Ganja

[Claudine]

So guys, i having a little issue with ganja usage. I need a little PM input on the whole ganja situation. ,So why do you think weed,pot,MJ is bad? or do you think its ok to smoke weed? it is a plant.....

[franciscanheart]

You have an issue with it meaning you don't like it or you do and don't like that it's illegal?

I think that MJ is just like alcohol in it's immediate effects on the body - however, I do not support it's usage because it is illegal in the United States.

Haven't we discussed the use of this 'plant' here before? Someone should dig up that thread... or those threads, as the case may be.

[Anomaly]

What do you want to know about it? From huge amount of personal experience and research:
-It's bad for your lungs because of the huge amount of 'tars' you inhale.
-Tobbacco is a plant too.
-So are 'magic' mushrooms and peyote and cocoa leaves.
-Doing "doobs" often becomes a lifestyle.
-It is an illegal practice that puts $$ into the hands of serious criminals who kill, rob, and commit violent acts to smuggle, protect crops, protect 'market turf'.
-Once you overcome the social barriers for regular illegal activities, it is easier to justify taking other drugs.
-Pot users, especially young adults, has shown a significant increase in schizophrania, suicide, and other psychological problems.
-Ganja is a 'boosted' form of pot, between the standard leaf and hashish.
-Many pot smokers 'dust' their twistees with meth, dust, coke, heroin, crack, and other 'kickers'.
-Is it really worth getting busted?
-Most employers perform drug testing which would kick you right out. Pot is not as easy to flush out as you think.
-If you test positive for drugs after you've been injured on the job, your worker comp benefits may be significantly reduced.
-Sharing a bong, pipe, power hitter, or a joint puts you in contact with saliva from others and transfers diseases, for example, herpes (cold blisters).

Smoking pot is so kewl, isn't it?

Edited October 3, 2006 by Anomaly

[homeschoolmom]

[Jaime]

Ganga can make you start a thread and forget to write about it

[IcePrincessKRS]

[quote name='Anomaly' post='1082766' date='Oct 3 2006, 08:40 AM']

-Most employers perform drug testing which would kick you right out. Pot is not as easy to flush out as you think.

[/quote]

Not to mention all the other points, this one is so true. My 18 year old brother had 3 summer jobs and had to get tested for all of them, one employer (two maybe) even gave random tests each week (pull a name out of a hat sort of deal, you never knew if it was going to be your turn). Some of his classmates didn't get hired because they tested positive.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Anomaly' post='1082766' date='Oct 3 2006, 07:40 AM']
What do you want to know about it? From huge amount of personal experience and research:
-It's bad for your lungs because of the huge amount of 'tars' you inhale.
-Tobbacco is a plant too.
-So are 'magic' mushrooms and peyote and cocoa leaves.
-Doing "doobs" often becomes a lifestyle.
-It is an illegal practice that puts $$ into the hands of serious criminals who kill, rob, and commit violent acts to smuggle, protect crops, protect 'market turf'.
-Once you overcome the social barriers for regular illegal activities, it is easier to justify taking other drugs.
-Pot users, especially young adults, has shown a significant increase in schizophrania, suicide, and other psychological problems.
-Ganja is a 'boosted' form of pot, between the standard leaf and hashish.
-Many pot smokers 'dust' their twistees with meth, dust, coke, heroin, crack, and other 'kickers'.
-Is it really worth getting busted?
-Most employers perform drug testing which would kick you right out. Pot is not as easy to flush out as you think.
-If you test positive for drugs after you've been injured on the job, your worker comp benefits may be significantly reduced.
-Sharing a bong, pipe, power hitter, or a joint puts you in contact with saliva from others and transfers diseases, for example, herpes (cold blisters).

Smoking pot is so kewl, isn't it?
[/quote]
So assuming that we are in a country where it is legal, how many of these actually still apply? If we are not in the United States and are in a culture where this is the norm and it is not necessarily surrounded by a 'drug culture', how many of your arguements still stand?

