How do u feel about Cannabis...?

[jukumerboii]

What's everyone feelings on this quote on quote "drug" ?

Me, personally, coming from my background, I honestly don't see nothing wrong with it. My family has been smoking it for YEARS and I've seen that it helps with a LOT in the medical field. Actually seen a doc about it where this little girl (about 7/8) who has to take it in liquid form to help with her cancer!

I just want to hear others opinions on it. If its to much of a touchy subject, please by all means delete this!

[MermaidCecelia]

i think the main problem with cannabis is not the plant itself, its the temptation for it. alot of people my age are encouraged by peers to purchase it and smoke it , and it forms habit. cause people are like " this is good , gotta keep getting this" till the point where thats all that matters, ive seen some strange people go to extremes to get pot , or find alternative highs . while its not nessesarly "addictive" , the WANT for it is at high importance. to responsible people who manage themselves well i have no problem with at all! or any problems with the plant itself. its the irrisponsible people who are willing to ruin there lives just for it

[Mermaid Melanie]

I think that its a wonderful plant, so many beneficial uses to society, but the big companies don't want it to be legalised as they would probably lose millions.

I understand what your saying Cecelia, but you could say the same about a number of things, like alcohol - so many people become dependant on it and ruin their life, yet its legal. Maybe the fact that it is illegal is what fuels the want... young people want to rebel ! I can't remember which country it was now but I think it was a scandinavian one.. anyway they lowered the legal age for sex to 13 or 14 I think it was... since doing this the rates of teenage pregnancy have dropped... kids were saying because its not a taboo, illegal or a big deal anymore they tend not to have that "i must try this" attitude.

I honestly think that certain "drugs" should be legalised. I think better education about them would go a long way! I don't think more people would use drugs, I just think people should have the right to choose.

[Echidna]

I think drug use should be for medicinal purposes only.
Patients who suffer from chronic pain could benefit a lot from the legalization of cannabis, and it should be done ASAP.

On the other hand, stuff like cigarettes/cigars and alcohol should be forbidden, because it doesn't have any health benefits, on the contrary.
It's incomprehensible that smoking in particular isn't illegal, as the byproducts damage everyone who happens to be nearby, which constitutes a case of assault and bodily injury.

That the potentially helpful drug is forbidden and the ones only doing harm are allowed is just one of the many stupid, hypocritical issues of humanity.

[PearlieMae]

Now that tobacco use is dropping, e-cigs are gaining in popularity, and more states are passing new marijuana laws, don't be surprised when Big Tobacco starts retooling for Big Weed production. All those tobacco fields are prime real estate for marijuana production. I'll betcha lobbyists for tobacco are rewriting their playbooks right now.


I think it should be legalized, and all other forms of hemp production ramped up. It's an incredibly useful plant in more ways than just Tetrahydrocannabinol. Usage should be regulated like alcohol, meaning legal for adults to choose to use for recreational purposes, and all medicinal forms should be readily available.


More information: http://www.nemeton.com/static/nemeton/axis-mutatis/hemp.html.

[AniaR]

I've researched a hell of a lot about it, as a person with chronic pain and chronic illness. I was very close to taking it for pain but I finally found a new medication for my endometriosis and I'm good. I personally cant stand the smell. And while it's decriminalized here I worry about all the second hand smoke. A joint tends to have more tobacco than a cigarette. People rarely are smoking pure weed, and anytime you burn something organic it WILL create tar in your lungs. Ask any mortician ;) SO for me I dont really care if others smoke or use it, but I don't feel I should be forced to breathe in second hand smoke. For 4 years in my apartment building we could never open our windows because the guys below us were such pot heads. It would make our whole apartment stink, my clothes, my hair... I can't be leaving for work as a teacher smelling like pot. I also find a lot of recreational smokers try to use the healthcare excuse, but people with chronic pain and illness find vaping, eating, and juicing to be far more affective than smoking. In my chronic pain support group we had a whole workshop on it and there are so many options out there for people with pain.

In Canada it's illegal to smoke ciggaretts in certain spaces, and you need to be within X amount of space from air intakes etc. I'd like to see that extended to weed as well. It's your choice to smoke it, but I am choosing not to and shouldnt have to breathe it in on a regular basis.

As for the health benefits, greatly exagerated. It's been studied to death since the 70's. Yes, it can do a lot of good for pain which is awesome. Way better for people than opioids. But as far as curing cancer, it hasnt happened yet. I think a lot of recreational users just want it to be true to justify their use, and people dying of cancer or suffering are going to consider every possible option. If something is too good to be true, it usually is. I know for me before I found meds for my illness if you told me monkey poop would cure me I'd eat it every day.

I'm going to copy and paste one of the best SCIENTIFIC articles I've ever found to date on the subject. it compiles the majority of the bigger long term studies on the topic. And it really addresses all the main arguments. I figure if I just link it, no one will read it.

Before I do just to wrap up my opinion: I have no issue with it beyond the problem of second hand smoke. I think people with illness deserve access to it for sure. I also think it can be utilized as a natural product for a lot of things (paper etc). I would never judge someone for being a stoner either. However, as far as it's ability to cure illness, I rely on hard scientific fact. Not people who say it did something and we have no idea what else they've been doing, what combination, their history etc, and really we see no proof beyond before and after. If it cured cancer for real, the thousands of studies over the past decades and decades would be able to find that and replicate it. People in big pharama and the government die of cancer too. I don't believe for a second there is a secret cure. Cancer doesnt discriminate.

The link: http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/cannabis-cannabinoids-and-cancer-%E2%80%93-evidence-so-far

The info (please read because it's so well done!)

Note: This article was written by Kat Arney and first appeared as a blog post on Cancer Research UK. It has been posted here with permission. You can read the original article here (http://bit.ly/QYHurq) and donate to Cancer Research UK here (http://bit.ly/S5Y8GC).
Few topics spark as much debate on this blog and on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/cancerresearchuk) than cannabis.
So we thought we’d take a look at the common questions raised about the evidence and research into cannabis, cannabinoids (the active chemicals found in the plant and elsewhere) and cancer, and address some of the wider issues that crop up in this debate.
We’ve broken it down under a number of headings:


What are cannabinoids and how do they work?
Can cannabinoids treat cancer? (including lab research, clinical research and unanswered questions)
Can cannabis prevent or cause cancer?
What about controlling cancer symptoms such as pain or sickness?
Is Cancer Research UK investigating cannabinoids?
It’s natural so it must be better, right?
“Have you seen this video? This guy says cannabis cures cancer!”
“It’s all a big conspiracy – you don’t want people to be cured!”
“What’s the harm? There’s nothing to lose.”
“Big Pharma can’t patent it so they’re not interested.”
“Why don’t you campaign for cannabis to be legalised?”

This post is long, but can be summarised by saying that at the moment there isn’t enough reliable evidence to prove that cannabinoids – whether natural or synthetic – can effectively treat cancer in patients, although research is ongoing around the world.
Read on to get the full picture.

What are cannabinoids and how do they work? “Cannabinoids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabinoids)” is a blanket term covering a family of complex chemicals (both natural and man-made) that lock on to cannabinoid receptors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabinoid_receptor) – protein molecules on the surface of cells.
Humans have been using cannabis plants for medicinal and recreational purposes for thousands of years, but cannabinoids themselves were first purified from cannabis plants in the 1940s. The structure of the main active ingredient of cannabis plants – delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol) – was discovered in the 60s. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that researchers found the first cannabinoid receptor, followed shortly by the discovery that we create cannabinoid-like chemicals within our own bodies, known as endocannabinoids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocannabinoid#Endocannabinoids).
http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Cb1_cb2_structure-200px.jpgThe CB1 and CB2 receptors.Image source (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cb1_cb2_structure.png)

We have two different types of cannabinoid receptor, CB1 and CB2, which are found in different locations and do different things. CB1 is mostly found on cells in the nervous system, including certain areas of the brain and the ends of nerves throughout the body, while CB2 receptors are mostly found in cells from the immune system. Because of their location in the brain, it’s thought that CB1 receptors are responsible for the infamous ‘high’ (known as psychoactive effects) resulting from using cannabis.
Over the past couple of decades scientists have found that endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors are involved in a vast array of functions in our bodies, including helping to control brain and nerve activity (including memory and pain), energy metabolism, heart function, the immune system and even reproduction. Because of this molecular multitasking, they’re implicated in a huge range of illnesses, from cancer to neurodegenerative diseases.
Can cannabinoids treat cancer? There is no doubt that cannabinoids – both natural and synthetic – are interesting biological molecules. Hundreds of scientists around the world are investigating their potential in cancer and other diseases – as well as the harms they can cause – brought together under the blanket organisation The International Cannabinoid Research Society (http://cannabinoidsociety.org/).
Researchers first looked at the anticancer properties of cannabinoids back in the 1970s, andmany (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=cannabinoid%20cancer) hundreds of scientific papers (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=cannabinoid%20cancer) looking at cannabinoids and cancer have been published since then. This Wellcome Witness seminar (http://www2.history.qmul.ac.uk/research/modbiomed/wellcome_witnesses/volume40/) is also fascinating reading for aficionados of the history of medical cannabis, including the scientific, political and legal twists. [Updated KA 26/03/14]
But claims that this body of preclinical research is solid “proof” that cannabis or cannabinoids can cure cancer is highly misleading to patients and their families, and builds a false picture of the state of progress in this area.
Let’s take a closer look at the evidence.
Lab research Virtually all the scientific research investigating whether cannabinoids can treat cancer has been done using cancer cells grown in the lab or animal models. It’s important to be cautious when extrapolating these results up to real live patients, who tend to be a lot more complex than a Petri dish or a mouse.
http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//wp-content/uploads/2012/07/LN_cancer_research_0128-Web_Quality_Version.jpgVirtually all the research into cannabinoids and cancer so far has been done in the lab.

