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Marijuana Addiction

calamity

calamity

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If you asked me, I'd say pot is addictive but nowhere near as bad as cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine or heroin. Proof of refer being addictive seems to be in the pudding, like when you ask your average pothead the basic addiction questions.

Has use of pot ever resulted in legal problems? Has your use of pot ever cost you a job? Has your use of pot ever caused problems in your family? Do you smoke pot everyday, more than once a day, etc? Do you get depressed or irritable when you run out of pot? That sort of thing.

Now, does pot make you do really stupid, dangerous things or cause people to commit acts of violence like we see when someone is drinking booze? No. But, people do steal for money to buy pot. And, if anyone has ever known a pothead, you'd have to admit they do say a lot of stupid ****, and they do tend to be rather lazy bumps on a log.

So, one has to ask. Would you rather have your kid smoking pot or drinking booze? How about cigarettes? I'd argue none of the above, but if my loved one had to abuse a substance, other than coffee, I'd probably rather they smoked pot than any of the other drugs out there, legal or illegal.

What say you all?
 
calamity said:
If you asked me, I'd say pot is addictive but nowhere near as bad as cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine or heroin. Proof of refer being addictive seems to be in the pudding, like when you ask your average pothead the basic addiction questions.

Has use of pot ever resulted in legal problems? Has your use of pot ever cost you a job? Has your use of pot ever caused problems in your family? Do you smoke pot everyday, more than once a day, etc? Do you get depressed or irritable when you run out of pot? That sort of thing.

Now, does pot make you do really stupid, dangerous things or cause people to commit acts of violence like we see when someone is drinking booze? No. But, people do steal for money to buy pot. And, if anyone has ever known a pothead, you'd have to admit they do say a lot of stupid ****, and they do tend to be rather lazy bumps on a log.

So, one has to ask. Would you rather have your kid smoking pot or drinking booze? How about cigarettes? I'd argue none of the above, but if my loved one had to abuse a substance, other than coffee, I'd probably rather they smoked pot than any of the other drugs out there, legal or illegal.

What say you all?
Click to expand...

Of the 3, I'd rather my kids smoked weed. Alcohol can kill if used irresponsibly, and teens have this scary tolerance for the taste of hard alcohol. Tobacco will kill you eventually, unless something else kills you first, and it won't be pretty. It's also highly addictive and financially crippling. Weed, while not good for you, is the least harmful and least habit forming of the 3 hands down.

That being said I hope my kids don't try anything at a young age, and when/if they do that it is occasionally and not regularly.
 
calamity said:
If you asked me, I'd say pot is addictive but nowhere near as bad as cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine or heroin. Proof of refer being addictive seems to be in the pudding, like when you ask your average pothead the basic addiction questions.

Has use of pot ever resulted in legal problems? Has your use of pot ever cost you a job? Has your use of pot ever caused problems in your family? Do you smoke pot everyday, more than once a day, etc? Do you get depressed or irritable when you run out of pot? That sort of thing.

Now, does pot make you do really stupid, dangerous things or cause people to commit acts of violence like we see when someone is drinking booze? No. But, people do steal for money to buy pot. And, if anyone has ever known a pothead, you'd have to admit they do say a lot of stupid ****, and they do tend to be rather lazy bumps on a log.

So, one has to ask. Would you rather have your kid smoking pot or drinking booze? How about cigarettes? I'd argue none of the above, but if my loved one had to abuse a substance, other than coffee, I'd probably rather they smoked pot than any of the other drugs out there, legal or illegal.

What say you all?
Click to expand...

I use former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson as an example. After going public with his regular use of marijuana, he became delusional and ran for POTUS.

 
calamity said:
If you asked me, I'd say pot is addictive but nowhere near as bad as cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine or heroin. Proof of refer being addictive seems to be in the pudding, like when you ask your average pothead the basic addiction questions.
Click to expand...

Depending on the person, ANYTHING can be "addictive". Candy for some, alcohol for another, etc. I don't think there is anything in marijuana that inherently makes it addictive, but rather addictive personalities use it and can get hooked.

