Mandatory sentencing for marijuana went into effect today

[polak]

Inhaling smoke from burnt plant matter of any kind is not good for you. I'm not anti-pot by any means imaginable but if you think you're not doing any damage to your body if you smoke regularly then you're kidding yourself.

Also how clean is street pot? I wouldn't be suprised if some of the sketchier stuff is laced with some seriously unhealthy stuff.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by polak

Inhaling smoke from burnt plant matter of any kind is not good for you. I'm not anti-pot by any means imaginable but if you think you're not doing any damage to your body if you smoke regularly then you're kidding yourself.

Also how clean is street pot? I wouldn't be suprised if some of the sketchier stuff is laced with some seriously unhealthy stuff.

Not to be too beligerent, but you could always use a vaporizer, or make some edibles. Mmm, edibles...Anyways yes pot has some dangers that come with it, but its not in the same league as even pharmaceuticals, which kill many more than pot does. Pot, when you keep it relative to things like alcohol and tobacco and pharmaceuticals, is exceedingly safe. And people, or most people anyways, get their pot from a dealer usually in their domicile, not on the street. And most dope dealers from my experience have been awesome, very trustworthy people. I guess bottom line, how ####ed up is it that now if I get caught with weed I'll be going to jail longer than a drunk driver who kills a family of 5? That should be the real issue here.

[polak]

Agreed.

Again, I'm all for legalization. I'm just making a point because some regular stoners like to tell themselves that what they're doing does no harm to their bodies which is pretty naive.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by polak

Agreed.

Again, I'm all for legalization. I'm just making a point because some regular stoners like to tell themselves that what they're doing does no harm to their bodies which is pretty naive.

Even worse are the people who tell you it's 'healthy'.

There are a lot of carcinogens when you inhale any smoke. I remember seeing a show on Learning or Discovery or something about an ancient frozen body found in a mountain range of some sorts. In Asia I think, doesn't really matter. Anyway they figured out that he was about 18-21 when he died and it appeared his job was as a messenger between two villages on either side of the mountain range. This person would spend a lot of the time in the cold and so was always close to a fire to keep warm.

Anyway, when they showed his lungs, they were black as coal. I'm sure the age had something to do with it too, but they were talking about the immense amount of smoke damage that he had because of his 'lifestyle'.

Breathing in any type of smoke is bad for you and is filled with carcinogens and all sorts of other fun stuff. Pot smoke, being unfiltered, puts a lot of that into your body. True enough it doesn't have the additives cigarettes do, and you don't do it as often, but the unfiltered smoke that goes into your lungs is quite unhealthy. And you're consciously breathing it in as deep as you can, not shielding yourself from it, like in the campfire example.

Just thought I'd add that. I do agree pot isn't nearly as dangerous as most other legal and illegal drugs, and I have no problem with it being legalized, in fact I think it's a good idea, I just thought I'd add that to your post about burning plant matter which you are correct about.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Except cigarettes have been proven to have carcinogens in them, the direct cause of many types of cancer. So its not the same at all. You can argue smoking pot causes you to become a more dangerous driver, but there was a study found in the other pot related thread that stoned drivers are actually safer, so there's a study refuting that claims. Granted, not a scientific study, but thats kind of the point. Science has proven carcinogens cause cancer, and that they are most definitely in cigarettes. There is not one single study that says marijuana consumption will lead directly to death. Not one. You can say for instance it makes driving more dangerous, but so do hail, snow, rain, wind. Are we using those as causes of death anytime soon? Doubtful. Contributing factors? Sure, but those aren't the reason the person died. Again, its a technicality, but as OJ and Casey Anthony will tell you, they didn't do it and technically, they're right.

Marijuana smoke has carcinogens in it too. If you burn anything, it breaks down into thousands of constituent parts and some of those are carcinogens. Heck, if you eat well done meat, the burnt portions contain polycyclic aromatics that are carcinogens.