Through many detailed experiments, handily summarised in this recent article in the journal Nature Reviews Cancer (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22555283), scientists have discovered that various cannabinoids (both natural and synthetic) have a wide range of effects in the lab, including:


Triggering cell death, through a mechanism called apoptosis
Stopping cells from dividing
Preventing new blood vessels from growing into tumours
Reducing the chances of cancer cells spreading through the body, by stopping cells from moving or invading neighbouring tissue
Speeding up the cell’s internal ‘waste disposal machine’ – a process known as autophagy – which can lead to cell death

All these effects are thought to be caused by cannabinoids locking onto the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. It also looks like cannabinoids can exert effects on cancer cells that don’t involve cannabinoid receptors, although it isn’t yet clear exactly what’s going on there.
So far, the best results in the lab or animal models have come from using a combination of highly purified THC and cannabidiol (CBD) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabidiol), a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants that counteracts the psychoactive effects of THC. But researchers have also found positive results using synthetic cannabinoids, such as a molecule called JWH-133 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=JWH-133).
It’s not all good news though, as there’s also evidence that cannabinoids may also have undesirable effects on cancer.
For example, some researchers have found that although high doses of THC can kill cancer cells, they also harm crucial blood vessel cells (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12514108), although this may help their anti-cancer effect by preventing blood vessels growing into a tumour. And under some circumstances, cannabinoids can actually encourage cancer cells to grow (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15026328), or have different effects depending on the dosage and levels of cannabinoid receptors present on the cancer cells (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2806825/). [Edited for clarity and to add reference - KA 27/07/12]
Others have discovered (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15749859) that activating CB2 receptors may actually interfere with the ability of the immune system to recognise and destroy tumour cells, although some scientists have found (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17065222) that certain synthetic cannabinoids may enhance immune defences against cancer.
Furthermore, cancer cells can develop resistance (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21233844) to cannabinoids and start growing again, although this can be got round by blocking a certain molecular pathway in the cells known as ALK.

Combining cannabinoids with other chemotherapy drugs may be a much more effective approach
And yet more research suggests that combining cannabinoids with other chemotherapy drugs may be a much more effective approach. This idea is supported by lab experiments combining cannabinoids with other drugs including gemcitabine (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21525939) andtemozolomide (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21220494).
Clinical research But that’s the lab – what about clinical research involving people with cancer? Results have been published from only one clinical trial (http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v95/n2/full/6603236a.html) testing whether cannabinoids can treat cancer in patients, led by Dr Manuel Guzman and his team in Spain. Nine people with advanced, terminal glioblastoma multiforme (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/type/brain-tumour/about/types-of-primary-brain-tumours#astro) – an aggressive brain tumour – were given highly purified THC through a tube directly into their brain.
Eight people’s cancers showed some kind of response to the treatment, and one didn’t respond at all. All the patients died within a year, as might be expected for people with cancer this advanced.
The results from this study show that THC given in this way is safe and doesn’t seem to cause significant side effects. But because this was an early stage trial, without a control group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_control), it’s impossible to say whether THC helped to extend their lives. And while it’s certainly not a cure, the trial results suggest that cannabinoids are worth pursuing in clinical trials.
There is also a published case report (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3901602/) of a 14-year old girl from Canada who was treated with cannabis extracts (also referred to as “hemp oil”), but there is limited information that can be obtained from a single case treated with a varied mixture of cannabinoids. More published examples with detailed data are needed in order to draw a fuller picture of what’s going on.[Updated 26/03/14, KA]
A handful of other clinical trials of cannabinoids are currently being set up. We are helping to support the only two UK trials of cannabinoids for treating cancer, through our Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) Network (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2011/12/22/ecmcs-a-big-boost-for-new-cancer-drug-trials/) funded by Cancer Research UK and the devolved Departments of Health. One early-stage trial is testing a synthetic cannabinoid (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/trials/a-study-looking-at-dexanabinol-for-advanced-cancer)called dexanabinol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexanabinol)in patients with advanced cancer, and the other is an early-stage trial testing a cannabis extract called Sativex (http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/trials/a-trial-looking-sativex-temozolomide-glioblastoma-multiforme-brain-tumour-gwca1208) for treating people with glioblastoma multiforme brain tumours. [Edited to add more information about the trials - KA 22/08/12, KA 24/03/14]
Unanswered questions There are still a lot of unanswered questions around the potential for using cannabinoids to treat cancer.
http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Cannabis-bottle-200px.jpgAn antique bottle of cannabis extract. Image source (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lilly96A.jpg)

The biggest issue is that there isn’t enough evidence to show that they can treat cancer in people, although research is still ongoing around the world.
And it’s not clear which type of cannabinoid – either natural or synthetic – might be most effective, what kind of doses might be needed, or which types of cancer might respond best to them. So far there have been intriguing results from lab experiments with prostate, breast, lung cancer, skin, bone and pancreatic cancers, glioma brain tumours and lymphoma. But the take-home message is that different cannabinoids seem to have different effects on various cancer types (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18199524), so they are far from being a ‘universal’ treatment.
Most research has been focused on THC, which occurs naturally in cannabis plants, but researchers have found that different cannabinoids seem to work better or worse different types of cancer cells. Lab experiments have shown promising results with THC on brain tumour and prostate cancer cells, while CBD seems to work well on breast cancer cells.
Then there’s the problem of the psychoactive effects of THC, particularly at high doses, although this can be counteracted by giving it together with CBD. Because of this problem, synthetic cannabinoids that don’t have these effects might be more useful in the long term.
There are also big questions around the best way to actually get the drugs into tumours. Because of their chemical makeup, cannabinoids don’t dissolve easily in water and don’t travel very far in our tissues. This makes it hard to get them deep into a tumour, or even just deliver them into the bloodstream in consistently high enough doses to have an effect.
The clinical trial led by Dr Guzman in Spain involved directly injecting cannabinoids into patients’ brains through a small tube. This isn’t an ideal method as it’s very invasive and carries a risk of infection, so researchers are investigating other delivery methods such as tablets, oil injections, mouth sprays or even microspheres (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22580111).
We also don’t know whether cannabinoids will help to boost or counteract the effects of chemotherapy, nor which combinations of drugs might be good to try. And there are currentlyno biological markers to help doctors identify who might benefit from cannabinoids and who might not – remember that one patient on the brain tumour trial failed to respond to THC at all.
None of these issues are deal-breakers, but these questions need answering if there’s any hope of using cannabinoids to effectively and safely treat cancer patients.

There are hundreds of exciting potential cancer drugs being developed and tested in university, charity and industry labs all over the world – cannabinoids are merely a small part of a much larger picture
It’s worth remembering that there are hundreds of exciting potential cancer drugs being developed and tested in university, charity and industry labs all over the world – cannabinoids are merely a small part of a much larger picture.
Most of these compounds will never make it into the clinic to treat patients for a huge range of reasons including toxicity, lack of effectiveness, unacceptable side effects, or difficulty of delivering the drug to tumours.
Without doing rigorous scientific research, we will never sift the ‘hits’ from the ‘misses’. If cannabinoids are ever to get into clinical use, they need to overcome these hurdles and prove they have benefits over existing cancer treatments.
Can cannabis prevent or cause cancer? So that’s a brief look at cannabinoids to treat cancer. But can they stop the disease from developing? Or could they play a role in causing cancer?
http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//wp-content/uploads/2012/07/800px-Joint_and_smoke200px.jpgThere’s controversy around the health risks of cannabis.Image source (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joint_and_smoke.jpg)