I would far better have someone use marijuana rather than alcohol. The evidence is quite clear, when a party happens and there is alcohol and marijuana I don't typically see the people getting high starting fights but rather the drunks.

And the argument that some anti-marijuana folks use is "Well smoking it isn't healthy". Absolutely, but that is why you can ingest it as well.
 
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shagg said:
Of the 3, I'd rather my kids smoked weed. Alcohol can kill if used irresponsibly, and teens have this scary tolerance for the taste of hard alcohol. Tobacco will kill you eventually, unless something else kills you first, and it won't be pretty. It's also highly addictive and financially crippling. Weed, while not good for you, is the least harmful and least habit forming of the 3 hands down.

That being said I hope my kids don't try anything at a young age, and when/if they do that it is occasionally and not regularly.
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Yeah. Best is to find a way to raise kids to remain substance free. Tough to do, in this day and age. But, it's doable. I find that parents who keep their kids focused seem to have good results. Best is to get them interested in school, sports, hobbies, etc. Easier said than done.

I have a nephew through marriage who morphed into a pothead over the past 5 years. At 12, he was an A-student, budding star athlete and well on his way to a building a bright future. Then, mom and dad got divorced--mostly due to dad's substance abuse and infidelity issues. SHTF after that. Now, the kid is 19, has only a GED and works at Speedway.
 
Some people crave weed like alcoholics crave a drink.
 
Praxas said:
Depending on the person, ANYTHING can be "addictive". Candy for some, alcohol for another, etc. I don't think there is anything in marijuana that inherently makes it addictive, but rather addictive personalities use it and can get hooked.

I would far better have someone use marijuana rather than alcohol. The evidence is quite clear, when a party happens and there is alcohol and marijuana I don't typically see the people getting high starting fights but rather the drunks.

And the argument that some anti-marijuana folks use is "Well smoking it isn't healthy". Absolutely, but that is why you can ingest it as well.
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When I smoked a lot of pot, I was certainly addicted to the drug's effect. Pot made everything seem better. lol...my favorite experiences with it were back in college. It was amazing how having a bag of pot made me content to study all weekend. No pot, no study. I can't explain it. But, something about the drug itself led to this sense that it was all I needed to be happy.

In the long run, I can see where that would be a problem. I'm glad I gave it up.
 
calamity said:
When I smoked a lot of pot, I was certainly addicted to the drug's effect. Pot made everything seem better. lol...my favorite experiences with it were back in college. It was amazing how having a bag of pot made me content to study all weekend. No pot, no study. I can't explain it. But, something about the drug itself led to this sense that it was all I needed to be happy.

In the long run, I can see where that would be a problem. I'm glad I gave it up.
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What you described seems to be an addictive personality and were addicted to the high, not necessarily the material. People say similar things to various items as well. Had a classmate in college that swore up and down he did tests better drunk, and he was straight As but it was ruining his personal life.

Either way, I try not to demonize an object (not saying you are) rather take a look at other factors first. For instance, meth is straight up addictive due to the material in the drug.
 
Winston said:
Some people crave weed like alcoholics crave a drink.
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And it's not just those either, simple things like chocolate people can get addicted to. However, I still think it is more the personality that gets addicted usually and not just because of the item.
 
Winston said:
Some people crave weed like alcoholics crave a drink.
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Kinda like this guy? :)

giphy.gif
 
Trippy Trekker said:
I use former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson as an example. After going public with his regular use of marijuana, he became delusional and ran for POTUS.

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I go with W Nelson, smoking pot for years and still being one of the most successful entertainers.
Don't like pot, don't smoke it. Like booze, drink it. It all depends on the individual. Some people know their limits, others don't.
 
TheGoverness said:
Kinda like this guy? :)

giphy.gif
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Yep. Must have.. OG Kush! I think people can be just as dependent on weed, I've grown up around stoners my whole life. One of my friends, didn't even know weed was illegal until middle school. He's been blowing big forever, and gets absolutely cranky when he doesn't have any. It's just that weed is overall safer, than alcohol. So, weed dependent people don't have their lives crashing down on them from abusing weed. And I think there's an argument to be made that regular weed use, is in fact, flat out good for you.
 
c #1,
Thank you for the important topic, possibly one of the most important topics of our current society.

