day for about 10 years. I only stopped because of very very bad panic attacks. When I look back on it I think that I probably have dumbed down a bit. But I look at other people and they are still sharp as shit and are still smoking. I think it affects everyone differently.
As far as all this research...I don't believe any of it until I see many different articles on it. Not different studies that are all mentioned in the same article (not saying that this article is invalid).
I think alcohol is more likely to fuck up relationships with family members more than ganja. Except for legal ramifications. The only thing I'm going to attack when high is the fridge instead of someone else when I'm all boozed up.
Man made alcohol, Nature made pot....which do you trust more?

(I am keeping my eye out for more articles like this now so thanks for posting it)

edit: Last week on the radio I heard that they found no long term ill effects from pot in some study. I don't know if its the one that is mentioned above, but I did hear it. I hate how there is always one that comes out and says its fine...and one that comes out and says its not. Make up your minds dammit!!

yer, just heard this on the radio as i driving (stoned) to work. Still doesn't put me off though... some scientist guy came on the radio after the report was read claiming that after 5 years of heavy use, abusers of the drug develop brain defects which bring about delusional occurances such as voices in their heads that say "I hate you", and "kill yourself". I've yet to come across these voices.

Most of those studies occurred over a time span of at least several years, and failed to account for the possible effects of other drug use (like acid or PCP). People who smoke pot are also more likely to do some of the other, harder drugs, and the trends seen in the study are quite possibly due to those harder drugs, rather than the weed itself.

I think most of these studies are done with an agenda (either for or against pot) and are necessarily biased.

just a note from you favorite paranoid female: driving under the influence of ANYTHING is bad. mkay?

What will they come up with next? Some stupid statement like cigarettes are bad for your health and cause cancer.

Bottom line is that people are always after instant gratification. Cigarette smokers, drinkers, drug users, hell, coffee drinkers... all of them know that what they do could possibly harm them. But the gratification that they are getting from these vices--right now--is too much to stop.

Well, I can't speak for what happens in the U.S.A. but in Holland we have the coffeeshops as you will probably know. They are controlled pretty strictly by the government to make sure they don't sell hard drugs.

What happens then is that most people who smoke pot don't come into contact with a drugdealer that tries to move them on from pot to the more lucrative coke and speed. This is basically where the so called 'gateway' argument comes from. In Holland it's not valid since you don't come into contact with drugdealers if you're just a pot smoker.

Of course you can get anything you want from other sources, but that's a different 'class' of users.

Also, if Alcohol is legal. Why not legalize pot? Alcohol is much more damaging than Cocaine for instance.

Re: Read this weed smokers!
 

I see plenty of addicts in denial about the negative effects as well. Always takes me back to the time I listened to some lady talking to her friend about how cigarrettes aren't in fact bad for you.

Why legalize pot when we can ban alcohol? Alcoholics make a fuss, druggies are too busy eating cheetos.

Because we should let people decide for themselves what to do. IF anyone gets damaged at all, it will be the person drinking alcohol or doing drugs. If they want to do that, that's fine by me. Let them. THEIR choice, not ours.

I'm already phsycotic, so fuckem'. Besides, its my body I do what I want!

Geez, there was a report out last week that told how weed had no longterm effects on the brain. These damn scientists keep changing their minds every day week. Well, I'm gonna go get stoned and forget about all this.;)

If anyone gets damaged at all it will be the person drinking alcohol or doing drugs? I have to completely disagree with that. OK so internal damage is done to them, big deal you can get that from breathing smog filled air everyday. But look at families of alcoholics, they're not affected? SO its only their(the alcoholics) choice? What about the asshole sthat have to drive home drunk? Or on drugs? The thousands of innnocent people that die every year because of drunk driving isn't a factor?

OK sorry, but that comment was just a lame excuse. Doesn't hurt anyone else, my ass!

I'm going to say that I'm not against drugs and alcohol, but if you use them in excess I am. I just got really mad about that comment.

Then you might as well ban driving in general. How about the people that fall asleep at the wheel because they were to stubborn to take a break while driving a long distance? How about the elderly that still drive, although they can hardly react on time? Or the kids that just have their driving license and are racing up and down the street.

