This Week I saw what 20 years of smoking Marijuana looks like and it aint pretty.

[Pax]

This week I attended my daughters 'High Tea' at school. The parents attend to enjoy what the kids make in the school restaurant they have created.

it was lovely, until i ran into a blast from the past..

This lady was someone i was very close to as a late teen/early 20's .. she was lively, fun and not to mention tried to turn me gay :laughing:

I even named my first daughter after her. My daughters second name is this ladies first name. Well it was until she changed it to something else she finds more exotic :rolleyes:

Anyway she was always a bit of a pot smoker, something i never got into myself.

She comes up to me at the high tea, as she was there because her nephew attends the same school, and says "You know i am famous" I am like WTF and :laughing:

"No I am serious" she says and looks at me like i am stark raving mad.

so i let her continue with a beckoning glance.

"I have this band and my producer is arriving in brisbane soon and we are famous, just no one knows it yet"

at this point i felt like shaking her and saying "You idiot woman, you are over 40 and you are NOT going to become the next pop sensation, go get a real job for once in your life"

but i was scared she might hit me :o so i didnt.

Then she is going on with "I smoke pot and the police know this but leave me alone because i am famous"

she is deadly deadly serious now.

then she goes on about how she is living with her mother, the poor dear is in her 80's and caring for this woman's 2 year old son, and she is waiting for her die so she can have her house :eek:

then explains to me that she doesnt have any friends and could i start seeing her again. because women dont like her.. no bloody wonder i think.

this tirade went on for 15 mins and she was dissing her brother, mother and everyone else close to her that was trying to help her. and all she could talk about was being famous.. which she clearly is not.

anyway.. after seeing the paranoid delusions that she was having i no longer had any doubt about my sanity. I have never been that crazy

It made me so grateful i never went down that road and made me extremely sad to see this once effervescent woman transformed into this paranoid, delusional, ugly and mean woman..

:thumbsdown: to marijuana

[hailsntwang]

:iagree: with you totally 100% when it comes to Pot and anything else drug related.


I think a number of us can relate to knowing someone like that who has turned "Left" when we all turned "right" (so to speak).

I feel sorry for her family who have had front row seats to the demise of this woman. Who have probably tried repeatedly to help her to no avail, and by doing so probably feel somewhat responsible for the person she is now.


Sometimes the pull of drugs, even the so called "innocent" (major quotation marks) :rolleyes: recreational drugs have a stronger pull then a happy and fulfilling life.:no:


It makes me count my blessings that I made certain decisions when I was younger and took a different turn.:o

[WorkingClassMum]

My youngest bro has gone the same way.

He once had an IQ of 140~150.

Now he is paranoid agressive sh!t who lives in his unregistered, unroadworthy uninsured car and is unlicensed.

So much potential up in smoke:(

[bada]

I've seen a few different outcomes of smoking pot long term, a couple not so pretty but the majority hold down good jobs/run their own business, have happy families, and from the outside you'd never pick it.

It sounds like your "friend" has mental health issues. She could have been predisposed to these and the marijuana helped bring them to the forefront. Perhaps a little compassion wouldn't go astray.

[Veritas]

My youngest bro has gone the same way.

He once had an IQ of 140~150.

Now he is paranoid agressive sh!t who lives in his unregistered, unroadworthy uninsured car and is unlicensed.

So much potential up in smoke:(

This is exactly the same story as the father of my youngest two sisters!!! Exactly!

He was always emotionally abusive and vindictive when Mum and he were together, and it was obvious that a lot of pot smoking was the cause....

After they seperated he quit his quite highly paying job to avoid child support.... and things went downhill from there.....

He is virtually a bum.... his daughters are embarrassed to be seen with him, and as such are lucky to see him once or twice a year..... he is paranoid, manic, and seriously living in another world.....

A prime reason I will not tolerate this substance in my life in any way shape or form..... the long term psychological effects are very real, and very devestating, and anyone who thinks they are immune to them or it won't happen to them is seriously kidding themselves....

[Pax]

I've seen a few different outcomes of smoking pot long term, a couple not so pretty but the majority hold down good jobs/run their own business, have happy families, and from the outside you'd never pick it.

It sounds like your "friend" has mental health issues. She could have been predisposed to these and the marijuana helped bring them to the forefront. Perhaps a little compassion wouldn't go astray.


I have compassion... compassion for her family because she honestly doesnt seem to be at all a decent human being anymore.

I have compassion for that she is so stupid and weak that she never thought about the consequences of her life by using the drugs and the fact she continues to use them.

I have compassion for her 2 year old son that when his grandmother dies he will be left with her to be raised.

I have compassion for the poor people she was spitting venom about.

She needs to be forcibly locked up, dried out and medicated as a schizophrenic.. then i may have a moment of pause between her vitriol to have compassion for her :no:

[Janesmum123]

I hate pot with a passion!
I've seen so many people close to me ruined by it it really does turn them into paranoid, out of control freaks. Sure they may look sucessful from the outside but behind closed doors it's a different story.

[canberramomma]

I've seen a few different outcomes of smoking pot long term, a couple not so pretty but the majority hold down good jobs/run their own business, have happy families, and from the outside you'd never pick it.

It sounds like your "friend" has mental health issues. She could have been predisposed to these and the marijuana helped bring them to the forefront. Perhaps a little compassion wouldn't go astray.

:iagree:

Lots of people who have never smoked marijuana have paranoid delusions or are schizophrenic or are bipolar, etc. Some of these conditions are aggravated by medications or people become very different when on long term medications.

I think that to point the finger at marijuana use is just the authorities way of deflecting attention to the sad and sorry state our mental health system is in.

I know lots of sensible, professional people who smoke marijuana. I know lots of sensible, professional people who regularly over indulge with alcohol.

I also know many (highly intelligent) people who have dropped out of society as they can't stand the rampant hypocrisy of our system.