In experiments with mice, animals given very high doses of purified THC seemed to have a lower risk of developing cancer, and there has been some research suggesting that endocannabinoids (cannabinoids produced by the body) cansuppress (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17342320) tumour growth (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17342320). But there’s no solid scientific evidence at the moment to show that cannabinoids or cannabis can cut the risk of cancer in people.
When it comes to finding out whether cannabis can causecancer, the evidence is a lot murkier. This is mainly because most people who use cannabis smoke it mixed with tobacco, a substance that definitely does cause cancer.
This complex issue recently hit the headlines (http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/06june/Pages/cannabis-lung-health-risks-underestimated.aspx) when the British Lung Foundation released a study suggesting that the cancer risks of cannabis had been underestimated, although this has been questioned by some experts including Professor David Nutt (http://profdavidnutt.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/smoke-without-fire-scaremongering-by-the-british-lung-foundation-over-cannabis-vs-tobacco/).
What about controlling cancer symptoms such as pain or sickness? Although there’s a lack of data showing that cannabinoids can effectively treat cancer, there is good evidence that these molecules may be beneficial in other ways.
As far back as the 1980s, cannabinoid-based drugs – including dronabinol (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a607054.html) (synthetic THC) andnabilone (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/coping-with-cancer/coping-physically/sickness/treatment/types-of-anti-sickness-drugs#nab) – were used to help reduce nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. But there are now safer and more effective alternatives (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/coping-with-cancer/coping-physically/sickness/treatment/types-of-anti-sickness-drugs) and cannabinoids tend to only be used where other approaches fail. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22491047)
In some parts of the world – including the Netherlands – medical use of marijuana has been legalised for palliative use (relieving pain and symptoms), including cancer pain. For example, Dutch patients can obtain standardised, medicinal-grade cannabis (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17976975) from their doctor, and medicinal cannabis is available in many states in the US (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States).
But one of the problems of using herbal cannabis is about dosage – smoking it or taking it in the form of tea often provides a variable dose, which may make it difficult for patients to monitor their intake. So researchers are turning to alternative dosing methods, such as mouth sprays, which deliver a reliable and regulated dose.
Large-scale clinical trials (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/trials/a-trial-sativex-for-cancer-related-pain) are currently running in the UK testing whether a mouth spray called Sativex (nabiximols) – a highly purified pharmaceutical-grade extract of cannabis containing THC and CDB – can help to control severe cancer pain that doesn’t respond to other drugs.
There may also be potential for the use of cannabinoids in combating the loss of appetite and wasting experienced by some people with cancer, although a clinical trial comparing appetite in groups of cancer patients given cannabis extract, THC and a placebo didn’t find a difference between the treatments (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16849753).
Is Cancer Research UK investigating cannabinoids? We want to see safe, reliable and effective treatments become available for patients as quickly as possible. We receive no government funding for our research, and it is all paid for by the generosity of the public. This is obviously not a bottomless purse, and we do not have financial reserves to draw on.
Because of this limitation, we can only fund the very best research proposals that come to us that will bring benefits to people with cancer. We’ve previously written in detail (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2009/10/27/the-multi-million-pound-question/) about how we fund research projects.
Cancer Research UK has funded research into cannabinoids, notably the work of Professor Chris Paraskeva (http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerandresearch/ourcurrentresearch/researchbygrantee/prof-chris-paraskeva) in Bristol investigating the properties of cannabinoids as part of his research into the prevention and treatment of bowel cancer. He has published (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20514410) a number (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17583570) of papers (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16099783) detailing lab experiments looking at endocannabinoids as well as THC, and written an interesting review (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16042581)looking at the potential of cannabinoids for treating bowel cancer.
Our funding committees have previously received other applications from researchers who want to investigate cannabinoids that have failed to reach our high standards for funding. If we receive future proposals that do meet these stringent requirements, then there is no reason why they would not be funded – assuming we have the money available to do so.
We support the only two UK clinical trials of cannabinoids for treating cancer through our national network of Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (http://www.ecmcnetwork.org.uk/), funded by Cancer Research UK and the devolved Departments of Health. One is an early-stage trial testing a synthetic cannabinoid called dexanabinol for people with advanced cancer (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/trials/a-study-looking-at-dexanabinol-for-advanced-cancer), the other is an early-stage trial testing a drug calledSativex (http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/trials/a-trial-looking-sativex-temozolomide-glioblastoma-multiforme-brain-tumour-gwca1208) (an extract from cannabis plants) for people with glioblastoma multiforme brain tumours (http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/trials/a-trial-looking-sativex-temozolomide-glioblastoma-multiforme-brain-tumour-gwca1208). [Added 22/08/12 - KA, Updated KA 25/03/14]
“It’s natural so it must be better, right?” There’s no doubt that the natural world is a treasure trove of biologically useful compounds (http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa061403a.htm). But whole plants or other organisms are a complex mix of hundreds of chemicals (not all of which may be beneficial) and contains low or variable levels of active ingredients. This makes it difficult to give accurate doses and runs the risk of toxic side effects.
http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Foxgloves_200px.jpgFoxgloves – a source of medically useful chemicals.Image source (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foxgloves_-_geograph.org.uk_-_476391.jpg)

For example, foxgloves (Digitalis) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitalis) are a useful source of chemicals called cardiac glycosides, first purified in 1785 – a date widely considered to be the beginning of modern drug-based medicine. These drugs are now used to treat many thousands of people around the world with heart failure and other cardiac problems. But the entire plant itself is highly toxic, and eating just a small amount can kill.
As another example, although the antibiotic penicillin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillin) was first discovered in a fungus, it doesn’t mean that someone should munch some mould when suffering an infection. In fact, the bug-beating powers of ‘natural’ penicillin are confined to a relatively small range of bacteria, and chemists have subsequently developed a wider range of life-saving antibiotics based on the drug’s structure.
Aspirin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin) is another old drug, first discovered in the form of salicylic acid in white willow bark. But this naturally-occurring chemical causes severe stomach irritation, which led to the German company Bayer developing an alternative version – acetylsalicylic acid – which was kinder to the tummy. Aspirin is now arguably one of the most successful drugs of all time, and is still being investigated for its potential inpreventing (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2012/03/21/aspirin-and-cancer-the-picture-becomes-clearer/) or even treating cancer (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2012/03/21/aspirin-and-cancer-the-picture-becomes-clearer/).
Numerous potent cancer drugs have also been developed in this way – purifying a natural compound then improving it and testing it to create a beneficial drug – including taxol (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/paclitaxel) (originally from yew leaves); vincristine (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/vincristine) and vinblastine (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/vinblastine) (from rosy periwinkles); camptothecin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camptothecin) (from the Chinese Xi Shu tree); colchicine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colchicine) (from crocuses); and etoposide (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/etoposide) (from the May Apple). And we recently wrote about a clinical trial (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2012/05/07/new-trial-to-test-spice-extract-curcumin-against-bowel-cancer/) being run by our scientists to test whether curcumin, a purified chemical from the curry spice turmeric, could help treat people with advanced bowel cancer.
But it bears repeating that the fact that these purified drugs in controlled, high doses can treat cancer doesn’t mean that the original plant (or a simple extract) will have the same effect. So although cannabis contains certain cannabinoids, it doesn’t automatically follow that cannabis itself can treat cancer.
As we said above, there is no good evidence that natural cannabinoids, at the doses present in simple cannabis preparations, can treat cancer in patients. It’s also completely unknown whether there may be any other chemicals in ‘street’ cannabis extracts that could be harmful to patients or even encourage tumour growth.
“Have you seen this video? This guy says cannabis cures cancer!” There is a strong and persistent presence on the internet arguing that cannabis can cure cancer. For example, there are numerous videos and unverified anecdotes claiming that people have been completely cured of cancer with cannabis, hemp/cannabis oil or other cannabis derivatives.
http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Youtube_screenshot200px.jpgYouTube videos are not scientific evidence.

Despite what the supporters of these sources may claim, videos and stories are not scientific evidence for the effectiveness of any cancer treatment. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence – YouTube videos are emphatically not scientific evidence, and we are not convinced by them.
Based on the arguments presented on these kinds of websites, it’s impossible to tell whether these patients have been ‘cured’ by cannabis or not. We know nothing about their medical diagnosis, stage of disease or outlook. We don’t know what other cancer treatments they had. We don’t know about the chemical composition of the treatment they got. And we only hear about the success stories – what about the people who have tried cannabis andnot been cured? People who make these bold claims for cannabis only pick their best cases, without presenting the full picture.
This highlights the importance of publishing data from scientifically rigorous lab research and clinical trials. Firstly because conducting proper clinical studies enables researchers to prove that a prospective cancer treatment is safe and effective. And secondly because publishing this data allows doctors around the world to judge for themselves and use it for the benefit of their patients.
This is the standard to which all cancer treatments are held, and it’s one that cannabinoids should be held to too. Internet anecdotes and videos prove nothing and benefit no-one – we need reliable, scientific research, which (as discussed above) is exactly what is going on.
“It’s all a big conspiracy – you don’t want people to be cured!” As we’ve previously said (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2011/07/06/there%e2%80%99s-no-conspiracy-sometimes-it-just-doesn%e2%80%99t-work/), accusations that we are somehow part of a global conspiracy to suppress cancer cures are as absurd as they are offensive. Not only to the thousands of our scientists, doctors and nurses who are working as hard as they can to find more effective treatments for the complex set of challenging diseases we call cancer, but also the hundreds of thousands of people in the UK and beyond who support this life-saving work through generous donations of money, energy and time.
http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//wp-content/uploads/2012/07/SRP3766-Web_Quality_Version.jpgOur aim is to beat cancer through research

Our aim is to beat cancer, and we believe that the best way to do this through rigorous scientific research aimed at understanding cancer on a biological level and working out how to prevent, detect and treat it more effectively. This approach has helped to change the face of cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, leading to a doubling in survival rates over the past 40 years (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2012/06/03/celebrating-60-years-of-progress/).
As a research-based organisation, we want to see reliable scientific evidence to support claims made about any cancer treatment, be it conventional or alternative. The claims made for many alternative cancer therapies still require solid evidence to support them, and it often turns out that these ‘miracle cures’ simply don’t work when they’re put to the test.
This doesn’t mean there’s a conspiracy to suppress the “True Cure for Cancer” – it means that doctors and researchers want to see solid evidence that the claims made by people peddling these treatments are true.
This is vital because lives are at stake. Some people may think that a cancer patient has nothing to lose by trying an alternative treatment (http://www.senseaboutscience.org/pages/ive-got-nothing-to-lose.html), but there are big risks.
“What’s the harm? There’s nothing to lose.” If someone chooses to reject conventional cancer treatment in favour of unproven alternatives, including cannabis, they may miss out on treatment that could save or significantly lengthen their life. They may also miss out on effective symptom relief to control their pain and suffering, or the chance to spend precious time with their loved ones.
Furthermore, many of these unproven therapies come at a high price, and are not covered by the NHS or medical insurance. And, in the worst cases, an alternative therapy may even hasten death.
Although centuries of human experimentation tells us that naturally-occurring cannabinoids are broadly safe, they are not without risks (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15860846). They can increase the heart rate, which may cause problems for patients with pre-existing or undiagnosed heart conditions. They can also interact with other drugs in the body, including antidepressants and antihistamines. And they may also affect how the body processes certain chemotherapy drugs, which could cause serious side effects.
There is also a reported case (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22582474) where a Dutch lung cancer patient took cannabis extract that had been bought from a street source. Within a matter of hours she was in hospital in a coma. This highlights the risks of taking ‘street’ cannabis extracts of unknown concentration and quality in an uncontrolled way, and accentuates the need for careful research into how best to use cannabinoids for treating patients.