I agree with you that drunk driving is a terrible thing and should not happen. But in EVERY thing you do there is a risk. Also in entering traffic. The amount of accidents where alcohol is a causing factor is just a small amount of the total. The main part of accidents caused is still by speeding and not being able to control your car.

What about the addicted person's family you say? Well tough luck for them. The addicted person made a choice, right or wrong and they'll just have to live with it.

All kinds of drugs are bad: alcohol (the worst, not to mention it tastes like shit), cigarettes (a filthy habit, its like kissing a smokestack) and weed (because it just makes you dumb). Now the reason that cigarettes and alcohol, the worst and popular of the three, aren't illegal is because if they were they would be the most traffic-ed drug in America. It would be crazy, out of control. The drugs would stilll get around either way. Take Prohibition for example. So the government and corporations step in and see this as a win-win situation. Why not make these drugs legal, sell them at a fixed rate, and make a ton of money at the same time! Saving themselves a headache from the billions of users of alcohol/cigarettes that would appear in court for using them.

They wouldn't have to live with it if it were against the law. You seem to be all for the rights of some random druggie or alcoholic, and then you don't seem to mind the dozens of peoples lives that those people violate, be it hitting them with a car, going crazy and stabbing someone, or creating a widespread social disorder that could potentially cripple the united states.

I don't want to work with a bunch of worthless pot heads, just as much as I don't want to drive down to the bar to pick up my mothers friends drunken fool of a husband. If you want to destroy yourself, fine. It's when these people go out and interact with me that crosses the line, but who cares? People should have the choice to do that, right? No, like I said, I don't care if you kill yourself, just don't take anyone (especially me) with you.

Thank you Phaenx!

We hardly have any problems with junkies or alcoholics going crazy and stabbing someone. It happens sometimes, sure. But not at all as often as you people seem to think. If I were you, I would be more troubled by all the people that die because of your lax gun control laws. Around 10,500 last year alone got killed. How would that compare to the victims of drunken driving or crazy junkies?

We chose to educate the people in our country about alcohol and drugs. Tell them honestly about both parts involved, the satisfaction from taking it. As well as the potential damages.
Drunken driving had decreased immensely over the last few years after intensive ad campaigns.

There are less drug users in my country than in the U.S.A. People are less inclined to start. Many people who get started on pot anyway do it because it's illegal and exciting.

Yeah, and I donate to freevibe.

Nyenrodian, where do you live?

I am Dutch and at the moment I live in Switzerland. However I will be moving back to Holland within a month.

I smoke weed, but I know limits. At most I do two to three spliffs per week. Usually only one.

We have gotten off the subject a bit. First I will comment on the original study. Meh its one study. These studies are always done with a plan to how they want them to turn out. And has already pointed out for every study that says its super harmfull we could find a study that says its harmless. The majority of studies though have it at mostly harmless. It is no more dangerous then alcohol. I mean yes, if you get stoned every single day then you will probably get stupider. Of course I know just as many stupid non pot smokers. I also know a number of regular pot smokers who are just as on the ball as they ever were. I've smoked pot for close to 6 years,been a regular smoker for about 6 months. I have yet to notice any real dip in my intelligence level. What it boils down to is that there is nothing inherently wrong with pot. It is an OBJECT. It does not have the capacity for right and wrong. The only ones who can have right and wrong is you and me. We can use pot in a good or a bad way just like anything else. Alcohol is the same way. As is caffeine. And sugar, well anything and everything we consume. Except for maybe water but then again you CAN OD on water, you can't OD on weed. And I have had this conversation before so I need to clarify the phrase OD. An OD is when you DIE simply from taking to much of a substance. It is NOT when you smoke to much and get higher then you wnted and it is also not when you do something stupid like drive your car into a phone pole.

My dad, at 61, has been almost continually high for the the last 30 years and is still one of the sharpest guys I know (and I know a lot of smart people). Despite a debilitating injury which now makes his marijauna use medicinal, he lifts and runs three times a week. Someone I'd be proud to have with me in an argument or a fight.