Now, assuming that both MJ and alcohol are legal in this place that we are that is not the United States, would you agree that the down sides to alcohol are very close to the down sides of MJ?

[Anomaly]

Hugh,
What do you want to compare? The effects of over-indulgence or the effects of regular 'social' use of alcohol vs tetrahyrdrocanibonol?

[franciscanheart]

How about both, one at a time?

[Anomaly]

How about we skip over over-indulgence for both since it's commons sense that too much beer, too many cheesburgers, too much coffee, and too much pot are bad for you. Let's say we're discussing occaisional use, not over-indulgence.

-Alchohol is metabolized quicker than thc so the effects of thc will last longer.
-THC is stored in tissues and have a longer affect in the body, which isn't well understood.
-THC affects the nerves near the hippocampus inthe brain, which we don't know what (if any long term affects are).
-Currently, there are no legal industries to manuf. and produce THC in any form. What shape should the industry take? Should it be smokeable? What about the resins? Should it be eaten? Should it be an a pure chemical form?
-How can it packaged and sold without risking quick over-indulgence? if it's ingestible by taking 40 pills instead of 1? Yes alcohol can easily be abused, but it is more difficult to accidently over-dose because of the time it takes to drink.

[franciscanheart]

Let's be fair. Post the negative effects of alcohol even though it has on some level been mentioned in the negative effects of THC.

[Anomaly]

How about we skip over over-indulgence for both since it's commons sense that too much beer, too many cheesburgers, too much coffee, and too much pot are bad for you. Let's say we're discussing occaisional use, not over-indulgence.

-Alchohol is metabolized quicker than thc so the effects of thc will last longer.
-THC is stored in tissues and have a longer affect in the body, which isn't well understood.
-THC affects the nerves near the hippocampus inthe brain, which we don't know what (if any long term affects are).
-Currently, there are no legal industries to manuf. and produce THC in any form. What shape should the industry take? Should it be smokeable? What about the resins? Should it be eaten? Should it be an a pure chemical form?
-How can it packaged and sold without risking quick over-indulgence? if it's ingestible by taking 40 pills instead of 1? Yes alcohol can easily be abused, but it is more difficult to accidently over-dose because of the time it takes to drink.
-How can US laws protect people from those who over-indulge? For example, .08 is the alcohol content that is 'legally' impaired and if you drive, you are legally liable. What standard is there for THC before you are legally impaired? How can it be tested?

Legalizing THC has way too many questions and unknowns for it to be treated the same as alcohol. It is adding yet another intoxicant to society which would just add to society's woes. There really is no societal 'need' to accept it. Alcohol is bad enough, but it does have a long history of being widely accomodated within society. If marijuana is added, how can society decide how much is too much? How can society set standards for social use use versus destructive over-indulgence? What would be the signs? Are there any?

Edited October 3, 2006 by Anomaly

[franciscanheart]

Though I don't believe that THC could be regulated in quite the same ways that acohol is regulated, you have stated also that they are quite different and cannot be held on quite the same level. As you have also pointed out, there are still many unknowns when it comes to THC. So until we know more, it is difficult to answer all of your questions.

What I was getting at though is that it does not take much for a person to become 'drunk' on alcohol just as it does not take much for a person to become 'drunk' (high) on THC. It is easy to overindulge with alcohol and the effects are often much greater than those of THC.

I see a lot of truth to the arguments you are making and would agree with you in that we do not know enough for it to be regulated here or anywhere successfully and that there are some factors that may outdo alcohol. However, if it were to be socially acceptable to most of the country, it would be necessary to weigh the effects of overindulence. After all, the laws for overindulgence are set up knowing that someone will. If we understand and accept that, would you rather someone be completely wasted on THC or alcohol?

Alcohol does damage to your liver and can potentially critically injure other parts of your body. The damage of alcohol is long-lasting as well. Because alochol is metabolized faster, some may indulge in it more than is necessary or appropriate in order to maintain their high.

[Era Might]

Marijuana destroys your life. Don't do it.

[Seven77]

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2291 The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.