hahaha. I'm sure dust mites and exhaust from the tailpipes of my car are more harmful than toxic smoke with 100s of unknown chemicals purposefully being inhaled directly into my lungs.

I used to smoke weed, everyday. I feel 10times better without it. Mentally and physically.

Take the facts however you'd like, it's your body. :thumbsup

Ahh you've never met me then. I'm pretty sure that pot was my alternative to Ritalin. I was hyper but didn't quite need Ritalin, nor would I want to take it.

So I'd take a few puffs in college before I'd write a paper and it'd come out great. If I didn't, I would be up and down every five minutes, using short, choppy sentences, etc.

I have a bachelors in Retail & Consumer Sciences, a double MBA in e-Business & Marketing, I work 40+ hours per week as the Sales Director for TopBucks, I have two kids, I coach a soccer team of 6 & & year olds, and workout six days a week.

And I smoke, a lot. At least four times/day.

There's not a single unknown chemical in marijuana... and all studies show you to be wrong. Think with logic and reason based on sound fact, not your personal emotions and feelings.

hip mom



.

The whole ganja prohibition shit is dumb to begin with and needs to be repealed. It's like making field grass illegal. It's dumb. You can't tell people what they can put in their bodies. McDonalds psuedo-food is poison, but that's perfectly legal. Our fat-ass American kids are morbidly obese (and lazy) because of it.

So this plant, that grows naturally and needs no lab processing, helps people with all kinds of things, AND it's enjoyable at the same time, is a perfect alternative to pharma drugs that have all kinds of nasty side effects, and has more uses that any other plant on the planet.... that's the evil one. We need government to protect us from a fucking plant.

Backwards ass world. I'm volunteering for the first rocket to a new colony. :rasta

Was thinking the same thing, the food we eat is probably more poisonous. Nevermind the prescription drugs they peddle on TV then recall after they figure out it kills people ( except for the drugs that kill people as a rare side effect of course )

What chemicals are in weed again? :)

This whole thread is hardly going to be a reasoned argument though. Anybody who is currently smoking it will defend their actions, anybody that doesn't but who knows a bone idle idiot that does will think of them before saying it creates lazyness.

of course it makes you "lazy", you smoke a little weed and you "chill"... you don't hear many stories of people getting stoned and then going mountain climbing or something...

but there is nothing wrong with it, you smoke a little, chill a bit, all is good as long as you do it moderation :2 cents:

My father passed away from cancer a couple years ago. During his death spiral he was on Fentanyl for the pain. He couldn't eat anything, he was always depressed, he couldn't sleep well, he was hurting... bad. Now look up that drug, it's 100 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more addictive than heroine... and my father was on two patches of that shit....

I took care of my father for the four month death spiral... two months in I told him he was smoking a joint with me and that was the end of it. For the first time I saw him smile, laugh, joke, reminisce about his younger days, then he ate some of the strawberry rhubarb pie my cousin had made and slept for 6 hours straight.

FUCK anyone who doesn't say it has medicinal purposes... Smoking weed was the best thing my father did in his final days and it afforded me the opportunity to spend some quality time with him. Without it he would have been a fucking zombie laying in bed.

That's awesome man! :thumbsup
(not the passing away part of course)

I'm convinced ganja saved my life. It completely turned me around and saved me from a life in Hell with booze and scrip drugs. Lamotrigine, Lithium, Paxil, Valium, Wellbutrin, Ambien, Lunesta, Oxy, Percocet, Vicodin, and more.... all gone now. My insomnia is fixed. My pain is lessened. My manic depressive cycles are manageable. And I feel fucking fantastic. I feel like I'm 15 years younger.

I smoke a couple hits per day, that's it. So, there isn't anything anyone can say that's going to convince me it's some sort of "evil drug" that warrants prison time. If going out to my front yard and eating some tulips accomplished the same things, I'd be eating tulips instead. (until the gov made tulips illegal that is). :rasta

"Of the 421 chemicals in marijuana, only 61 are unique to marijuana. The chemicals are known as cannabinoids. One of them, delta-9 THC, produces the psychoactive effect and is the focus of most research. The other 360 chemicals in the marijuana plant are found throughout other substances in the plant. "

The only people thinking with their personal emotions and feelings are the ones defending their addiction to getting high every single day. :2 cents:

I know that sounds harsh, but I hear it everyday from users. I think there are a lot worse things for you than Marijuana, but I STILL THINK MARIJUANA IS BAD FOR YOU. To think it's perfectly healthy is anything but logical or reasonable.