So "pot makes you lazy and stupid" isn't a foregone conclusion. I hold that if you're lazy and stupid already you're more prone to smoke pot (certainly not that all pot smokers are that way, see above) which makes it appear to those who don't investigate with due diligence before coming to conclusions, that all pot smokers are stupid.

Myself, I used to smoke, but found it boring, so I stopped. I think this is true of many bright people, which is why smart people tend not to be stoners. Once again, no insult to stoners, there are many smart ones out there, but I think they're a minority of pot users.

So this is my premise (to hammer it home one more time) using pot doesn't make you stupid (well, it does temporarily) being stupid makes you more prone to use pot (or more accurately keep using it).

Additionally, I don't see why pot is illegal. Alcohol is a much more damaging drug (long term overuse has serious PROVEN detrimental health effects, it can KILL you) and it's legal. Alcohol is also inherently violent and leads you to make bad decisions (oh yeah, I'm fine, I can drive...). Has anyone seen that add where they're giving the girl a pregnancy test because she was high and got knocked up? C'mon, how many more girls have gotten knocked up while drunk? And think of the last time you saw two guys who were high getting in a fight. If they were high they'd be much more likely to sit down, eat a twinkie and watch Spongebob Squarepants.

Not that I think drinking should be illegal, we had prohibition, and see what that got us. Nearly everyone enjoys a little drink every now and then and they should also be able to enjoy a little smoke every now and then to if they want. To sum up... Abuse of any drug is bad, be it a legal one or an illegal one. But there's no reason that marijuana is any more dangerous than alcohol. (Don't give me any crap about it being a gateway drug, that's been repeatedly disproved.) The damage that criminalizing a near harmless drug is doing to our society is much much more than letting people be free (and I mean that in a civil liberties sense as well as a "let them out of jail" sense).

BBtB is right, We (myself included) have gotten off the point. The article says "users at greater risk of mental illness." But this could be putting the cart before the horse.

Alcoholism is considered to be a disease, one with a genetic basis. I doubt that any studies have done to see if habitual cannibis use also has genetic markers. Those same markers could be associated with increased risk of mental illness. Or it could very well be that the habitual use was a symtom of latent mental illness (getting stoned makes users feel better, even at some subliminal level).

I would have to see a lot more evidence before I thought that this study had any validity at all.

It's too funny, I really think about that everytime I see that stupid commercial. I mean really!
C'mon she would have gotten knocked up anyways, the little slut, oops sorry did I say that outloud? I really don't think the weed had anything to do with it, just a fuckin excuse for their daughter being a whore, oops there I go again... :D

Has anyone here READ the actual study? If you have, please upload it for others interested (like myself), or link to reference.

Be wary of correlation/causation studies, often things become obscured.

Personally, I'd like to know more about their methodology for such a bold claim.

I have a strong intuition that the studies are bullshit, but until someone posts the actual studies, there can be no informed discussion about them.

of course it's gonna make you skitzo, your fuckin paranoid all the time!

Here's the problem with this type of article. We need to know what *seven times more likely to have psychotic symptoms,* means.
How likely is it that a non-cannibis smoking individual will experience psychotic symptoms? I need the statistics to know what is being said here.
I can guess tho', that it's a tiny fraction of the general population, and seven times a tiny fraction is...still a tiny fraction.

Exactly.

i don't do pot, if pain ever gets rough enough i will.

i see your point to an extent 6'8 , but come on.

here's a tip: want to get people to pay attention to articles of drug users going bad, find articles that are more... factual and easier to understand. like DD mentioned, the article is way too vague.

do what yee will, say what yee will. i for one don't care for it but i'm not going to hold the 'i told you so' attitude. i find this type of mentality much more imature than people who simply don't care. shrug

Better yet, I suggest reading up about pharmacology and extracting information from studies, rather than someone elses interpretation of it.

Boy do I love seeing stuff from NIDA's website being used in a drug argument. Nothing like someone trying to convince you that stoned rats temporarily performing comparatively to brain damaged rats in memory tests means anything.

something is wrong with mental illness?