I don't know the individual cases you are all talking about, but I often wonder the past actions of someone who develops (and perhaps was predisposed to) a mental illness is put under a scrutiny that it wouldn't otherwise be subjected to.

[Teley]

See that's the thing with pot. You don't know the effects of it until you try it. Some people go downhill fast, for others it takes a much longer time.

I remember last year a friend of mine, who I think is actually pretty awesome, tried to pressure me to try it. Apparently since I was very depressed and slightly suicidal, it would help relax me. Nu-uh. I would never try that road.

It's just too dangerous. I can't believe some people think this drug is okay. Drugs are never okay.

[canberramomma]

But the effects of anything are unknown on the individual until they try it. Some anti-depressant meds make people more depressed and others help.

Some people become alcoholics, sex addicts, addicted to over the counter medication as soon as they try it.

Others self-medicate with alcohol and drugs because the system has failed them, so what you are actually seeing is the effect of the breakdown of the health system and community support rather than the effect of drug or alcohol abuse (granted, self-medication is never a fantastic idea!).

My opinion is that mental health as a whole needs to be put firmly in the spotlight rather than the few cases of marijuana smokers that actually display mental health problems.

[Pax]

i support the use of MJ for chronic pain sufferers.

recreational seems to cause a lot of pain though.

i dont think anyone really can say that it is harmless. I am talking about daily smokers of it :yes:

[Pax]

My opinion is that mental health as a whole needs to be put firmly in the spotlight rather than the few cases of marijuana smokers that actually display mental health problems.


I agree with this.

I believe a lot of users, use because they have mental health problems.

I know this particular woman in my OP was extremely anxious/hyperactive person 20 years ago, and she smoked to calm down.

if her anxiety/hyperactivity was diagnosed and treated perhaps she may not be what she is now.

but then while self medication is available, it will continue to be done, regardless of how good or bad the mental health system is.

[Opinionated]

I've seen a few different outcomes of smoking pot long term, a couple not so pretty but the majority hold down good jobs/run their own business, have happy families, and from the outside you'd never pick it.

It sounds like your "friend" has mental health issues. She could have been predisposed to these and the marijuana helped bring them to the forefront.

:iagree: They all seem to age 2-3 years for every one. Interestingly, alot of people with mental health issues use marijuana to self medicate. Some times it can be a symptom of their illness, rather than a cause.

[interplanetjanet]

I think it seems a bit ignorant to attribute this woman's problems to smoking dope. I agree with others that it's probably another underlying problem, and it's a coincidence that she happens to smoke dope as well (or, as the pp said, that her smoking is a reaction to an underlying problem). I've known lots of smokers who've smoked for 20, 30 and even 40 years on a regular basis who are completely normal, functioning members of society. I even know one guy who's smoked dope for at least 20 years and is a multimillionaire businessman. For the vast majority of long-term dope smokers, you'd never know the difference between them and anyone else. You just only hear about the ones who are losers, because the successful ones don't advertise it.

[codswallop]

But the effects of anything are unknown on the individual until they try it. Some anti-depressant meds make people more depressed and others help.



My opinion is that mental health as a whole needs to be put firmly in the spotlight rather than the few cases of marijuana smokers that actually display mental health problems.
speaking as some one with a MI i know how true that is
after being diagnosed with Bi-polar i got put on the normal lithium based drugs
no go for me had me running off a bus in the middle of Civic(in the ACT) from giant spiders
made me worse not better but i dont think it should be band for my benefit

i support the use of MJ for chronic pain sufferers.

recreational seems to cause a lot of pain though.

i dont think anyone really can say that it is harmless. I am talking about daily smokers of it :yes:
thats a bit hypocritical IMO
i know lots of daily pot smokers who a fine i lots of ppl that like a beer or glass of wine every day that are fine i know pot smokers who are F*(ked up and a lot more ppl with severe drinking problems(for them selves and there loved ones)

. For the vast majority of long-term dope smokers, you'd never know the difference between them and anyone else. You just only hear about the ones who are losers, because the successful ones don't advertise it.
we all know any way that pot is only looked down upon because of hemps threat to the forestries paper industry:goodvibes:

[~Candy~]

I've seen a few different outcomes of smoking pot long term, a couple not so pretty but the majority hold down good jobs/run their own business, have happy families, and from the outside you'd never pick it.

It sounds like your "friend" has mental health issues. She could have been predisposed to these and the marijuana helped bring them to the forefront. Perhaps a little compassion wouldn't go astray.


:iagree:

Lots of people who have never smoked marijuana have paranoid delusions or are schizophrenic or are bipolar, etc. Some of these conditions are aggravated by medications or people become very different when on long term medications.

I think that to point the finger at marijuana use is just the authorities way of deflecting attention to the sad and sorry state our mental health system is in.

I know lots of sensible, professional people who smoke marijuana. I know lots of sensible, professional people who regularly over indulge with alcohol.

I also know many (highly intelligent) people who have dropped out of society as they can't stand the rampant hypocrisy of our system.

I don't know the individual cases you are all talking about, but I often wonder the past actions of someone who develops (and perhaps was predisposed to) a mental illness is put under a scrutiny that it wouldn't otherwise be subjected to.


I think it seems a bit ignorant to attribute this woman's problems to smoking dope. I agree with others that it's probably another underlying problem, and it's a coincidence that she happens to smoke dope as well (or, as the pp said, that her smoking is a reaction to an underlying problem). I've known lots of smokers who've smoked for 20, 30 and even 40 years on a regular basis who are completely normal, functioning members of society. I even know one guy who's smoked dope for at least 20 years and is a multimillionaire businessman. For the vast majority of long-term dope smokers, you'd never know the difference between them and anyone else. You just only hear about the ones who are losers, because the successful ones don't advertise it.