When conventional treatment fails, there is little chance that turning to an unproven alternative touted on the internet will provide a cure
It is a sad fact that although huge progress has been made over recent years (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2012/06/03/celebrating-60-years-of-progress/), many thousands of people in the UK lose their lives to cancer every year – a situation that we urgently want to change through research. But when conventional treatment fails, there is little chance that turning to an unproven alternative touted on the internet will provide a cure.
In this situation, we recommend that cancer patients talk to their doctor about clinical trials (http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/trials/) that they may be able to join, giving them access to new drugs and providing valuable data that will help other sufferers in future.
“Big Pharma can’t patent it so they’re not interested.” Some people argue that the potential of cannabinoids is being ignored by pharmaceutical companies, because they can’t patent the chemicals occurring in cannabis plants. But pharma companies are not stupid, and they are quick to jump on promising avenues for effective therapies.
As we’ve shown, there are hundreds of researchers around the world investigating cannabinoids, in both private and public institutions. And there are many ways that these compounds can be patented – for example, by developing more effective synthetic compounds or better ways to deliver them.
On the flip side, other people argue that patients should be treated with ‘street’ or homegrown cannabis preparations, and that the research being done by companies and other organisations is solely to make money and prevent patients accessing “The Cure”. This is also a false and misleading argument, analogous to suggesting that patients in pain should buy heroin or grow opium poppies rather than being prescribed morphine by a doctor.
The best way to ensure that the benefits of cannabinoids – whether natural or synthetic – are brought to patients is through proper research using quality-controlled, safe, legal, pharmaceutical grade preparations containing known dosages of the drugs.
To do this requires time, effort and money, which may come from companies or independent organisations such as charities or governments. And, ultimately, this investment needs to be paid back by sales of a safe, effective new drug.
We are well aware of the issues around drug pricing and availability – for example, the recent situations with abiraterone (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2012/05/16/abiraterone-now-available-on-the-nhs-except-in-scotland/) and vemurafenib (http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org//2012/03/14/new-melanoma-drug-goes-on-sale-but-will-it-be-affordable/) – and we are pushing for companies to make new treatments available at a fair price. We would also hope that if any cannabinoids are shown to be safe and effective enough to make it to the clinic, they would be available at a fair price for all patients that might benefit from them.
“Why don’t you campaign for cannabis to be legalised?” As things currently stand, cannabis is classified as a class B drug in the UK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_classification_in_the_United_Kingdom), meaning that it is illegal to possess or supply it.
It is not for Cancer Research UK to comment on the legal status of cannabis, its use or abuse as a recreational drug, or its medical use in any other diseases. But we are supportive of properly conducted scientific research that could benefit cancer patients.
In summary At the moment, there simply isn’t enough evidence to prove that cannabinoids – whether natural or synthetic – works to treat cancer in patients, although research is ongoing. And there’s certainly no evidence that ‘street’ cannabis can treat cancer.

As a research-based organisation, we continue to watch the progress of scientists around the world for advances that may benefit people with cancer.
As a research-based organisation, we continue to watch the progress of scientists around the world for advances that may benefit people with cancer. And although cannabinoid research is an interesting avenue, it’s certainly not the only one (http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerandresearch/ourcurrentresearch/).


Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/cannabis-cannabinoids-and-cancer-%E2%80%93-evidence-so-far#81mkuCs7azAEtvIC.99

[Echidna]

I missed the cancer-argument.

As far as I know, cannabis/THC is a good painkiller and sometimes helps with other issues like nausea and dizziness.
That's about it, and while I wouldn't use it myself, for treatment purposes, it should be legalized.

Just for fun, using the medical excuse? Nope.
I can so much relate to the second-hand smoke problem!
No one should be exposed to smoke unwillingly, no matter what stuff it is.

If legalizing would lead to even more people stinking up everything everywhere, I'd rather they ban all of it together.

[Ayla of Duluth]

WALL OF TEXT WARNING

I feel like I'm in the minority because I'm adamantly against it. Being a more conservative person doesn't help either, I guess, but I'm against it because I've seen what it does to the people I love.

The strongest example would be my SO's little brother. He tried smoking pot at a party once, and it's been a downward spiral from there. He started hanging around with dealers and smokers, spending all of his free time around them, and soon after dropped out of middle school. (His parents didn't help either, they enrolled him in homeschooling and evaded liaisons who caught on that they weren't schooling him at all because they wanted him to be happy, and he was happy not going to school.)

He smoked weed all day every day. He was always high, he lost his ambition to do anything, all he wanted to do was smoke with his friends. They got into trouble with the law countless times for theft, breaking and entering, possession, possession with intent to sell, underage drinking, and a whole lot more. He became one of the junkies who hated cops and would flip them the bird whenever he saw one drive by.

He continued to get worse and worse, moving to California where weed was the big picture, (before it was legalized) and tried to join a gang. The initiation was murder, and from what I've heard, he went to do it but couldn't finish the job, so the whole gang came after him. He fled back to Duluth to become a dealer. He rents the apartment right below my SO's and I, and he has parties every night with minors getting high and drunk, strangers constantly coming and going for weed runs, and damage to property. The landlord is furious with him because he spray painted the inside of his apartment with black and silver graffiti and destroyed the carpet. The landlord says he spent a massive part of his budget on that apartment after they had evicted a crazy cat lady hoarder type person, and he was really proud of that unit.

Anyways, now he's into DMT and other illegal drugs and he sees no sign of stopping. He said he'd like to come off the hard drugs (hes said that for years) but he says he'll never stop smoking weed. He can't keep a job as a dishwasher because he comes to work high and has weed on him all the time. He's only 18. My brother at 26 is a junkie as well, but the alcoholic type. He doesn't smoke pot as far as I'm aware, but has had his run with hard drugs, has seen what my SO's little brother has seen, and knows that he's not going to come out of it. He says he's a lost cause and will continue on this path until he lands in prison or dies. One day while there was a party going on downstairs he and I were talking and I told him he's not going to make it to 40 if he continues like this. He said "40?! your expectations are too high, I don't see myself making it to 25." and then he slammed a fifth of vodka.


Now I admit that he is certainly an extreme case of pot smoker gone wrong, but it breaks my heart to see people I went to school with, who used to be so great and have goals and aspirations come to his door for weed. Their hair is long and unkempt, their clothes are from a dumpster and they're skinny from not being able to afford food. Just the other day I learned that a few of them had gone to the grocery store across the street to dig for food in their dumpsters. They said they don't have money because they used it to buy pot, and they prefer it that way. This has happened to so many people I know, and I have not seen a single successful person in life who smokes weed. Don't get me wrong, I know some of the richest smartest people probably smoke weed, but it doesn't run their lives and I respect them for it. If everyone could do that, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but they don't, so I do.

I do agree that it should be used for medicinal purposes, it can be beneficial in many cases. However, I have also come to learn that hardcore junkies will make any excuse they can to get their hands on it. My SO's little brother made a Facebook status when the topic was brought up all over the news that basically said "Legalize it, I need that weed for my back pains and headaches nothing else works (insert a few expletives and authority bashing here) oh and also it helps me sleep. I have sleeping problems too." Now he's hardly worked a day in his life, I have no idea how an otherwise healthy young 18 year old who hasn't learned hard manual labor has all these health problems. He's never been diagnosed with anything but claims to have arthritis and that smoking weed helps the pain. He has proven throughout life that he will lie, cheat, and steal, even from me, to get what he wants. I honestly don't see how we can keep medical marijuana from getting to the public. People get prescription drugs for real health issues and sell them on the streets, I just don't think there's a good way to regulate marijuana.

Again, he is an extreme example, but there is one more reason I'm against it. As I previously mentioned, I'm a very traditional and conservative person. I like to keep to myself and not bother other people with my life. I don't push religion on anyone, don't try to force people to adapt to my way of life, and I would expect that other people do the same. I don't enjoy my life being invaded by things I don't like. But this is exactly what has happened since legalization has become a big topic. Suddenly I go to stores I used to frequent only to see apparel and posters and the like slathered in pot leaves. I've seen people with tattoos of them on their faces. I can't take my dog for a walk without getting a whiff of that skunky smell coming from an apartment complex across the street. In fact, one of the tenants that lived below us used to smoke it almost every night and I had to keep the windows open even in the winter because the vents in the building are all connected and would waft the smoke up into our unit. Basically I feel invaded, I have grown to not like living where I do because it has become overrun with pot smokers. I can't do anything without seeing it, smelling it, or hearing people proudly boast about how much they own, how much they can smoke, etc.

So yes I am against legalization. I personally feel like there was nothing wrong with it being illegal, so there was no need to change it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? They could have legalized medical marijuana and left it at that, but I feel like I'm living in a new revolution where gay marriage is legal, marijuana is soon to follow, and god knows what after that. My whole life has flipped upside down and I feel like there's nowhere for me to escape to where I can go back to my own way of life. It's quite frightening for someone like me, who grew up in a quiet residential neighborhood with a low crime rate to suddenly become aware of everything I was taught was wrong. People always say things like "you need to adjust to the world, it's changing and if you can't change with it, you're going to get left behind." They look down on me for being so shocked at their behavior that they see as normal. Changing isn't easy, it takes time and is even harder if the person doesn't want to change in the first place.

Anyways, that was my rant, I'll let you guys get back to your thread. Just wanted to come in and give a perspective from a minority's POV.

tl;dr SO's little brother's life was destroyed by weed, junkies will do anything to get medical marijuana, I hate the feeling that it's invading my life, I'm in the minority so voting against it will do jack s**t and there's nothing I can do about that.


On a sort of small tangent I wanted to share a short story with you all about the time that the realization about how popular weed was hit me like a train;
I was at my friend's apartment once, I had no idea he was a pot smoker. He had some on his desk in his room and I was like "dude, your mom is gonna kill you if she sees that!" no sooner had I said that than she came into the room and offered him $15 bucks for it. My jaw dropped, for a kid's parent to not only know about his smoking habit, but to smoke weed themselves and even buy it off their son? I'm still at a loss for words, I had no idea that happened. If I had been caught with weed, I would have nearly been disowned. Woulda been grounded for life and had to have constant supervision and probably a weekly drug test thrown somewhere in there.

