If Pot Was Legal . . .

[witesoxfan]

pot is healthy

 

That I disagree with

[BobDylan]

^^^

How many would want their surgeon smoking a joint right before operating?

 

How many would want their surgeon drinking right before operating? I don't know where this argument has gone because I'm not going to read through all the posts, but, c'mon. And if it came down to it, I'd rather a baked out surgen went through my insides than a wasted drunk one. If it were ever legalized, which I don't think it will be, they're not just going to say, "GET BAKED ALL YOU WANT! WHENEVER YOU WANT! WHERE YOU WANT!"

[BobDylan]

A. What does pot do to make you a better driver?

B. Why doesn't that also make you a better surgeon?

C. Is there something that makes you a worse surgeon, but a better driver?

Everyone keeps talking about all the wonderful things that pot does, yet almost no one wishes to mention any negatives.

 

One who used to smoke pot frequently, the negatives for myself are as followed:

 

1. Laziness. 2. Extreme appetite 3. Short term memory loss 4. Reduced motor skills (slower reaction time) 5. Paranoia 6. Sheltering (I wanted to be alone more often).

 

I drove high off my ass plenty of times and there were a few occasions when I forgot where I was, where I was going, or even sometimes that I needed to stop at a red light. Sometimes I'd follow behind a car, totally zone out about how brilliant rainbows are and find myself breaking last second to avoid slamming the car in front of me. If I did actually concentrate on the road and all of it's triumphs, though, I was a better driver. I didn't speed. I didn't tail cars. I didn't take all the risks I do as while driving sober. I'd drive like an old grandma. However, this wasn't easy to do. As soon as something distracted me (like, McDonalds), I'd drive like a grandma with no court vision--no semblence of anything going on around me.

 

Paranoia was bad at times. I didn't see red beasts coming out of the T.V. But sometimes, depending on the weed, it made me suicidal. I don't think this is widespread; perhaps more of a genetics thing because it does the same to my brother. I never actually walked to edge of the cliff, but I did have dark thoughts. This didn't last through the entire high. Usually the first stage (the first 10 minutes) was fantastic, then the next hour was Sylvia Plath night, and the rest of the high was mellow, let's eat some hot dogs and sit and relax.

 

I smoked heavy for about a year and gained 22 pounds. I'm still trying to shed that off.

 

The sheltered part may also be more genetic. I've always been a person that likes to be alone, so has my brother and dad. I have to know someone to be able to relax regardless of whether I'm high or not.

 

 

Judging only from my experiences, it's a low risk drug. With proper regulations on it, I don't see the legalization of marjiuana becoming a major problem. Not as bad as alcohol, anyway.

Edited March 13, 2008 by BobDylan

[Texsox]

How many would want their surgeon drinking right before operating? I don't know where this argument has gone because I'm not going to read through all the posts, but, c'mon. And if it came down to it, I'd rather a baked out surgen went through my insides than a wasted drunk one. If it were ever legalized, which I don't think it will be, they're not just going to say, "GET BAKED ALL YOU WANT! WHENEVER YOU WANT! WHERE YOU WANT!"

 

That came out of a post that stated people actually drove better high then sober. I assumed if getting high makes you a better driver, it must help other skills like operating.

[RockRaines]

One who used to smoke pot frequently, the negatives for myself are as followed:

 

1. Laziness. 2. Extreme appetite 3. Short term memory loss 4. Reduced motor skills (slower reaction time) 5. Paranoia 6. Sheltering (I wanted to be alone more often).

 

I drove high off my ass plenty of times and there were a few occasions when I forgot where I was, where I was going, or even sometimes that I needed to stop at a red light. Sometimes I'd follow behind a car, totally zone out about how brilliant rainbows are and find myself breaking last second to avoid slamming the car in front of me. If I did actually concentrate on the road and all of it's triumphs, though, I was a better driver. I didn't speed. I didn't tail cars. I didn't take all the risks I do as while driving sober. I'd drive like an old grandma. However, this wasn't easy to do. As soon as something distracted me (like, McDonalds), I'd drive like a grandma with no court vision--no semblence of anything going on around me.

 

Paranoia was bad at times. I didn't see red beasts coming out of the T.V. But sometimes, depending on the weed, it made me suicidal. I don't think this is widespread; perhaps more of a genetics thing because it does the same to my brother. I never actually walked to edge of the cliff, but I did have dark thoughts. This didn't last through the entire high. Usually the first stage (the first 10 minutes) was fantastic, then the next hour was Sylvia Plath night, and the rest of the high was mellow, let's eat some hot dogs and sit and relax.

