STFU Cannabis enthusiasts!

[Jabberwocky]

Hi.

Got your attention? Good.

There seems to be some sort of illusion going on in the Cannabis consuming society.
I´ve met quite a few people myself that seem to think that Cannabis is absolutely harmless while the same people seem to know very little about how the Cannabionoids actually work and even less about the side effects.
Im not an expert myself by any means and I do consider myself an cannabis enthusiast as its my DOC, I use it for medicinal reasons too and its my favorite plant but I dont consider it harmless. After all, not much in this world is harmless and Cannabis certainly aint one of them.

It pisses me off when I hear or read these people defending Cannabis in the public ´cause most of them are doing the legalization process more harm than good. Instead of giving an nuanced picture of the plant that people can relate to and understand, they come off as if the plant has no side effects, cures cancer just like that and that it aint addictive in any way but frankly, anything can be addicting.
The argument of Cannabis vs alcohol and tobacco always comes up in these kinds of discussions and I can see why ´cause the laws in most countrys sure aint fair or based on neihter science nor common sense, but if you think that alcohol and tobacco are the devil no matter what while Cannabis is harmless, well then thats just being ignorant and people who dont use the plant and are against it based on common misconceptions that they have picked up from the corporate media, sure as hell wont take that nonsens for anything else than bullshit.

Stoners running around and talking shit wont solve a got damn thing and if we only talk about the postive sides of this plant, when we are no better than the media, politicians and doctors who only seem to talk about the negatives.
We need to get a more nuanced and realistic picture of this plant out to the public.

Why this thread on bluelight? Shouldnt Bluelighters know better? Well, I think that most of them do, so this is not an attack on you guys/gals by any means. The people Im talking about aint the ones who goes online and do some serious reseach before opening their mouth ´cause those who do would know about both the positive and negative sides of this plant.

Personally, I think that then you stack the positives and negatives up against each other then Cannabis will come out as one of the safest drugs known to man.
Tolerance development is nothing compared to most other drugs. The withdrawls are nothing compared to most drugs.
You can still get pretty high even if you use it everyday and the medicinal properties are wide and effective.
Yet, none of the above equals harmless.

I just needed to vent as this really pisses me off and also to start some debate about it.

Do you experience the same as me when it comes to your friends talking about this plant? Or am I the only one surrounded by these ignorant deepshits who, btw, also seems to be very big on illuminati which in most cases has absolutely nothing to it.

(I had a pretty hard time explaining this the way I wanted to so it came off a little confusing. I hope you get what I mean and if not, I will try to answer any questions regarding my view on this topic)

 

[Doldrugs]

I think this is pretty harsh. Cannabis isn't completely harmless, but neither is water. Marijuana is one of the absolute safest things you can use. Comparing it to alcohol and tobacco, which are literal poisons, is ludicrous. The two primary issues with weed are starting too early (it has definite negative effects on developing brains), and smoking in general (completely solved by using edibles). It should be avoided by those with serious mental health issues like schizophrenia. If you're eating weed it has basically zero negative effects. I think some pro-legalization people get carried away but the majority I see are well informed. The stigma against weed is so far out of proportion to its negligible dangers I don't mind if people go a little overboard in the opposite direction.

 

[Jibult]

Do you experience the same as me when it comes to your friends talking about this plant? Or am I the only one surrounded by these ignorant deepshits who, btw, also seems to be very big on illuminati which in most cases has absolutely nothing to it.

I've noticed this for years now. A lot of weedheads like to disguise their personal experiences as concrete facts, and then they throw in a few buzzwords from a High Times article to science up their presentation in an attempt to sound like they know what they're talking about.

I like to let them talk. You let them talk and their ignorance or knowledge on the subject will shine like a beacon sooner or later.



I'm kind of past arguing with people about it, though. There's an old quote I'm fond of that sums this type of situation up perfectly for me:

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than it is to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

People get so confrontational when you try and talk this stuff out with them. That's cool with me, I just let the bullshit flow and remember that that person likes to talk out the side of their neck.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Doldrugs

I was pretty pist off after reading some stuff related to this on facebook when I wrote this so yeah, I came off pretty harsh and should have waited to cool off before posting.
I stand by the essence of what I wrote though.
I wasnt trying to compare it to alcohol or tobacco as those being equally dangerous at all but I can see how you could think that from what I wrote
Its just that, then it comes to the people in question making the comparisment, they always mention the bad sides of alcohol and tobacco and only the positive sides of Cannabis which paints a very untrue picture.
Dont get my wrong, I have researched the dangers of alcohol and tobacco long ago and I know from personal experience how they affect me as an individual which is why I never use alcohol to get "high" but only half a glass of wine or a skinny bitch drink once a month or so and I dont use tobacco at all (any more).
But there are positive sides of these things too and those should not be neglected then comparing it to other drugs.
I must say that I disagree that oral Cannabis has zero side effects and I find it hard to understand how you can come to that conclusion.
I´ve seen people turn into zombies by massive daily smoking (I´ve even been there myself) and those side effects had NOTHING to do with the act of smoking so changing ROA wouldnt have changed a thing when it comes to this paticular side effect.
I do agree that the risks of smoking are very far up the list of Cannabis related side effects though.

