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58 posts
Location: Deepest darkest Devon
58 posts
Location: Deepest darkest Devon
Posted:
I have a little story. Would you care to humour me? thankyou. On the news this morning i heard that in a national survey 68% of teenagers said they thought Cannabis should'nt be legalised.'Hmm,' i thought 'How interesting, thats the biggest pile of b******s i've ever heard,'. So i went about my day, finishing my article on fire spinning
and so on, and then i settle down to watch Richard & Judy, quality broadcasting i know, and they're discussing teenage sex. Queue clips of a load of STD-ridden Kevs saying 'I fink wot is ah good Idea is not avin sex cos i've bin prompted to say dat' and so on. But then the big man Rich says 'According to the results of a survey released today blahblahblah by the readers of Bliss magazine.'
BLISS MAGAZINE?
The national press is taking the opinions of the 13 year old girl readers of Bliss magazine as representative of the rest of the teenage population!
Who wants to help me spam the b******'s website?
I have a little story. Would you care to humour me? thankyou. On the news this morning i heard that in a national survey 68% of teenagers said they thought Cannabis should'nt be legalised.'Hmm,' i thought 'How interesting, thats the biggest pile of b******s i've ever heard,'. So i went about my day, finishing my article on fire spinning
and so on, and then i settle down to watch Richard & Judy, quality broadcasting i know, and they're discussing teenage sex. Queue clips of a load of STD-ridden Kevs saying 'I fink wot is ah good Idea is not avin sex cos i've bin prompted to say dat' and so on. But then the big man Rich says 'According to the results of a survey released today blahblahblah by the readers of Bliss magazine.'BLISS MAGAZINE?
The national press is taking the opinions of the 13 year old girl readers of Bliss magazine as representative of the rest of the teenage population!
Who wants to help me spam the b******'s website?
You can always spot the moral victor.
They're the one bleeding on the ground.
EVIL DOES NOT WEAR A BONNET!- Mr Tinklestein
Mon the Biffy.
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom
Posted:
Glad isn't a word I'd use, What I would have liked is to have left school having recieved an education that helped me to make genuine decisions i.e. not one which focused on vocational training and academia, but one which addressed relevant issues such as how to deal with stress/depression/negative mind states, how to recognise the insiduous influences that are rife in our culture such as marketing, peer pressure, fashion etc.
I believe that, if more people left school as self assured, confident, aware, open minded individuals who took complete responsibility for their own muinds, then very few of them would feel the need to experimnent with drugs.
the tone of that implies that because it is more like alcohol then it's somehow more OK. Alcohol 'use' in our culture is a disgrace, considering the harm it causes to individuals and families, the number of acknowledged alcoholics plus the number of those who consider themselves to be 'normal social drinkers' but aren't.
Deaths from heroin/coke etc are a drop in the ocean compared to those killed by alcohol and cigarettes. It is heavily marketed/pushed to young people who grow up seeing it as a normal part of being adult and is presented as being an integral part of adult socialising.
It is obvious to even hardened pro-alcoholists that the minority of drinkers who become full on alcoholics cause immense suffering to themselves and those around them, not so obvious is that that minority is larger than most suppose and that many of those who consider themselves 'recreational drinkers' actually have a problem.
what you say about peer pressure and long term use is a good point; I would like to point out that where addictive/habit forming substances are concerned, the long term abuse easily follows from an initial short term recreational use.
Cheers
Quote:
Originalsmit and 1-wheel dave: what you guys say is interesting. 1 thing I'm wondering is, are you glad that you were able to find this out for yourselves by experimenting, or would you rather have stricter enforcement by government against cannabis? Would you not have taken it if you heard someone like yourself (who's had experience) talking about the disadvantages?
Glad isn't a word I'd use, What I would have liked is to have left school having recieved an education that helped me to make genuine decisions i.e. not one which focused on vocational training and academia, but one which addressed relevant issues such as how to deal with stress/depression/negative mind states, how to recognise the insiduous influences that are rife in our culture such as marketing, peer pressure, fashion etc.
I believe that, if more people left school as self assured, confident, aware, open minded individuals who took complete responsibility for their own muinds, then very few of them would feel the need to experimnent with drugs.