 

I smoked heavy for about a year and gained 22 pounds. I'm still trying to shed that off.

 

The sheltered part may also be more genetic. I've always been a person that likes to be alone, so has my brother and dad. I have to know someone to be able to relax regardless of whether I'm high or not.

Judging only from my experiences, it's a low risk drug. With proper regulations on it, I don't see the legalization of marjiuana becoming a major problem. Not as bad as alcohol, anyway.

Yeah, I do not experience any of those symptoms at all. Do you experience some of that when you drink as well?

[Jenksismyhero]

I think the reaction pot gives you depends on our lifestyle. It's a sensually enhancing drug, so anything you've done before is just going to be advanced later. If you're depressed, you're probably going to be more depressed, or even suicidal.

 

The paranoia thing was big for me, and even though I haven't smoked in 2-3 years, it still can be. I drove so many times from central illinois to chicago with pot (nothing crazy, usually like an eighth) and had to worry about police that still to this day if i see one my heart jumps. Course I also have an irrational fear of the screeners at airports finding a knife in my bag, or that i'll fall off a balcony even if i'm 10 feet away from it. I think i'm just messed up like that, i dont really blame pot for it.

 

I had the laziness for a while, and probably gained weight in the winter, but i tell you what, there is nothing like getting real baked to go hiking. I did that hundreds of times, even to the same parks, and it was fantastic. There's a reason people who are artistic are drawn to drugs like pot - everything becomes so much better. Hell walking the streets of chicago is crazy high.

 

Short term memory loss i had, and mixed with the paranoia I thought it might never come back. But i'd say after about a month of not smoking the bong resin in my brain cleared and i was back to normal. Some friends didn't really have this at all, so who knows.

 

In the end pot is great, pot is wonderful. But it has the same common sense rules that are followed (or should be followed) with alcohol - i.e. don't drive and don't perform surgeries. It's too bad our country has billions of dollars in alcohol lobbies, otherwise I think it would be legal, or at the very least illegal without massive penalties (like a speeding ticket).

[Texsox]

Great post jenks. I'm not convinced that the alcohol companies would not be in favor of removing the penalties. People are drinking less, and I think the alcohol companies have the best chance at having an infrastructure to produce and deliver pot.

[Leonard Zelig]

Medical Marijuana Bill Clears Senate Committee in Illinois

[BigEdWalsh]

I stopped smoking pot over 35 years ago. When I did smoke it, I smoked a lot. I had to give it up for the sake of my sanity. I was totally going off the deep end. I also experimented with hashish and lsd. I experienced a bad trip...a very bad trip. Afterwards, pot triggered flashbacks which were not pleasant. I spent about 6 months of my life thinking that I was dead and reliving everything, kinda like non-stop deja vu. I spent a lot of time in a psychiatrist's office. He had me on anti-depressants and Thorazine. I eventually decided that I could get better on my own and quit going to him and flushed all my Thorazine down the toilet. Occasional flashbacks still happened but I got better.

In short, pot does affect different people differently. So does alcohol. I've gotten plowed plenty of times. I never acted like an obnoxious a**hole. I never wanted to fight everybody in sight. It never made me rude to people. But, I see this behavior in an awful lot of drunks.

Pot can be great. I had some great times stoned. I wouldn't ever say to anyone, "Don't smoke pot or you could end up like I did". That'd be stupid. But to assume, that pot should be legal and easily available to anyone and everyone is also, in my opinion, stupid. It's a hallucinogenic drug..

And driving stoned? Not a good idea. For sure, not as bad as driving drunk, but still not a smart thing to do.

[Texsox]

I was just thinking that if pot was legal and alcohol was illegal, that the alcohol drinkers would be making similar arguments and comparisons to pot.

 

But may be we do not need to make available every escapism mood elevator in our society.

[Leonard Zelig]

I was just thinking that if pot was legal and alcohol was illegal, that the alcohol drinkers would be making similar arguments and comparisons to pot.

 

But may be we do not need to make available every escapism mood elevator in our society.

 

I use it and I am not even necessarily for its legalization, but I definitely believe it should be decriminalized.

[Dick Allen]

I know your angle, but people can be too wasted to drive. It is a drug, it can cause impairment, it can cause an accident.

So can Nyquil. Do they have a test for that?

[Kyyle23]

So can Nyquil. Do they have a test for that?

 

Sure, they can test you if you have a some sort of ephedrine in your system. And they put on the bottle "Do not drive or operate heavy machinery...."