The problem with people going overboard is that they come off very unbelievable to the general public.
I mean, the none-consuming part of society is mostly against Cannabis because they have been filled with lies from the media, school, parents and so on.
They will call bullshit on people going overboard with Cannabis being a wonder drug without side effecs (well, I actually do believe it to be some kind of wonder drug, but without side effects? nah).
If however, they were to be told about both the negatives and positives, the whole thing would be much more belieavable to the general public and stoners wouldnt come off as addicts that are just trying to justify their use as much.


Jibult

I get your point, but the problem (and the part that Im pissed about) is that people like those you mention are doing harm to the process of legalization and thereby harming the exact same thing that they are trying to protect, thus making life more difficult for the rest of us as we are forced to remain criminals even though we are doing nothing wrong.

 

[Jibult]

I get your point, but the problem (and the part that Im pissed about) is that people like those you mention are doing harm to the process of legalization and thereby harming the exact same thing that they are trying to protect, thus making life more difficult for the rest of us as we are forced to remain criminals even though we are doing nothing wrong.

I agree, dude. I've just lost any desire to try to effect any kind of change here. I've found myself becoming a bit more antisocial lately, so it's kind of easy for me to just completely ignore people that tend to irritate or annoy me. It helps me from kirkin' out over little shit and creating a huge problem out of nothing...

I dunno, I have my own shit going on that could help explain my apathy towards this kind of stuff these days, I just don't want to bother anyone here with it, you know?



You're absolutely right, though, and I know I don't help the cause by not running up and correcting everything I hear, but shit, dude, I'm tired of being a fuckin' super hero with a textbook. If they really want to learn, let them. If they want to spout bullshit, let and avoid them. I'm thinking more small-picture than you (or selfishly, I guess you could say?), I just want to live my life in peace. People that don't contribute to that peace might as well not even exist to me.

 

[Doldrugs]

If you're using in moderation (which should go without saying for anything), what are the negative side effects from using edibles that I didn't mention? I really haven't noticed anything but positive effects, myself.

 

[treezy z]

OP i agree i actually made a similar thread recently.

 

[Jabberwocky]

If you're using in moderation (which should go without saying for anything), what are the negative side effects from using edibles that I didn't mention? I really haven't noticed anything but positive effects, myself.

Not everyone is able to use in moderation, so the potential of addiction should always be on the list along side with tolerance development.

Other than that there is:

Loss of motivation

Dry mouth (which will make your mouth a much nicer place to be for bacteria which could damage your teeth. Saliva is also step one in the process of digestion and so, the efficiency of this step is reduced. Taking small sips of water regulary will help combat this)

Increased difficulty learning and remembering new things while under the influrence

Short term memory loss

Increased social anxiety
Increased risk of panic attacks
Increased risk of paranoia
Increased risk of acute psychosis/psychotic episodes

Supressed REM sleep (I dont know if this is true per see, but I´ve stumbled upon it a lot of times on the web and I find it very likely to be true from personal experience as my dreams seems supressed and I need more hours of sleep to feel fully rested)

Supressed dreams and difficulty remembering them upon wakening.

Supressed immune response (which is great if you have an autoimmune disease but not so great otherwise. CDB is thourght to be responsible for these actions btw)
Minor loss of motor control/co-ordination

Munchies (major side effect if you are overweight but also it seems to me that what people are craving is sugar and sugar is a pretty crappy carbohydrate)

Increased heart rate (I dont think this is of any concern unless you have a heart condition but its still worth mentioning, I think)

Decreased libido (some experience the exact opposit)
Erectil dysfunction (some experience the exact opposit)
Reduced sperm count (this could be due to the act of smoking though)

Decreased reaction time

Increase of an already existing depression (some find it has antidepressive properties, myself included, while other people experience that their symptoms get worse)

Insomnia (Its a great sleep aid too but consuming some high THC - low CBD/CBN weed right before bedtime has turned out as a bad idea for me every single time)

Risk of unwanted dissociative effects and feeling of apaty

Risk of headaches and feelings of dizziness


As mentioned earlyer, Im no expert on the subject so Im sure that the list goes on beyond what I´ve already mentioned.

 

[Jabberwocky]

OP i agree i actually made a similar thread recently.

Link please?

EDIT: nevermind, I found it.

