Show of Hands

I think that is a distinction without meaning.

Somebody might be clinically smoking marijuana for their glaucoma but somebody might be abusing marijuana for social issues both are a treatment to a symptom.

Somebody maybe smoking cigarettes for bowel regulation, or they may be smoking cigarettes for anxiety issues.

Clinical youth of drugs Versus Recreational use of drugs The only real difference is The Institution of medicine Determining prior to the prescription of a drug that this is the least harmful drug to be consumed across a swath of people.

Of course it’s not always the case. But does it increase the probability that you move to other drugs?

What about alcohol or nicotine? Did he think they should be legalized?

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None of them have qualified opinions, they’re just dorks. The bottom line is we’re adults and we should be allowed to decide if we want to smoke or not, especially since marijuana is far less damaging to your health and society than alcohol

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My colleagues and I wrote about 25 academic papers on the effects of substance abuse on women and their children. We enrolled women in public health clinics. Followed them for 18 years. We were continuously funded by the NIH for twenty years. Five grants of four years each.

The drugs of interest at the time were alcohol, nicotine, cocaine/crack, and marijuana.

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@tractorman each drug has two parameters of interest — addictive power (likelihood of becoming an addict) and damage from use (health effects resulting from use).

Addictive power rank: Nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana.

Health damage rank: alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, marijuana.

My father died of lung cancer. I have two cousins who died from alcohol abuse.

@irishalzheimers Two comments. 1) your stories do not contradict our research findings. I’m glad people have used marijuana without ill effect, and very glad to hear of people who have successfully beaten opioid use. 2) it’s popular to doubt science. Science is complex. I’m not here to change your mind. Only to share what I know from the work we did.

As for notion that we can all make our own decisions, I am in broad agreement. Unfortunately, our health insurance system is socialized. I pay for the health outcomes of abusers in my pool. 6% of the nations wealth is spent on substance abuse disorders.

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@irishalzheimers not sure what point you are trying to make about prescription medications. In general I favor use prescribed by a physician and used in accordance with the drug label.

@irishalzheimers please review my comments. I said Marijuana was the least addictive and least harmful of the four drugs we studied.

I can add that we found no effect on birthweight or other birth outcomes of children born to marijuana users. The children did poorly in school. In my opinion, this was more likely due to other conditions — poverty, child abuse, and other factors in the children’s environment.

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A percentage of people who use the drug become addicts. A percentage of people who use the drug will have poor outcomes.

By legalizing the drug, use increases, because of capitalism. Addiction increases, poor outcomes increase, medical costs increase.

BTW, this is not the research we did. Our research was focused on birth outcomes and child development. But, of course, we read broadly in substance abuse and health outcomes.

Are coffee drinkers more likely to do hard drugs than non coffee drinkers?

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Are your trying to use coffee and energy drinks interchangeably?

Nah, that doesn’t work

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I traveled all over. They drink coffee or caffeinated tea almost everywhere.

But you are deflecting. You were not talking about caffeine, you were talking about coffee.

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“Initially, when someone smokes pot, the brain experiences a surge in dopamine, and this can make the person feel high or intensely relaxed. The experience might be rewarding enough that they want to repeat it, reinforcing the behavior and creating a cycle where the person uses marijuana more frequently to chase that high.”

“However, the brain's dopamine system is quite adaptive. With regular use of marijuana, the brain begins to compensate for the increased dopamine levels. This process is called neuroadaptation. Over time, the brain may reduce the number of dopamine receptors or lower the production of dopamine in response to the constant stimulation from THC. As a result, the person needs more of the substance to experience the same effects.”

“This is commonly referred to as tolerance. So, the more frequently someone uses marijuana, the less "high" they feel with each use, and they may find themselves needing stronger doses to achieve the same pleasurable experience.”

Alcohol is the gateway drug

The difference is that alcohol isn’t being sold as safe and non addictive so kids don’t think pot is harmful.

Plenty of people think alcohol is “safe” because it’s legal

You obviously didn’t read what I said.

No, I did. I saw your incorrect implication and decided to respond from a cultural perspective because I assumed that’s what you mean. I didn’t think you were dumb enough to literally think that pot shops are advertising that weed is safe and unaddictive. I figured you just meant that in the zeitgeist, people view it as such. Sorry for giving you the benefit of the doubt, from here on I’ll assume you mean the dumbest thing possible whenever you say something

So right to personal insults. How mature.

@cowboy is correct.

Thanks Ebola.

Actually it was 3 comments in and only after you implied that I’m unintelligent and didn’t read what you said. I then explained myself further and gave you attitude BACK. I didn’t start it

Cowboy made no such claim that you are not intelligent but you seem to be making that point on your own behalf.

What happened when we started legalizing marijuana?

Did the consumption of other drugs change?

Why do you think so?

I’m not challenging you, I’m legit curious

Well it’s kinda like drinking. Some people handle it well and others don’t. I just think if you’re chasing the high eventually you’ll go to something else something more dangerous like coke or heroine.

Interesting. I started everything later than most. I didn’t drink until I was in the military, I didn’t try pot until I was over 40. I don’t think I’m typical in any way, which is why I’m curious about how others see it.

I know two people who did it. The first tried anything and everything. The second only tried marijuana and nothing else. Me myself I’ve never tried anything not even marijuana not even drinking. Might make it to 80.

I know it was for me, but so were cigarettes.

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Irish, you are correct. It’s the “feeling” that is the key. I had a roommate who had been a heroin addict but he found the same feeling from LSD so he stopped heroin. Remember that song by Head East:
Save my life, I'm going down for the last time
Woman with the sweet lovin', better than a white line
Bring a good feeling ain't had in such a long time
Save my life, I'm going down for the last time

A little THC honey in some tea helps me sleep.

It does the opposite to me, whenever I would smoke it it would make me anxious and give me anxiety. One time it was so bad I had a full on panic attack so I decided not to smoke it anymore.

Personally, i hate the high. It makes me stupid. I wish it worked more like Valium.

I'm sure that different amounts and different strains, would have different effects. What I use just makes my eyes feel "heavy " and I go to sleep.

It helps to stop the shaking I get when an anxiety attack starts.
I like people, but some people can just strike <something> and I start to feel panicky in the situation. It began when my Dad passed away … my first known/documented panic event.

I will try it next time i have an anxiety attack.