Edited March 13, 2008 by kyyle23

[Jenksismyhero]

I was just thinking that if pot was legal and alcohol was illegal, that the alcohol drinkers would be making similar arguments and comparisons to pot.

 

But may be we do not need to make available every escapism mood elevator in our society.

 

Talk about a slippery slope. If we're going at it with that angle, lets get rid of 90% of prescription drugs.

 

 

[Texsox]

Talk about a slippery slope. If we're going at it with that angle, lets get rid of 90% of prescription drugs.

 

90% of prescription drugs? Seems like we always need new antibiotics, cancers drugs, etc.

[StrangeSox]

Sure, they can test you if you have a some sort of ephedrine in your system. And they put on the bottle "Do not drive or operate heavy machinery...."

 

Put the same warning on the pack/bag of pot.

 

Lots and lots of things can make you too messed up to drive. Can they do breathalyser tests for sleeping pills? pain killers? cough medicine?

[witesoxfan]

Put the same warning on the pack/bag of pot.

 

Lots and lots of things can make you too messed up to drive. Can they do breathalyser tests for sleeping pills? pain killers? cough medicine?

 

Sleep deprivation is probably the most overlooked driving impairment of all.

[Texsox]

Put the same warning on the pack/bag of pot.

 

Lots and lots of things can make you too messed up to drive. Can they do breathalyser tests for sleeping pills? pain killers? cough medicine?

Step back for a moment. Why are people taking cough medicine and why are they smoking pot? There is a difference in application which is probably relevant. Not too many are texting all their friends to take some Nyquil, but they are making invitations to get baked.

[Kyyle23]

Put the same warning on the pack/bag of pot.

 

Lots and lots of things can make you too messed up to drive. Can they do breathalyser tests for sleeping pills? pain killers? cough medicine?

 

I would agree if it became legal. At this point it is not, so im not going to continue to argue "well this is also/more dangerous, why isnt it illegal as well?" because it is pointless. I never said anything about a breathalyzer for pot, sleeping pills, pain killers, or cough medecine. I said you could be tested (blood, urine)for narcotics in your system at the time of arrest.

 

You can be too wasted on over the counter stuff to drive. It doesnt happen all the time, but it does happen.

 

Step back for a moment. Why are people taking cough medicine and why are they smoking pot? There is a difference in application which is probably relevant. Not too many are texting all their friends to take some Nyquil, but they are making invitations to get baked.

 

Some kids do drink cough medicine for the "high" effect.

Edited March 13, 2008 by kyyle23

[StrangeSox]

Step back for a moment. Why are people taking cough medicine and why are they smoking pot? There is a difference in application which is probably relevant. Not too many are texting all their friends to take some Nyquil, but they are making invitations to get baked.

 

That wasn't the case at my HS.

 

And plenty of people take the other drugs I mentioned for the purposes of getting high. My point was that there are many substances out there that significantly impair driving but there are no tests for them. I do not agree with the claim that anyone drives better drunk or stoned.

[witesoxfan]

Some kids do drink cough medicine for the "high" effect.

 

Tussin parties

 

(not sure they actually exist, but we have joked about having one some time, where you just get loaded on tussin)

[StrangeSox]

I would agree if it became legal. At this point it is not, so im not going to continue to argue "well this is also/more dangerous, why isnt it illegal as well?" because it is pointless. I never said anything about a breathalyzer for pot, sleeping pills, pain killers, or cough medecine. I said you could be tested (blood, urine)for narcotics in your system at the time of arrest.

 

Early on, Steve made a comment that pot will not be legalized unless they're some sort of on-the-spot test like their is for alcohol, and I was pointing out examples of other things that impair your driving but for which there are no on-the-spot tests. I was talking about that line of thought, not what you said.

[Kyyle23]

Early on, Steve made a comment that pot will not be legalized unless they're some sort of on-the-spot test like their is for alcohol, and I was pointing out examples of other things that impair your driving but for which there are no on-the-spot tests. I was talking about that line of thought, not what you said.

 

Yeah, there are plenty of things that cannot be tested for immediately. In fact, alcohol seems to be in an exclusive group in terms of a breathalyzer

[Texsox]

I did not state my point very well. A very small percentage of cough syrup users are trying to get high, and a very small percentage of pot smokers are helping their Glaucoma.

 

Most smokers will be partying, and this should be a bigger priority then worrying about cough syrup abusers.

[BobDylan]

Yeah, I do not experience any of those symptoms at all. Do you experience some of that when you drink as well?

 

No.