I'm all for degrees of legalization, but there are health risks.

[Flash Walken]

So, is anyone on Calgarypuck in favour of these new Mandatory Minimums?

Honest question.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by polak

Also how clean is street pot? I wouldn't be suprised if some of the sketchier stuff is laced with some seriously unhealthy stuff.

This has to be one of the biggest myths with marijuana. No drug dealer is going to put a more expensive drug in marijuana just for fun. There is no benefit to the person doing it because if you get super high off some laced marijuana you are going to be looking for that marijuana, not all of a sudden are you going to be addicted to crack or something. What the dealer is going to say is 'here is your pot, would you like to try some of X as well" so the client knows what to ask for they get addicted to it.

Worst case someone is using a bad fertiziler, didn't flush the plant or sprayed it with something bad in the growing process. Again something that would be stopped if it was regulated and produced by manufactures, not your local grower in the basement.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

So, is anyone on Calgarypuck in favour of these new Mandatory Minimums?

Honest question.

Ask any grower they will be in favour. They realize the harsher the punishment the higher the price, and it's not like their chances of being caught have gone up at all, just the punishment. So government can pat themselves on the back for increasing the money going into organized crime.

[vektor]

A: it is healthy if you both vaporize and don't abuse it, well atleast from my personal experience. It helps with depression, anxiety, relieves pain and helps me sleep so from that perspective it is healthy.
B: it is extremely unhealthy a lot of the time because of the simple fact that it's loaded with chemicals from the grow itself. A lot of growers use extremely harsh chemicals because it increases yield and the majority of the time you have no clue whether it's organic or not.

I've vaporized for quite a while, got a full physical 3 months ago and I was told I'm healthier than almost anyone so I'm fairly sure it can't be that bad if you use common sense. It's pretty easy to tell if it's bad for you based on how your body reacts, if you smoke it out of a metal pipe or a one hitter you will cough and if you do it enough you will be wheezy if you do cardio. If you vaporize there is no effect on the lungs because there are no carcinogens, it's just water vapor and cannabinoids.

So I agree with you guys, smoking is probably not the greatest thing, abusing it while smoking is even worse. That being said there is conflicting scientific evidence ranging from it's worse than cigarettes to smoking actually protects against lung cancer. Logic would dictate that anything making you cough and wheeze isn't healthy. It's a grey area under some circumstances but I'm certain it can be extremely bad for you if it's laced with grow chemicals, there's no filter between the herb and your lungs and you use a metal pipe to smoke it. The way I do it I never cough and my throat never hurts, I'll actually vaporize other herbs if I'm sick because the warm water vapor is extremely soothing.

[Locke]

Yeah, smoke is bad for you mmmkay? We can all agree upon this I think.

I smoke cigars and someone once told me that that was okay as, since you're not inhaling its 'better for you.'



Okay. 'Better' is a relative term. Its better than cigarettes in its own way. Because you're smoking tobacco and not the road tar and formaldehyde. Its 'better' than being hit by a truck, I suppose.

But in no way is it 'good' or 'healthy.' Its simply, 'less damaging.'

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by vektor

A: it is healthy if you both vaporize and don't abuse it, well atleast from my personal experience. It helps with depression, anxiety, relieves pain and helps me sleep so from that perspective it is healthy.
B: it is extremely unhealthy a lot of the time because of the simple fact that it's loaded with chemicals from the grow itself. A lot of growers use extremely harsh chemicals because it increases yield and the majority of the time you have no clue whether it's organic or not.

I've vaporized for quite a while, got a full physical 3 months ago and I was told I'm healthier than almost anyone so I'm fairly sure it can't be that bad if you use common sense. It's pretty easy to tell if it's bad for you based on how your body reacts, if you smoke it out of a metal pipe or a one hitter you will cough and if you do it enough you will be wheezy if you do cardio. If you vaporize there is no effect on the lungs because there are no carcinogens, it's just water vapor and cannabinoids.

