I Don't 'Get' Smoking Weed

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   Peelander Gallyposted 11 years ago

   As a Vice fan, I read this article and was like, "UGH, thank you!":
   
   http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/i-dont-get-smoking-weed
   
   As the author argues, for every person who smokes because it helps them focus or who is generally successful and has their stuff together, there's one (if not ten) who's playing the vidya all day, collecting unemployment, being paranoid and snacking incessantly, or someone who's even made it the defining issue of their life, around which everything else revolves.
   
   I totally get smoking it occasionally for stress relief, when you want to just forget about everything in your life, maybe if you've just gone through a breakup, gotten fired, etc., and I certainly think it's completely preposterous and counterproductive that it's still illegal in the U.S. (the states that did legalise it are doing so in violation of federal law), as regulating and taxing it would be a huge source of revenue and would put an equally huge dent in the pockets of gangs and cartels and free up some of our overcrowded prison space for more serious offenders.
   
   *All of those arguments aside*, does anyone else feel the same way? Why are people so obsessed with this crap?

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      Josakposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I found it fun, spending time with friends, listening to music and such it's relaxing and enjoyable, having said that I would never use weed anymore from what my kids tell me it's changed a lot in potency since I was young.
      
      Short story: it's relaxing, it makes music sound better, food taste better and everything funnier.
      
      Plenty of people just don't enjoy it, same with alcohol and anything else really.

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         habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Too true about the funny part. I used to laugh so much that my face would be sore the next day.

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         Peelander Gallyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Sure it's fun, I just don't get why people my age especially act like it's the greatest thing ever. I forgot to mention its use to treat chronic pain, cancer and other conditions as something totally valid that I agree should be legalised, btw.

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      nightwork4posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      why is it "crap". i've been smoking weed for over 35 years and it has always been enjoyable to me. i see junkies, drunks, religious nuts and they all seem to think they know what's best. there is nothing wrong with smoking weed, it's relaxing, it makes a person think more deeply and it is our right to choose to smoke it or not. i wish people would see how absurd the negative claims about it are. i we made cheese illegal tomorrow, within a month people would be getting killed trying to sell it on the black market.

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         Peelander Gallyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I don't think it's terrible, I just don't get why everyone's so obsessed with it. It ruins long and short-term memory and generally kills motivation. Obviously regularly inhaling any kind of smoke isn't good for you. The whole drugs-instantly-make-me-a-philosopher thing is annoying, too. No one wants to hear about how somebody discovered the meaning of life, opened all their chakras, etc. while high or tripping, that's so trite.

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      rhamsonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think it is the governments obsession that is at the heart of the issue. The police and ATF line their pockets with the proceeds from the government and busts to make a pretty good living for themselves knowing there is no end to it in sight.
      
      The government will not allow it to be leagalized until they can totally control it. It is different than with moonshine as the moonshiners have to set up camp and ply their craft out in the open. The policing agencies have an easier job than if they have to find an unattended pot patch or get a warrant to search a pot house.

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      kathleenkatposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I completely agree.
      
      People complain about how the consequences of Marijuana are 'too severe,' and maybe they are, but I never understood why it was so hard to just *not* smoke it.
      
      I live in one of the states where it is legal now. Of course, it doesn't go into effect until sometime in December, so people are still getting bagged and canned for it. Most people who smoke it around here just do so in combination with binge drinking. Mostly college kids, or at least that lifestyle. I know someone who gained like 30 pounds when she started smoking weed. Then she quit (and also quit alcohol) and she lost much more than she originally gained. 'The Munchies' is a real problem with marijuana users.

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      phionposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think it gives people with little to no direction a simple minded cause to advocate for.  You know like save the whales… who doesn’t want to save the whales. Who doesn’t want to stop wasting trillions on a fake drug war? Legalize it.
      I like to use from time to time, but I could also get a prescription if it was legal in my state.
      I look at it like to do the rest of issues like this. Alcohol, cigarettes, and a slew of other things are much more harmful to society than weed.

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      Sooner28posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Because some people believe that any substance that fundamentally alters your mind is somehow immoral.
      
      I don't know what possible defense there is for such an assertion, but in politics, there are no requirements that one must actually present a well reasoned argument .

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         phionposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Very true, you just have to get enough idiots willing to chant your name and listen to your lies in order to make it in politics. So much for change.

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   IzzyMposted 11 years ago

   If it's any consolation, you are not alone.
   
   I've tried it. I was 42 my first time so not an itsy-bitsy-try-anything-once teenager.
   
   I'm still waiting for the magic!
   
   From all the times I tried it since, only once did I get a feel-good factor, other times it got me to sleep during a particularly bad period in my life, or I got 'whiteys' where I passed out.
   