Jibult

I understand.
I hope you reach inner peace someday and that your problems will fade as time goes on.

 

[Doldrugs]

The dry mouth definitely does suck. I still haven't found a good solution for it myself. And the increased heart rate is a good point, definitely something to keep in mind when mixing with other drugs. The other effects you mention either don't affect me or I enjoy them, but I concede for others they may well be a problem.

 

[endorstoi]

Dude, exactly the same thing. Your mentioning the Illuminati was spot on. I also find it utterly funny how some of them are even trying to find connections between drones, hijacked planes and illegal weed lol. I even started saying that I'm against the legalization just for the sake of these hamsters' butthurt. If asked why, I usually get really cocky and say something like "weed shouldn't be available to people like you" ))

But I also have to agree with the other posters. Truthfully, there aren't too many side effects to cannabis consumption. Most of the side effects that you mentioned above are either too minor or rare to be regarded when considering legalization. Also, almost none of them are long term. I would say that the most prominent side effect to cannabis usage is increased laziness. I myself turn into one of those zombies you were talking about (I am also extremely lazy by nature), I frequently binge-smoke, locking myself in my apartment for the weekend, I stop noticing all the trash that piles up around me and sometimes don't even wash (I am by no means a clean freak). Is that good? Probably not, but I don't really see how that can be harmful either.

IMO, the only major downside to weed that is largely undermined by the pro-legalization community is addiction. There's a common belief that weed is not addictive at all. That is just wrong. I find weed to be a lot more addictive that it is generally thought to be. Most of the people I know smoke everyday, often more than once, and they still claim that they're not addicted, that is just taking the piss. Also, imagine waking up having smoked non-stop for a couple of days. How do you feel? Pretty drowsy and demotivated, right? I guess it cannot be called physical addiction, but it sure makes you wanna wake and bake.

Munchies (major side effect if you are overweight but also it seems to me that what people are craving is sugar and sugar is a pretty crappy carbohydrate)

Sure, munchies can be pretty hard to resist, but if you're overweight, diabetic, or just have digestion problems and go smoking and munching, you cannot blame it on weed, you're just an idiot. You can also eat prior to smoking.

 

[ThaDudeAbides]

Anything in excess is bad.

My only issue with the current scene is all this fucks blowing themselves up making shatter or trying to vape shatter using a torch and a nail. Heads up, stoners and torches don't mix. Unless you are a skilled glass blower. I'm worried this shit is going to send our scene backwards.

Flowers and Hash is all I need. These other concentrates really worry me.

 

[Doldrugs]

THC is harmless enough that concentrates don't really bother me. I think the tide has turned too much in the US for some idiot stoners to reverse it. Legalization is inevitable now, and when it comes those concentrates will be regulated and safer. They're all just hash anyway, dude.

 

[PotatoMan]

They're all just drug ignorant.
It's the same with booze. It's so glorified but nobody actually knows how bad this liquid really is.

And I highly agree with your frustration. I am equally as frustrated.

Dabs are gunna fuck up the whole "weed is harmless" idea. It's no longer harmless as probably most of the weed you find is 20%+ THC. To my knowledge the "weed is harmless idea" came from the studies back in the day when the common strain had like 5-15%? I could be wrong.

 

[Doldrugs]

You're calling people who say weed is harmless ignorant, but I don't see any facts that high THC weed is harmful in your post. Got any science to back that up?

 

[treezy z]

^high THC weed is more likely to cause paranoia, anxiety and shit because the balance of THC to CBD is way out of wack.

 

[Doldrugs]

^high THC weed is more likely to cause paranoia, anxiety and shit because the balance of THC to CBD is way out of wack.

I wouldn't consider that harmful, personally. If you're getting anxious on weed that just gives you an opportunity to deal with your issues. And it's not the weed's fault if you smoke too much. Also there's high CBD strains out there that would be easier to get if it were legal.

 

[treezy z]

getting anxious/paranoid on weed doesn't give me a chance to work on any issues, it causes more issues. i only smoke when i'm drinking because of this.

there is no positive side to weed anxiety/paranoia IMO i've known people to develop anxiety problems from it.

 

[Doldrugs]

I've personally used mindfulness based meditation while on high dose edibles and benefited from it. It's a matter of education and state of mind whether cannabis induced anxiety is a positive or a negative. I don't believe cannabis or other psychedelics cause mental health issues, they just bring existing issues to the surface.

 

[subotai]

I think you let one overly pro-cannabis individual or group of individuals ruin your entire image of most people who smoke weed.

no shit there's pros and cons to using it, welcome to drugs. When they make a drug with only positive effects we will officially be in Brave New World

so toke up and let people go on a non-existent crusade. If weed ever becomes legal in the US it wont be because of the person being described in the OP, it will be because pharmaceutical companies finally figure out a way to make money off it