I AGREE. Why should the government tell me what to do? it has no place in my life and i like little in its. I can make my own desions and live with the effects.

Where was this article published? When was it published and by whom? If its from any country where marijuana is illegal, its probably just a scare tactic (read as "propoganda").

Besides, how the hell are scientists going to do long term studies on pot-smoking humans throughout their entire lives? Besides, I've seen alcohol turn many people into violent people who also have mental disorders. I've only met me very few angry pot-smokers.

Notice how sixate hasn't weighed back in to defend his post?

Nice trolling.

Weed made me docile and made me stay in a vulnerable openminded state for 7 years.

Now that I quit I find women more attractive... love that wet moist pussy and my fat trooper dick.

Point is, you always had that mental illness, weed doesnt give it to you. You always had it but denied it.

Maybe he hasn't had to, you've yet to lay out a plausible offense other then "nu-uh!"

I only get high at work.

I always liked this quote:
<i>There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.</i>
-Benjamin Disraeli

While that story may be new to "Ananova.com" it's rather old, from November of 2002, I think.
I still can't find the fucking ABCnews report I mentioned before, but here's the Brit version of the same story about marijuana messing up your head:
Marijuana's may not have substantial effects
And occassionally, pot can even help your brain:
Is Marijuana Good for the Brain?

You got to give me some credit on research, it's not like I linked to High Times or something.:D

That explains a lot.

I love how Cigarette, Alcohol and Pot users can so easily rationalize self destructive behavior. Smokers get fucking hostile when you tell them that they are assholes for smoking, pot heads pull out the "no one ever died from smoking pot" bullshit, etc.

I've seen enough people I know turn from bright, focused, goal oriented adults into listless, aimless, uncaring pot heads that I think I wouldn't mind never hearing the word "pot" again.

Well what the fuck do you expect.

"You're an asshole for smoking." Think about it, man.

Drugs have risks, some people are willing to accept the risk and harms that come with drug use.

Total emotional reasoning.

Maybe they don't feel they owe YOU a justifaction. Using your same logic I could say how hostile honda drivers are. I mean every time I tell a honda driver he is an asshole for driving a honda they get all hostile like. Not to continue the bullshit but no one has ever died from smoking pot. I mean how so is that bullshit?


Have you really though? I really doubt you have met that many adults (over 21 atleast) who never (or rarely) smoked pot before suddenly turn into lethargic slugs. I mean you may be able to cite and example or two but that is definitely the rarity. Its been my experience that the sterotype of the lazy pothead is just that, a sterotype. Its about as good as the sterotype of the black man eating chicken. Sure you can find a few that fit the sterotype but you ignore all the ones that don't. You also ignore those who aren't in that sterotype who do whatever that sterotype says (I.E. White man eating chicken, Lazy non pothead) Saying that 50% of potheads are excessively lazy isn't saying alot when 45% of the general population is excessively lazy.

Keep it civil folks.

I've been in too many pissing matches about drug abuse already, and I'm not about to start all over again. There's no need to. All I can say is everyone keep smokoing it and check back with me in 15 years and I'll be my life I run circles aroung you mentally, physically, and emotionally.

It usually works well if you put up a logical argument, which I have never, ever seen from you in a drug debate I have participated in. If you're not about to start all over again and don't want to, then why did you start this thread (especially in the antagonistic manner you chose to do so)? That's begging to be trounced.

All I can say is there is more than what you think you see.

Sixate: those are some pretty hostile words towards tokers has one hurt you? Whats your view on alcohol? Did you miss the research that said that marijuana does less damge to your brain than alcohol.

Never been hurt by a weed smoker. Only seen a ton of people fuck their families up because of it and booze. My feelings on alcohol are much the same.

Anyone found the study yet? I was looking at some interesting stuff yesterday when I ran "robin murray marijuana" through google. Heh.

