I used marijuana for about 5 months. I have one friend specifically that uses it a LOT. He is a fiend. I would say on average, he smokes around 4 joints a day (that is only amount, he smokes it in a lot of different ways). I noticed that when smoking it (regularly after a few weeks), I was, yes, different. I don't think it was a dramatical change that made me a slow, stupid person, but I did notice a change. I enjoyed smoking weed a lot, the high was pleasent, and I was not uncomfortable with it at all, and I am a person who does not really care what others think, even though if I needed to hide it, I was able to. When I did not smoke, or even after I quit, I had no withdrawal whatsoever. I also remember that during my smoking period, when I got sick, I was very sick. I have a very strong immune system, and I rarely get colds or the flu, but this one lasted for about 8 days, went away, then had another 4 days of sickness about 3 days after ridding the first. Now that I have stopped, I do not feel the way I did when smoking. To be specific, my sense of taste and smell were different, and that is now restored. My friend on the other hand says to me all the time that he will smoke for the rest of his life. He also says that he can quit at any time, just has no need to. I believe him to a degree. With almost everything, you can gain a mental addiction. What becomes habitual, becomes addictive. Biting your nails for instance, I do it all the time, and I also chew on the inside of my mouth, have since I was a kid, and that is hard as hell to stop. I quit smoking weed no problem. But it was because I needed to. The biting my nails and chewing on my mouth habit is not something I need to quit, so I just don't. It doesn't seem to have a detrimental effect on my health, so why quit? But what he doesn't realize is that it will harm him, a lot. I firmly believe that anyone should be able to do what makes them happy (with restriction to not harming others and their life), so I don't care that he does it, it is fun for him. I have read many studies, gone to many webistes, and it is quite debatable what the true effects of marijuana are. Of COURSE if you hold anything but the air around us in your lungs for too long, it kills brain cells, we need oxygen... So the brain cell killing thing is a given, almost everything does that. Lung damage? I'm sure it does, especially if you are a 'real' smoker and breath in a lot at a time, and hold it in for (jesus, almost as long as he can) a long time. I have read that there isn't any cases where marijuana smokers have contracted emphesyma (spelling?) from it, but I am not 100% sure on that. I think just about everything around us causes cancer, so I wouldn't be suprised. But what I am really trying to get with this post, is that I had a great experience with it, and it sucks that I wont be able to do it (for at least another 4 years
). Side effects: yes, Addiction: No, not unless you make it a regular habit, then of course it is, but not a chemical addiction, its mental, and it CAN be broke. Does it make you a loser? F*** no, I extremely despise people who say that it does. If the person was already weak enough to become a 'loser', then sure, marijuana undoubtedly can take money away from you. People who aren't stupid know how to use things in moderation, and that is why it can be a good thing. Damn, look at alcohol and cigarettes. Why in the hell are those legal? They are both chemically addictive, whith MAJOR side affects. They are so damn addictive, THEY ruin lives. I have read MANY controlled experiments with drunk drivers and high drivers. I do NOT support people who drive high, just wait till the high runs off, damn. But people drive drunk way too much, and it is extremely imparing. Cigarettes? Waste of time... where is the satisfaction? It is only like biting your nails, except that they put chemicals in it to make you want to do it more. It does so many BAD things to counteract ANY positive effect smoking tobacco gives. Weed on the other hand does have bad effects (no addiction), yet gives a very pleasent relaxation feeling, and in some people, helps soothe pain and gives them an appetite. Yes, there are pills that give appetite, and soothe pain, but obviously people look for the high also. And the reason weed is illegal is because it alters the mind, and it has become a socially unaccepted form of a high. There are MANY conservative people in this country, and it seems they are the only ones barring the use of marijuana. I would say a great majority of people, asked on the street would say they wouldn't mind if it was legalized. It is legal in many other countries, and do they have problems with it? Not really.... Hell, America could even benifit from it, ban selling of weed, but allow the people to at least use it, and even grow a certain amount? I would really like to hear everyone's opinion on the bad effects if they legalized it. I will set the legalities:
To use or grow marijuana you must be age 18 or over.
No selling.
Growing is restricted to 5 plants per household (or something, doesnt really matter).
Same rules for smoking cigarettes (no smoking in bars, etc)*
*This may only apply to Californians, not sure what regulations of smoking is in other state, but marijuana would follow state-by-state regulations for smoking
Now tell me what would make a horrible society out of this.
