[psychmajortwenty2]

I've been smoking pot regularly for around 2ish years. I actually had no idea it was a regular thing until my roommate pointed it out.

I don't think I'm addicted. But I don't know. Maybe I'm in denial.

I've recently ran out of weed and there's no available dealers it seems in the area that I live in. I've switched to tobacco to smoke something, anything! from my bong and get that rush... but I don't really like it. Tobacco gives me a really sick feeling afterwards. I love the rush, but I think the sick feeling outweighs it.

So.. I'm just wondering. What are people's thoughts on this?

I don't know if I want to quit or not. I don't have any supply.. so I guess I'm kind of forced to.. but .. I guess I could find someone to deal to me if I really wanted.


I'm just kinda confused about all of this.

[splitimage]

Weed is definitely addictive. I've seen enough people in my rehab trying to get off it, to know that. I've also seen people develop severe paranoia after long term use. Despite popularity, it's not a safe drug for some people.

splitimage

[HealingNSuffering]

Yes it can become an addiction and yes it is harmful. Not as harmful as some other drugs, but its definitely not good for you. One way to tell if you are addicted or dependent on it, is to scan your body and mind when you run out of it. How are you feeling? If the answer is uneasy, anxious, empty, bored, sad, on edge etc. Than you probably have an addiction problem, its not physically addicting but its psychologically addicting. I was addicted and in denial for many years, quitting was actually really hard.

I'd say its harmful because: it messes with your concentration/attention span. It weakens your immune system because THC works like a steroid, it can also cause men to grow breasts. It messes up your mental health in many ways, interferes with memory, shrinks the part of your brain that regulates emotion (hippocampus). It can lead to depression and make preexisting mental health conditions more severe. It also messes up your central nervous system and can have lasting negative consequences on your blood pressure. Using it causes an increase in anxiety and as splitimage wrote, long term use can lead to paranoia. Even though I quit I'm still pretty paranoid. If you are considering quitting, I would highly recommend you do so while you are ahead. I should've listened to my doctor and quit sooner.

[Poppy Princess]

It bores me. I tried it and nothing happened.

[psychmajortwenty2]

Originally Posted by Poppy Princess

It bores me. I tried it and nothing happened.

Took me about 3 tries with lots o' weed for me to actually feel high for the first time. Before that I thought it was a joke when I tried it. I was like.. what is this?

[psychmajortwenty2]

The thing is... weed. It's used in so many other cultures. It used to be offered in India as to be polite for guests! (in tea form). Jamaica is still big on it! Mothers over there even smoke it during their pregnancies..

Not saying that makes it right or whatever... but yes marijuana may cause those side-effects.. but what about other substances like alcohol? Even TV watching? Anything it seems we do to distract ourselves can lead to health problems!

So I still don't know if weed falls into that.. it's also used in spiritual ceremonies sometimes still.

And the medical literature on the negative effects of weed are conflicting. You find one study, you can find another study that negates the results of the first one.

I just don't know. I don't know.

[Poppy Princess]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I don't think it matters too much in the end.

It just agrees with some people and with others, they really should stop. I don't think it helps in the long run. For the there and now I could understand people who need it but it will prolong your situation, mental health wise as one day you need to tackle the issue. People sure can lose track of time with it.

[psychmajortwenty2]

Thing is... I don't even know what my issue is. I think it's come with being ADHD.. I just like using it to chill out. You can also have great philosophical discussions when you're with a group of people who are smoking it too.

I guess the alternative would be meditation. And that would be healthier.

Whenever I end up around incense smoke, cigarette smoke, weed smoke, or any other kind of smoke, my allergies and asthma act up. So I dunno if I really have an opinion on the subject, lol.

[IndieVisible]

Meh.. I'm 57, I quickly out grew it in my 20's. Now it just makes me feel retarded with a bad case of ADD/ADHD. After pot my drug of choice became cocaine. Cuz I like to be social too. I prefer opiates and amphetamines for recreation and alcohol of course. But I have nothing against pot heads. Just not enjoyable for me.

[wisedude]

Well Marijuana is addictive, but only mildly so. Significantly less addictive than alcohol and cigarettes.

It is fairly benign, and does not cause psychological or mental harm, though it can sometimes trigger transient anxiety in anxiety prone people, but that's all.

The only people that get addicted to weed are people with major emotional problems or very addiction prone personalities, and those that mix it with Tobacco (which is much more addictive).

In regards to the previous "rehab" comment, in my opinion the people in "rehab" for weed are either there because of parents or courts having hysterical anti-drug reactions, or because they are "treatment seeking" individuals that want attention, and in some cases accommodation.

However, I am concerned you are using Tobacco, it is MUCH more dangerous and addictive than Marijuana.