For every study you find that says Marijuana is healthy there are 10 more that say it's unhealthy.

"In numerous studies around the world, the use of cannabis has been shown to increase the risk for schizophrenia and psychosis. Researchers in New Zealand found that individuals using cannabis before the age of 15 were more than 300% more likely to develop mental illnesses like schizophrenia, while professor Robin Murray of the London Institute of Psychiatry’s 15 year study has shown that regular use of cannabis by 15 year olds resulted in people being 4.5 times more likely to become schizophrenic by the age of 26.

Almost all research has indicated that the risks for increased psychosis are higher when the drugs are used by people under the age of 21, as the brain is developing more rapidly and is more vulnerable. It’s believed that when marijuana is used while the brain is developing, the chemical dopamine is increased which can lead to schizophrenia. Biological predisposition towards schizophrenia and psychosis will also play a role in the level of risk – as Professor John Henry of Imperial College in London shows in his research."

Source : http://www.americanconsumernews.com/...psychosis.html

And here is a good read.

"Marijuana has often been touted as one of the safest recreational substances available. This is perhaps true; many reputable scientific studies support the conclusion that cocaine, heroine, alcohol, and even cigarettes are more dangerous to the user�s health than marijuana. In addition, the celebrated pharmacological properties of cannabis have led thirty-six states to permit its use as a therapeutic drug for, among others, those suffering from AIDS; various painful, incurable and debilitating illnesses; the harmful side effects of cancer chemotherapy, and glaucoma. Additional research is being conducted concerning the use of marijuana on the treatment of anxiety and mental disorders.

Nonetheless, it would be fallacious to conclude that because the chemicals in marijuana have been found to present fewer dangers than some very harmful substances, the medical or recreational use of marijuana is perfectly safe. In a recreational context, marijuana has been shown to affect health, brain function, and memory. And in a medical context, marijuana is like any other powerful prescription drug: it has potentially dangerous side effects, and the decision to use it to treat patients must involve the same balancing test as the one required for chemotherapy or AZT: do the therapeutic effects of the drug outweigh its harmful effects? Though there are many more studies to be done on this issue, current data shows that the answer to this question may not always be "yes.""

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidenc.../Health_1.html

you are not listening hard enough :2 cents:

AMP is correct, of course, on all his points so I won't go over them all again.

Weed saved my life, too, cause I was doing other (bad) things in the 90's and switched to pot. Never touched another drug in now almost ten years! And I work 12-16 hours a DAY, usually at least six days a week (learning to take some time off, finally) since I run 20+ paysites and a network and an AP. Weed helps get you through those "repetitive tasks" like uploading, updating, submitting, posting, etc etc. At least it does ME.

I get WAY more shit done when I'm happy, and listening to some amazing tunes (right now it's Neil Young's 'On The Beach') and loving life. Weed helps create those positive feelings for me, which gets me through my day. I am WAY more productive this way.

BOTTOM LINE: When it comes to weed vs. alcohol (the easiest comparision as it concerns its' place in society) how many people do you see getting fucked up on WEED, going crazy, getting into fights, throwing beers on people at ball games, acting like a piss-ass drunk? Very few (if any).

America won't legalize because America wants its' citizens angry and frustrated and over-worked and stressed-out and open to WAR 24/7. If America smoked more weed than America would wage less wars, and we can't have that now, can we?

Peace.

<////////////>~~~

SuperMom! :stoned

Seriously, respect to you. Those are nice credentials. :thumbsup

If you don't want anything to do with Marijuana, then you are free to do that. No one is trying to convince you to start smoking. I don't care what you put in your body. You can huff silver spray paint if you want. Why do you care what others do?

LMAO, this is exactly what I'm talking about!! I implied repeatedly that what you put in your body is your business. People get SO extremely defensive and emotional about their MJ use. No one is telling you what to do.

I'm just simply responding to this thread and stating my opinion. That is, that I agree with the OP, Marijuana IS bad for you. Did I say it's as bad as cigarettes, alcohol, heroin or certain prescription drugs? NO.

Whether you want to call it fact or my opinion, but despite the fact Marijuana is a natural plant, when you burn it and inhale it, it's a drug that gets you high! It is not REMOTELY on the same level as "dust mites". :1orglaugh

Anyways, I've said my bit. I'm not trying to convince you that it's an "evil drug". :upsidedow

all those that poison their minds with marijuana are unfit for the revolution!