:iagree:

[DanceInTheRain]

Do any of you who are defending pot use actually know someone affected by it I wonder? In small social doses it can be fine and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. However I have seen first hand what addiction to this drug can do to someone and it tore my marriage apart. My ex husband basically had a split personality, one one hand he had a heart of gold and on the other he became a paranoid, manipulative and violent man. I can't say pot was the sole reason of our demise but it sure had a helping hand in it. I tried everything I could to help him overcome the addicition but by that stage of his life it had done it's damage and I left him. It was the best thing I could have done as I now have a fantastic relationship and he is still wallowing in self pity in a drug induced haze.

I am not against occasional use but long term constant use can be detrimental to a person, trust me. It kinda scares me that people use it medicinally. They are still leaving themselves open to a whole range of health, emotional and psychological problems.

[crazymuma]

I might get my head bitten off but here goes...

I think like all drugs you have functioning addicts - those that suffer no mental health problems from long term use and continue to live a normal life while using a drug that doesn't take over that life. Then you have the others - the ones that even a small amount does irreversible damage.

I was a recreational drug user (though can't stand pot) and through that time I also held down a good job - it never affected my day to day life. Kids certainly straightened me up.

I know many functioning addicts (long term) but I know just as many who suffer drug induced psychosis - certainly not a pretty thing.

[~Candy~]

Do any of you who are defending pot use actually know someone affected by it I wonder? In small social doses it can be fine and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. However I have seen first hand what addiction to this drug can do to someone and it tore my marriage apart. My ex husband basically had a split personality, one one hand he had a heart of gold and on the other he became a paranoid, manipulative and violent man. I can't say pot was the sole reason of our demise but it sure had a helping hand in it. I tried everything I could to help him overcome the addicition but by that stage of his life it had done it's damage and I left him. It was the best thing I could have done as I now have a fantastic relationship and he is still wallowing in self pity in a drug induced haze.

I am not against occasional use but long term constant use can be detrimental to a person, trust me. It kinda scares me that people use it medicinally. They are still leaving themselves open to a whole range of health, emotional and psychological problems.

It affects ppl differently.
Yes...there are a few ppl I know who get extremely paranoid on pot and they can't touch it...yet other ppl can easily function and they have been smoking pot since there late teens up till now (30's and 40's) and no-one would even know!

[JabberJaw]

Sounds like she is using the pot to self medicate for her mental health issues :confused: Lots of people who smoke pot use it to self medicate.

Problem is with pot these days is it is not like the good ole bush grown stuff, its all hydro...so seriously pept up form of marijuana, has all sorts of added chemicals to enhance it, thus is where the problem lies.

Honestly though she sounds like she has some kind of Manic disorder going, like bi polar or the like.

I am not a pot smoke myself but worked for sometime in the drug and alcohol area, seen lots of mental issues escalate through self medication, namely marijuana.

I would stay away!

[Pixilocks]

I have been close to someone affected by pot. I have also been close to someone affected by speed, ecstasy, valium and alcohol.

Its all the same. So what if you smoke pot?

Most of my friends smoke pot, and we are all fine, functioning, working/studying happy individuals with a lot to contribute to society.

Also, someone (cant remember who) said they were okay with using for chronic pain.

Where do you draw the line at chronic pain? Chronic physical pain? Chronic mental pain? If somebody has chronic physical pain, usually people are sympathetic and understand, because its something they can see.

yet when somebody has chronic mental pain, it seems usually people think they are freaks, should be locked up, or are selfish if they kill themselves.

Chronic pain can be mental pain too. I'm sure the foggyness of the line that must be drawn is the reason euthenasia is illegal. Where do you draw the line?

[~Candy~]

IMO..this woman just sounds like a nut...it's her personality. Why blame pot :confused: pot probably calms her down a bit..and to be honest..no pot smoker I know goes around telling ppl they smoke it..that's just immature.

[Fluffbum]

In my personal opinion. I think those justifying the use of pot by saying that some people are completely normal members of the community :ecomcity: are either defending themselves, or actually have NO clue at all.

ANYONE that smokes that crap IS NOT the same person they would've been before. It changes people, and usually not for the better in my personal experience.

Instead of defending the use of an illegal drug, why not consider the children affected by it? The family having to deal with the issues as well.

I'm not saying people don't have their "reasons" for taking it, but it doesn't make it right..

And yes, I've lived with someone who was a long term pot-smoker and have seen the effects it had on them over the years. (And the effects on others too)

[sharonnscotty]

Do any of you who are defending pot use actually know someone affected by it I wonder? In small social doses it can be fine and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. However I have seen first hand what addiction to this drug can do to someone and it tore my marriage apart. My ex husband basically had a split personality, one one hand he had a heart of gold and on the other he became a paranoid, manipulative and violent man. I can't say pot was the sole reason of our demise but it sure had a helping hand in it. I tried everything I could to help him overcome the addicition but by that stage of his life it had done it's damage and I left him. It was the best thing I could have done as I now have a fantastic relationship and he is still wallowing in self pity in a drug induced haze.

I am not against occasional use but long term constant use can be detrimental to a person, trust me. It kinda scares me that people use it medicinally. They are still leaving themselves open to a whole range of health, emotional and psychological problems.

:thumbsup: ditto.....

Friends at uni who smoked it and the ones that continue to smoke it 10yrs later are really outta their minds and have issues. Even the ones with jobs, you can see what it does to ppl.

[DanceInTheRain]

In my personal opinion. I think those justifying the use of pot by saying that some people are completely normal members of the community :ecomcity: are either defending themselves, or actually have NO clue at all.

ANYONE that smokes that crap IS NOT the same person they would've been before. It changes people, and usually not for the better in my personal experience.

Instead of defending the use of an illegal drug, why not consider the children affected by it? The family having to deal with the issues as well.

I'm not saying people don't have their "reasons" for taking it, but it doesn't make it right..

