Monday, January 26, 2009

The pot wars

The pot wars, video. Twenty million users in the US. And illegal. It's fucking weird.

I've never tried it. I thought I might, but I'm told it often precipitates paranoia, and that's one thing I don't need.

32 comments:

Timo Lehtinen said...

www.jackherer.com

Anonymous said...

I've never tried it. I thought I might, but I'm told it often precipitates paranoia, and that's one thing I don't need.

It doesn't affect everyone that way. It can also be smoked safely using a vaporizer. I haven't used this myself. And I haven't smoked that shit in a number of years. If you're going to do it, though, might as well reduce the crap you're taking into your lungs.

Cristina Rodríguez said...

My friends were quite ok with it. I was the one who got "paranoid". While everyone was relaxed and having fun, I would become obsessed with the most tiny little ideas and think them over and over and over until they became monstrous frightening things. So I stopped and that was it. It's not like you are going to get paranoid on the spot, you could try it if you are so inclined, and see what it has for you.

I could probably get away with using it for medicinal purposes now but I don't think I would be having much fun. And the truth is I don't like to feel my mind altered in that way. (Translation: I'm a control freak, which could be the reason why pot made me feel paranoid in the first place...)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Hmmm, I'm very control-freakish myself, so maybe it's not a good idea.

I'd try it if I could get it in the store, but I'm already paranoid about doing anything illegal.

Anonymous said...

I've tried once in a cake, small portion, without really having the intention: it was a birthday cake and everyone ate from it. Normally I am very social. Well, it made me totally antisocial for 10 minutes. The noise the people were making was disturbing me, I wanted to go home.

A friend, girl, thin and emotional, said she tried once and it took her 3 month to get out of it.

A friend from a remote country started to grow it at home after his mother was treated with breast cancer. He wanted to provide her with good quality. The problem after chemotherapy is that cancer stops, but the person gets very week, cannot eat and sleep properly, and dies slowly. Smoking marihuana can be live-saving, makes the person relaxed, hungry, able to sleep and to eat again. After she got healthy, my friend's mother helped out other women by explaining them and bringing them.

Kent McManigal said...

I have smoked it. It had no real effect on me that lasted more than a few hours. No paranoia. It was fun, but not enough to overwhelm me, or cause me to obsess over it. I think different people may be affected differently, but I seriously think it is less an issue than many people on both sides want to make of it.

Anonymous said...

I think the people who tell you it causes paranoia are all out to get you.

Anonymous said...

I didn't find it altered my mental state, just make me feel really mellow and relaxed. I didn't become paranoid.

Anonymous said...

That is an altered mental state I guess, I just mean that I didn't get some kind of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" things going on. You have to do more than just plain ol' dope for that. At least most people.

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Precipitates paranoia? Are you absolutely SURE?... ;-)

Okay, seriously now. In reality, it only helps an underlying predisposition to emerge, with enough abuse, and in select individuals. Alcoholism can cause just the same, courtesy of the Korsakoff syndrome (B-vitamins depletion in the brain).
And remember : paranoia implies an ego that's big and fragile. A very self-centered person who believes to be very important, either in a delusion of greatness or an obsession of plots. Do you really feel the shoe fits you, Eolake?

This being said, I wish there were a way to advise against any use of it the people who precisely have psychotic predispositions. They're the main reason why pot is dangerous. Along with some health risks (thanks, Joe), and those irresponsible enough to drive under influence.
I heard you can also drink it, by dissolving it in alcohol. Then again, I must confess I'm no expert, and taking booze WITH it doesn't sound like a very wise idea.

"And the truth is I don't like to feel my mind altered in that way."
You and me both, Mary. Not really because I'm a control freak, I just value my well-functioning mind too much to recklessly mess it up.
But maybe this too is pre-paranoid narcissism? ;-)

"But I'm already paranoid about doing anything illegal."
Hey, if you're afraid that the fanatic hyper-conservative populism-driven justice system is out to get you the second you step outside the line... Well, OK, you just MIGHT be paranoid after all. But it seems there's a lot of that precise symptom going around these days. :-/

Honestly, I think I don't want to try marijuana ever. But the idea that if I change my mind, I could get sent to jail for doing something totally harmless to others (it's little different than drinking, including the health risks), well, that really bothers me. To the point of paranoia.
Just like I'm worried that I can get ten years hard time if I just happen to get caught doing a dirty doodle of Lisa Simpson!