Anyways... sorry for the wall of text

[Raayvhen]

Just going to say personally it's not something I would participate in, but being from a state where it's legalized, the world hasn't ended and I think the amount of tax revenue that's going to be brought in is wonderful.

[Aziara]

It always shocks me how closeminded the people in my area are. Hard liquor can be bought at any gas station, and we have drive-thru daquiri stands! Smoking cigarettes is also really common here, if I had to guess, I'd say 40% of the local population smokes. Yet every time any vote comes up to make cannibis legal for medical use, it's voted down almost before it can get going.

[AniaR]

The issue is we can't take one person's experience bad (a junkie) or good (illness) and extrapolate it to the rest of the world. The world hasnt ended here from it being decriminalized either. And I think it's nuts how many people are in jail for weed. Like, that is stupid. And for longer stints than people who do actual horrible things :(

[Echidna]

*insert here*
the tax revenue argument is always brought up when discussing (tobacco) smoking in general, and the (no-)rights of people unwillingly exposed to it.

This crap ruins the health of millions of people and has a sky-high death toll.
People who are dead can't pay taxes either.

Abolish the stuff already!

Taxes should never be an argument for a harmful practice.

[Ayla of Duluth]

The issue is we can't take one person's experience bad (a junkie) or good (illness) and extrapolate it to the rest of the world. The world hasnt ended here from it being decriminalized either. And I think it's nuts how many people are in jail for weed. Like, that is stupid. And for longer stints than people who do actual horrible things :(

I understand that. I wish that there was more support for people who got into it and are getting ruined by it. Apparently you can't force someone into detox or rehab, they have to willingly go themselves, but the people I know would never do that. I wish more than anything that there was some way that they could get help to clean up. 3 months in a detention center hasn't worked, neither has the parent's strategy of "just talking to him." He has so much potential but it's being smothered by his drug habit and I just wish there was something that can be done about it.

[AniaR]

A lot of people who use weed as an actual crutch (even though they say it's not addictive) have some kind of issue going on though I feel. For some it calms them down and that's why they use it so much. For others it helps them sleep, or something similar. I know for her, it was a sleep disorder that spurned it on. Unfortunately it took over her life and she's had some major problems because of it. I've also seen the other end however, the good it can do for peers who have seriously illness and pain. And having been a person who was in such pain that opioids did nothing I was pretty open to trying it.

But I know plenty of people who just smoke it casually and are fine. I think people with addictive personalities will get addicted to anything, Drugs, food, videogames, whatever.

[Morticia Mermaid]

I can honestly say I support cannabis use in terms of medical use. I've seen it do only good in my family.

My brother suffers from severe stomach issues. Without cannabis he wouldn't be able to eat cause of the pain. Yes his use is legalized by Green card. My brother currently runs his own business in eastern Oregon. He's got a family and a house. His cannabis use has affected his life in only easing his stomach so be can eat.

And it eased my grandfather's pain while he was in the final stages of prostate cancer, he had no chance of recovery at that point. All that could be done was make him comfortable.

Although I don't partake, if I end up needing it for medical issues I will gladly take the oils that can be made as I refuse to smoke it.

[NerineArcticMermaid]

I think there is an issue with this is that since we are kids we are taught all drugs are bad I mean seriously how many of us remember being in the DARE program or soft friends that were in the DARE program were taught drugs are bad its ingrained into our brains from a very young age is very hard to go against something that we have known all of our lives

cannabis can be used in other ways besides smoking it you can use a vaporizer as well...I've met many a pothead in my time on this earth and the various places I've lived across the country most of them are very considerate of non smokers and non potheads and will ask whether or not you partake and if not they move away from you or allow you the opportunity to leave before they light up. I firmly disagree with the fact that people call it a gateway drug not a single person I know that smokes pot including myself which I have partaken a few times in my younger days I have ever used any other drugs since then. I am against other drugs that are more dangerous to yourself.

...

[maressa]

As with any substance that has the possibility of being abused, there are people who will abuse it. I'm sorry to hear about your experiences, Ayla and Raina.

As a person with chronic illness (MS), I have to take some pretty intense oral medications that make me feel very sick in the mornings and make it nearly impossible to eat. I limit my smoking to when it's most unbearable, but smoking a small bowl helps me eat when I would otherwise throw it up. I don't smoke before going to work or driving. I have other friends with chronic pain who smoke it to relieve pain and it works very well for them, and they are responsible about their usage.

On the other end, my roommate has insomnia and smokes to help himself sleep, but he keeps upping how much he smokes and it no longer works for him- so now he just spends all his money on it and wastes his time getting high, as well as getting into other stupid drugs like coke and DMT... he uses sketchy dealers since it's not legal here. I feel that if he wasn't exposed to that kind of environment, and had just picked it up from a dispensary, it would be more regulated and safe than him going to a dark alleyway and getting robbed (which has happened).

[AniaR]

I had no idea you have MS :(

[jukumerboii]

Well as a weed smoker I can proudly say I'm not addicted to it. Only time I smoke it is to enhance my drawing and creative juices or going out to the club. Other than that I barely smoke it. Oh and for when I can't sleep or stressed out.

[Merman Dan]

As my place of employment randomly selects employees for drug tests, I don't do anything that will jeopardize my job.

[PearlieMae]

Issues of second hand smoke and infringing on other people's air definitely has GOT to be considered. There are may other ways to ingest, and inhaling burning ANYTHING is bad for you.

I never heard of using cannabis to CURE anything, and on the face of it, you could replace the word cannabis with any other plant.

And on the subject of replacing words...every argument about the addictive/life-ruining properties of marijuana, in every instance, you can replace the word 'pot' with 'alcohol' and make the same argument, except alcohol ends up harming far worse.

An addictive personality can make a problem out of anything and I think it's unfair to point a finger at one thing and say that's the root of the problem, when the real problem is within the addict.

[Merman Dan]

On the other hand, stuff like cigarettes/cigars and alcohol should be forbidden, because it doesn't have any health benefits...

Granted there have been several studies that show that moderate consumption of alcohol does in fact have health benefits. Alcohol and Health (http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/AlcoholAndHealth.html#.U-PBklbN-i0)

[Echidna]

Granted there have been several studies that show that moderate consumption of alcohol does in fact have health benefits. Alcohol and Health (http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/AlcoholAndHealth.html#.U-PBklbN-i0)

oh, the "moderate alcohol drinking reduces your stroke and heart problems risk"-studies?

they are newer studies that the older ones are false.
(just like newer studies show the cholesterol stuff was all bull, among other things.)

while it's of course true that moderate drinking is better than heavy drinking (lol), drinking no alcohol at all is best for your health, or in other words, the damage a glass of wine does outweighs any good effects some ingredients of it could have had.

[Merman Dan]

...drinking no alcohol at all is best for your health...

Unless that became a widespread trend and you happen to be part owner of a beer/wine distributorship... ;)

[AniaR]

It is mind blowing to me though that it isn't used more as pain killers. I have had permanent damage to my body from all the pain killers doctors had me on. Parts of me are ruined forever and it didn't even work. I've read you can't od on pot I not sure how true that is. But it still seems to have a lot less risk than every med I've taken.

[Echidna]

Both my mom and I have considered taking some for our serious chronic pain issues.
Normal painkillers won't work on me at all, and my mom feels only little benefit, also the normal stuff damages the kidneys overtime.

When she asked her doc to prescribe her cannabis pills (pharmacies can hand them out on doctor's orders here), he told her that "people get brain damage from that stuff" and told her to continue taking the kidney killers.

I'm not sure if I would feel any better taking cannabis instead of the liver-killer that is my only recourse at the moment.
But as you can see, there is a massive controversy and no one seems to know what's right for sure.

[maressa]

The 'research' for pot is so all over the place it's hard to find actual truth. I think from most of what I've read it's only damaging to developing brains- so young adults/teenagers/younger should use with care. But, like I said... people are so polarized, even doctors, that it's hard to get truth out of anyone. Personally, it's had no negative effects on me, and all the terrible harsh medicines I've been prescribed have had pretty serious side effects/damage.

[Starfrit]

Personally, I'm okay with it; the smell doesn't bother me, and even as somebody with asthma whose symptoms are often triggered by smoke (wood-burning smoke, for example, though cigarette smoke is the worst), pot smoke has never caused me any problems.

I used to smoke it pretty regularly with my friends around three years ago; it was an enjoyable, social thing, I wasn't hugely into it but I'd take a puff or two if one of my friends offered. I think I've only ever actually been high once, and while it was fun at the time, it was also pretty rough because I ate about $40 worth of junk food over the course of an hour and made myself reeeaaaally sick... XD;; I stopped smoking it partly because I would get paranoid walking into my dad's house smelling like pot, and partly because the group of friends I'd do it with ended up moving across the island and I was too awkward to try and get in touch with a dealer to buy my own.

My best friend uses it medicinally for an emotional disorder she has; a few years ago it was really bad, and she was really screwed up because of her disorder to the point where her college forced her to go on medical leave for over a year because of the state she was in. Up until that point she hadn't been taking any medication for it, because the only kind of medication that any of her doctors would offer her was some kind of obscure drug that had a ridiculously high chance of melting holes in her brain and making the condition worse. Then she started smoking pot to treat her disorder, and she's been so much happier and healthier since. But she still has to buy her stuff from a dealer because none of her doctors will prescribe any to her. :/

It's an excellent painkiller, and in my friend's case it worked wonders for her emotional disorder, but in terms of curing cancer and stuff... Eeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhh. Like Maressa said, the studies are all over the place so it's hard to know what to trust. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be legalized.