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n2110/a05.html?999

Thinking back to high school, there were stoners in my AP classes, and there were complete burnout potheads in the bottom level classes. Combined with all these conflicting reports, it seems to be a crapshoot as to how it affects one. I'm not a gambling man, I'll just sit back and see how it ends up. As for booze, I'm not really into knowingly doing anything that kills brain cells. I'll stay straight edge, and if it turns out that it was just in good fun in the end, well, I won't know what I missed anyway.

Honey? Did you read all the posts and the replies? All the conflicting information, sources and the general tone of combativeness? Thoughout the thread?

It seems to explain very little........:confused:

15 years later is now.and i don't think anyone is any better,physically,mentally or emotionally than me.some peolple might like to think so though.it comes down to responsibilities and priorities.

if you get those right....what the fucks it to anyone what i do.


full time job...mortgage payments...clothes for kids....food on the table.made every payment iv'e ever had...no trouble with the cops.i mean come on.if you're a dumb fuck to begin with,well then,you're a dumb fuck.some people got a handle on life and some don't.can't blame it all on pot.


*read my sig*

hmm.

lemme see here

my best friend has succesfully juggled it for years with zero side effects. i hve never, ever, noticed until he mentioned it.

another close friend who was a heavy smoker for a long, long time is still the single smartest person I know.

one friend graduated from Milsaps... he's fine and shows no odd side effects. neither does another friend.



smoking pot is a choice. you should not be damned if you do or if you do not.

it sure as hell is safer than alcohol, cigs, and harder drugs.

for pain management, read what i've put on the lit boardt hus far... "-takes a deep breath-" or such thread...

pot is a tool. stupid people and intelligent people use it differently. anybody who wants to damn something can find a con. anyone who wants to do the opposite can do so, too.

if it doesn't bother me in any form, do what you want. i don't like the idea of staying unsober for long periods. its me. i don't have the right to damn either way unless they are driving or what not.



all i've seen on here is childish bickering. made me kind of quesy towards the end of page one and all of page two. gotta problem? fucking say it like i do. this crap i see people barely managing to not flame one another is goddamned annoying and shows how much good our age really does us when we're angry.

pathetic.

so what. weed is still 39879384 times better than alcohol.

Not so much the question is it? I don't care about cocaine's damage, as it's clearly a hard-core drug. But comparing the effects of alcohol and pot is interesting. Both will seriously fuck you up if you use them too much. Pot will seriously fuck up your head, and can do so even without chronic use if you have pre-existing tendencies. Alcohol will seriously fuck up your liver and other organs. Neither is good for you, so be moderate.

But really, why not legalize pot? I think cultures that don't go overboard on substance control experience different sorts of problems. In the US, underage drinking is a huge problem, and because of its cachet and relative availability, will continue to be. The drinking behavior caused by being forced to drink illicitly is much more dangerous, both at the time (heavier drunkenness) and long-term (more binge drinking, etc.), compared to the healthier attitude towards alcohol in Europe (for example). Reducing the drinking age and making it feasible for families to instill respectful attitudes towards mind-altering substances at a reasonable age can only help. A similar argument should hold for marijuana legalization/regulation.

Three words to this:

Smoke weed everyday

Dorp: It had to be said and I have respect for someone finally saying it. If people dont like weed then they shouldnt smoke it. If people dont like alcohol they shouldnt drink it. I personally dont like it when people tell me how to live my life, so I do things my way. So far it has worked pretty well and I will continue to make my personal decisions personal and leave judgement to my higher power. Anyone who thinks that their morals and views are better than mine can keep em cause I respect them more than they respect me.

Don't blame something that has been around for very long time...hey I think God and Moses was smoking when god thought he can float on water and Moses split the sea. Now people that think that there televisions are talking to them well you know what there is no drug out there they should touch.

*edit: No personal attacks, please*

I agree completely, these are my exact thoughts on that ad.

more like every person that ever created a religion was on drugs, you take a "hard" drug and you will discover new "religions" as well.

according to the canadian legalization of cannabis councel (not the actual name, but govrnment group that is decideing what/how to legalize cannabis in canada)
the guy specifically says in his report that alcohol is much more dangerous than weed

also that the billions of dollars spent on the anti-weed compaign on tv, etc.. has done nothing, simply because it is ineffective and counterproductive.

also the various european country that have been using Harm reduction practices have not had to spend nearly that much money and have had positive outcomes. (harm reduction is pretty much sayin: if you are going to drugs anyway we want to make it safe for you to do it.)