[Takes a deep pre-rant breath.]

You wanna know what control freak really is? I'll TELL you what control freak really is. It's people who deprive everybody of their constitutional and God-given birth right to fuck up their OWN bloody lives, spewing laws guiltificating what one may think, while real crimes fill the streets.

Okay, I think that was enough for a little midnight rant. I don't want to wake up my parents next door by yelling too loud.
Don't worry, I'll make you another novel-size post some other time. Just... not feeling in the mood right now.

Maybe it's because I forgot to wear my two-pointed tin foil hat this morning...

Nanoo-nanoo, fornit some fornus. Challenge everything, just do it. C'late o' bar at da night-o. NARF!

Aniko,
What you felt was, I believe, the result of pot's classic effect : exacerbation of the senses. Great when having sex (according to some), but unbearable in any remotely unpleasant situation like a noisy birthday party. I hate those in my NORMAL state! Plus, if everybody present is taking the stuff, it won't make for a very well-mannered and quiet company. D'uh!

I can't really think of a sensory experience where I'd feel the desire for highly enhanced perceptions. It's already enough to HAVE a pleasant sensory experience. Drugs amplify to the extreme biological mechanisms that are meant to function at limited intensity 99% of the time.
So I don't like the principle of drugs outside necessary medical indications. (I don't even like the official "principle" of beauty creams!) Still, harassing people who use the least addictive drug known to man (after chocolate, but it is more known to woman ;-) I find utterly stupid. In routinely witnessed amounts, alcohol often does far worse. Plus, morbid alcoholism represents an addiction equivalent to heroin: it becomes a dramatic HARD drug!

Thanks for sharing the experience, Aniko. You help promote my plea of a world ruled by sense, not by dogmas.
Of course, as long as religions tyrannically force Society's decisions, dogmas will rule. Religion is all about dogmas, and zero about sense.
Pretty much like more officially-labeled cults.

Kent,
Well summarized.

Speaking of religion and paranoia... There is one obvious element which proves that pot isn't as much of a terrible evil as some claim : when was the last time you saw a rastafari turn terrorist and blow up an airliner?
Like, they're more merrily mellow, my man.

They say pot is the first step on the way to harder, worse addictions. Well, sure, every journey has to start with a first step. People with a readiness for drugs will naturally start with the most harmless stuff. *IF* it is available.
A majority of pot users never go further. And many hard drug users never bothered with weed. (Like, what's complicated about starting with COCAINE?)

But why am I bothering with repeating what everybody knows? What we need in the matter of drugs and legislation, is SENSE. Killing the hydra of blind dogmatic passions.
Sooner said than done. U.S. pro-lifers are already calling for the excommunication of Joe Biden.
These people are high on one of the oldest and deadliest substances of all : Holy Crap.

I've witnessed, within my own family, what that horrible stuff can do to people's lives. Protect our children. Just say "No"!!!

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Joe,
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"? Man, what kind of weird stuff are you on? ;-)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Hunter S. Thompson, I'd guess. That stuff really is a hazard.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

"paranoia implies an ego that's big and fragile. A very self-centered person who believes to be very important, either in a delusion of greatness or an obsession of plots. Do you really feel the shoe fits you, Eolake?"

Sadly yes. Though I'm getting better.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Pascal, I think you got plenty ranting out of your system today, go to sleep. :-)

Pot enhances the senses? I better stay off it. Like Aniko felt at that party, that's me every day. Hyper-sensitive. (I even have a book about people like me, "Highly Sensitive People".)

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Ah yes, now I understand better what you meant about being a dope-head...
Painted under LSD, no doubt.

I had forgotten about your hyper-sensitivity "thingie". You're right, better give pot a VERY wide berth... and then sink it from a distance with a torpedo. (Sorry, folks: taking expressions literally is an intellectual addiction of mine.)

Getting better? Nice to hear. That's more than Dr Prune would say about my Lara Croft obsession.
If I can find where I put my old diary, I'll be sure to blog about it all. A deeply moving story, it iszzzzz.... [snore]

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I find video games boring, but funny enough, just two minutes ago I was reading about how enlightened-guy Jed McKenna plays Lara Croft.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

"(Sorry, folks: taking expressions literally is an intellectual addiction of mine.)"