And yes, I've lived with someone who was a long term pot-smoker and have seen the effects it had on them over the years. (And the effects on others too)


Thank you, I agree. I think a lot of people on here defending pot smokers are talking about people who smoke it socially. Once a week is a lot different to several times a day. And for those who know people who smoke it several times a day and they reckon it hasn't changed them at all- you don't know them very well.

[~Candy~]

Thank you, I agree. I think a lot of people on here defending pot smokers are talking about people who smoke it socially. Once a week is a lot different to several times a day. And for those who know people who smoke it several times a day and they reckon it hasn't changed them at all- you don't know them very well.

I do know ppl who smoke pot daily..every day for the past 13 yrs to be exact and not one single person knows they do it except those who they are very close to. Their home is clean and tidy, neat yard (all done by them) they both have good jobs, their kids are well behaved and always dressed neat and tidy, well mannered, they have a life, well looked after pets :ecomcity::ecomcity::ecomcity:

Different things affect different ppl. You can't say ALL ppl are screwed up on pot and I think you'd be quite suprised of those who do smoke it but prefer not to blab to the world....you wouldn't have a clue who they were!

There is a massive difference between ppl who smoke pot that turn into paranoid deadheads, and ppl who smoke it to relax and can still function like a perfectly normal person without anyone having a clue they are actually bent.

Yes, I agree....lots and lots of ppl are f#6ked up because of their immaturity over it...some so desperate they scrape the bong and resmoke it...that's just discusting :barf:

[Fluffbum]

I do know ppl who smoke pot daily..every day for the past 13 yrs to be exact and not one single person knows they do it except those who they are very close to. Their home is clean and tidy, neat yard (all done by them) they both have good jobs, their kids are well behaved and always dressed neat and tidy, well mannered, they have a life, well looked after pets :ecomcity::ecomcity::ecomcity:

Different things affect different ppl. You can't say ALL ppl are screwed up on pot and I think you'd be quite suprised of those who do smoke it but prefer not to blab to the world....you wouldn't have a clue who they were!

There is a massive difference between ppl who smoke pot that turn into paranoid deadheads, and ppl who smoke it to relax and can still function like a perfectly normal person without anyone having a clue they are actually bent.

Yes, I agree....lots and lots of ppl are f#6ked up because of their immaturity over it...some so desperate they scrape the bong and resmoke it...that's just discusting :barf:

I wasn't saying they couldn't function in society, what I was getting at is that YES, it DOES change people. There is nothing more to it. Of course its going to change someone, thats what its meant to do right? Its a mind altering drug.

Also, IMHO, the change it does produce in people is never for the better.

[twotrunks]

For those who are apparently normal and smoke pot every day... it's illegal! does that not matter? Are you so far above the law that you don't have to live by society's regulations? Or do you think that you are not harming anyone, so why does it matter that you are breaking the law? Are you three years old for goodness sakes?
And another thing, isn't it interesting that the majority of people who support recreational marijuana use refer to it as "pot" or "dope", casual affectionate terms which belie the serious damage that marijuana use can do...

[interplanetjanet]

In my personal opinion. I think those justifying the use of pot by saying that some people are completely normal members of the community :ecomcity: are either defending themselves, or actually have NO clue at all.
In my personal opinion, those who demonize it and treat it as though it's some super-addictive substance like coke or heroin have absolutely NO clue at all what they're talking about. That notion comes from total and complete ignorance.

I don't smoke pot, but I used to. I smoked it for at least a dozen years, and I smoked it regularly (i.e. daily). I wrote my entire thesis in astrophysics high as a kite, and guess what? I received honours. Not honours like people get here in Australia for just writing a thesis and doing an extra year of uni but the type of honours one receives for performing the best of the best. I went to grad school, lived in a few different countries, and I had a fantastic career. Did pot kill all that? No. I only gave up my career to be a SAHM.

The only reason I don't smoke pot reguarly now is because my husband doesn't really like it, and I respect that. Of course, he's much more important to me. Just because someone smokes it every day doesn't mean that they're addicted and are a slave to it (though yes, some are - but only emotionally, not physically).


For those who are apparently normal and smoke pot every day... it's illegal! does that not matter? Are you so far above the law that you don't have to live by society's regulations? Or do you think that you are not harming anyone, so why does it matter that you are breaking the law? Are you three years old for goodness sakes?
And I'm sure you've never driven over the speed limit or otherwise ignored the law. In any case, it SHOULD NOT be illegal, and that's where many people disregard the law on this basis. It's a stupid, antiquated law, just like many on the books. By the way, you can lay off the ad hominem attacks. Calling people three year olds only serves to make you look like a jerk who resorts to insults because you can't create a proper, logically sound argument.


And another thing, isn't it interesting that the majority of people who support recreational marijuana use refer to it as "pot" or "dope", casual affectionate terms which belie the serious damage that marijuana use can do...
Isn't it interesting that you use the term "marijuana" which is a term that was created for the purpose of demonizing a plant. If you want us to all be technically correct, then we should be referring to it as cannabis.

As for serious damage, pot does FAR less damage to anyone than other substances that most people consider acceptable simply because they're legal. Prescription drugs and alcohol are infinitely more damaging, and have killed millions of people (which certainly cannot be said about pot), yet they're labelled as ok.

[mumtoanangel]

Wow, mixed reactions on this thread! I personally have no objection to people who smoke pot, it is their own personal choice, if they become a problem to me in anyway then I don't have them in my life. I know of alot of people who are older and have been pot smokers for a very long time and are perfectly normal and functioning people. Then again I also know people who have become mentally ill, committed suicide, and others who have become socially isolated because of pot. It has varying effects on each individual just like any other drug. I personally believe cigarettes should be illegal and I'm a smoker! But the government makes alot of money from the tabacco industry so why would they want to lose that. Anyways, I don't think the use of pot as a release for mental illness is a good idea as it can cause mental illness... or really for pain either there are much more effective pain relievers available. But for social use occasionally, it does little damage to your health (at least compared to alcohol, cigarettes, drugs etc) and can be fun, provided the person is not endangering themselves or others by using pot then what is the harm.

