(12-24-2013, 01:40 AM)TheUnforgiven Wrote: Its a common misconception that weed even is a 'drug'. A 'drug' is a man made chemical mixture, cannabis is a plant you smoke or ingest in various ways. It has slightly addictive properties, far less potent than either cigarettes or alcholol, let alone harder drugs like cocaine and heroin.
Marijuana has amazing properties for medical usage, including the treatment of seizures, and keeping cancer patients from falling into a deep depression and encouraging them to eat.
Plus really, if you vape it or use oil, there's almost zero negative side effects besides, well, the risk of amazing high inventions and eating everything in your cupboard.
I could be wrong though. Never tried drugs myself and the news/internet aren't the best sources of information.
It's true that drugs can make you look at things differently and appreciate life in more ways, but everything comes at a price.
I've experimented with drugs and had some very interesting experiences, but kept it at that. And then I smoke weed at a daily basis (it improves my PVP too ), but truthfully that does have a cost as well, even though I choose to do it anyways.
There are lots of medicinal qualities to weed, and the legislation and the way cannabis has been classified as a drug is a mockery to anyone with a rational mind, but while it is still less damaging than alcohol it does have negative side-effects, such as increased risks of paranoia, schizophrenia, depression as well as making users generally apathetic towards many things in life.
(12-24-2013, 06:04 AM)Mímir Wrote: such as increased risks of paranoia, schizophrenia, depression as well as making users generally apathetic towards many things in life.
I've known potheads since my freshman years in highschool and they're probably the sanest, happiest guys I've ever met.
From personal experience, I'm calling that one BS.
My experience is smoking weed daily for about 14 years, been hanging out with friends that smoke daily (some of them very crazy by average standards, some totally normal with regular nine to five jobs), been having girlfriends that smoke daily, lived with people that smoked daily, being interested in the topic and generally interested in what I consume. I have made my own hash, and me and a few friends had our own tiny plantation hidden in a forest, so it's something of a hobby of mine. Although illegal on paper you can buy very potent weed and hash openly here (thank you Holland and Marocco), and my country had in 2009 (haven't read any newer surveys) the highest frequency of folks that smoked cannabis in all of Europe, including Holland.
But really, we don't need anecdotal evidence when there is a large body of literature on the topic providing a nuanced view. If you do a quick search on Google Scholar and read some of the articles. Even for laymen such as you and I it is clear that although cannabis have some really positive traits there is zero doubt about the relation between cannabis use and depression, psychosis, paranoia and schizophrenia. The amount of studies and evidence is overwhelming, just like the amount of studies and evidence regarding the negative traits of alcohol. That legislation between the two differs so harshly in most countries has to do with western alcohol culture / norms and biased legislators, not because alcohol is any less harmful. As I said I thouroughly enjoy smoking it, but that is no excuse to deny facts, especially regarding something that can have serious consequences for some
(12-24-2013, 06:04 AM)Mímir Wrote: such as increased risks of paranoia, schizophrenia, depression as well as making users generally apathetic towards many things in life.
I've known potheads since my freshman years in highschool and they're probably the sanest, happiest guys I've ever met.
From personal experience, I'm calling that one BS.
Your experience may differ I suppose.
He is right actually. Though, by no means will it produce mental issues on its own, it can reinforce already existing issues. The ones he named primarily.
It varies from person to person, really, as every individual is unique.