Potential of Marijuana

[dodaive]

I ran across an interesting medical article, I don't smoke marijuana, much more research on this has to been done. Growing new neurons is something that hasn't been done before short of using implanted fetal tissue. [blush] Sorry forgot to put the link in

http://www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/ ... paign=psyc

[Nahemah]

So marijuana can help/stimulate neuron growth?

Can you link to the abstract or tell us more about it please?

Some of us use it for Religious,Psycho spiritual and medicinal purposes,allegedly.

[dodaive]

One thing about marijuana is that even 5 years after the substance was ingested/smoked, it can be detected in a person's hair. So it can be a reason to keep certain people out of certain jobs. So, excluding the damaging effects of smoking on the lungs, why is marijuana mostly associated with the long term effects of laziness, forgetfulness, slowness needs much more research. Maybe the neuron growth that occurs happens in areas that mostly inhibit functions, leading to the long term effects that we usually think of.

[Muloc7253]

As a marijuana user, myself and many others will attest that marijuana only promotes laziness/lack of attention span/demotivational feelings whilst under the influence. If you use marijuana today then by this time tomorrow you'll be alert and ready as usual. Laziness isn't a long term effect, I work full time 9-5 and have no problem smoking after work as a path time, spiritual aid, tool to cope with stress etc. It's incredibly useful to me for creative/theraputic reasons and I do believe that the medicinal uses are genuine although don't have much experience in that department. On the offchance that I'm rolling into a panic attack that too far gone to nip in the bud, a drag of my pipe is enough to calm my muscles, distract my mind a little and just mellow out all of those anxious feelings. It isn't addictive but CAN be habit-forming just like the internet, TV, sex etc. but has no withdrawal effects other than mental dependency. I love marijuana dn my life has significantly improved since I've been recreationally smoking.

If this is indeed true I can only hope that it pushes the possibility of legality further, would be great if more people ditched alcohol or dangerous illegal drus in favour of this beautiful herb.

[biguns]

...excluding the damaging effects of smoking on the lungs...

You need to do more research on it and discover it isn't true. [gz]

[420]

Marijuana can be eaten or vaporized to avoid dangers of smoking. It's listed as a life extension drug in the book "Life Extension Companion". It inhibits tumor growth in cancer, lowers blood pressure and has an anti-microbial effect and dozens of other medical uses. It doesn't make most people lazy, and is safer than alcohol, caffeine, asprin, or bathrooms. It's not illegal for safety reasons, it's illegal as a means of social control.

[Atehequa]

Potential? One would think that people, especially marijuana users partake of the weed for an elated sense of being. Having read the pros and cons presented mostly regarding health issues, I tend to see a room full of potheads as people who are peaceful, jovial, friendly, highly perceptive and not at each other's throats, viewing their fellow humans as rank and file to compete against or step on.

A real threat not only to BIG PHARMA, but to all those who profit from aggression, fear and conflict.

Marijuana has been used by humans for thousands of years and there's probably no frightening information or scary stories that will get people who enjoy and benefit from it to stop using. Those who don't want a chemical chip like Paxil, Prozac or Zoloft suppressing emotion or dictating perception.

Toke on my elated friends.

[shmatka]

I have had my fair amounts of marijuana, and hashish... The only thing I can say is that at some of my highest intoxication levels I've traveled and seen ancient (or future?) worlds, or in other words dimension-wise like states of mind if you'd put it that way. Coming back is another thing. But, any way, regarding its potential I do feel its an utterly useful tool for a panoplia of things, may it be for healing purposes, concentration (I used to toke on pakistan hash before studying), and stating the obvious - recreational. The only thing I wished I could do in such obliviated buzzes (there's a reason why it makes you forgetful, maybe a good one even [crazy] ) was write down the experience, but that seemed as close to impossible as it gets for me.

I say use it wisely, with purpose and limits (which may vary of course [smile]

[manonthepath]

I've smoked quite a bit of pot in my day. Nothing good ever came from it. Many great contributions were never made because of pot. Many scientists became grocery store clerks instead. Many great thinkers became imbeciles instead. I've seen too many promising young people start out with pot, many of them close friends, who went on to meth, crack and other shit. Most are now dead or living lives at the bottom of the pool. Don't justify your weakness by trying to label it as something good. Reefer growing brain cells. You are a fucking idiot!

[Haelos]

I've smoked quite a bit of pot in my day. Nothing good ever came from it. Many great contributions were never made because of pot. Many scientists became grocery store clerks instead. Many great thinkers became imbeciles instead. I've seen too many promising young people start out with pot, many of them close friends, who went on to meth, crack and other shit. Most are now dead or living lives at the bottom of the pool. Don't justify your weakness by trying to label it as something good. Reefer growing brain cells. You are a fucking idiot!