I'm not arguing that smoking ANYTHING isn't bad for you. I'm arguing that it's LESS harmful than many many many many many other things...

And just because something is bad for you isn't a fucking reason to make it illegal... I don't want a damned nanny state, I want freedom.

And I'm not arguing this because I'm addicted to smoking every day, I haven't smoked in a few weeks actually... You'll find I argue very diligently for anything that's anti-freedom... I argue for gay rights all day every day when presented with the question but I'm not gay. I just have a serious issue with the trampling of rights.

Harvest Moon :pimp

Marijuana smoking isn't harmless, but at least it won't kill you.

It's been feared that marijuana smoke, like tobacco smoke, causes cancer and heart disease. The evidence argues otherwise, writes Stephen Sidney, MD, associate director for research for Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif., in the Sept 20 issue of The British Medical Journal.

"Although the use of [marijuana] is not harmless, the current knowledge base does not support the assertion that it has any notable adverse public health impact in relation to mortality," Sidney concludes.

No Marijuana Deaths in 2 Large Studies

Sidney points to two large studies. The first is from (where else?) California. A large HMO looked at 65,177 men and women age 15-49. Over 10 years, marijuana users died no sooner than nonusers.

The second study looked at 45,450 Swedish army conscripts. They were 18-20 years old when asked about marijuana use. Fifteen years later, the marijuana users were just as likely to remain alive as nonusers.

And since marijuana smoking can't kill outright -- there's no such thing as a fatal marijuana overdose -- short-term use isn't deadly. Long-term use can't be good for you. But Sidney notes that most marijuana smokers don't become long-term users.

One worry about marijuana smoke is that it is inhaled, and held, deep in the lungs. But the typical user smokes only one marijuana cigarette -- or less -- a day. Tobacco users often smoke 20 or more cigarettes daily. Moreover, tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Marijuana, Sidney concludes, is less likely to harm than tobacco.

A 2001 study suggested that marijuana smoking increases the risk of heart attack in the hour immediately after smoking. But this seems to be the case in no more than one-fifth of 1% of heart attacks -- a very rare risk indeed.

More Marijuana Deaths in the Future?

Marijuana users shouldn't cancel their life insurance policies just yet. Sidney warns that longer-term data may indeed show that marijuana smoking eventually raises the risk of premature death.

And if marijuana is legalized, long-term use may become more common. If this is the case, there certainly will be more long-term effects of marijuana use.

SOURCE: Sidney, S. The British Medical Journal, Sept. 20, 2003; vol 327: pp 635-636.

Annual american deaths caused by drugs

tobacco ........................ 400,000
alcohol ........................ 100,000
all legal drugs .............20,000
all illegal drugs ..........15,000
caffeine .........................2,000
aspirin ...........................500
marijuana ...................... 0

People have been smoking ganja for thousands of years. How much more common can it get?

This will be a pretty relevant post on this topic Im sure..

There are two main reasons that marijuana has been so persecuted in my opinion. I Have read enough articles and seen enough documentaries on both sides of the fence to draw my own educated opinion on it..

BTW... I am not a smoker, but I advocate the legal status of it.

1. Terrorism and Drug Cartels
The administrations may say its a drug that hurts people, they may say its harmful to you, they may say all these other bad things about marijuana, but the fact of the matter is they are currently trying to fight so hard against marijuana because of the amount of illegal aliens that come into the country to create mountain plantations. In California a great majority of the grows that have been happening on a large scale have been Mexican drug cartel organized, they bring illegals into the picture to watch the spots and to tend to the plants. The drugs are sold in the US and the money is sent back into Mexico.. This funds the cartels further and helps them grow.. In recent years even in Oregon they've been finding camps set up by illegal aliens because much like California we have a very good climate for growing marijuana and the state has been very relaxed on the plant (in fact it was the first state in the union to decriminalize it).

The Mexican Cartels and El Salvadorian gangs have been growing exponentially due to the legal status of marijuana in California and 13 other states. It is virtually a license to print money for them. Many of the cartels have been profiting more on the sale of marijuana than cocaine in the last 10 years...

Mexican Brick weed is very easy to get in high quantities and there are stash houses of it all over the place.. You can place your order and its delivered in days to you.. It's super cheap and it can be ordered in very large quantities.. It's a low quality product, but it still sells itself..