Ultimately, it is up to you decide if you want it in your life or not, but it does not cause any damage to your brain or anything, its effects are short and transient. For many people marijuana offers a pleasant recreational activity that is a positive and pleasant part of their lives. Indeed for some people, including people with certain psychiatric disorders, it can significantly improve the quality of their lives.

Honestly, I wish I could go to the store and buy it legally right now. The only reason I don't use it very often is because I have too much anxiety to deal with buying it. Annoys me that I can go buy alcohol that has caused me to do some pretty stupid things, but I can't buy weed legally even though it helps with my anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

I've taken some pretty stupid risks in my life thanks to alcohol, but God forbid they legalize weed and I do something stupid like giggle too much while watching South Park and eating cookies.

Theres so much conflicting stuff on the internet. I have been in hospital with people with weed related psychosis, but there were also heaps of people that it helped.
Doing it every day to the extreme is not healthy, but doing that with anything is unhealthy.

Personally I see both sides, the good and the bad, so far for me it has been good - given me some time to chill out from my brain. But for my partner its not been so great, he cannot control his smoking or spending and is now in a lot of debt, trying to fight his way out of it. I prefer it to alcohol, I have much less side effects from it.

I dont see any problem with using it recreationally, but Im no expert. I feel the "weed is evil" mentality comes from it being against the law more than it being an evil drug.

[dubblemonkey]

Originally Posted by psychmajortwenty2

I've been smoking pot regularly for around 2ish years. I actually had no idea it was a regular thing until my roommate pointed it out.

I don't think I'm addicted. But I don't know. Maybe I'm in denial.

I've recently ran out of weed and there's no available dealers it seems in the area that I live in. I've switched to tobacco to smoke something, anything! from my bong and get that rush... but I don't really like it. Tobacco gives me a really sick feeling afterwards. I love the rush, but I think the sick feeling outweighs it.

So.. I'm just wondering. What are people's thoughts on this?

I don't know if I want to quit or not. I don't have any supply.. so I guess I'm kind of forced to.. but .. I guess I could find someone to deal to me if I really wanted.


I'm just kinda confused about all of this.

I used to inject water...

..smoking tobacco is pointless.

I wanted to be off my face...

you want to be stoned.

is it addictive?...can it be addictive?

two questions that blend together...

the answer is...."yes"

of course it will and is.... especially if I am seeking other means as potential substitutes despite in-effectiveness...

but it's not your fault!

you are not the first to select alternative realities as opposed to this one

the best way to manage this thing inside you?

...is to accept it...not be in denial about it.

...I like being off my face,....

now I have something in common with myself...

maybe I can fix it so it don't hurt so bad

[arachnophobia.kid]

dubblemonkey: that's a freaking awesome poem of sorts!

It can be addictive, psychologically, like HealingNSuffering said, but also I think it can be beneficial for some people. Addiction in this case just depends on the person and whether they use it or abuse it I think.

I used to smoke pot a lot but I stopped because I would get extremely anxious, so for someone like me it's not good. For you I'm not sure though, it seems like you enjoy it and you don't have a bad reaction to it so that's good. But if you are smoking tobacco because you don't have weed that's not good and that tells me maybe you are somewhat addicted. Please don't smoke tobacco psychmajortwenty2.

[HealingNSuffering]

I agree with the comments saying don't smoke tobacco, that's the worst habit I ever picked up. I haven't smoked in over 6 months and I can breathe a lot better and I'm not nearly as stressed out as I was when I was smoking those damn things. Nicotine acts as an imposter to what you are really short on in your brain which is dopamine, that's why people with Attention Deficit are more prone to addiction. Especially by any substance or action that stimulates dopamine and/or endorphins. The dopamine in the brains of long-term cannabis users is lower than non-users, which leads many cannabis users to experience a lack of motivation.

With Attention Deficit we already have low dopamine levels, so if you keep smoking it all the time, eventually you will experience a lack of motivation and maybe even psychosis like I have from it. Which I assure you is an unpleasant experience, unwanted voices in your head, feeling as though you are being watched, and an extreme panic reaction that makes you question your own sanity. Long-term cannabis use may blunt the brain's motivation system

It is also my opinion that cannabis is what caused my dissociative symptoms, but I've used other hallucinogens before so it could've been those. It could help some people with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, AIDS and what not. But there are already FDA approved versions of it that are far more safe than smoked cannabis purchased from a local street dealer. That stuff is sprayed with more pesticides than you think, same with tobacco. Cannabis also makes it difficult to grow muscles, because it boosts estrogen in the body, in a male body, more estrogen means less testosterone. So you will be more cranky and irritable. Far from "calming you down" in the long run it will just rile you up more.