Quote:
If you look at the literature, cannabis is clearly not harmless, but it's more like alcohol than heroin. Like any drug, a lot depends in what quantities you take it and why. Are you really taking it because you want to, or has it become a coping strategy? More socially acceptable than alcoholism, but from the stories people tell, just as harmful to university grades, relationships, etc. If you need it to get through the week, that's obviously a bad thing if it keeps on like that long-term. I agree that peer pressure is a big factor for experimentation, but for long-term use? To me that sounds like a good way to avoid taking responsibility (I'm not criticising anyone here, just making a point).
the tone of that implies that because it is more like alcohol then it's somehow more OK. Alcohol 'use' in our culture is a disgrace, considering the harm it causes to individuals and families, the number of acknowledged alcoholics plus the number of those who consider themselves to be 'normal social drinkers' but aren't.
Deaths from heroin/coke etc are a drop in the ocean compared to those killed by alcohol and cigarettes. It is heavily marketed/pushed to young people who grow up seeing it as a normal part of being adult and is presented as being an integral part of adult socialising.
It is obvious to even hardened pro-alcoholists that the minority of drinkers who become full on alcoholics cause immense suffering to themselves and those around them, not so obvious is that that minority is larger than most suppose and that many of those who consider themselves 'recreational drinkers' actually have a problem.
what you say about peer pressure and long term use is a good point; I would like to point out that where addictive/habit forming substances are concerned, the long term abuse easily follows from an initial short term recreational use.
Quote:
P.S. 1-wheel Dave: Great juggling video, btw!
Cheers
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom
Posted:
Don't give up hope of getting away from all the negativity you mention, when you're in the middle it can seem impossible, but a good first step is the kind of honest self assessment that you've done.
I'm really impressed at the way this thread has been a good honest discussion with no ranting/flaming.
Contributing has made me think about the years I was a smoker, and here are a few of the observations I've made: -
1. Concerning 'experimenting', it sounds good in theory- i.e. try it and see, then decide whether to continue. The problem is that these substances are generally either addictive or habit forming. This is particularly true of nicotine, and, to the extent that spliffs contain tobacco, of those as well.
I think most of us would agree that it's not practical to 'experiment' with heroin for a year and then expect to be able to decide to stop. Many people I have known have found their decision to quit cannabis to not work. Obviously there's a line which is different for each individual.
While there are no statistics available I feel it's important for it to be common knowledge that 'experimenting' with cannabis can easily lead to a lost lasting habit.
2. Looking back on all the good times smoking with friends, I now realise that I tended to attribute it to the cannabis, whereas, in reality, it was as much to do with the company. The drugs actually hindered the socialising sometimes because of the vague 'paranoia' that could accompany it.
3. Having now been a non smoker of both cigarettes and nicotine for four years I can report that things go much better without them. I don't feel at all 'deprived', it's not the case that I'm reluctantly avoiding them because of the negative aspects.
The truth is I still have hedonistic tendancies and the reason I don't smoke is because I want to be happy and enjoy life, and I now know that smoking damages that.
Despite not having touched drugs for 4 years, I still have days when I'm 'high as a kite', but it's a natural joyous high with no come down or side effects. Admittedly I can't summon it up on demand, but then again, thinking of my drug years it was always hit and miss as to whether they'd have a good or a bad effect.
Perhaps the most insiduous aspect of cannabis, and other drugs, is that they seem to damage the natural occurance of such happy days- they were certainly a lot less common when I was smoking.
4. I'm a natural under achiever, cannabis made this worse. I distinctly remember, towards the time when I was going to quit, going round to a friends house for a smoke. Walking down I had a list of things I was going to get done that week; theses were things that involved some responsibility/commitment- the type of stuff I tended to procrastinate over, but I was solid in my mind that they were going to get done.
One smoke later I left the house and walked home, feeling those plans dissolve like mist, knowing that I would not tackle even one of them. It hit me how often that effect had featured unnoticed in my life.
To this day I still have problems with such things, but stopping smoking has made it possible to address them effectively.
5. Concerning the relationship of tobbacco and cannabis, I now know that nicotine addiction was the root of my love of cannabis. On many occasions my attempts to quit smoking were ruined by a toke on a passing spliff. When I finally managed to quit nicotine 100% for almost a year, during a period of stress I succumbed to some piped cannabis (ie not a spliff with tobacco in it) and was amazed to find that being stoned was not only not pleasant, but consisted only of a disturbing mental confusion.
I think that many people, on some deep level, are aware of what a pointless and destructive habit cigarettes are; spliffs allow them to smoke the stuff without guilt under the pretence that they are doing it for the effects of the cannabis.
I know for a fact that many are sucked into nicotine addiction via smoking spliffs.