   Personally. alcohol is my choice of drug if I need help sleeping, or for pain, or even for recreational use.

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      LaThingposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, I tried smoking dandelions once, didn't word for me! *_*

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   habeeposted 11 years ago

   I much prefer weed to alcohol and other drugs. I rarely smoke it now, but I really enjoyed it when I did. I never allowed it to dominate my life, however. I know it's not physically addictive, but I still think it can mess up your life if you let it. I know a guy who smokes every day, several times a day. He's unemployed and has no ambition at all. It's a shame, too. He's a smart guy but is happy to do barely enough odd jobs to survive. This guy could have been a doctor, a lawyer, or a professor - a contributing income tax-paying citizen.
   
   I see no reason why pot should be illegal, BTW. I think it's far less dangerous than alcohol and not as bad as abusing prescription drugs.

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      Connie Smithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe it is not the weed, but that, no matter if he did or didn't, he would still be unambitious.  While many of us had that friend back in high school in the 70's called "Burnout," was he really or was he just plain lazy?

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         Peelander Gallyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I agree that unambitious people would still be so even if weed or video games or the other things people enjoy blaming didn't exist, just to clarify.

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         habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Good question, Connie. I've wondered about that, too. But he did have ambitions when he was younger. He even graduated from college with a degree in English. He wanted to go to law school, but he became obsessed with weed as an undergrad, so he never made it to law school. This guy could recite the entire Canterbury Tales prologue in Middle English!

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            Connie Smithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I doubt he was going to amount to much anyway, Habee.  I think, more like it, he had OCD, ADHD or some other mental issue that kept him from moving forward.  Whether alcohol or another choice of drug, many people use it for self-medication.  What is the difference between the rest of us as long term casual users and others, who became "addicted" to it or alcohol?  Actually, the same goes with food, as for many, it is their choice of drug -- that go-to that makes you feel better when you are down, hyper or whatever else ails you mentally.  I worked as an administrator in assisted living for mental health patients.  One of our girls was addicted to coffee and we had to monitor her intake as well as keep the coffee locked up like the medication.  Later, I read an article about studies that show coffee can have the opposite effect on people with bipolar disorder.  Had she learned to self-medicate when she was agitated (which was often)?  I certainly am no doctor, but it is an interesting thought.

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      Dr Billy Kiddposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Habee, I worked at an addictions clinic with people who smoked a lot of MJ everyday. They could not remember what happened in the last session of group therapy until, generally, they had quit smoking for 5 weeks. Then, the group would laugh, because it was funny to see someone remember their treatment episodes for the first fime.
      
      Some of these folks were dealers, who got busted because they could no longer focus on their business. A few were working and needed immediate supervision to remind them what they were doing.
      
      These are the extreme cases. Kind of like the pain group I ran where no one used marijuana to kill pain. It was just to get high. Heroin, yes. Methadone, yes. Oxycodin/condone, yes. Those are major pain killers. But MJ, never. Not in my group.
      
      Despite these out of the box cases, or possibly because of them, I'm in favor of complete legalization.To be specific, I hardly ever saw a soul in Haight Asbury with a marijuana problem. It was LSD which made them think like schizophernics and Meth, which does the same--eventually. Crank can do that too in large doses--send you to the insane asylum.
      
      So, I'm with you. Let's at least handle cannabis like alcohol or tobacco. It does slow the growth of the teenage brain, apparently. But so does downing a 5th of wiskey on Friday night..

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      Kathryn LJposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Plus it makes your coffee table riveting.

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   SomewayOuttaHereposted 11 years ago

   i don't smoke it...but i don't mind if people do...i believe in its medicinal uses - i wrote a hub about it...and with me living on the west coast of canada, well........it's a significant contribution to the underground economy where i live....no one can really estimate its value...billions anyway.....when i venture into isolated forest areas with my camera, i'm careful....just in case i happen upon a "farm" by accident.....Yikes!

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   Mighty Momposted 11 years ago

   I've been around addicts in recovery for quite awhile, too.
   Very, very, very rarely have I seen anyone whose sole drug of choice -- the one that took them to their knees -- was weed.
   Although from what I've observed, the weed available today is hella potent. Makes the stuff we used to roll (tapping out the many seeds and stems, of course) back in the '70s seem like harmless oregano.
   
   Why the mass obsession with it? Being illegal makes it more exotic. Kinda like booze was during Prohibition. Not being able to get it easily makes people obsess about it!
   
   Definitely agree with legalizing it.

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      Josakposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      ++++++
      Perfectly stated.

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      Peelander Gallyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Well, that makes sense, but at the same time, it is extremely common and easy to get, at least where I live. People smoke it out in the open pretty regularly in AZ, CA, and even before, WA.
      