EDIT:my thoughts--
if u are mad stoned u arent gonna be all angry and kill someone, rob a store, rape a girl at a party... u are gonna chill out and watch tv cause its cool or do anything that doesnt involve lots of work.

none of those commecials are helpful, there is a big difference between "stupid stoner" and "person that smokes pot"
---
NO ONE HAS EVER DIED BECAUSE OF A POT OVERDOES!

something to think about: if pot was legalized, the prices would drop dramatically, it could be taxed (possibly), IT WOULD BE CLEAN POT, you'd probly have to be at least 16 to buy it, (so the younger kids would smoke it anyway, not a big deal in my eyes), and rich dudes would smoke expensive pot in there fancy leather chairs in their yacht clubs, etc...

if that last one doesn't seem funny to you, then you need to smoke some pot :)

It's all about balance
 

:crazy:

I've been an irregular pot smoker for many years, not starting until after college. It has not been a gateway drug for me, but has not helped with the family curse of depression either. Therapy and medication certainly have.

That is not genius news. If you smoke tobacco or drink regularly your whole life, that will mess you up too. Marijuana is a gift from god, growing in ditches all over the world. It has its place like everything else, and has definitely made my life much better.

I smoke very little these days, but I sure as hell enjoy it and will not stop (except within a month or so of when my wife and I get pregnant). Each one of us is different and each one of us must be aware of our own needs and frailties. There are no clear answers to the difficult questions in life, so don't tell me you know what is best for me. Only I can decide that, and yes, I will take responsibility for my choices.

exactly.
i had panic attacks and got stupid, so i'm in the process of quitting, but so many people that i know get along just fine.

and i agree with MacGnG about the legalization and harm reduction and everything... and the expensive pot on yachts bit is pretty damn funny.

so that explains the voices

If they do it in thier own homes, NOT IN PUBLIC VIEW, and ffs not driving or WORKING.

I dont care if they smoke, but the very instant they step foot on the road, at work, or general public social locations, they should be fined just the same as public drunkeness or dwi's.

As for the article, eh... it is as said before, way to vague.

But I do know from watching on a first hand basis, that it simply does make people stupid. Not all, but some, get downright fucking moronic permenent damage.

in the report by The Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs they state that if it was legalized smoking and driving would be prohibited as drinking and driving is prohibited. will really take effect when they have a breathalizer type device for THC.

They have a breathalyzer for pot concentration in Amsterdam

I defy anybody to tell me they drive better straight than I do stoned. I'd similarly challenge anyone to show me the facts which say that smoking weed makes one's driving worse. Yes, the idea of it is frightening if you don't know what you're talking about, but if you do, you know there's no problem. If the stuff were legal, they might do some proper tests. Until then I know there are a host of other factors that make the roads an extremely dangerous place to be. Deal with it, or take the train.

"Well looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue."
/Lloyd Bridges

Tip your waitress. I'm Clifclav and I am outta here.

my take: cannabis like any other drug has its advantages and its disadvantages. It's as fallacious to say 'if you smoke dope you will kill your entire brain in one puff, you utter moron' as it is to say 'getting high cures cancer'. It has risks. It also has benefits. We're slowly getting better at understanding both of these.

Thxachu, NIDA:

Marijuana affects many skills required for safe driving: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and reaction time. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road.

There are data showing that marijuana can play a role in crashes. When users combine marijuana with alcohol, as they often do, the hazards of driving can be more severe than with either drug alone.

A study of patients in a shock-trauma unit who had been in traffic accidents revealed that 15 percent of those who had been driving a car or motorcycle had been smoking marijuana, and another 17 percent had both THC and alcohol in their blood (17).


In one study conducted in Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana, and 12 percent tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine (2). Data also show that while smoking marijuana, people show the same lack of coordination on standard "drunk driver" tests as do people who have had too much to drink (11).