[Mermaid Margo]

I've only smoked three times in my life and only twice did I get high. Like, really, really high. I turned out to be the paranoid type. It was an interesting experience, but I wouldn't do it again. My mom is an avid pot smoker, (I didn't realize this until I was about 18), and many of my friends use it recreationally as well. The smell tends to bother me, but aside from that, it's their choice and I see nothing wrong with it. My grandmother smoked when she was going through chemo for breast and ovarian cancer, and it clearly eased her pain. My only big issue is that my mother has an incurable lung disease and the smoke obviously doesn't do her any good. She needs a lung transplant due to years of heavy cigarette smoking, and I'm sure that the marijuana has taken it's toll as well.

[Jeblily]

For children with epilepsy the "Charlotte's web" cannabis, which has been proven to reduce seizure significantly and is less expensive than the dangerous drug cocktails children are normally given, is produced as an oil and does not induce a high.

[Lostariel Telrunya]

I think what is happening right now with the illegality of it, is simply the government(/other people who deal with that stuff) wanting to keep the amount of consumption to a minimum. The problem with the whole pain reliever thing, is that there are a lot of illegal drugs out there that also relieve pain, and while cannabis may lessen the pain more than other prescription medicine, it can still harm other parts of your body. Like a few people have said, inhaling any kind of smoke is harmful to the lungs, sinuses, esophagus, pretty much every other organ that comes into contact with the substance in that state. When cannabis is used for medicinal purposes and is distributed by an authorized doctor, they do it with special permission. Cannabis being illegal is sort of like crowd control; if a person is in need of medical attention, it is available to them. However, recreational consumption has no medicinal benefits to the consumer and it still harms them.
Another aspect, as others have pointed out, is the effect on other people. As it happens, both my mom and I are allergic to cigarette and, coincidentally, cannabis smoke (yes, I know, weird allergies, but allergies nonetheless). Even if someone doesn't have an allergy, others can have a sensitivity to the smoke, and even people who don't have that sensitivity can still be harmed by the second-hand smoke of cannabis, even if the person is a considerable distance away.

That is just my opinion. Please don't feel offended or anything!

[Mermaid Melanie]

This thread is bringing back memories for me - I met David in Vilissinggen south holland and our first date was roller coasters and coffee shops ! I used to take medicine to treat depression that would just make me feel nothing and it was probably worse feeling than feeling the actual problem- but since the swap over 5 years ago I have felt the happiest and most content with myself and life -

Like Pearlie was saying anyone with addictive personalities has the potential to abuse anything - too much of anything isn't good for you so self control is a major factor - if you don't have it you might find yourself becoming engulfed by problems . We had housemates a while back who just smoked pot and went surfing all day everyday and while that was all good they couldn't get jobs because they had no motivation and slowly they slipped into undesirable situations and in the end they all had to go home to their country - no money no place to stay , just a few bags of clothes and of course their weed ! These sorts of easily influenced young folk should try and stay away from any substances if they can't handle everyday life without being high.

For me it has only ever had positive effects and I have a friend who truly believes the cannabis oil he used to help with his cancer cured him - I don't know if that's true but people say a positive outlook is good for cancer patients so I would encourage the hope that it might work

The other side of the coin is cannabis isn't just that anymore - you have so many different strains - strong in potency, super strains etc these can deliver pretty intense highs either indica or sativa one being a body high and the other more of a mental high - out here it's the original Thai stick bush weed that grows and is very mild there's nothing like the strength of cannabis back home here.

There are anti cannabis propaganda movies that were supposed to teach kids not to use or try weed but anyone watching it these days would just laugh at how absurd it is and at how they try to portray cannabis as something like heroin or meth ! But yeah people will try and make you believe what they want you to.

[GreenAsSin]

Personally I don't really have any huge issues with pot use. I don't have asthma or any other breathing problems and my sense of smell is pretty stunted so the smoke generally doesn't bother me. I would prefer other methods of ingestion because of the damage that the smoke does to a person's lungs but I don't really see that happening any time soon.

The medical advantages alone seem like they should be enough to legalize it for those purposes. Here it's legal but only if you have a very small amount of it, and even then a lot of the cops around here are pretty pompous and will try to arrest people no matter how much of it they have just because they want to throw their weight around.

I grew up wth a pair of cops as parents so I always got the lecture about how any kind of substance was horrible and we should never ever even look at the stuff nevermind partake in any of it. Personally I never really had any interest in smoking regardless of all the anti-drug stuff but my sister's got a really addictive personality and a lot of issue she's refused to deal with so when she started smoking pot and cigarettes it spiraled out of control from there really quickly. She's in recovery now but it's taken several years for her to get to this point.

I think if it was legalized a good chunk of people wouldn't be so interested in getting their hands on it. I deal with so many immature people who snicker and grin while they flash little baggies at each other out of their pockets and brag about how stupid the cops are. It's just a grab for attention and a way to pat themselves on the back because they think they're so smart and so badass because somehow every cop in the neighborhood is unaware that they're in possession or something.

If it was legal I think more ways of ingestion would be a little more common knowledge to people as well, not that I think everyone would suddenly stop smoking it in favor of eating it or anything, but the general belief is that pot smoke won't hurt the lungs so it can be inhaled all day every day with no side effects which is nonsense.

I'm totally behind the medical usage of pot, but for recreational use I think it largely depends on the people that are using it. Addictive personalities will get addicted to things no matter how harmless they seem. Pot is supposedly non habit forming but there are people who will become dependent on it for one reason or another. There's also the less mature crown that smoke the stuff solely because it's illegal and they feel like rebels by doing it, which I don't support especially because it comes with the godawful side effect of them never shutting up about how much pot they smoke all the time. I do know people that can smoke it casually and leave it at that without all the snickering and bragging but they're a lot less common. It all seems to depend on the person.

So I suppose the TL;DR is full support for medical usage, and casual usage is more of a case by case basis.

[AniaR]

what are people's thoughts on people driving while stoned? Cuz there's loads of medications you can take and say right on the bottle "no driving". There was one I took for a few years I had to take at night time, and was only allowed to drive 12 hours after taking it. It messed with my depth perception and made me dizzy. I think with the variation of how people get stoned, some people can probably drive no problem, but I def think it's a concern for others.

[Starfrit]

People should absolutely not be allowed to drive while they're stoned. Reaction times are severely slowed down, you're easily distracted or not focusing on what you're doing, and that can result in serious accidents. I don't see it as being much different than driving while drunk, really. You shouldn't be allowed to drive while under the influence of anything that can negatively impact motor skills, vision or reaction times. It's bound to get somebody killed. :c

[PearlieMae]

An article (and its supporting scientific documentation on driving high vs. driving drunk: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/explainer/2011/11/does_marijuana_make_you_a_more_dangerous_driver_th an_alcohol_.html

"It’s hard to directly compare alcohol and marijuana, because driving impairment depends on dosage and the two drugs tend to affect different skills. (Pot makes drivers worse at mindless tasks like staying in a lane, while alcohol undermines behaviors that require more attention like yielding to pedestrians or taking note of stop signs.)"

Driving while impaired is never a good idea, but it is far less dangerous to drive while stoned, and in some scenarios, pot smokers drive better than sober drivers.

[jukumerboii]

Yes I've realized a LOT of pple I know drive 10x better high then when their sober. Especially my sister. I guess because we get more aware of what we doing and want to focus on getting from point A to point B.

[Mermaid Margo]

I drove high once because I let my friends pressure me into it. I don't even remember the drive now, but they said that I seemed completely normal, if not more focused. I didn't like it though. It's never smart to drive when under the influence of anything. Granted, I'm on a bunch of prescription meds for depression and bipolar, but none of them make me drowsy or impair my vision or anything like that.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Just throwing in my 2 cts here. My grandpa has been addicted (I said addicted yes) to marijuana for his entire life. He calls it self medicating, which is partially true, as he has severe depression, but he can't stop now. He tried several times in his thirties and got suicidal so he started back up. He's completely dependent on pot to get through the day. I love my grandpa and I truly believe that this helps him now that medical marijuana is an option in Cali, but when he was younger he got into a lot of trouble with the law. I think it should be legalized and controlled just like alcohol or cigarettes. I will never smoke, I've seen how much it kills my mom when grandpa smells like weed and I don't like having my brain altered very much. But yes I think we should legalize pot and just make sure that kids aren't getting high at too young an age. It can definitely screw with your body especially if you're not fully grown. Oh and idk if driving and smoking is bad. I wouldn't let someone high drive me anyways.

[Morticia Mermaid]

I've noticed a lot of the comments here are about people smoking it. How many of you know there are other forms of cannabis that people can take?

There are oils, butters, etc. The majority of the positive studies are done with these, and not smoking.

Yes, smoking makes it hit the system faster, but stomach ingestion has proven to last far longer. I've known a lot of people who use a combination of the two. They will eat some oil or butter on a cracker and then take a small hit off a bowl to last them until the eaten takes affect.

[PearlieMae]

There are lots of good videos on youtube about making the butters and infusing cannabis into cooking. Smoking and Vaping are the fastest delivery methods.

[Aziara]

Yeah, I'd probably try out some recipes if it were ever legalized where I live. I just don't need the hassle of getting tar in my lungs.

[Vixy]

I feel like I'm in the minority because I'm adamantly against it. Being a more conservative person doesn't help either, I guess, but I'm against it because I've seen what it does to the people I love.


I'm against it too. To be honest, I'm to the point of phobia. Not just recreational drugs but also medical drugs too. It took ages for doctors to put me on needed medication as I have depression.

If I got any worse? Who knows. My ideas have changed over the years.

I did get second hand high once and it turned out to be giggling to a mess in an hour.