Please don't misinterpret my following comments as gratuitous insult to you. My intended point is far broader than that.
"If you asked me, I'd say pot is addictive but nowhere near as bad as cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine or heroin." c #1
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"The first casualty of War is truth."

Comparative psychotropic strength, addictiveness are all relevant.

BUT !!

We must be careful to not swill the Drug War Kool-Aid.

Fully within the standard of the Creator endowed, Constitutionally enumerated, unalienable right of Liberty those are considerations that should be made by the citizen, not his governing overlords.

Drug abuse is a problem.
Drug War is a problem.
Drug War is the problem government is best situated to fix, TODAY, with the stroke of a pen.
 
calamity said:
If you asked me, I'd say pot is addictive but nowhere near as bad as cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine or heroin. Proof of refer being addictive seems to be in the pudding, like when you ask your average pothead the basic addiction questions.

Has use of pot ever resulted in legal problems? Has your use of pot ever cost you a job? Has your use of pot ever caused problems in your family? Do you smoke pot everyday, more than once a day, etc? Do you get depressed or irritable when you run out of pot? That sort of thing.

Now, does pot make you do really stupid, dangerous things or cause people to commit acts of violence like we see when someone is drinking booze? No. But, people do steal for money to buy pot. And, if anyone has ever known a pothead, you'd have to admit they do say a lot of stupid ****, and they do tend to be rather lazy bumps on a log.

So, one has to ask. Would you rather have your kid smoking pot or drinking booze? How about cigarettes? I'd argue none of the above, but if my loved one had to abuse a substance, other than coffee, I'd probably rather they smoked pot than any of the other drugs out there, legal or illegal.

What say you all?
Click to expand...

From my experience, pot is psychologically addictive (you're addicted to being high, not any specific substance), while alcohol, tobacco, etc. all have substances in them or that your body produces in response to them than you get addicted to. I know people who are 100% addicted to pot - the ones who literally cannot function unless they have a toke or two.
 
sear said:
c #1,
Thank you for the important topic, possibly one of the most important topics of our current society.

Please don't misinterpret my following comments as gratuitous insult to you. My intended point is far broader than that.

"The first casualty of War is truth."

Comparative psychotropic strength, addictiveness are all relevant.

BUT !!

We must be careful to not swill the Drug War Kool-Aid.

Fully within the standard of the Creator endowed, Constitutionally enumerated, unalienable right of Liberty those are considerations that should be made by the citizen, not his governing overlords.

Drug abuse is a problem.
Drug War is a problem.
Drug War is the problem government is best situated to fix, TODAY, with the stroke of a pen.
Click to expand...
Good point in the last sentence, which I bolded!

However this President, like Regean before him, has chosen to escalate the WoD.

It's one of the many reasons I'm against authoritarian regimes.
 
calamity said:
If you asked me, I'd say pot is addictive but nowhere near as bad as cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine or heroin. Proof of refer being addictive seems to be in the pudding, like when you ask your average pothead the basic addiction questions.

Has use of pot ever resulted in legal problems? Has your use of pot ever cost you a job? Has your use of pot ever caused problems in your family? Do you smoke pot everyday, more than once a day, etc? Do you get depressed or irritable when you run out of pot? That sort of thing.

Now, does pot make you do really stupid, dangerous things or cause people to commit acts of violence like we see when someone is drinking booze? No. But, people do steal for money to buy pot. And, if anyone has ever known a pothead, you'd have to admit they do say a lot of stupid ****, and they do tend to be rather lazy bumps on a log.

So, one has to ask. Would you rather have your kid smoking pot or drinking booze? How about cigarettes? I'd argue none of the above, but if my loved one had to abuse a substance, other than coffee, I'd probably rather they smoked pot than any of the other drugs out there, legal or illegal.

What say you all?
Click to expand...

Not with me, I smoke maybe once a month, if that. I need to get a medical card though. Nowhere addictive like beer...
 
People that smoke cigarettes know it's bad for their health and many want to quit but they can't. Cigarettes are so addictive it's not even funny.