Join the club, dude. It's funny, when you open your eyes to it, there's hardly anything people say which is not different when you take it literally.

Anonymous said...

I once passed out in an massive Aerosmith concert after having two puffs out of a joint. When people asked me later what the hell happened to me, I could only answer "Too much stimulus, my brain just disconnected". So yes.

I too sadly fit into Pascal's definition of a paranoid personality. I try my best too.

Anonymous said...

I've been smoking the weed for nigh on 40 years.Now I have the pleasure of sharing the odd one with my son and he is one hard working dude.Hasn't slowed him down at all.My advice to those who are curious is make sure you have no doubts before your first toke otherwise don't bother.I've looked at the photos and Mr. Obama was a viper so possibly he might have a hand in slowing down the war on weed.Last time I read anything on BC grow-ops they were putting 7 billion into our economy.The battle is lost in this part of the world and my kids don't regard it as anything more than something to do when they party.It's no big deal anymore. cjg of eroticalee

Bert said...

It sure has been a looong while, but back in my soundman days, well... let's just say that pot was really the lesser evil then.

Can't say I remember it all :-)) but there are one or two things that are clear for me:

- The results are a lot about the company you keep. Sailors have a saying that goes something like "For every mile out, the boat gets a foot shorter. Make sure you know who you're leaving with". Same advice with dope trips.

- It's also like drinking alcohol: it's rarely fun by yourself.

Me, pot used to make me laugh. A lot, and about everything! I miss it sometimes, but then again, part of me knows that it's best enjoyed during that period of your life when you haven't a worry in the world.

Anonymous said...

Although I'd say it's harmless, since it is illegal it's not a good idea for anyone interested in military service or the police to start doing it. Just like any hint of mental illness can put the kibosh on those careers, the same is true of drug use.

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Mary,
Maybe you should try less to fit into the definition of a paranoid? ;-)
Too much stimulus, indeed. Nothing to do with paranoia there, you just had a sensory overloading. As I said, our body's potential isn't meant to function at 100% except under exceptional circumstances. Remember, I mentioned it when discussing Ronaldo's injury.
Drugs often are a cheater's easy way to an extreme pleasure similar to orgasm (or hoped to be). I don't care about gloomy pleasure-allergic bigots, but moderation is always a good life principle.
Still, it should be a CHOICE, not a law-defined crime. Because freedom is a priceless treasure. NOBODY should be forced to "do something worthwile with their lives" if they aren't motivated to do it. You can force rule-following, but not virtue. Commitment (to a girl you've gotten pregnant), but not love. Service attending, but not faith. Imposing these is both liberticidal and a most regrettable hypocrisy.
I can damn well moderate my blog's comments, but not turn a single troll into a polite person. :-) I'd rather educate, motivate, inspire. Honest souls need no criminal laws, do they?

@ CJG,
"Mr. Obama was a viper"? What do you mean? I didn't get that.
Wasting billions in a pointless and at any rate ineffective moral crusade is certainly a luxury the world in today's recession can afford no more. I guess every cloud has a silver lining...

"eroticalee", is that your web site? Give us a link, man! I'll be a square's rear angle if I miss the erotic site of somebody who comments on this blog!
Uhm... "not that I have an internet porn addiction, or anything". ;-)

Bert,
Well said.
It's strange, though: all I need to get in a laughing mood is, precisely, the mood. The choice and desire to. No chemicals needed. When in a social occasion, the excuse of having a glass of wine is enough to loosen me up and get me going, before I even taste it! And I seldom take a second glass. I just seize the alibi to be myself more freely. :-)

Joe,
Military service or the police, undoubtedly, yes.
Fortunately, one still has the more lenient option of becoming President of the United States! ;-p

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Why don't you just google "eroticalee"?

---
Indeed, moderation is good. If you don't overdo it.

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

On Blogspot. Of course. How could I not think of it immediately?

[CLICK]

......................

AAAARGH! My eyes! They are burning!
Geez, I really shouldn't neglect my allergy drops.