Only because this thread was already jump started over the course of two years, I'm going to post a response to this.
I'm mad bro.

Manonthepath, I'd like you to take a good long research trip on the internet into marijuana and it's cons of use.
I assure you, you'll find none.

All of those people who ended up "on meth, crack, and other shit" were going to be there anyway, regardless of the flower. I'm only 20 years old, but I've smoked marijuana since middle school, and not once have I been tempted to smoke meth. Not even once, bro.

Those idiots who go seeking their next rush were going to end up at the bottom of that pool anyway, marijuana had no effect on this.
You sound like the same badge-toting faggots who would try to spread this slander in schools when I was younger.
No drug is a "gateway" to other drugs.
When you learn about an experience, you choose right then whether it's appealing to you, and you want to enjoy it.
Your friends decided to boof crack at least 5 years before they ever saw the drug in person, so don't push your ignorance and bad experience off on your interpretation of medical science that has not only been proven, but is even still being researched.

Every single day, new, notable research comes in to the medical field by qualified scientists proving in more way than one, than marijuana is not only good for you, there's absolutely nothing negative about it (except for the effects of burning plant matter, which in actuality, doesn't even cause tar to form.)
I'll be the first person to admit that ganja has made me one lazy mofo, but I'll also be the last person screaming in your ear to learn before you let ignorance grab your tongue. Or, fingers, in your case.

Don't think you got the last word here, and you can just trail off with your insults.
In fact, everything positive I once thought about you has been thrown out the window because of this one, extremely arrogant, and pissy-sounding post.
Don't justify you own inability to accept new truth by calling those who rely on current science "fucking idiots."


I've smoked a lot of pot in my day, and many wonderful things have come from it. A lot of talented artists made their way into the world, and many great thinkers strolled by me to share a blaze. Many great contributions were made to every field of science and art we hold dear, because there were people who ingested marijuana and unlocked the initial understanding to start the work so many of you won't.
(This last paragraph was JUST to be a dick.)

[420]

I've smoked quite a bit of pot in my day. Nothing good ever came from it. Many great contributions were never made because of pot. Many scientists became grocery store clerks instead. Many great thinkers became imbeciles instead. I've seen too many promising young people start out with pot, many of them close friends, who went on to meth, crack and other shit. Most are now dead or living lives at the bottom of the pool. Don't justify your weakness by trying to label it as something good. Reefer growing brain cells. You are a fucking idiot!

Eight Nobel prize winners attribute their win to cannabis.

[Yex]

Just for the sake of joining in on the conversation, I'll quote myself in another thread:

Marijuana and Hashish were, at one time, central not only to my spiritual practice, but to my life in general. There was a time when I was more or less perpetually stoned, but my use was also intrinsically tied to my Shaivite practice and to my occult workings. Cannabis was, at that time, almost always worked into rituals, consumed prior to meditation, and used to aid scrying. At the time, my devotion to this plant made it seem absurd not to work it into my magickal practice. Over time though, as I became more attuned to my spiritual path, I ultimately found the consumption of cannabis to be highly detrimental to my mental and spiritual wellbeing. Where once cannabis had been an effective tool for inducing ecstasy, it had become a virtual spiritual poison. So I stopped, and never looked back. Were these negative qualities I came to find in cannabis universal truths, or tailored to my own experience? I do not know. I can say that for myself, though, that by the end of my relationship with marijuana, using it left me open to psychic and spiritual attacks by malevolent forces. Again, was this just my misuse, or something inherent in the use in general? At any rate, I'd advise would-be cannabis-devotees to be extremely cautious.

The most concerning thing to me was the fact that after a certain point, cannabis consumption let me vulnerable to attacks/possession by malevolent entities. This was distinctly so, and directly linked to the smoking of cannabis products. I will refrain from saying that this is an essential quality to cannabis use, but (on other, drug related forums) I have heard from others corroborating this. It's just something to think about.

[cyberdemon]

I've always preferred a synthetic cannabinoid to marijuana for occult purposes - the specific cannabinoid brought on a more stimulant high than usual chilled/lazy marijuana high. I used it exactly for the purpose of being more receptive to psychic influences.

Either way, that was a one-time thing.
All recreational drugs should be kept recreational. The higher your sober mind's power is the higher your own, actual power is. Help is nice, but you can get dependent on it. Badly.