Pot, on the other hand, most pot smokers do not have that desire to quit. They fully intend on smoking their whole lives.

Pot is psychologically addictive to regular users.

It also makes your babies come out naked and toothless.
 
faithful_servant said:
From my experience, pot is psychologically addictive (you're addicted to being high, not any specific substance), while alcohol, tobacco, etc. all have substances in them or that your body produces in response to them than you get addicted to. I know people who are 100% addicted to pot - the ones who literally cannot function unless they have a toke or two.
Click to expand...

Clinically, I think most consensus of the medical profession is that marijuana addiction runs at almost the same percentage of alcoholism.

It was once thought that one out of ten people who regularly drink alcohol will become dependent on it. The percentage is higher for juveniles, lower for adults.

The percentage of regular marijuana users is about 9%. Again juveniles on average seem to be more susceptible to addiction than adults.

With nicotine the addiction level is very high - up to 80 or 90%. However nicotine addiction, while is psychologically comforting to those who use it, is much more a physical addiction than psychological.

Marijuana seems to be more psychological than physical though the final verdict is not 100% conclusive about that yet.

Alcohol addiction is strongly psychological and strongly physical.

In all cases, the earlier a problem with abuse/addiction is recognized, the easier it is to quit.

Marijuana Addiction Is Rare, but Very Real

I prefer my loved ones not use any of these substances though a glass of wine with dinner or a mixed drink at the party isn't going to harm most people--for some that small amount of wine can be healthy. Nor is smoking a joint or having a good cigar once in awhile going to be a problem for most. But alcohol and nicotine abuse can have serious and permanent affects on the body and brain.

And marijuana abuse is not without its dangers either.
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving
 
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C #16

It's a grotesque and traitorous hypocrisy that political pseudo-cons ruthlessly inflict on our society and culture.

They TALK a great game about smaller, less intrusive, less authoritarian government.

But then they turn to big authoritarian government to punish their pet perceived social ills:

- recreational drug use? PROHIBIT THEM!

- same sex marriage? BAN IT!

- women's rights to reproductive health? CRIMINALIZE ABORTION

They are treacherous hypocrites.

It is a rare joy that I meet a genuine political conservative. It's awfully lonely out here.

Pogo
 
PS
"Clinically, I think most consensus of the medical profession is that marijuana addiction runs at almost the same percentage of alcoholism." AO #19
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splendid

But it is important to not conflate popularity with pharmacology.

Beverage ethanol may be the more widely culturally accepted psychotrope. But not necessarily the pharmacologically less harmful.
 
If I had to choose which of the three, pot, booze, or tobacco, I want my kids to abuse, I'd choose ..

.. NONE of them!

In reality, my kids don't have to abuse ANY of them.

So I'll stay out of fantasy land where I'm forced to live in a nightmare world and choose a bad thing from a list of bad things for my kids ..

.. And stick with reality, where my kids can make HEALTHY choices .. which they did.
 
beefheart said:
Not with me, I smoke maybe once a month, if that. I need to get a medical card though. Nowhere addictive like beer...
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I did that for years after I finally stopped smoking everyday back in my 20's. It's only been recently--maybe 5-10 years--that I stopped smoking pot altogether, like you know, turn it down when offered some by a friend or at a party.

I even know why I stopped. Ironically enough, taking a toke was a buzz kill. It made me withdrawn and unable to communicate effectively. No fun. Not anymore.

Although, I have to admit. There are few things better than taking a few tokes and then walking in the woods. Or, better yet, a few tokes and then listening to some jams with good headphones.
 
O #23

Splendid.
The problem is, strict parents that say no to everything:
- sex
- drugs
- rock n' roll
- etc.

may be ignored by most kids.
The problem there is, such saturated prohibitions can leave kids vulnerable to important immediate warnings like:

"Don't run out into the street in heavy traffic."

FL Nan Reagan had a somewhat impolite campaign: "Just Say No"

Her slogan was even printed on paper grocery shopping bags, etc.

I thought "Just Say No Thank You" might have been the more appropriate for a First Lady.

But the best parents don't raise offspring to adulthood to be obedient.
The best parents raise offspring to exercise wise, independent judgment.
 
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