Also, I'm a better driver then you are when you're stoned. I follow the posted speed limit within 5-10 miles an hour, and I don't hit people with my car, flawless victory!

But how are you going to collect style points that way?
 

:o

See, it can really be worthwhile to take a little hit, then go out in the car with some funky music blowing, almost hit a punk who doesn't get out of the way fast enough, pass a slow car (safely, of course) at 20mph over the posted limit, and generally have fun without hurting anyone and hopefully without getting caught.

If'n I do get caught, I might have a lesson to learn. C'est la vie. Now, on another day I might not even go out in the car while some sober bad driver causes a wreck. Main thing is, don't try to tell me what to do.

I hope you do learn your lesson soon enough, because in all likely-hood you're going to end up getting someone killed doing that.

I have no problems with weed but I dont think any drugs make you a better driver. I think driving while drugged is just plain stupid and is about as selfish as it gets. After saying that I believe that the wording of that article is misleading and just plain unprofessional. I agree with what it says to an extent but it was clearly not done by someone who attempted(in the least) to be objective and I have questions as to whether the scientist who did the research approved that article.

no drugs will make your driving better, ALL drugs can make it worse.

Re: Read this weed smokers!
 

These reports aren't worth the paper they are written on.

How can they tell that it isn't:

People who develop mental illness in later life are physclogically more likely to try things like drugs in earlier life.

The study mentioned at the start of this thread refers to subjects who ingest "large amounts of cannabis." What's a large amount? A joint a day? A joint every hour? Search the medical and scientific literature on this topic and you'll find dozens of studies with conflicting results. It is undisputed, though, that tobacco and alcohol are both physically addictive, yet legal in the US.

Weed is not physically addictive, though people with addictive personalities may come to feel psychologically dependent on it after habitual use. I've never heard a health-based argument for treating weed differently from alcohol or tobacco that was even remotely convincing to me. I personally believe it's less harmful than either, and I've been a casual smoker for 20 years so I have some experience in this area. If I smoke for a few days in a row I generally stop for a while because I start to feel burnt. Not mentally, but physically.

I've never been addicted, and smoking weed has never led me to try harder drugs. I made it through college and grad school and more than a decade of my professional career without going psychotic. I pay my taxes, I give to charity, and I go to work every day. Most objective observers would say I'm a productive member of society. If I drink three martinis after work every day to unwind, that's cool, but if I smoke a bowl I'm a criminal and a danger to society? Bullshit.

Those who smoke and drive, or drink and drive, do pose a threat to others and should be punished. Driving while distracted or impaired is illegal, but the fact that people drink and drive isn't used as a justification to ban alcohol. Driving while talking on a cell phone is a huge distraction, and cell phone usage has been a clear contributing factor in hundreds of accidents, but outside of a few jurisdictions it's still legal to drive around with one hand on the wheel and the other on your stupid phone. Hands free makes little difference, because the conversation is the distraction, not the phone.

The bottom line is that responsible adults should be permitted to use alcohol, tobacco, and weed responsibly. I don't smoke cigarettes, and anybody who does these days knows they're increasing their risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and dozens of other life-threatening ailments, but if you want to do that to yourself, it's not my place to stop you. If you want to eat a gallon of ice cream and a 20-oz. steak every day, it's not good for you, but nobody has the right to tell you you can't. If I want to smoke a joint in the privacy of my own home and watch a movie, leave me the fuck alone.

hell i had mental illness before i started smoking reefer. i am 50 yr old and have been smoking it since i was around 15 .my mental illness hasnt changed i still got it .

More people now cause accidents by talking on cell phones then driving drunk, kinda scary eh! I'm not saying I agree with driving drunk, but how many times have you almost had some dumb ass almost crash into you due to speaking on a cell phone.

Like someone else stated, driving while drinking or taking drugs is a bad thing. Your reaction times are slowed down a lot after a single joint or two drinks.

Well, it can't be that bad if taken once in a while.
Sometimes I puff a joint when I have a headache, helps to relax.

Its better then alcohol, you have to admit.

