Marijuana legalization

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
I never noticed depression with husband when it was wearing off. I also never noticed him acting "high", which I certainly did notice years before when he was a heavy recreational user, as opposed to a medicinal user.

Pot used as medicine made him sleepy and hungry, both of which were good things under the circumstances.

Of course, husband was on Prozac at the time, which may have counteracted any depressive effects from the pot, though I don't recall pot used recreationally having that effect on him either, and husband had a very "dark" side to his temperament.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
GN, the fact is pot, like all drugs, affects everyone different. If you are prone to mental illness, it can kick it in. I knew one rather unstable girl who hallucinated on pot back when there was pot and not legal pot. I got very anxious and spacy and felt paranoid on pot.

You can't just go by your husband.

I am not convinced pot has any helpful affects for mental health issues, although I know it helps other areas and on board with using it for those. I would. But I'd never take it recreationally.

Having said that, many people who smoke pot do fine. It's like alcohol. There are some people who are going to have their lives ruined by it.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Well, I know the stuff makes me horribly paranoid if I were to take more than the couple of hits needed to catch a slight "buzz".

I have no interest in using the medication unless it were to become necessary as the best treatment for an illness and even then I'd be very leery.

I had my last toke in the very early 80s, shortly before husband went into the Army and have had no desire to use the stuff again.
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
I am discouraged by the trend towards legalization.
While I tend to be towards the liberal end of the spectrum on social issues, I have become totally against the liberalization of marijuana laws.

My son refers to marijuana as his "medicine." Even if he buys it illegally in the park, he calls it such. As long as he has this mindset he will never consider the psychiatric medications that he needs.

My son throws at me the argument that executives and professionals buy pot at his dispensary to use every day and work at high powered and responsible jobs.

Well, that may be so, but he doesn't. Since he got his medical marijuana card, he has not worked at all. His only goal it seems is to buy and use marijuana. He is a pothead. And because a doctor gave him a card, he believes it is okay.

Buying marijuana screws up his budget big time. He is on SSI and believe me they do not establish these payments taking into account a marijuana budget. In no other way is he a spendthrift. He watches his nickels and dimes like a hawk. Yet his money never lasts the whole month.

Before he received his medical marijuana card he had motivation to do things. He looked for work, he worked sometimes, he went to church (to argue with and challenge the worshippers' beliefs), he read in the library.

Can I blame everything on marijuana? I cannot. His problems pre-dated marijuana use. But did marijuana exacerbate his problems, I believe so, strongly.

Now, the fundamental vulnerability of my son is his poor judgment, and it can be argued that he would have fallen into one thing or another. And I am aware that some of my readers may suspect that my son has fallen into use of heavier drugs.

That may be true, but maybe not.

My son identifies with law abiding and productive people. Where he is, physicians authorize medical use of marijuana. My son seems to glory in the idea that his marijuana use is a legitimate treatment.

He does not choose to understand that the unethical prey on people like him, doctors or not.

one effect is causing lethargy and a lack of motivation.

I do feel that pot makes people LAZY.

My experience with my son is consistent with what the other parents have noted for their difficult children: heavy and regular use of marijuana creates a quasi dependency (in the sense that I like how I feel on it...I will seek to be on it as much as I can), promotes lethargy and robs motivation.

My way of thinking is this: legalization of marijuana is about profits...about money. Even the government, via taxes, will benefit.

This is the only lens through which I can view the legalization issue. If it was really about medical usage they could manufacture pharmaceutically pure THC without the "high."

This is not really considered because of the profit factor. Indeed if marijuana was really just a medicine and not "fun stuff", how much would they really sell?
 
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GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
They already are working on marijuana hybrids that contain some medicinal properties while lacking the specific cannabinols that cause the "high".
"Charlotte's web" is one such hybrid that has shown a great deal of promise in seizure control.

The problem is that so far they have not been able to split off the euphoric effects from the pain controlling effects. I assure you that labs are working on it.

There are plenty of people interested in the medicinal potential of MJ who don't want the high

Just as there are people like me who are waiting eagerly for them to come out with pain medications that are as effective as the opiates without the high (or the constipation).
 
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