[Mermaid Melanie]

My friend came over from France with his travel friend Boris and he was a pastry chef - he made the most decisions weed cake and even a weed custard ! It tasted great but I don't think I like eating weed it gets you 10 times more high and lasts for ages lol it might sound good but not if you want to be a functioning human - I think the vaporisers are a good method to use. As for driving stonned I think it depends on how stonned you are like you can have a beer and drove home fine but you can't have 10 and feel fine. Same foes for weed if your stonned off your face and sleepy you shouldn't drive obviously. Up until I was about 18 I was dead against drugs but then you start to realise people tell lies to "protect" you . I've met doctors who say it's safe to take certain drugs the problems come from what they get cut with in the streets. I think everyone will experiment with some sort of recreational drugs at some point in their life it's just about making wise decisions and knowing when to say no.

[empressmone]

I love it. Its a part of my culture. :)

[Meilyn]

I love it. Its a part of my culture. :)

We live near the same area :/ I guess it depends on what culture you follow. I for one, am a very spiritual person although I do not condone substances to get you to a better plane. A lot of people I see use it as a form of escape from their lives. With that, I'd much rather they focus on making their lives better than escaping from their own paths carved. To me, I see it as an excuse unless you have valid medical reasons.

Even with messed up knees, hips, shoulders, neck, and back from carrying too much weight on my back in the Army, I refuse to take any medication for the pain. I've just learned to work around it and physical therapy helps better in the long run I believe.

It isn't part of my culture by any means even though we may live around the same area unless you're speaking ethnically. Unless you have a medical prescription for it, I personally don't condone it. It is a mind altering drug non the less, and people seem to use it with a placebo effect as well as using it for reasons to do acts of stupidity sometimes. I see it as equivalent to alcohol but with weed having a medical background support and reason for existence.

[Meilyn]

I'm against it too. To be honest, I'm to the point of phobia. Not just recreational drugs but also medical drugs too. It took ages for doctors to put me on needed medication as I have depression.

If I got any worse? Who knows. My ideas have changed over the years.

I did get second hand high once and it turned out to be giggling to a mess in an hour.



Ditto, I'm also against most medication prescribed and over the counter as well though. With enough money, big corporations can legalize any drug and call it safe. Most of the times, the side effects on those labels are worse than the symptoms needing the drugs.

Example:
I have a little sinus infection and a high fever that I'm sure to get over fairly quickly but my medicine tells me it's side effects include death/vomiting/nausea/random bleeding from where ever and/or a higher fever? ... Fun stuff

[SeaGlass Siren]

if anyone has ever watched yakitate japan (bread making anime) they make WEED BREAD.

And then they go on explaining how "cannabis seeds are legal as along as that they been processed so that they can't sprout" and "that cannabis is used in shichimi spice mix."

[Nana]

My matches don't seem to work.. no clue how to use cannabis.. or matches. How do you use these?

Now in reality I couldn't care less about it unless someone obviously only smokes away their brain cells.

[Aziara]

if anyone has ever watched yakitate japan (bread making anime) they make WEED BREAD.

And then they go on explaining how "cannabis seeds are legal as along as that they been processed so that they can't sprout" and "that cannabis is used in shichimi spice mix."

Oh yeah, hemp seeds are extemely nutritious, and they won't make you high either. I've had granola with them in it: very tasty.

[empressmone]

We live near the same area :/ I guess it depends on what culture you follow. I for one, am a very spiritual person although I do not condone substances to get you to a better plane. A lot of people I see use it as a form of escape from their lives. With that, I'd much rather they focus on making their lives better than escaping from their own paths carved. To me, I see it as an excuse unless you have valid medical reasons.

Even with messed up knees, hips, shoulders, neck, and back from carrying too much weight on my back in the Army, I refuse to take any medication for the pain. I've just learned to work around it and physical therapy helps better in the long run I believe.

It isn't part of my culture by any means even though we may live around the same area unless you're speaking ethnically. Unless you have a medical prescription for it, I personally don't condone it. It is a mind altering drug non the less, and people seem to use it with a placebo effect as well as using it for reasons to do acts of stupidity sometimes. I see it as equivalent to alcohol but with weed having a medical background support and reason for existence.

We live in the same area which is washington state but I am not from washington state. Thank god. Washington state has nothing to do with my culture. I smoke because I want to not for anyones approval. I don't care what others do on it . That's not my problem.

[Meilyn]

I'm also not from Washington state as well, I've just grown up here mostly.

[SeaGlass Siren]

i've had them in a smoothie. i agree, it's quite good.

[empressmone]

I'm also not from Washington state as well, I've just grown up here mostly.
Nope didn't grow up here either thank god. This state is full of ignorant and closed minded people. As soon as my husband retires his over twenty years in the military we are out of this god forsaken place.

[empressmone]

i've had them in a smoothie. i agree, it's quite good.
Wow never tried it in a smoothie before. I have tried it in a juice and pastries. Very good i must say.

[Jeblily]

Oh yeah, hemp seeds are extemely nutritious, and they won't make you high either. I've had granola with them in it: very tasty.
I love them with yogurt and the oil makes your hair just gorgeous!!! Beer and hemp seed are staples for pretty shiny hair... It's funny how both have a reputation though!!

[empressmone]

I love them with yogurt and the oil makes your hair just gorgeous!!! Beer and hemp seed are staples for pretty shiny hair... It's funny how both have a reputation though!!
Very true about it for hair. I make and sell organic hemp seed shampoo . :)

[Raayvhen]

This state is full of ignorant and closed minded people.
Except as someone who's lived here almost her whole life that's actually not true at all and really offensive. Don't stigmatize a whole population because of some unfortunate encounters.

[SeaGlass Siren]

^ agree with the above. anyway, it's the same as poppyseed. the seed is legal, but the flower used to make opiates is not.

[drucilla]

I think that if they legalize it for medical purposes then they need to put a TON of regulations on it. As in only liquid or pill forms, if possible. Also they should not be able to drive if they are on it. And if they cannot do the only liquid or pill forms, they need to make it illegal to use in public or in any area with children/pregnant women. They also need to make it illegal to smoke in or near apartment complexes. There should be designated areas for it only, and no smoking it in hotels. If needed they can make complexes for people who smoke it only.

[OceanRose]

Thank you for what you posted on page one, Raina. My dad has a Glioblastoma Multiforme, and is going for radiation and chemo soon. I looked into everything you've posted, and when we go to the hospital soon I am going to ask if we can try Sativex. It's not prescribed for cancers here though, so I may not be able to get it for my dad.
Only other option would be to grow a plant of the right type and then get the oil but actually, it looks like we won't have time for that, the tumour is very aggressive.

[AniaR]

Thank you for reading it ocean!

[Imbrielle]

I have really bad anxiety and chronic pain from an accident and Cannabis really helps with these problems. I was in meds that didn’t help or had side effects and this works great with no bad side effects and it helps me sleep too. I live in Canada where is has recently been declared legal😁

[AniaR]

yup! it's legal here in Canada now and the world has not ended!

[Vantin]

I personally don't like the idea of cannabis, at least currently. Think back to the 60s when smoking cigarettes were cool. For instance the Marlboro Man was a campaign for cigarettes starting in 1954 which was to use the cowboy appeal to sell cigarettes. I wouldn't want to smoke or be around smoking until more testing can be done. I wouldn't want to be part of the generation that has a higher chance of having some health problem because of it just like my parents have a higher chance of getting lung problems and certain cancers from smoking cigarettes throughout their life. It needs further studies before I would be comfortable with it such as long term effects.

I, however, am ok with it being used for anxiety. I don't use it for that reason (or at all) but I know a few people that do.

:thinks:

[KTMaggs]

I just think it hasn’t been researched enough. It’s great for people with anxiety I’ve heard, and also it helps with epilepsy. Smoking it isn’t good to for you, we all know.

[Clarrissa]

I personally don't like the idea of cannabis, at least currently. Think back to the 60s when smoking cigarettes were cool. For instance the Marlboro Man was a campaign for cigarettes starting in 1954 which was to use the cowboy appeal to sell cigarettes. I wouldn't want to smoke or be around smoking until more testing can be done. I wouldn't want to be part of the generation that has a higher chance of having some health problem because of it just like my parents have a higher chance of getting lung problems and certain cancers from smoking cigarettes throughout their life. It needs further studies before I would be comfortable with it such as long term effects.

I, however, am ok with it being used for anxiety. I don't use it for that reason (or at all) but I know a few people that do.

:thinks:

I couldn't say it better, completely agree with your opinion.

[the.tattooed.mermaid78]

Canabis has been used for hundreds of years to help with umpteen amounts of ailments, you never see anyone die from smoking canabis. If you have say issue like schizophrenia, aggressiveness etc while smoking it, then obviously stop because you already have those trates supposedly and these are being heightened even more by canabis. For me I hate the smell, i hate the taste and the high it gives you, however I will use it because I'm in constant pain because of fibromyalgia and I suffer from anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

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[OrcaBait]

I smoke SeaWeed everyday. I live in Los Angeles and its everywhere. I smoke, dab and eat edibles!

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[OrcaBait]

It helps alot with manybof my issues and restores my imagination that's been damaged through bullshit in my life. Weeds great!

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[the.tattooed.mermaid78]

I'm having a bad pain day today so I think I'll be having some tonight

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[OrcaBait]

I'm having a bad pain day today so I think I'll be having some tonight

Sent from my [device_name] using MerNetwork mobile appHope your pain drifts away like kelp in the current :)

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[the.tattooed.mermaid78]

Thanks me too. Going to have an early night

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[OrcaBait]

Its not harmful and the stigma against it is outdated, there's new info out there about it.