[interplanetjanet]

Then again I also know people who have become mentally ill, committed suicide, and others who have become socially isolated because of pot.
No, you have known people who are mentally ill and have committed suicide who just happened to also smoke pot. Just because the two coincide does not mean there is a cause and effect relationship. Yes, pot can certainly be considered responsible for some people becoming socially isolated - that is one relatively common characteristic of its use - but it absolutely, positively will not drive someone to mental illness or to commit suicide. If you think it can, then you really do not understand the physical and mental effects of smoking pot.

[mumtoanangel]

No, you have known people who are mentally ill and have committed suicide who just happened to also smoke pot. Just because the two coincide does not mean there is a cause and effect relationship. Yes, pot can certainly be considered responsible for some people becoming socially isolated - that is one relatively common characteristic of its use - but it absolutely, positively will not drive someone to mental illness or to commit suicide. If you think it can, then you really do not understand the physical and mental effects of smoking pot.

Oh good so you are an expert in this field I take it if you are claiming it WILL NOT happen, you DO NOT know that 100% I get your point that it can be other factors, but it is something that I have researched heavily. There were 3 separate suicides that were due to pot and none of them were mentally caused by it, it was the downward spiral that occured that led to the suicide that started with pot, one case was a close family friend who was relatively normal started smoking pot in high school, by the time she was 30 she no longer cared for anything but smoking pot and getting money so she could smoke pot, that is when she came to live with us because she had been found homeless and as I said was a close family friend and my family wanted to help, she stole from us and worse, and committed suicide two weeks after moving in with us, the letter said, got no pot left ill go the situations I was refferring to are varying and I am only giving my opinion, and I can say with a fair amount of certainty that those people I know that pot affected were mainly affected by the pot. There are others who had many other factors contributing but I wasn't thinking about those

[mumtoanangel]

so does that mean my nan, grandfather and uncle, who all smoked well over a pack a day long term (cigarettes) didn't actually die of lung cancer from smoking, they just died of lung cancer and happened to be smokers?

[Pax]

No, you have known people who are mentally ill and have committed suicide who just happened to also smoke pot. Just because the two coincide does not mean there is a cause and effect relationship. Yes, pot can certainly be considered responsible for some people becoming socially isolated - that is one relatively common characteristic of its use - but it absolutely, positively will not drive someone to mental illness or to commit suicide. If you think it can, then you really do not understand the physical and mental effects of smoking pot.


I agree that Marijuana is an amazing plant with uses that we can only get excited about.

medicinally it is good for pain too etc.

I disagree however that it does not do any harm when smoked.

paranoia is definitely evident in people that smoke pot.

[twotrunks]

And I'm sure you've never driven over the speed limit or otherwise ignored the law. In any case, it SHOULD NOT be illegal, and that's where many people disregard the law on this basis. It's a stupid, antiquated law, just like many on the books. By the way, you can lay off the ad hominem attacks. Calling people three year olds only serves to make you look like a jerk who resorts to insults because you can't create a proper, logically sound argument.


Just to clarify: yes I have carelessly driven over the speed limit in the past, but I know that it was wrong, and I shouldn't have done it. Does the fact that I was alone in the car on a road with no other users make it ok? no of course n ot.
When I referred to three year olds I wasn't resorting to insults, I was referring to the fact that three year olds are generally completely self absorbed, and mostly interested in their own pleasure regardless of the effect on others. As we grow up, we generally learn that society has rules that we are required to follow in order to maintain stability. If we disagree with those laws, IMO we should fight to change them in constructive ways, and in the meantime continue to follow them. Yes there will always be exceptions or challenging laws to follow. However if we all pick and choose which laws we will follow then society breaks down.
One person's cannabis use can contribute to the illegal drug industry which destroys countless lives each day.
I believe that every individual contributes to the functioning of our society, and that changes should be made from within the system. If that makes sense.

[codswallop]

Ive known plenty of ppl with a daily habit that are fine
yes you can get drug induced schizophrenia from cannabis and those suffering from MI it doesn't usually sit well with
but those that do get DIS have a reaction to the THC and it only effects are very small number of ppl
my best GF had a allergic reaction to alcohol in even the smallest amounts should we ban it because of ppl like her?
my younger brother is allergic to penicillin
will kill him in large doses but in small quantities it makes him crazy, hyper and delusional
should we ban penicillin?

and after having a MI and working in mental health for 10 years i think i do know enough to state my educated opinion
walk in to any long term mental health facility and you will find alot more ppl with alcohol related mental health issues then pot and a lot more hard drug users

as for my choice to break that law... well yes as its a silly law there are lots of laws that are more politically and religiously motivated then through any actual need to regulate society for safety
as for contributing to the drug under world
yeah i dont think so as once again once you get to a certain age if your a daily smoker you have nice friendly contacts that grow there own and pass it on
just like i give friends fruit and veg from my garden

[~Candy~]

One person's cannabis use can contribute to the illegal drug industry which destroys countless lives each day.
I believe that every individual contributes to the functioning of our society, and that changes should be made from within the system. If that makes sense.

I agree, which is why ALL of aus should have the same law reguarding the growing of cannabis. Smokers should be allowed to grow 2 plants for their OWN use...therefore this would cut out the need for dealers and probably encourage smokers to go back to growing/smoking bush pot over the hydro stuff too.

