Does marijuana make you stupid?

[arielmessenger]

Some people believe pot destroys ambition as well as intellectual achievement. Humboldt County is now known throughout the world oddly enough but true--known for the quality of our sensimilla. But what is not generally known outside our county is the fact that Humboldt County supports more social and environmental activists per square person than any other area of the U.S.. This includes Berkeley and Ann Arbor. Major environmental activist policies have come out of activism to save our redwood forests and now Humboldt County has the most progressive Democratic and Green constituency in California. If you came to our area and only saw a refuge for aging hippies you are missing the activism going on here constantly.

I'm almost 63 now. I am an activist still and have founded a number of cooperative community projects and even been a consultant to two major corporations in our county and one Native American tribe. Pot has never entered into any job equation for me or most people in Humboldt County. It is almost considered in the same category as drinking beer. You don't do it on the job but it ain't anybody's business what you do on your own time in your own home.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Captain Chaos Does it increase your rate of typos, or affect your bowels in any way?

Nope, that's just me.

[GHook93]

Quote by: brien As the fellow in the original Woodstock movie of 1969 said into the camera, as he hled up a joint, in response to the question "What makes all of these people so peaceful"? : " Marajuana, makes you behave."

It is a true statement. Never saw too many fights in the "circle." However, I saw a ton of fights at the keg parties.

[another day]

Quote by: kubedawg Do you think we should then legalize ALL drugs that are illegal today? I mean, if we want 1 legal, why not the others? Because the others have been known to kill? Oh, well look at alcohol! It's still legal and kills people every day! Look at cigarettes! kills 1200 people a day.

Of course. All drugs should be legalized. Why not? Do you think prohibition works or something? Do you think people will be running out of there houses when they hear drugs are legal now so they can score some heroin and shoot up? Of course not. The people who want to do drugs, do drugs. The law has no effect on that. All it does is create a dangerous, violent black market and all the problems that go along with it. By pushing users of drugs into a criminal lifestyle you encourage them to begin committing other crimes. After all, when they are already deemed criminals , why stop there?

There is no good argument, from any perspective - be it health, public safety, etc for prohibiting ANY drug. Drugs should be treated as a health issue not a criminal issue.

[Osborn F Enready]

Another day said: There is no good argument, from any perspective - be it health, public safety, etc for prohibiting ANY drug. Drugs should be treated as a health issue not a criminal issue.

I couldn't agree more.

[G. Adams]

Quote by: spudnick I know people who really do become more intelligent when they smoke it, and some who are complete dumbasses. I agree that it depends mostly on the person. However studies have shown that cigerettes compared to joints in a 1:1 ratio are less lethal than joints. However, I doubt anyone smoking weed smokes as much as people who smoke cigs. A problem with marijuana is the fact that some of the money spent for it goes to fund all kinds of foreign organization. Oh yeah and that MRI scans have shown similarities between the brains of pot smokers and schizophrenics.

Not everyone smokes them as joints. You can smoke them as blunts, thereby cutting out your tobacco problems. Even better, you can get a vaporiser, which cooks your weed enough to release the THC without the tar, so you get a very safe, none toxic dose.

If you don't want profits from weed going to dubious organisations then legalise it and buy it from legitamate groups. It's only because it's illegal that these groups can profit so highly from it.

[another day]

Quote by: G. Adams Not everyone smokes them as joints. You can smoke them as blunts, thereby cutting out your tobacco problems. Even better, you can get a vaporiser, which cooks your weed enough to release the THC without the tar, so you get a very safe, none toxic dose. If you don't want profits from weed going to dubious organisations then legalise it and buy it from legitamate groups. It's only because it's illegal that these groups can profit so highly from it.

Yeah vaporizing your weed makes it basically 100% safe...You are essentially getting nothing but thc...it won't hurt your lungs whatsoever. It feels like inhaling air and you often think it's not working at first.

[Osborn F Enready]

Word to the vaporizers.

I tried a nicer model, which works very well, but I still prefer a good spliff, followed by a quality cigarette.

[GHook93]

Quote by: brien Athena wrote: I think people who use any mood / mind altering substance on a daily basis are probably using it as a medication, and in some instances, don't even realize it. I think this to be true with those who smoke marajuana daily.

That is one way to twist it!

[GHook93]

Quote by: arielmessenger I am a 44 year veteran of using marijuana. Over a decade ago I switched to eating pot in cookies and biscuits in order to spare my lungs although I've never had any problems there. I do smoke a small bowl or two at night before I go to bed. I have THC in my system 24/7 and if pot was going to hurt my body or mind it would have done so by now--it's certainly had enough years to show any problems. I have the same medical problems my father had at this age and he never touched marijuana--an alcohol guy. My story is fairly typical for potheads in Humboldt County where there are quite a few of us very long term users of mj. Unlike other chemical intoxicants used in excess, marijuana does not impair vital bodily functions--that's why no one ever dies from pot overdosing--panic attacks, yes, death or physical destruction of body tissues, no. It is an amazing intoxicant that way. But admittedly, I'm prejudiced.:)

Just curious. What do you do for a living?

[GHook93]

Quote by: kubedawg Do you think we should then legalize ALL drugs that are illegal today? I mean, if we want 1 legal, why not the others? Because the others have been known to kill? Oh, well look at alcohol! It's still legal and kills people every day! Look at cigarettes! kills 1200 people a day.

I think, so! Then use the revenue from it for rehap centers, education etc.

Take the DEA agents and have them fight the war on terror.