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[the.tattooed.mermaid78]

Oh I know, my good friend and her partner grow their own as she has fibromyalgia and he has ADHD and anxiety. I only get it off them xx

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[MorningSun]

I have really bad anxiety and chronic pain from an accident and Cannabis really helps with these problems. I was in meds that didn’t help or had side effects and this works great with no bad side effects and it helps me sleep too. I live in Canada where is has recently been declared legal

I agree with you. I had some anxiety episodes for a while and that was really exhausting. A few years ago I moved to Canada and cannabis legalization was a fortunate occurrence. I got a prescription for pills and CBD oil (I got some joint pain disorder at that moment), that really helped me to cope with it. Moreover I also was allowed to grow it by myself to cut expenses on this medication. I got me a stealth box after reading this article https://420growradar.com/p/best-stealth-grow-boxes-achieve-maximum-privacy-with-your-indoor-planting/ for growing plants indoor. So you may call me a successful gardener now :)

[the.tattooed.mermaid78]

I have bad anxiety and fibromyalgia and I couldn't live without my canabis lollies. Marijuana is medicine

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[gay-mermaid]

The main problem with the criminalization of weed and other drugs is that its only really illegal to keep prisons full. These things should have the same restrictions as alcohol and tobacco. The "war on drugs" started out as an attack on impoverished (largely queer and POC) communities, people who tended to turn to drugs as a way to cope with a world against them. Its part of the school to prison pipeline. If drugs are criminalized, they can keep minorities in prison, therefore keeping prisons full to make money, and provide cheap labor.

pronouns are they/them/their

[Mermaid Delphinidae]

It's not for me, but I don't care if other people do it and I think it should be legal. I tried edibles once and all it did was make me horribly dizzy. I'm told that it's different if you smoke it but I don't like smoke.

[CoriTheMergirl]

I personally don't approve of drugs for recreational use, but if it is properly diagnosed and prescribed by a doctor, I think it can help a lot of people.

I don't exactly know what the situation is now with marijuana laws in Utah, but I think last year some lawmakers tried to get a bill passed that made it way too easy to acquire marijuana. As long as we avoid that, I'm totally fine with it.

[MidsummerMermaid]

I use it sometimes for when my anxiety gets really bad. It's the best thing I've ever done. It's like all my anxiety and excess worry goes in a box in the closet and allows me to focus on what I need to. It reminds me of when I was on my ADHD meds, but without me acting like an emotionless robot.

[MidsummerMermaid]

Oh, I misread the title! I take CBD, not full on cannabis

[Mermaid Syriianis]

I think it is a really nice plant lol, besides that i used to have a major problem with cannabis. Smoking it on a daily and not doing any school work, now that i am feeling more of myself and just blocking it out whenever i "Crave" it isn't so hard.

But sometimes i do smoke to calm down my nerves, I have depression and anxiety and i feel like when taken properly and not over done that it can be such a relaxer, and i would recommend in low dosage to people who haven't tried if they are struggling through the same stuff

[Trade Winds]

I am extremely against all drugs and alcohol.

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[K Swim]

The only way cannabis will calm me down is by its nonexistence. Sorry, I don't do the stuff but many times I have witnessed the bad things it can do to people. I'm not going to tell anyone how they should live their lives, but I can suggest that your life will be better spent without drugs. Just drop an anonymous tip about your dealer to your local law enforcement and be done with it.

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[Mermaid Syriianis]

The only way cannabis will calm me down is by its nonexistence. Sorry, I don't do the stuff but many times I have witnessed the bad things it can do to people. I'm not going to tell anyone how they should live their lives, but I can suggest that your life will be better spent without drugs. Just drop an anonymous tip about your dealer to your local law enforcement and be done with it.

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[emoji2955]Technically it isnt a drug it is a plant people decided to smoke. Cannabis helps literally so many people, and other hardcore drugs should be just thrown away but cannabis has proven it can help people with illnesses. So i dont think people are going to just leave a anonymous tip with the law enforcement when they are trying to make their bodies feel better.

That's just how i see it. [emoji14]


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[Echidna]

I am extremely against all drugs and alcohol.


same.
I decided to not take any prescribed cannabis for my pain, because I don't want to risk anything. I'd rather tough it out.

and regarding dropping a hint to the authorities, well.
Please ban alcohol and especially nicotin first. That stuff is cancer, causes cancer in everyone around those addicts, and has NO place in any society really.

[NeonHyena]

The use of medicine of any kind is an extremely personal one and I would urge you to not take the opinions of others too highly into account when it comes to your own needs. Cannabis has been used for medicinal and recreational purposes by humanity for thousands of years and it has been "bad/illegal" for less than a hundred. However, every strain is different and every person reacts differently. If you do choose to partake please explore the different ways of using it to find one to suit your needs and research what you're taking beforehand to get an idea of what you may experience. I use THC tablets (they're supposedly peach flavored but they taste absolutely terrible so I swallow them like a pill instead of chewing on them) to help with migraines, sciatica and severe anxiety. I have discussed it extensively with my doctor and she supports my decision since it has allowed me to stop taking a narcotic painkiller.

[jaybay]

It’s none of my business what people do with their time, and who am I to judge how they spend their days? Personally I’d rather see more stoners about than meth or other drug addicts because stoners are nice and friendly and don’t steal your car tires. But as long as you’re not hurting anyone it’s your life! Live how you want [emoji263][emoji108]


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[Mermaid Syriianis]

It’s none of my business what people do with their time, and who am I to judge how they spend their days? Personally I’d rather see more stoners about than meth or other drug addicts because stoners are nice and friendly and don’t steal your car tires. But as long as you’re not hurting anyone it’s your life! Live how you want [emoji263][emoji108]


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Have you gotten you car ties stolen before?? XD


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[jaybay]

Have you gotten you car ties stolen before?? XD


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Yah lol. I live in a “half hippie half party” beach town so there’s a fair mix of hippie stoner and sketchy tire stealers. Beware the tire stealers


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[Mermaid Syriianis]

Yah lol. I live in a “half hippie half party” beach town so there’s a fair mix of hippie stoner and sketchy tire stealers. Beware the tire stealers


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LMAOOO im so sorry for your losS XD and that is wild :00 stay safe from the silly bois chasing the purple dragon


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[the_fever]

It helps me with my anxiety as well. I don't take cannabis, I use my vape and CBD oils when it strikes again. I heard it works better when used in vapes, so maybe you should try it out too. Some cheap vapes can be found here on https://vapingdaily.com/ I'd be glad if it helps someone.

[scilover]

I think that Cannibalism is very scary. Every time I think about cannibalism I feel like my world is spinning around. They are very cruel because they eat human.

[moomer]

I think that Cannibalism is very scary. Every time I think about cannibalism I feel like my world is spinning around. They are very cruel because they eat human.Uhhh, not cannibalism.
Cannabis. Marijuana. Pot.
[emoji28]

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[Trade Winds]

I think that Cannibalism is very scary. Every time I think about cannibalism I feel like my world is spinning around. They are very cruel because they eat human.

This is the kind of quality post I like seeing after returning to Mernetwork after a month.

[K Swim]

This is the kind of quality post I like seeing after returning to Mernetwork after a month.Sounds like the type of trolling comment to take the conversation away from drugs.

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[Aserener32]

Someone sees a huge problem in smoking when other don't. It all depends on personal attitude toward it. I don't blame anyone with their opinions and habits.

[MaraMoon]

I think people should be able to access it for medical reasons at the very least.

Sadly this is not the case in my country (apart from a tiny amount of patients). It forces me to take medications that cause a whole range of nasty side effects.

I don't think that's right.

[linda]

Hi! I think cannabis is a good way to relax, but have you ever tried CBD? You know, recently my friend advised me to use a website to buy cbd powder (https://cbd.market/cbd-isolates), which helped me get rid of constant fatigue and sleep problems. If you want to get rid of constant fatigue, then CBD is a great opportunity for this.

[Mermaid Fina]

Honestly i'm allergic to weed so not too much into it, now as long as they can respect that i let people who do likes it do whatever they want with it.

[Randolph2]

Personally cannabis helped me with my psychological problems, I'm grateful to my doctor for that, if you're from Salinas California I recommend a very cool dispensary https://askgrowers.com/dispensaries/california/salinas/valley-farms that has a really cool range and cool salespeople, they know everything and will help you make the right cannabis choice.

[MarkUltra]

Well, I don't consider cannabis as something bad because it has many health benefits, and since it's legal in my place, many people have started growing weed. I'm not an exception since sativa seeds (https://herbiesheadshop.com/collections/sativa-seeds) are pretty accessible on the internet, and they're not expensive at all. So I don't have any negative thoughts on cannabis at all.

[Floppus]

I didn't even know that an allergy to cannabis was a thing. I used to smoke it pretty often, but then the store where I was buying weed got canceled, so it became a problem.

[Marrius]

I'd say that cannabis stores are getting canceled pretty often, and that's why it's a challenge to find a store with high-quality products. Well, I've been ordering marijuana from Weed Delivery (https://weeddelivery.io/) for a while, and if you're from Canada, you can check it out. Cannabis there is actually good, and there's a variety of different strains, so I'm sure you won't have problems choosing something suitable there.

[Mermeme]

With drugs, there is little difference from alcohol, really. Some alcoholics gather in groups and others drink alone. I suggest you read about social drinking vs drinking problem - what's the difference (https://www.abbeycarefoundation.com/alcohol/what-is-considered-a-social-drinker/). This is an important point to really pay attention to if you or someone you know has similar symptoms.

[evpen]

Cannabis is without a doubt a useful weed. What do you think about using cbd gummies?

[Melen]

You're right, weed gummies are a very good mental health product. If you are interested in this, then you need to go here https://bestcanadianonlinedispensaries.com/weed-gummies-faq/ and get detailed information about weed gummies. Through the use of weed gummies you will be able to solve problems such as stress. anxiety, insomnia, pain and even cure various nervous disorders.

[isaacmurray790]

Jye West ACU (https://medi-zen.au/) brings a fresh perspective to the discourse on cannabis. With insights from Jye West ACU, delve into the multifaceted aspects of cannabis, including its therapeutic potential, social impact, and regulatory landscape.