[codswallop]

I agree, which is why ALL of aus should have the same law reguarding the growing of cannabis. Smokers should be allowed to grow 2 plants for their OWN use...therefore this would cut out the need for dealers and probably encourage smokers to go back to growing/smoking bush pot over the hydro stuff too.
nicely said!!!:iagree:

[84zsazsa]

Personally....I wouldnt care...it is her life & believe it or not she will live it regaurdless to your opinion!! We are not Medical Sciencist & have not studied this womens brain...at this point her being crazy could be caused by more factors then we could even bring up...well on here maybe...:laughing:

My parents are perfect example of Pot smokers & the different effects depending on the the person...

My father smoked it 30yrs....stoped cause he said he was "getting too old"...has always lived a normal (pays his bills, races bikes professionally, is clean, sane & tidy) life.

My mother smoked it 20yrs...needed more of a kick went to Speed then Meth & took her own life eventually.

2 people...1 substance...2 very different outcomes. Can we point the finger at Pot or look more at the person. I personally dont have a prob with the drug in its pure 'bush' form. Its the one grown inside, laced with other substances & so concentrated that the THG does wicked things to your body & brain. There was a fab Doco done by Nicki Taylor (UK) on the smoking of it...we also need to look at countries like Amsterdam, with some of the lowest rates in crime & depression in the world yet it is legal!!...:)

This debate could go on forever but....it has for a very long time...good luck

Danni

[interplanetjanet]

Oh good so you are an expert in this field I take it if you are claiming it WILL NOT happen, you DO NOT know that 100% I get your point that it can be other factors, but it is something that I have researched heavily. There were 3 separate suicides that were due to pot and none of them were mentally caused by it, it was the downward spiral that occured that led to the suicide that started with pot, one case was a close family friend who was relatively normal started smoking pot in high school, by the time she was 30 she no longer cared for anything but smoking pot and getting money so she could smoke pot, that is when she came to live with us because she had been found homeless and as I said was a close family friend and my family wanted to help, she stole from us and worse, and committed suicide two weeks after moving in with us, the letter said, got no pot left ill go the situations I was refferring to are varying and I am only giving my opinion, and I can say with a fair amount of certainty that those people I know that pot affected were mainly affected by the pot. There are others who had many other factors contributing but I wasn't thinking about thoseSo drawing unfounded and totally unscientific conclusions based on a few anecdotes makes you an expert? Don't bastardize the term research by pretending that reading some stories on the interwebby or hearing them from friends makes you knowledgeable on a subject and makes your conclusions drawn from them reliable. Just how much of that information did you actually glean from professional articles in the formal peer-reviewed literature? Correlation does NOT imply causality, and there is very, very little evidence to support cannabis use as a cause of psychological illness as opposed to the other way around. Research to try to prove one side or the other (such as your weak attempt to justify anti-cannabis propaganda) is not research at all. It's called selective reading to support a particular bias.


When I referred to three year olds I wasn't resorting to insults, I was referring to the fact that three year olds are generally completely self absorbed, and mostly interested in their own pleasure regardless of the effect on others.Which is just a veiled insult aimed to try to make anyone who disagrees with your view look bad in a fallacious attempt to discredit their point of view. Actually, now that I think about it, while both are accurate, your attempt to discredit those with opposing views is probably more of a classic attempt to poison the well (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/poisoning-the-well.html) than it is an ad hominem (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/ad-hominem.html).


As we grow up, we generally learn that society has rules that we are required to follow in order to maintain stability. If we disagree with those laws, IMO we should fight to change them in constructive ways, and in the meantime continue to follow them. Yes there will always be exceptions or challenging laws to follow. However if we all pick and choose which laws we will follow then society breaks down.It's not a matter of picking and choosing, and it's not black and white. I certainly hope you don't teach your children to blindly follow laws just because they're laws, because otherwise we'd see no changes in poor legislation. If there hadn't been people like Rosa Parks to challenge unfair laws in the US back in the 50s with acts of civil disobedience, it may have taken the civil rights movement a lot longer to gain the momentum that eventually brought equal rights to the country. Obviously that's not a direct comparison to the illegality of cannabis, but it is a clear example that sometimes civil disobedience has its place. All laws are NOT created equal, and one should never view them as all equivalent to be blindly followed in a sheep-like fashion. There's a reason why some laws are decriminalised and some are not (i.e. many are simply not enforced).

[DanceInTheRain]

double post sorry

[DanceInTheRain]

Ok so let's all agree to disagree that affects different people in different ways shall we? :-)

I'm speaking purely from my own experience with it, no one else's. I'm sure other people have had different experiences than I have, I'm not that closed minded :) However it pot CAN have a terrible effect on someone's life and I'm here to prove it! My my ex husband was also one of those that people that no one would have known he smoked it. He had a good job, friends and family, and was a 'normal' person. But the effects behind closed doors was a different story. After smoking it daily since he was a teenager it is my opinion that it had a detrimental effect on his personality and his health. Whoever said it wasn't addicitive, it might not be in the same addicition league as the harder drugs but you can still be addicted to it. My husband chose it over me for gods sake! And I am not exaggerating, we went through months of drug counselling for him to quit and then he just went back to it again. After 4 and a half years I left and gave him an ultimatum- Go to anger management and take steps to quit the weed or I am not coming back. He did neither and I never went back.

Normally I wouldn't bother to defend myself so much on a forum but as you can see this hits pretty close to home for me.

[~Candy~]

:iagree:. An old school friend of mine went crazy from the stuff. It certainly is addictive too, hence why she couldn't stop and she let her paranioa take over her life. She's over it now and knows never to touch pot ever again. She couldn't even leave her house!

It's lust like another poster said...booze & prescription drugs can do exactly the same thing as cannabis...it's addictive and it too can ruin lives.

Some ppl can handle it, some ppl can't.