There has been about 10 studies on this subject and most of them that I have read agree with it! Why take the chance? shizophrenia is uncurrable and is a really fucking scary diesese to have...Why not just get drunk or smoke a ciggarrete which doesnt cause any mental disturbance?

Weed can lead to many things or nothing, depending on the person, IMHO.

Oopsfix: Your joking right? Can you point me in the directionof one research study that said that smoking marijuana would cause schizophrenia?

Moderation, people. MODERATION. You don't drink all day every day and not get liver damage, but you CAN drink socially and not fuck yourself. You can't smoke all day every day and not have SOME sort of effects, but you CAN smoke socially, IN MODERATION, and be fine. It affects everyone differently. Part of this is due to everyone's unique brain chemistry, the other part is how you store it. The THC is stored in your fatty tissue. Depending on how your body works, it will stay there for longer or go away more quickly, and that ALONE (negating everything else about the brain itself) is enough to uniquely impact every person who uses it.

And i'll knock any uppity motherfucker off his or her soapbox when they mouth off about pot use. You don't like it? Fine, don't use it. Don't give me that "you'll hurt your family" bullshit. It's bullshit because that's an extreme situation where it is an addiction. If it is used in moderation, as should ALL THINGS, then there is no "hurt your family" factor. The point of addiction is defined as when the addictive component causes a disruption in family, work, school, or relationships. This can be caused by anything. You can be addicted to pot, alcohol, coke, speed, PCP, acid, sex, porno, masterbating, or ANYTHING that causes the condition above.

Be more tolerant of those who think differently than you. Just because we like pot does not make us sub-human, but I promise you it's treated that way all too often. We are not all burn-outs. Burn-outs are like alcoholics. They did it too much, way above moderation, and fucked themselves up. They became addicted.

The last person I had give me a speech was a fat woman. Oh, to hear her talk to me about how i'm destroying my body. I bench 225 and work out several times a week. I've always done well in school, I'm an english/film major, and I write all the time. I've been losing weight recently to get into better shape. She had 100 pounds on me and a McDonald's bag in her car. Can you not see the irony in that? My body is mine to deal with, not yours. If it fucks up my family life, my job, my relationships, or my schooling, you have every right to tell me it's bad for me. Until then, you do your thing and i'll do mine.

P.s.- I haven't smoked in months. When I do smoke, it's 2 or 3 times a month, tops. I've only smoked (and in this fashion) for about 2 years, but have always championed the cause. For me, it's not a huge deal- i'm just tired of people pushing THEIR personal preference onto ME, telling ME how to run my life.

There is a risk to everything that you do. You just have to do everything in moderation. If your just having a few spliffs in the evening your not a junkie. I reckon Its only when you cant go to work or do anything normal because your smoking weed constantly it is bad for you. The same with alchohol.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, unless you feel that you need to pull cones. When that happens, you need to cut down, or stop outright.

just curious here but who here that smokes pot(or used to) also had a parent that did the same?

Recent studies show weed is now 41182901 times better than alcohol.






(kidding)

Castex, with all due respect, I do know what I am talking about when it comes to smoking pot. It does hamper one's ability to drive, in the same way that alcohol does. I speak from experience. I have been smoking pot for about 20 years, about 10 of those years you could say I was...or still am a pot head. I have yet to be able to drive stoned and not notice a difference in my own abilities, reaction times, etc.......Your argument probably won't hold up for a majority of the pot smokers out there. At least we are responsible with the use of our weed.

For the rest of you naysayers, I am the top salesperson for my company which is a $220 million company. I pay my taxes and bills, I live a life full of fun, travel, competitive sports, etc.....I live a fantastic, non-stereotypical lifestyle for a stoner. My work associates would never know that I smoke weed, because I ONLY do it in my free time. I am also clean cut, take care of my personal hygene, and when stoned I am either being creative or doing something active.....so, for people who think ALL potheads are lazy....meet me, water_boy1999!

Sixate, I do find it interesting that you don't want to get into any more "pissing matches" when you post such a volatile article with such a heated start to a thread, and not expect to get lambasted for it. I do respect your opinion though.