[IndieVisible]

Smoking weed is just as bad as smoking tobacco! In addition to all the usual carcinogens in cigarettes, cannabis smoke remains carcinogenic. Both are linked to cancer but bind to different receptors. Combined cannabis and tobacco smoking is even worse. Also note worthy, cannabis does lower your sperm count and quality in males. It does not damage brain cells as once believed. There simply is no evidence to show that happens unless a person smokes 200x the normal amount. It does however impair short term memory and also other portions of the brain causing individuals to not care as much how they look or dress, and dampen enjoyment in other areas of their life. All is short term and if some one stops will resume their normal state.

IMHO it would be safer to cook cannabis, same effect, less some of the carcinogenic.

[arachnophobia.kid]

Originally Posted by IndieVisible

IMHO it would be safer to cook cannabis, same effect, less some of the carcinogenic.

That's something I've always wondered, why don't people make it into food more often? It's 100% better! And it's delicious!

[HealingNSuffering]

One time I made brownies with hash, ate it, then I went to my friend's house and smoked two blunts, some hash oil and was feeling pretty stoned. Then the brownie kicked in and I was way too ****ed up. I panicked.

[laughattack]

In addition to other statements presented here, I also have heard that marijuana can cause some memory loss, perhaps especially in adolescents.

I try to avoid *all* substances, besides my prescriptions, that affect my Central Nervous System: coffee, caffeine, alcohol.

Which sucks, because I really like coffee and the occasional drink. I have to settle for mineral water for my treat.

[IndieVisible]

Originally Posted by arachnophobia.kid

That's something I've always wondered, why don't people make it into food more often? It's 100% better! And it's delicious!

I noticed I have a lot less anxiety from pot cookies then I do smoking it and also the effect is better IMO! It's more steady and lasts longer. One cookie lasted me all week because I would only eat a little at a time, it was that strong! Honestly, I don't understand why it's not cooked more often or made in a pill form. The actual burning of the paper and leaves is what causes the most harm.

[psychmajortwenty2]

Originally Posted by OPRMC

Honestly, I wish I could go to the store and buy it legally right now. The only reason I don't use it very often is because I have too much anxiety to deal with buying it. Annoys me that I can go buy alcohol that has caused me to do some pretty stupid things, but I can't buy weed legally even though it helps with my anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

I've taken some pretty stupid risks in my life thanks to alcohol, but God forbid they legalize weed and I do something stupid like giggle too much while watching South Park and eating cookies.

Where have you bought it from in the past? Like anxiety approaching people on the streets... or... ? lol my guess is not approaching people. I guess, just the act of getting something that's deemed illegal?

[psychmajortwenty2]

Originally Posted by arachnophobia.kid

That's something I've always wondered, why don't people make it into food more often? It's 100% better! And it's delicious!

Because when you're using it on the down low, i.e. parents or roommates who don't necessarily approve of it or even really close neighbours, it smells your entire kitchen/house up! lol

You have to heat up the weed up if you want to get the maximum effects of it - you have to carboxylize the THC - before you cook it. They usually recommend heating it up in your oven.

I've looked this shizz up. I would rather eat it too :P but discreteness won't allow me

[psychmajortwenty2]

Originally Posted by HealingNSuffering

I agree with the comments saying don't smoke tobacco, that's the worst habit I ever picked up. I haven't smoked in over 6 months and I can breathe a lot better and I'm not nearly as stressed out as I was when I was smoking those damn things. Nicotine acts as an imposter to what you are really short on in your brain which is dopamine, that's why people with Attention Deficit are more prone to addiction. Especially by any substance or action that stimulates dopamine and/or endorphins. The dopamine in the brains of long-term cannabis users is lower than non-users, which leads many cannabis users to experience a lack of motivation.

With Attention Deficit we already have low dopamine levels, so if you keep smoking it all the time, eventually you will experience a lack of motivation and maybe even psychosis like I have from it. Which I assure you is an unpleasant experience, unwanted voices in your head, feeling as though you are being watched, and an extreme panic reaction that makes you question your own sanity. Long-term cannabis use may blunt the brain's motivation system

It is also my opinion that cannabis is what caused my dissociative symptoms, but I've used other hallucinogens before so it could've been those. It could help some people with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, AIDS and what not. But there are already FDA approved versions of it that are far more safe than smoked cannabis purchased from a local street dealer. That stuff is sprayed with more pesticides than you think, same with tobacco. Cannabis also makes it difficult to grow muscles, because it boosts estrogen in the body, in a male body, more estrogen means less testosterone. So you will be more cranky and irritable. Far from "calming you down" in the long run it will just rile you up more.

From my understanding, cannabis does not in itself cause psychosis/schizophrenia. The cause of schizophrenia is in the genes themselves. The active component of THC in cannabis can activate those genes, turn them "on", which leads to the expression of schizophrenia. However, you have to inherited those genes first in order to have that effect.

I don't think it runs in my family.