Doubtful. He's a pot-smoking sex-addict with some... well lets say interesting social views...

Haha, perhaps not. WHATS SO BAD ABOUT CANNABIS!?

http://health.howstuffworks.com/marijuana4.htm
It has too many side effects for me to even think about touching it.
Some swear by it, so I won't try to sway any views.

That's why you use a bong.

http://howtoquitsmokingcigarettes.net/871/is-using-a-bong-to-take-marijuana-healthier/
Numerous people stand by the vapourizer as a way to remove more carcinogens and a lot say that the solid form is safer than smoking altogether.
*shrug*

Edibles are better than vaporizers, vaporizers better than bongs, bongs better than bubblers, bubblers better than pipes, pipes better than joints, joints better than knives.

Let's go through those "side effects"...
* Problems with memory and learning - I've never had any more trouble with memory and learning (while sober) than I did before.
* Distorted perception - Sure, while medicated, but the same thing applies to caffeine.
* Difficulty with thinking and problem solving - I most certainly think not! I write (fiction) excellently while high, and fix computers all the time while high. I think it makes me think about the solution prior to doing it rather than jumping right into it (which I usually do, which sometimes leads to worse problems).
* Loss of coordination - Perhaps a bit, but only while high, and it's really not that bad for most people. I have almost no coordination problems while high; I've boxed and wrestled high, and have had no trouble.
* Increased heart rate - Yea, it raises a few BPM, but nothing dangerous.
* Anxiety, paranoia and panic attacks - I have never, ever had a panic attack, gotten paranoid or anxious while high. This is not to say others won't; it's mainly a matter of self-confidence and the state of mind you live in. In fact, people often use marijuana to treat anxiety problems. Curious, huh?

It's never caused cancer or death, and has lead to many extraordinary products (music, sciences, philosophy, love).

EDIT: I really don't wish to start a flame war, I would gladly have a civil debate in the proper forum, as I wish to clear up the nonsense propagated by the government and big business interests (alchahol, tobacco and pharma companies, mostly).

DOUBLEDIT: Oh, cheers, whoever moved this thread. Now we can proceed in the proper fashion.

Yep, this could explain a lot of the @#$%'d up stuff in society these days.

What do you mean, calc?

Well I dunno, there used to be a time when music, philosophy, science, and love were SANE

Edit: Whatever, I'm thinking drugs in general. Carry on.

Topic split from BL-Apartments. I'm gonna leave it alone other than that, because this is a subject of political/medical/scientific interest, but I expect that it be kept at that level. This means, similar to our topic on piracy, it should be an intellectual/philosophical/scientific discussion and not a howto manual. Kerm may feel differently, so I'm not sure if it'll stay this way or be locked/moved to a mod only forum/deleted.


I'll throw in my own two cents while I'm at it.

* Smoking marijuana has been shown to correlate to higher rates of bulbous lung disease than smoking tobacco.
* I've been told by various sources that it can have negative effects on the male reproductive system (evidently cannabinoids are chemical similar to estrogen). I've also seen debate on this subject so I'm not sure, but if someone has a source either way that would be interesting.
* Research has also shown that use of cannabis actually improves certain functions of the brain after using for some period of time and then stopping
* One estimate of cannabis's LD50 for humans indicates that about 1500 pounds (680 kilograms) of cannabis would have to be smoked within 14 minutes. This estimate is supported by studies which indicate that the effective dose of THC is at least 1000 times lower than the estimated lethal dose (a "safety ratio" of 1000:1). This is much higher than alcohol (safety ratio of 10:1), cocaine (15:1), or heroin (6:1)."
* The campaign to illegalize marijuana was led largely by cotton, petroleum, and logging/wood-pulp paper lobbyists who had a vested interest in making it much harder to grow hemp on an industrial scale, and was not based on the opinions of the medical community at the time.
* Anecdotally, I have observed some intensely bizarre behavior and increased gullibility and paranoia in friends who were under the influence of cannabis.

My own opinion is that the decriminalization (under restrictions on public smoking that are similar to or more restrictive than those currently placed on the use of tobacco) and subsequent taxation of marijuana would be a serious boon to raise government funds, relieve strain on the justice and law-enforcement systems, deal a blow to drug cartels, and stimulate the Vermont farm economy. It would also remove regulations on the production of industrial hemp and promote higher quality paper and clothing, the production of biodegradable plastics, and replace corn as the crop of choice for liquid biofuel production.

Calc, I really don't know what you're talking about. Please be specific. By the way, most of your favorite artists (The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who, countless others) all smoke marijuana.

Elfprince: I would really like to see your proof that smoking marijuana has been shown to increase the chance of lung cancer, because the studies I've seen recently have shown a reduction in cancers (notably lung cancer as well as a variety of rare and difficult to treat cancers) (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417193338.htm). There was a study a few months (maybe a year) that suggested it caused decreased sperm count and impotence. This study has been proven to be unreliable. It is a near impossible to overdose on marijuana, yes. I would be impressed if somebody smoked 1500 pounds in 14 minutes, considering about .5 grams will get a moderate user as high as a kite. You would pass out long before ever smoking that much.
I am sure you have observed such behavior, and I have two things to say about that: one, marijuana, like all things, should be used responsibly. Two, you have to wonder how much of that was their own stupidity, and how much was them trying to get a laugh. I know quite a few (woman especially, for some reason) people who put on an entire act after smoking to "fill out" the high person persona. (On a side note this pisses me off to no end).

I am glad that nobody has brought up the idea that people who smoke cannabis are lazy, or inferior. I'm glad we are getting past some of that thinking. Thanks, Michael Phelps!

Topics moved to Politics, as I think this is as much a political issue as a social/health issue. As long as the discussion is kept respectful and highbrow, the topic will remain open.

Marijuana users develop Bullae up to 20 years earlier than tobacco users.

Certain compounds in marijuana do bind with estrogen receptors, but further effects hadn't yet been shown based on this research: http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/224/2/404.abstract


I'm not going to dismiss the possibility of a placebo effect, but given the wide range of circumstances, I would be pretty surprised if it was a purely voluntary decision to play into stereotypes.

Cheers, Kerm. I knew you wouldn't be one to shutdown a reasonable discussion.

Eh, I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek there, you can just ignore me.

Personally, I don't want to rely on drugs for anything, because it often leads to addiction (and I don't see why I would need them in the first place)

This.

I'm not saying you should rely on drugs. You really shouldn't rely on anything. I understand that marijuana can be psychologically addictive in some people (not physically addictive, note. There is no withdrawal if you stop), but caffeine and video games are more addictive.

You don't need marijuana, you want marijuana. It's fun. It makes things fun. It allows you to explore different perspectives on life, and if used properly can be very therapeutic. I used to say the same thing (why should I try it? I'm happy as I am now), but once I did try it I realized what I was missing. My social life really opened up, I realized I wasn't happy at all as I was before, and that I had been lying to myself. It helped me figure out the best way to live my life, and opened me up to a happier being.

EDIT: Why is "rely" one of those words that never looks correct when written? I had to double check myself to be sure I wasn't spelling it incorrectly that whole time.

You have got to be kidding me....

Alright, Lucas, let's hear it.

Well........ For one, it does stuff up your brain, big time. Don't try and deny it, because you can't. My mother teaches people around your age who have been on drugs like you, have to be on medication and are trying to get the skills to go work at their local 7/11.