[mumtoanangel]

So drawing unfounded and totally unscientific conclusions based on a few anecdotes makes you an expert? Don't bastardize the term research by pretending that reading some stories on the interwebby or hearing them from friends makes you knowledgeable on a subject and makes your conclusions drawn from them reliable. Just how much of that information did you actually glean from professional articles in the formal peer-reviewed literature? Correlation does NOT imply causality, and there is very, very little evidence to support cannabis use as a cause of psychological illness as opposed to the other way around. Research to try to prove one side or the other (such as your weak attempt to justify anti-cannabis propaganda) is not research at all. It's called selective reading to support a particular bias.

Which is just a veiled insult aimed to try to make anyone who disagrees with your view look bad in a fallacious attempt to discredit their point of view. Actually, now that I think about it, while both are accurate, your attempt to discredit those with opposing views is probably more of a classic attempt to poison the well (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/poisoning-the-well.html) than it is an ad hominem (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/ad-hominem.html).

It's not a matter of picking and choosing, and it's not black and white. I certainly hope you don't teach your children to blindly follow laws just because they're laws, because otherwise we'd see no changes in poor legislation. If there hadn't been people like Rosa Parks to challenge unfair laws in the US back in the 50s with acts of civil disobedience, it may have taken the civil rights movement a lot longer to gain the momentum that eventually brought equal rights to the country. Obviously that's not a direct comparison to the illegality of cannabis, but it is a clear example that sometimes civil disobedience has its place. All laws are NOT created equal, and one should never view them as all equivalent to be blindly followed in a sheep-like fashion. There's a reason why some laws are decriminalised and some are not (i.e. many are simply not enforced).

Just for the record I never said I was an expert, I offered my opinions based on my experiences, and no I didnt mean internet research, I meant extensive research from various resources including statistical data, community surveys, individual and group research, chemical research... you get the idea

[Fluffbum]

My own personal experience with pot by the way, ISN'T from personal use. Its from watching my own mother and her friends over the years.

I DON'T and will never agree with smoking pot "just because". But then every pot smoker has an excuse for it don't they.
I had no choice but to be exposed to it as a child/teenager. She used to sit in our enclosed lounge room and puff away. Ohh, but its only pot right?
My mother went from the perfect mother, to something else entirely. I wont go into that on here.

So my main point, as I said before. Is YES it DOES affect people. Don't sugar coat it, its wrong. And perhaps thinking about the effects it might have on your own children (Assuming of course that they know and are exposed the way I was).

So while some people are getting defensive over people bagging out pot because they like the stuff, consider the other side of the coin!

[codswallop]

My own personal experience with pot by the way, ISN'T from personal use. Its from watching my own mother and her friends over the years.

I DON'T and will never agree with smoking pot "just because". But then every pot smoker has an excuse for it don't they.
I had no choice but to be exposed to it as a child/teenager. She used to sit in our enclosed lounge room and puff away. Ohh, but its only pot right?
My mother went from the perfect mother, to something else entirely. I wont go into that on here.

So my main point, as I said before. Is YES it DOES affect people. Don't sugar coat it, its wrong. And perhaps thinking about the effects it might have on your own children (Assuming of course that they know and are exposed the way I was).

So while some people are getting defensive over people bagging out pot because they like the stuff, consider the other side of the coin!
what your mother did was wrong and it was a bad decision on her part
i would not nor let any one smoke pot in front of or near my children just as i dont allow any one to smoke cigarettes or give them alcohol
no one said pot doesn't effect ppl just that it doesn't effect every one in a negative way
i think that point has been lost

[interplanetjanet]

This just in: A systematic review of the literature concludes cannabis' effects on brain structure are 'minimal' (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19627647).


Just for the record I never said I was an expert, I offered my opinions based on my experiences, and no I didnt mean internet research, I meant extensive research from various resources including statistical data, community surveys, individual and group research, chemical research... you get the ideaPlease post some of your sources. I'd love to read them (meaning the valid ones from the peer-reviewed literature, not BS like "community surveys").


no one said pot doesn't effect ppl just that it doesn't effect every one in a negative way
i think that point has been lostI agree. I also think that people's judgments are very biased by their own personal experiences - especially those personal experiences that are negative. Conclusions drawn from such experiences are usually not very accurate, as they typically include false interpretations colored by their own emotional experience. My father was an alcoholic, and that contributed to him being a huge a-hole throughout my youth. The thing is, alcohol didn't make him that way - it only exacerbated the problem. He would have been one without it. It would be nice and easy to blame the alcohol, though.

[Opinionated]

Most of my friends smoke pot, and we are all fine, functioning, working/studying happy individuals with a lot to contribute to society.

Also, someone (cant remember who) said they were okay with using for chronic pain.


:laughing: Just struck me as funny. Pot affects memory.

[DanceInTheRain]

I agree. I also think that people's judgments are very biased by their own personal experiences - especially those personal experiences that are negative. Conclusions drawn from such experiences are usually not very accurate, as they typically include false interpretations colored by their own emotional experience. My father was an alcoholic, and that contributed to him being a huge a-hole throughout my youth. The thing is, alcohol didn't make him that way - it only exacerbated the problem. He would have been one without it. It would be nice and easy to blame the alcohol, though.

I never 'blamed' pot for my marriage breakdown, but it contributed significantly to it.

Would you want to be married to someone who smokes pot every day, has no dreams or goals, sits on the couch as soon as he got home from work after going outside and smoking a few bongs? Never wanting to change up the routine, do something sporadic or do any excercise? Would you want that person to be the father of your children? Not to mention the anger and violence issues he had but I honestly do not know if pot had anything to do with that. All I know is that he smoked pot since he was a teenager and I feel that contributed to his behaviour.

This is not a 'false interpretation' this is MY LIFE.

I honestly do not understand why you are defending it soooo strongly?? I am not adverse to the drug! I have smoked it before. It's like alcohol- socially or a little bit now and then is okay. As you mentioned your father was an alcoholic so you would know that it is not normal to drink copious amounts of alcohol and it has an exacerbating effect on emotional issues and can lead to health problems also. I feel it it also not normal to smoke copious amounts of weed for the same reasons.