      And a lot of it is hella potent, especially spice and other synthetic THC. That stuff sucks, I can't even imagine how much people have to have smoked to hotbox with that garbage and get only a mild buzz. Gross.

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   Shadesbreathposted 11 years ago

   It's about freedom.
   
   Stop telling people how to live. This country has become obsessed with passing laws to RESTRICT freedom rather than to empower it. "Ewww... we don't like that. Nobody should be able to do that because we think it's gross, plus we have this study that proves why its bad, and yes, we know you have a study that says its not, but we don't care about your study, we just don't like what you are doing, so we're going to use our 51% majority to force you to suck it, and, yeah, we know Madison and those guys tried really hard not to make this country a tyranny of the majority, but, F---- those a-holes that don't believe the same stuff we do. This is America and we can vote your rights away. We can actually vote your money away too. WOOT FOR HIGHER TAXES BITCHES!!!! . F---- you. Seriously, F--- you. I hate you and your beliefs so much. More power to me and my side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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      Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      
      Here. Maybe this will help.
      

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         Shadesbreathposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I'm hoping this is what happens when we die.

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         Dr Billy Kiddposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the beer, my dear!

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      Peelander Gallyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      lol calm down, I clearly said that I think it should be legal, I just don't get why everyone treats it like some smokable divine ambrosia.
      
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOEIruwzf54
      
      

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         kathleenkatposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Off topic: I went to school with the person who made that graphic.

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      innersmiffposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes it is about freedom. It should be legal even if it could kill on touch and would make zero revenue for the government - it's the individual's responsibility to consume what he likes and accept the consequences for it.

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         Peelander Gallyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Even if it can kill on touch, huh? Good point. I totally love it when my toothpaste is full of arsenic.

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   Annsaloposted 11 years ago

   I believe some of us need it. I suffer with bi polar. I am strongly against medications. Part of my bi polar keeps me up all night. A simple nightly bowl smoked and that problem is gone. I also see people being obsessed because it is all natural. Unlike cigs and beer we know what it is. I personally am excited because I finally see our country making something that can help so many people in one way or another legal.

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      Dr Billy Kiddposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Annsalo, I think the awful thing is that 50% of the people in prison are there for drug offenses. It's crazy to think that someone like you could get locked up if you sold some of your weed to someone else.
      
      I've seen lots of people with stuff like bipolar disorder who have reactions to medications. The physicians don't seem to get this.

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         Annsaloposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I agree. By putting people in jail for drug offenses we are wasting millions and millions of dollars, for what? I was one of those people who had an adverse reaction to a medication. The doctor simply shoved another medicine at me. At least I know what's in pot, that's more than I can say for the Seroquel!

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            Peelander Gallyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I've never met a bipolar person who self-medicated with weed (and alcohol) and did well for more than a couple of months. I don't take any medications and don't like them either, but there are pretty specific chemical imbalances in your brain that can actually be treated instead of just dulled for a while.

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   sabrebIadeposted 11 years ago

   My main litmus test on this is....
   
   Have you ever seen a pothead pick a fight?
   Have you ever seen a drunk pick a fight?
   
   "Last night the police responded to a shooting in a head shop".
   No.
   "Last night the police responded to a shooting in a bar".
   All...the....time.

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      Peelander Gallyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have seen potheads pick fights. Just because it has less of a tendency to make people violent than alcohol doesn't mean it's the greatest thing on Earth, IMO.

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         Josakposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         THC does reduce aggression.

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   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   It's a bit like gay marriage, I don't have to want to do it myself to think other people should be able to. Just not before class, they don't remember a damned thing.

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    knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfJJPPQWi3A

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    knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

    Actually weed would encourage bipolar. Discipline is the secret to bipolar.

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    Shadesbreathposted 11 years ago

    There are millions and millions and millions of people who ALREADY do it. America is NOT supposed to be a TYRANNY of the majority. It is a really simple matter of stopping the attempt to legislate morality. You will never ever be able to legislate your morality into someone else's life. You can argue, be rude, call people names like "pot head," be snide, present really poorly researched and totally stilted arguments, etc., but you aren't going to change the fact that all these millions of people don't agree with you. The votes for pot that fail, fail by tiny margins when they do.
    
    America is so consumed by its desire to force people into living exactly the same lives they live. All of them, both sides. The damn Republicans obsess about this issue and abortion and gay marriage, and the damn Democrats want to dictate food choices, reading choices, take away rights granted in the constitution, and tax everyone to death for their favorite entitlement programs.
    
    Nobody cares about freedom and liberty anymore. Everyone just wants to be the smartass who knows better than the other guy what is right. And you know, I'm actually fine with that; if you want to think you are smarter than me and have it all figured out, great. Just don't make laws forcing me live my life to match your brilliant solutions to the universe.

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