So I agree with you guys, smoking is probably not the greatest thing, abusing it while smoking is even worse. That being said there is conflicting scientific evidence ranging from it's worse than cigarettes to smoking actually protects against lung cancer. Logic would dictate that anything making you cough and wheeze isn't healthy. It's a grey area under some circumstances but I'm certain it can be extremely bad for you if it's laced with grow chemicals, there's no filter between the herb and your lungs and you use a metal pipe to smoke it. The way I do it I never cough and my throat never hurts, I'll actually vaporize other herbs if I'm sick because the warm water vapor is extremely soothing.

Maybe we're getting closer to a difference in semantics here, but I can't really call ANY drug healthy for you. Drugs are prescribed and taken to treat problems in an unhealthy body. When taken properly and not abused like you said, they can reduce or treat or even cure these problems. But it wouldn't be prescribed if you didn't have the problem to begin with, nor should one take it after the problem is gone. It's not like food nutrients, or vitamins, or such that are healthy for you and help your body grow and develop.

But I do agree that taken for the right reasons, and not abused, pot can have many medicinal benefits.

As for treating depression, I find that weird, though I admit I have no experience. Cause I've known so many people who have trouble with depression because of it. Obviously they are abusing it, but I still find it weird you say it can help with depression. I've never heard that before.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by vektor

B: it is extremely unhealthy a lot of the time because of the simple fact that it's loaded with chemicals from the grow itself. A lot of growers use extremely harsh chemicals because it increases yield and the majority of the time you have no clue whether it's organic or not.

This is not true. "A lot" of growers actually grow it properly, using organic or 'clean' chemicals (even though they are actually nutrients, not chemicals). Most nutrients are salt based so the only thing needed is a 7-10 flush with water and a flushing solution before you crop and it will be clean.

Most growers know how to gain maximum yeild by controlling the conditions of the grow not by using bad chemicals. A plant can only produce X amout of marijuana per watt, so you can't magically make a plant yield more because of some chemical no matter what random people may claim.

Also a good reason why to buy from a grower you know so you know what it put into the product. I personally don't smoke random people's weed, I'd rather just light my own knowing exactly what I'm smoking. A good way to tell is the way it burns in a joint.

[polak]

Originally Posted by HOOT

This has to be one of the biggest myths with marijuana. No drug dealer is going to put a more expensive drug in marijuana just for fun. There is no benefit to the person doing it because if you get super high off some laced marijuana you are going to be looking for that marijuana, not all of a sudden are you going to be addicted to crack or something. What the dealer is going to say is 'here is your pot, would you like to try some of X as well" so the client knows what to ask for they get addicted to it.

Worst case someone is using a bad fertiziler, didn't flush the plant or sprayed it with something bad in the growing process. Again something that would be stopped if it was regulated and produced by manufactures, not your local grower in the basement.

Woah I didn't mean cut with other drugs.
I was talking more so, chemicals and what not. Things that your body probaby shouldn't be inhaling.

Either way.

Legalize it. I'm sure most would pay a "convinience" charge to be able to have all the benefits that come with legalized pot.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by polak

Woah I didn't mean cut with other drugs.

Well you did say "laced" so that it pretty common term to use just like "cut" to mean it has another type of drug in there. Anyways either way if you don't know what you are buying you are of course putting yourself at risk.

[vektor]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Maybe we're getting closer to a difference in semantics here, but I can't really call ANY drug healthy for you. Drugs are prescribed and taken to treat problems in an unhealthy body. When taken properly and not abused like you said, they can reduce or treat or even cure these problems. But it wouldn't be prescribed if you didn't have the problem to begin with, nor should one take it after the problem is gone. It's not like food nutrients, or vitamins, or such that are healthy for you and help your body grow and develop.

But I do agree that taken for the right reasons, and not abused, pot can have many medicinal benefits.