[Logjam]

Marijuana makes one smarter, funnier and generally a more productive citizen. Smoke it before you drive or fly an airplane. Doctor's should smoke at least a joint and a half before they perform surgery, it allows them to pay closer attention to fine details. Race drivers should take a few totes before they start their engines. Certainly judges should enjoy a joint between court sessions, it makes them more thoughtful. Students should smoke a joint right after they take their morning shower; or don't take that shower; the pot makes the smell sensual. They should light up right there in the classroom (maybe they do this already). Children should be introduced to THC as soon as possible. Sift pieces into their pablum.

Yes folks, we should encourage all people to smoke pot at all times. Grow it anyplace that you want. It should be free, after all an intoxicated, relaxed and drowsy population is a successful, motivated and peaceful populace.

[arielmessenger]

Ghook93, I am a writer now primarily, but also involved as an organizing consultant for a long term Native American sacred sites and ancestral land recovery program currently working with one local tribe where I live here in Humboldt Co. and also with the Oglala Sioux tribe in N.Dakota. I "retired" from the rat-race at age 50 after my kids were grown and on their own in order to devote all my time to social and environmental activism. It's a poor-man's life but with much satisfaction of finally being able to really dig in and help disadvantaged people and maybe change things for the better. Mixed in with all of this is my spiritual activism work which has connected me with Palestinian Christians and Native Americans.

Say, some of those marijuana recommended usages might be all right, like having judges smoke a joint before making any decisions. But the others are silly exaggerations although I will tell a true story here of how being high on pot while driving saved me and my wife's lives. Don't share this with teenagers..

We were driving to our house in Ojai from the coastal town of Ventura, CA. along a two-lane country highway about 5 pm when there is lot's of drivers on the road also going home from work. Everyone drove too fast, going around 50-55 mph, cars close behind one another. Old oaks and pepper trees lined the roadway in many places. We are tooling along and I notice this hitchhiker on the side of the road, on my right as I turn my head to look, but when I turned back to the road, right in front of us a car had stopped to make a left-hand turn. there was no room to stop and cars were whizzing by in the opposite lane. There was only the right side of the road which had this big ol' oak tree close to the road. Well, with only a few inches to spare I guided the car perfectly between tree and stopped car. We were high and I swear I don't think I could have reacted with the calm but instant reflexes it took to do the maneuver. Contrary to the lore, I have found that if you're high on pot but concentrate on whatever skill you have to perform sometimes you can actually do it better, e.g. playing ping-pong. Try it someday and see.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Logjam Marijuana makes one smarter, funnier and generally a more productive citizen. Smoke it before you drive or fly an airplane. Doctor's should smoke at least a joint and a half before they perform surgery, it allows them to pay closer attention to fine details. Race drivers should take a few totes before they start their engines. Certainly judges should enjoy a joint between court sessions, it makes them more thoughtful. Students should smoke a joint right after they take their morning shower; or don't take that shower; the pot makes the smell sensual. They should light up right there in the classroom (maybe they do this already). Children should be introduced to THC as soon as possible. Sift pieces into their pablum. Yes folks, we should encourage all people to smoke pot at all times. Grow it anyplace that you want. It should be free, after all an intoxicated, relaxed and drowsy population is a successful, motivated and peaceful populace.

DANGER!! DANGER!!

My sarcasm meter is alarmed!

Benefits of Marijuana

[dilligras]

I, too have long partaken of the sacred herb......but as to whether or not it may be blamed for my stupidity, I fear not.

I was always capable of such brilliance, and all too often to my great detriment.

'Twould be but the pinnacle of pulchritudinous poppycock, for me to asuage my ego with a certain Egyptian river's seductive amenities of conscience, when clearly the abberration was evident previous to my emperical investigations of such halucinogenic materials.



Carry on

[brien]

Yes folks, we should encourage all people to smoke pot at all times. Grow it anyplace that you want. It should be free, after all an intoxicated, relaxed and drowsy population is a successful, motivated and peaceful populace.

Logjam; Once could make the same claim about any mind altering substance. You have taken the argument to the absurd. Congratulations.

I have known every type of person you listed in your post to smoke pot. A reasonable person will partake in a reasonable fashion and not let it affect their profession. I don't think any reasonable person would advocate what you have outlined in your post. Therefore, it probably is irrelevant to this thread. However, your sarcasim is duly noted but I fail to see how it is constructive to the thread..

[dilligras]

Loaded?



....who, me?

[Praxius]

Quote by: brien I have known every type of person you listed in your post to smoke pot. A reasonable person will partake in a reasonable fashion and not let it affect their profession.

That's the other thing.

There are always the select few who will let something affect them and the general population will account them as being the norm for something not properly documented.

For example, those people who need to get their coffee fix everyday at the same time. Those who are addicted to alcohol, etc.

There will always be a select few who will abuse more then the average person, ie: people with eating disorders. Those who don't know how to control themselves will always find something to ruin their lives.

A few bad apples so to speak.

[Captain Chaos]

A problem with marijuana is the fact that some of the money spent for it goes to fund all kinds of foreign organization.

Wouldn't that be an argument in favor of legalization? Then the money would go to companies rather than foreign drug cartels.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Athena Granted, however, our view on this changes a lot as we age. It is better to be 60 years and think, I have had good life and have really benefited over the years, instead of, :eek: I wasted a lot of years and now have to do damage control, and don't have much time left. I wasted a lot of time being miserable. The fun idea of reincarnation is we can play a better game next time.

I'm not wasting any of my life right now, and everything seems to be on track.... if you say so.

You're talking about the situation where someone does nothing but..... those are a select ignorant few, who've never been educated about their own addiction disorders..... which would increase the mental addiction.

I have this in my family for addictions.... But I'm aware of it, so I'm always making sure I don't get out of line with anything.

Food is still on the table, I still work as one of the best graphic designers in the city, relationship, etc.... I do not fit most of those stereo types.