Even back in the day when Refer Madness came out it was a problem that they attributed to the Mexicans, bringing their wacky weed into the country and corrupting our youth. (BTW, funny but rediculous movie)

Barack Obama sent letters to 14 states telling their local DEA offices to not go after medical growers, as long as they were not connected to organized crime or money laundering, this helps prove my point even more.

2. Corporate Profit Threat
Industrial hemp, contains almost no tetra hydro cannibinols(THC). Hemp can be used to produce fuel, fabric, paper and even furniture. The cannabis plant is one of the most versatile plants in the world.

During the early years of prohibition many of the oil companies secretly lobbied to have this so called drug banned, They had no drive to make it illegal to help humanity, they only want to protect their profits and monopoly on the market.

Big business owners such as oil and pharmaceutical companies fear hemp because it could out compete products in many industries. Marijuana, the psychoactive form of hemp, is truly a medicine that has been mislabeled a drug. Not one death can be attributed to marijuana, this is can not be said by many over the counter drugs such as asprin.

Even Henry Ford saw the potential in this plant. He designed his cars to run on hemp-seed oil, and even had a model built primarily from hemp, but alas the oil companies won their war and have had their product dominate the market for far too long.

In the United States there is more money spent on the eradication of marijuana than any other drug (I'd guess about 75% of the funds).. This includes fighting against the sale and manufacturing of: Heroin, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and other drugs like Ecstacy.

There is plenty of things I can touch on in support of this plant, there are also plenty of negatives. I don't agree everyone should smoke weed, and I believe that you should be of legal age to posses and smoke it.

I've seen first hand the medical benefits in my own family and in my close friends who use the drug not for pleasure but to help them. Cancer, Fibromyalgia , Anxiety, and more, and the results have been nothing short of amazing.

Great post media... I'd like to share some quotes from the first ever drug czar (so to speak). He was the ass that was paid to spread marijuana propaganda by the paper industry... Old school lobbyist asshole...

Harry J. Anslinger:

Marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing.

Reefer makes darkies think they're as good as white men.

...the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.

There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.

Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death.

You smoke a joint and you're likely to kill your brother.

Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.


Those quotes in various publications in conjunction with other propaganda were used to establish a marijuana prohibition...

Haha yah, I could go on and on with stuff like this also...

One of my favorite quotes from the movie "The Union" (which is a great movie) was when Tommy Chong was talking about over the counter medicines and how they are used in bad things, he was talking about the use of cold medicines which are used for the creation of methamphetamines.. "I think I'm getting a cold. I think I'll just go take some METH" HAHAHAHA.. There's good and bad to everything, anything can be good in moderation..

The hilarious part about this troll thread is that his avatar is a pic of Evo Morales which is a fucking COCA GROWER!(read: Cocaine) So I guess MJ is bad but Coca is good??? Riiiiight.

In fact the whole reason Evo Morales became president of Bolivia was because of the coca farm eradication programs which were destroying the indigenous peoples way of life which had been going on since before the Conquistadors showed up..

Any "Revolutionary" who calls for the prohibition of a drug is a fucking retard plain and simple. Prohibition has done more harm to indigenous revolutionaries than MJ ever will and you are calling for the continuation of these practices? Your logic fails on an epic level.

You're the first then

I'll take it.

And I didn't realize I was replying to you - we have actually met. =)

NYC May 2008 - you were on a shopping spree :winkwink:

150 :pimp :pimp :pimp

Wrong, he's not the first, not by a long shot. Being a dispensary owner I see lawyers, doctors, and even a judge that come into our store on a daily basis.

What the fuck? What kind of news is that to lay on somebody? I bet a revolution is going to be a lot more deadly/harmful.

One time I got really stoned and went to Target to buy a coffee table. The sense of accomplishment I felt driving home is inexplicable. :pimp

For sure not the first... our Industry and business in general, is filled with extremely productive, educated, smokers that have been smoking daily for years and continue to run a successful business or job today.

I don't trust any doctor that spells Todd with one D

You would be surprised how many "secret smokers" there are. It is because of exactly what is being said in this thread. They do not want to be grouped into the stereotype of a lazy stoner. Not to mention people who are required to hide it because their job requires them to piss in a cup.

I have never EVER seen a person high on weed (weed only) angry. Not ever. That alone says volumes.

Yeah, but nowadays a lot of it is being grown in labs with conditions that wouldn't occur naturally. That's why weed today is a lot more potent than it was in the past.

http://ronsworld.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/huh.jpg
Are you high right now?