[Maya The Generator]

I've smoked quite a bit of pot in my day. Nothing good ever came from it. Many great contributions were never made because of pot. Many scientists became grocery store clerks instead. Many great thinkers became imbeciles instead. I've seen too many promising young people start out with pot, many of them close friends, who went on to meth, crack and other shit. Most are now dead or living lives at the bottom of the pool. Don't justify your weakness by trying to label it as something good. Reefer growing brain cells. You are a fucking idiot!

I know many that abuse drugs. Many that started with weed and then shifted to stronger things. I am one of this fucking idiots you speak about. If I didn't experience this path in my life, I wouldn't be here. If I did not hit bottom I would not have motivation to rework myself. I would still be good for nothing retard but yet, I made progress in my life. And I will as always say that drugs should be used very carefully and not the barbaric ways today society is using them but on the other hand I was this barbarian. And as barbarian you see me I will answer you: GO FUCK YOURSELF.

[Nahemah]

I missed most of this thread.

Rest assured if I'd seen the 'fucking idiots' comment, it would have been dealt with appropriately. I'll ignore the responses in kind, as it's been too long, in fairness, but please don't reply to arseness with more of the same, in future.

We do not encourage that kind of behaviour and name calling here, so if anyone spots any more of this or similar, please report it and it will be sorted. I guarantee it.

On Synthetics: Synthetics do not tend to contain Cannabinoids, but they do contain very harmful, untrialled and otherwise dangerous experimental substances, so it's not an accurate comparison.

Also, to those who cannot handle weed, that is fine, don't do it then: Fair enough, however labelling everyone else in accordance with your own negative experiences: that is not so fine.

Cannabis is not a gateway drug, there is no evidence in support of that and if you went on to other substances, it's most likely you would have done so anyway, whether cannabis was part of your life or not.

That's on you too, not me or others like me, who successfully utilise the entheogen for spiritual purposes.

Dealers are the gateway, not the substances themselves, as an inert object cannot persuade you to do anything. Think about that, for a bit, please.

An alert, clever or otherwise intimidating or impressive dealer, on the other hand ... or peer pressure perhaps, if you are a weak minded soul, those are indeed, sometimes, invitingly open gateways. [evil]

Cue the anti -drugs brigade and their morally relative backlash...

... But, be warned, all who dare to enter here to do so: we know there are those who preach an anti drug message and we all know who you are, as you've disrupted countless threads already with it, so don't bring the preaching to any more threads it's not relevant in, like this one, please.

The please is just from politeness. Start an anti- drugs thread if you want to preach.

[the_spiral]

I sometimes smoke marijuana recreationally (i.e. relaxing in the evening with friends or my husband) but almost never mix it with spiritual practice. I agree with Yex that it leaves me too "open" to external forces, makes it more difficult to get into deeper meditative states conducive to sorcery, and some spirits I work with (Rada loa especially) are said to dislike being called down by people under the influence. It may be different for others depending on their individual practices, but it doesn't mix well for me. I also have some karmic misgivings about buying trafficked cartel product, so on the rare occasion I do buy I'll only go for homegrown.

[Nahemah]

Thank you, the_spiral. [thumbup]

There are so many variations, both in people and in practices and no one opinion or belief set can answer for all.

That is the point I was making in my previous post.

It's fine if you don't but equally fine if you do, as no one of us has any right of authority over another's bodily autonomy, spiritual practices or lifestyle, despite what some might feel they need to say about such, frequently and repeatedly over and over again.

[Hadit]

Thought I would give my story. I smoke (medically and legally) multiple times most days, especially once I'm home for the day. Out of spinal surgeries, pain medication addiction, acupuncture, new age-ism, etc and so on, marijuana is the only thing that helps. When I got my card I was a few months post op from a spinal fusion and in a massive state of depression. Recently I spent 6 hours walking an art show with only slight support from a cane, I have a 3.33+ GPA (was pushing 2), and I have not had suicidal ideology or anywhere near in several months. Even when pain flares up my body just kills me for even thinking about pain medication anymore. I use a vaporizor 95% of the time, only smoking for severe stomach or head pain due to the force that comes with smoking.

On the other side, I'm stuck at my job. All companies use federal drug testing regulations, and I'm pretty limited just due to physical weakness. So, despite being a great employee I cannot he hired. This was never a problem with pain medication addiction, something that's **actually** dangerous. Nor is it a problem with all those comparing hangovers at the water cooler. Just me, because I'm in my early 20s and just want to live my life.

Is it bad in ways? Yes. But the effects of not using marijuana would be vastly more severe, most likely including suicide. So scar my lungs, fuck it.

There is no doubt that marijuana has changed me as a person

[420]

Save your lungs. Eat, vaporize, waterpipe. Recent studies have shown it's not very harmful to the lungs, anyway.