As for treating depression, I find that weird, though I admit I have no experience. Cause I've known so many people who have trouble with depression because of it. Obviously they are abusing it, but I still find it weird you say it can help with depression. I've never heard that before.

A: it's definitely healthy for me, I'm a reasonable person and I've seen it ruin peope's lives because they abuse it terribly. There are many purported health benefits of the plant, it's like anything that's good for you, too much of anything isn't good. You eat 12 bananas in a day and you can die. Smoke an ounce of pot a day and you will fry your brain. For me though it has an effect where it feels like it connects my body and mind so I can tell if there is something off, if I have a headache and I smoke up I'll realize it's because of back pain or if I'm groggy it's because I haven't been drinking enough water and forgot to take vitamins or similar things like that.

B: It's not common but not unknown that it can help with depression. I used to battle with it but not at all anymore, if I ever notice that cyclical pattern of negative thoughts common with depression I just need to vape a little and the negative thoughts vanish completely. I recognize the way it effects me is in the minority which is why I don't try to advocate it's use so much as I just want the government to leave me alone. To me the plant helps drastically in all aspects of life, but it's not like that for everyone. To most it is a drug used to escape or just to have a fun, to me it's a medicine that helps me with motivation as well as aiding my physical and mental health. If I go for an extended period without I'll start to get manic and unhealthy because I think that's just how I am so you can see why I'm so defensive about it sometimes.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Daradon

As for treating depression, I find that weird, though I admit I have no experience. Cause I've known so many people who have trouble with depression because of it. Obviously they are abusing it, but I still find it weird you say it can help with depression. I've never heard that before.

Just like any other type of drug every single person will react differently to it. It's no different than someone taking an anti-depressant but having increased depression or suicidal thoughts, it just isn't for them.

Speaking from personal experience I can tell you that it can help people with all sorts of things. It isn't a way to solve health or mental problems but maybe it can relieve some of the pain involved with it.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by HOOT

This has to be one of the biggest myths with marijuana. No drug dealer is going to put a more expensive drug in marijuana just for fun. There is no benefit to the person doing it because if you get super high off some laced marijuana you are going to be looking for that marijuana, not all of a sudden are you going to be addicted to crack or something. What the dealer is going to say is 'here is your pot, would you like to try some of X as well" so the client knows what to ask for they get addicted to it.

Worst case someone is using a bad fertiziler, didn't flush the plant or sprayed it with something bad in the growing process. Again something that would be stopped if it was regulated and produced by manufactures, not your local grower in the basement.

I think the words highlighted above is one of the things that has bothered me i.e. the selling of pot may be combined with the offer to purchase other more damaging drugs.

Also, I have seen young people with loads of potential, who get hooked on pot, simply fritter their lives away...unable to focus and commit themselves to doing anything productive for decades.

[vektor]

how many times have you bought cannabis? my guess is none because that's never once happened to me, the large majority of people just sell pot because it's so much more easy to get than everything else.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by vektor

how many times have you bought cannabis? my guess is none because that's never once happened to me, the large majority of people just sell pot because it's so much more easy to get than everything else.

Perhaps you're right, however, isn't it a little presumptuous to suggest that your personal experience represents the majority of dealers?

Wouldn't it be tempting for a dealer to increase his profit, by adding other drugs? After all, if he's the type that is only after money, and doesn't care whether he may be harming anyone (particularly young children), why would he be concerned with selling other more harmful drugs?

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

Perhaps you're right, however, isn't it a little presumptuous to suggest that your personal experience represents the majority of dealers?

Wouldn't it be tempting for a dealer to increase his profit, by adding other drugs? After all, if he's the type that is only after money, and doesn't care whether he may be harming anyone (particularly young children), why would he be concerned with selling other more harmful drugs?

Carrying other drugs increases his/her risk in the courts, raises their profile and exposes them to more nefarious portions of organized crime.

it's also a different clientèle and business apparatus.