[Pax]

I have been close to someone affected by pot. I have also been close to someone affected by speed, ecstasy, valium and alcohol.

Its all the same. So what if you smoke pot?

Most of my friends smoke pot, and we are all fine, functioning, working/studying happy individuals with a lot to contribute to society.

Also, someone (cant remember who) said they were okay with using for chronic pain.

Where do you draw the line at chronic pain? Chronic physical pain? Chronic mental pain? If somebody has chronic physical pain, usually people are sympathetic and understand, because its something they can see.

yet when somebody has chronic mental pain, it seems usually people think they are freaks, should be locked up, or are selfish if they kill themselves.

Chronic pain can be mental pain too. I'm sure the foggyness of the line that must be drawn is the reason euthenasia is illegal. Where do you draw the line?


that might have been me.

I am completely okay with it being used medicinally for chronic pain... :yes:

[sharonnscotty]

The main point is - IT SUPPORTS CRIME - and until you are a victim of crime you will uphold the idea oh it dosent hurt, these ppl are ok. Think about where and who they get it from, and who above them and so on. Get real.

[Hanna88]

For those who are apparently normal and smoke pot every day... it's illegal! does that not matter? Are you so far above the law that you don't have to live by society's regulations? Or do you think that you are not harming anyone, so why does it matter that you are breaking the law? Are you three years old for goodness sakes?
And another thing, isn't it interesting that the majority of people who support recreational marijuana use refer to it as "pot" or "dope", casual affectionate terms which belie the serious damage that marijuana use can do...



It's not illegal in Canberra!

I don't have anything against marijuana smokers whatsoever. It is their own choice. I know a fair few people who smoke it and have done so on a daily basis for 10+years and they are successful business men and women living in stable conditions. I do however have one friend who has been affected by his long term use of marijuana - it affects his memory something chronic. He is always forgetting things and when he is speaking to you sometimes he will forget what he is saying. He is aware that this is because of his marijuana use but continues to use it.

[BlakeNatsMum]

This thread has turned into a very interesting debate, and I have been reading both views..

Having said that I don't think there is any one on this earth that can tell me any different that Marijuana / Pot doesn't affect your brain in the short term and also long term, so I will just agree to disagree there....

I know of a fella who was heavily into pot smoking and somehow found himself naked at the local milkbar, thinking that he was indeed wearing clothes and was just purchasing some goods.... :confused: How he thought he was dressed I have no idea, but I spose in his little world he was...

I find that in itself very disturbing...

As with the OP's friend, I believe she has definitely been affected through her many years of pot smoking, and would be classified in my opinion as being delirious...

But hey, if she thinks everything is okay in her little world, then I reckon you should let her go... she may come to one day... :D

[Pinkzy]

What an interesting thread!! It definitely sounds like this woman is using cannabis to self medicate and while I don't condone that (and definitely do not encourage that)...I can understand it somewhat.

From the ages of 18-23 I was on many, many different anti depressants and "psych" medications. I was on some medications for months and years...others I was on for a matter of days because of the damage they were doing. I am now 26 and have been off all medication for over three years and I've never felt better, however two years ago I had a massive problem with alcohol and used it to self mediate rather than trying more prescription drugs for depression/panic disorder. I no longer have a substance abuse problem luckily...apart from not being able to entirely give up cigarettes.

What I'm getting at is I can understand why some individuals would rather self medicate with illicit substances (be it weed, booze, caffeine, FOOD, painkillers, harsher drugs) rather than with prescribed medication from a GP or shrink, especially if they've never had success with that kind of medication. I truly hope this woman wakes up one day soon and seeks help both for her sake and her families, particularly her son's.

I will also say that I know many people (some are good mates) who drink alcohol and/or smoke weed on a daily basis. Some have kids, some don't. Some work in high paying careers, others work in manual labor or factory jobs. All of them are happy, functioning and awesome people though and not one of them is "crazy" :)

[~Bec~]

I loath dope and everything that goes with it. I abhor when it is downplayed especially in the media (ie "it's only pot"). It's affects can be devastating on minds and turn an intelligent, rational, functioning person into a mess. I can't point to research to support but I can point to my brother. Anyone who minimises the effects of dope smoking has not had a family member or loved one affected by it.

Dope smoking supports crime on many levels. It's bad, wrong and in my mind, downright evil and I hate it.

[ladybugblue84]

I know someone who smokes pot & I have been trying to stop it since day one. It has led to the demise of our relationship (among other things). I blame him not the pot as he's the one making the choice. I believe he has some sort of depression & this thread has been an interesting read particularly those posts for it. I can completely see where you are coming from. I have nothing against people who use it but personally I don't like the use of it around me on a daily basis.

[Pinkzy]

A close family member of mine smokes dope and has done for over a decade - he works in a high paying job, has a lovely girlfriend, travels, has a lot of friends and is a fantastic guy.

In saying that though - one of his friends smokes dope (among taking and smoking other illicit substances) and he is a shell of the person he used to be. It's really sad watching him destroy his life but it's hard to tell if the mess he's made of his life is due to cannabis, the other drugs or maybe the combination of them all :(

[ringneck]

To the OP you could be describing my sister, it's sad how drugs change people it started with pot for her and is now ice the whole family has tried and tried and tried to help for her kids sake but there is nothing you can do unless they want help.
Many people can handle marijuana but many cant 90% of people i know who smoked it chronically have damaged themselves whether by severe memory loss, extreme paranoia and other health issues, to losing the great life they once had by pushing away everyone who loved them.
As for it being used for chronic pain my partner used to smoke it for this and it never helped the pain it just stopped his mind from focusing on it, while he was smoking he was moody depressed and almost impossible to be with.
I think if someone can smoke it and function fine so be it but don't do it near me or near children it's just sad when it affects someone so badly and they can't see it is ruining their lives.