Cigarettes and cannabis are a self sustaining partnership, as are cigarettes and alcohol (many peoples otherwise good attempts at quitting smoking come to grief after a few drinks in a pub).
Quote:Cheers for that, it's really useful for a few smokers to give their opinions of the negative aspects of cannabis as those reading who may be considering experimenting can form a more objective opinion.
this is a confirmed user owning up to and vocalising the fact that their are negatives to cannabis use.
im sure it sends you slightly schitzophrenic. i know that their are articles 'proving' this to be a side effect but i am sure there is some sort of link, mood swings defintily.
addictiveness. sure thats true.a lot of people say that it is not addistive but it really is. at least psycho somatically (sp?)
smoke for a year every night then be let down on a buy... then tell me your not addicted.
money. money runs away from you if you smoke a lot. i dread to think of the amount of ££ i have wasted on it.
i have freind (21) who has handled an estimated £40,000 worth of buds in his life.
slighly scary no.
eventually getting high is normal. being high is normal. being sober is strange and unusal, thats quite an unusual and bad state to be in.
because its so social and cant kill you in one go (like a bad pill) it has a very soft approach, like all drugs it carries with it a risk oflong term mental damage.
this for me is the real risk of drugs.
Don't give up hope of getting away from all the negativity you mention, when you're in the middle it can seem impossible, but a good first step is the kind of honest self assessment that you've done.
I'm really impressed at the way this thread has been a good honest discussion with no ranting/flaming.
Contributing has made me think about the years I was a smoker, and here are a few of the observations I've made: -
1. Concerning 'experimenting', it sounds good in theory- i.e. try it and see, then decide whether to continue. The problem is that these substances are generally either addictive or habit forming. This is particularly true of nicotine, and, to the extent that spliffs contain tobacco, of those as well.
I think most of us would agree that it's not practical to 'experiment' with heroin for a year and then expect to be able to decide to stop. Many people I have known have found their decision to quit cannabis to not work. Obviously there's a line which is different for each individual.
While there are no statistics available I feel it's important for it to be common knowledge that 'experimenting' with cannabis can easily lead to a lost lasting habit.
2. Looking back on all the good times smoking with friends, I now realise that I tended to attribute it to the cannabis, whereas, in reality, it was as much to do with the company. The drugs actually hindered the socialising sometimes because of the vague 'paranoia' that could accompany it.
3. Having now been a non smoker of both cigarettes and nicotine for four years
I can report that things go much better without them. I don't feel at all 'deprived', it's not the case that I'm reluctantly avoiding them because of the negative aspects.The truth is I still have hedonistic tendancies and the reason I don't smoke is because I want to be happy and enjoy life, and I now know that smoking damages that.
Despite not having touched drugs for 4 years, I still have days when I'm 'high as a kite', but it's a natural joyous high with no come down or side effects. Admittedly I can't summon it up on demand, but then again, thinking of my drug years it was always hit and miss as to whether they'd have a good or a bad effect.
Perhaps the most insiduous aspect of cannabis, and other drugs, is that they seem to damage the natural occurance of such happy days- they were certainly a lot less common when I was smoking.
4. I'm a natural under achiever, cannabis made this worse. I distinctly remember, towards the time when I was going to quit, going round to a friends house for a smoke. Walking down I had a list of things I was going to get done that week; theses were things that involved some responsibility/commitment- the type of stuff I tended to procrastinate over, but I was solid in my mind that they were going to get done.
One smoke later I left the house and walked home, feeling those plans dissolve like mist, knowing that I would not tackle even one of them. It hit me how often that effect had featured unnoticed in my life.
To this day I still have problems with such things, but stopping smoking has made it possible to address them effectively.
5. Concerning the relationship of tobbacco and cannabis, I now know that nicotine addiction was the root of my love of cannabis. On many occasions my attempts to quit smoking were ruined by a toke on a passing spliff. When I finally managed to quit nicotine 100% for almost a year, during a period of stress I succumbed to some piped cannabis (ie not a spliff with tobacco in it) and was amazed to find that being stoned was not only not pleasant, but consisted only of a disturbing mental confusion.
I think that many people, on some deep level, are aware of what a pointless and destructive habit cigarettes are; spliffs allow them to smoke the stuff without guilt under the pretence that they are doing it for the effects of the cannabis.
I know for a fact that many are sucked into nicotine addiction via smoking spliffs.
Cigarettes and cannabis are a self sustaining partnership, as are cigarettes and alcohol (many peoples otherwise good attempts at quitting smoking come to grief after a few drinks in a pub).
"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."
--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!
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