Marijuana.

So now you accuse me of being a drug addict essentially and indicate you don't believe it helps with my pain. Interesting. Are you sure the meth you're consuming isn't for the same reasons?

I've used cannabis OCCASIONALLY recreationally but MOSTLY medicinally. What of it?

Seems an awful lot like projection. Do you have drug abuse issues? I know that when people do, they assume the same of others sometimes.

I see nothing wrong with recreational use anyways. Safer than consuming fast food at the end of the day.

I personally think weed is a much better,healthier choice of treatment,but that's me and my own opinion.

I think it's a personal choice that should be respected,not debated.

I smoked marijuana for 25 years and i know how THC effects people. It is a psychoactive substance, so it does alter the mind and thought process.

Glad to know your not a chronic user, for those are the ones who suffer the long term consequences.

No... I am not some addict myself. I take an occasional ritalin for my adhd.

We need debates on this subject. Canbabis has more properties than THC and CBD. There are so many other compounds within the plant which could provide treatment for various ailments. Scientists have yet to study in depth the various components which create the relief people experience from it. I don't use extracts. If I wanted to just get "high" I'd be using extracts as they are the most "high" producing form of the plant. As I stated previously, there is something in the plant matter itself which helps my symptoms. The government regulates it so heavily that it can't even be studied fairly. They give the study permits to only certain individuals and I have no doubt that they know in advance the bias of the people they allow to test it.

The thing about debating though...in the end,the ones against it will remain against it and the ones for it will remain for it.

I,for one,would much rather smoke a joint to relieve my anxiety and PTSD symptoms rather than take any benzos or antidepressants.I have compared the effects and have chosen my own personal route in helping myself.Many people I know disagree with my choice,and that's fine.

To clarify, you know how canbabis effects you, not how it effects people. You dont know how THC effects you as I highly doubt you isolated the THC and used it independently. I've beenbon a cannabis vacation for awhile now. I don't plan to be a 25 year recreational user and wouldn't have even started in my adult years of I hadn't have become sick. I get terrible migraines which make me want to smash my head open with a hammer so my brain can stop pounding. I have Percocet which contains Tylenol and imatrex which take at least an hour to take effect of they do at all. I can take one puff and often get INSTANT relief. And the side effect profile of the cannabis is less than the drugs the doctors prescribe.

You do see how you are projecting right? You used 25 years recreationally. It's easy to assume others are the same as you. But they are not. I would like to give you my pain for a weekend and a little pot. I have no doubt you'd use it and feel much different about your assumptions of me using it just to be "High". The high is a side effect but at least it's more pleasant than the side effects I get from traditional medicine.

Your right... i do know how it affected me. It only made my bipolar worse, it just took me a long time to figure that out. It affects many people with bipolar in a negative way from many studies i have read, while some with bipolar find it helpful.

Don't forget though that i am for the legalization of marijuana in all 50 states. I do believe that the cbd part of it benefits many.

Yes, but the information is out there if you debate and it might just open some people's minds and help with the discrimination factor. I spent YEARS researching it before going ahead and trying it. YEARS. I looked at so many studies, documentaries, and speaking with people who use it for similar conditions to my own.

If we don't debate, nothing changes. People have been arrested and used as slaves over canbabis. Families have had the breadwinners ripped from their homes and communities destroyed for sinister reasons pertaining to government and racism. People who use it are considered second class citizens while we hand out meth to practical infants. People need to wake the heck up and spend some time researching it from every angle. I have no doubt you'll be shocked by what you learn. It's appauling. Its a PLANT. It helps some people. People who are predispositioned towards psychosis can have bad reactions. It's not the pot that causes their psychosis as usually they have it independent of pot at the end of the day. Be wise, use common sense, be safe, be well and smoke some pot if it helps you. If it doesn't add anything positive to your life it's foolish to take it....but the same goes for anything we ingest.

In the US we have an obesity epidemic. It's costing the public a fortune! Should we ban all unhealthy food because some people can't keep themselves from overeating? Some people are locked in institutions simply because they are water seekers. They drink so much water it can kill them. Should we ration water for everyone because some can't control themselves?

After reading all of these replies I'm with ElsaMars on this one. I suffered from crippling endometriosis and ovarian polycystic syndrome for 10 years before having a total hysterectomy and the pain was never helped by narcotics or any other types of painkillers. MJ was the only thing that offered any pain relief. It is also one of the only things that helps my fibromyalgia pain. Unfortunately I can't get it here in Sweden but I was able to back when I lived in the states.

Also as I said before it's been beneficial in helping with my anxiety and my moods when I'm depressed. I also have a big problem with paranoia but MJ has never triggered my paranoia and made it worse.

I think the most important thing people need to remember is that just like with most other drugs everyone is going to react differently to it. There's plenty of research showing it's many benefits for a variety of maladies. It is no more dangerous than any of the drugs we all take on a daily basis to manage our bipolar so what's the point in going off on a tangeant about the negatives that are (in my opinion) rather benign compared to other drugs?