Nice art, CJG. I think. Some of it is borderline abstract. "Is this upside-down?" :-)

(Yawn) Well, that's it for me today. Good night. I'm bushed. Now I'll be dreaming about psychedelic pussies.

My text verification : compercu
Phonetically, in old French, "compère cul" (silent L) would mean "my ass-hole buddy".
Ha! In-your-face, T.S.Eliot! How's THIS for Dada poetry?

Anonymous said...

To Mr. Pascal. Viper is a term we [my friends] used in the 60's to describe our pot smoking ways.You can find the pictures by Lisa Jack of a young Mr. Obama on lenscratch.blogspot.com Now some say he's just smoking a cigarette[and he may be in the photos] but I agree with those who know a viper when they see one. I certainly agree with moderation. What I consume herb wise in a year these days I would have gone through in a week way back when.It mainly helps me manage the pain I get from kidney stones. A joint along with Oxycontin [legal from my doctor] is my way of knocking myself out when it gets to be too much.A thank you on the artwork and my darling Lili thanks you also as we both do the work on site2. If anyone here could give us some info on how to collage using Photoshop3 I would be most grateful. We are used to much more basic programs and are having a harder time finding our way around Photoshop. cjg of eroticalee

Bert said...

The key in Photoshop is to use layers, and lots of those for collages. You will probably find masks helpful too, a bit trickier to master though. The nice thing about Photoshop is the huge number of well written free tutorials on the web, just google "Photoshop tutorials" and you'll be right on your way to mastering the tool.

Good luck & have fun!

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

CJG,
I know quite well how unpleasant kidney stones can be. I recommend you make use of modern medical technology to have them disintegrated with ultrasounds. Quick, efficient, painless, safe. If you can afford it in today's financial crisis world.
I'll bet it turns out much more pleasant than relieving the pain with medically-prescribed cannabis.

I say it's a waste of goot dope to take it just for pain relief. ;-)
Not everybody has a choice, alas. Ultrasounds aren't enough to get rid of cancer.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

A friend of mine had kidney stones. He suffered for a long time, then the doctor gave him something which enlarged the veins, and they flowed right through. He's still wondering why they didn't do that sooner.

Anonymous said...

To Mr. Pascal. The first stone I had removed was busted up using an inserted device after spending a month with a rather large tube up the passage to the kidney.Not a very pleasant arrangement and certainly no guarantee they won't return as they seem to have. At least now I can pee them out which gives one a nice taste of pain.Kidney stones seem to be a problem for a number of people living in the small town where I was living for about 10 years.Something to do with the hard water.The stone one of my daughters passed was about the size of small pea and took a year to come out while her doctor told her she was just having period pain.I even have a photo of it next to a Canadian dime.You don't want to think about it coming out your plumbing and when I saw it I got a better idea of what an old friend of mine was dealing with as he drank and "junked" himself to death a few years back.I live in Canada and the medical services here are strained to the limit and beyond.That is why many of our citizens who can afford it go to the USA for treatment. Oxcycontin is generally referred to as "hillybilly heroin" as far as I know no cannabis in it.My weed is totally illegal.The oxcycontin handles the pain and the weed puts me to sleep like it has for many years now.I consider myself very lucky to be able to manage the problem this way.I could tell you a long and sad tale about my first wife dying of cancer at the age of 34 but you are correct that ultrasounds didn't help.Let me just finish my windbagging by mentioning that BC bud is some of the most righteous shit you'll ever toke.Last man standing is the winner.I'm down. cjg of eroticalee

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

Ultrasounds are the ideal treatment for kidney stones beneath a certain limit size. I'd say the size of a pea remains well below that limit.
There's no rational OR scientific reason to deprive a patient of its swift and safe relief. Not only do lingering stones cause great pain, but they attract many complications, like kidney damage and tract infection.

For the record, women say that a kidney stone hurts so much, delivering a baby is nothing by comparison. This gives a rough scale of the thing...

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I've heard that, and it's made me scared shitless of the things.

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

There's no shame in a justified fear.

I'd feel the same, except I seem to have excellent sphincter control.
Or maybe I *am* just anal-retentive like some flamers claim. ;-)

My greatest fear, fueled by decades of living in Lebanon, is encountering a destructive manifestation of human stupidity.

Which brings us back full circle to this thread's original topic! :-\