Do something pointlessly fun while you smoke.

I'd recommend video games, but then, I'm a lifelong gamer of all genres.

Too much Coffee makes me like that also.

Did the problems you felt it caused stop when you stopped using? Problem solved.

most people are realistic about it, a lot of people who want legalization don't even smoke.

Myself, smoking pot made my teeth hurt, to this day if I smell pot my teeth start aching.

the first to decriminalize for amounts at or below a specific amount. We recently legalized weed for medical uses. Both changed took place by popular vote.

People who put smoke into their lungs will not be able to run or ride a bike as much as others do. Sure, there will be some who claim it doesn't bother them but the truth is for most, it will have an adverse affect on their health.

I think weed should be decriminalized but not legalized. It should be discouraged just as alcohol and cigarettes are discouraged.

And for those who say there are other ways to ingest it, that's true. But if it was legalized, the vast majority of users would not take the time to bake it or vaporize it. They want a quick pick-me-up. And that means smoking it.

only 3-6 hits. I take in more cigarette smoke (secondhand) than that just walking down the streets here on my way home from work.

Haven't noticed respiratory problems at all.

I'm glad you don't have any problems now but that doesn't mean something isn't waiting 'in the wings' or 'in the lungs', so to speak.

If weed was more widely and openly used, there would be an overall health impact. It's axiomatic. You put smoke in your lungs, bad things will happen.

I smoked tobacco 20 years ago and quit. I get high on running and biking now. I would NEVER give those pleasures up.

to help me with sleep because insomnia was becoming an issue.

Where's the epidemiological data on the increase in lung disease?

This link posted elsewhere highlights the fact that the smoke DOES contain carcinogens.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1277837/

And it is only openly and widely used in some parts of the country. Admittedly, I don't have my finger on the pulse of the nation but from my standpoint, it's not widely available everywhere.

Are you kidding?

Have you ever heard of Barrow Alaska? The movie "Big Miracle" was based on its location, the farthest most village in North America. It had a seizure of 150,000 dollars worth of marijuana a few days ago.

If you don't think it is easy to find you are deluding yourself.

And 150,000 dollars worth sounds like a smuggling operation to me. Like I said, I do not have my finger on the pulse of the nation but I don't see a seizure of marijuana means it's easily available everywhere else.

I don't disagree about smoke, in the basic. Burned material is not intended to go into the lungs. In any form.

But your other statement is flat wrong. I don't smoke. Or vape. Or eat brownies.in fact I am allergic to the stuff, as well as being fairly asthematic. But I did just complete a 3 month trip through 9 provinces and 31 states. And there is pot all up ones side of this country, down the other, and filling the middle. I am pretty sure its only slightly harder to get than alcohol in any major city in the us, possibly easier for underage persons.

I support legalization because too many lives are harmed and it has too many medical applications to ignore.

But it also makes sense on a health level. Pot is already pervasive, and there are a lot of smokers. Make it easier to vape and bake and make tinctures, and any health detriments will be reduced. As I understand it, the medical benefits are also enhanced by using the non smoke forms.

But I think it's axiomatic. Smoke is not good for the lungs.

Feel free to start your own study. Not me!

Since weed is currently illegal, I think it's upon you to prove that smoke does NOT harm the lungs.

Marijuana may not be as carcinogenic as tobacco but it IS carcinogenic. For those who value their health, smoking of any kind is not a good thing.

substitute for peer-reviewed scientific studies. It just isn't.

Both types of smoke contain carcinogens and particulate matter that promotes inflammatory immune responses that may enhance the carcinogenic effects of the smoke.

Do you know what "carcinogenic" means? Because your link says the opposite of what you claim.

Second paragraph from YOUR link:

Both types of smoke contain carcinogens and particulate matter that promotes inflammatory immune responses that may enhance the carcinogenic effects of the smoke.

The link you yourself provided flatly refutes your claim.

That puts it off my list of things to do.

That's what a profoundly illogical p.o.v. is all about: it is not changeable via evidence, because it is not supported by any evidence.

More like a moralistic religious fervor.

A stoner could blame the drugs, the next day. You have no alibi for your foolishness.

Both types of smoke contain carcinogens and particulate matter that promotes inflammatory immune responses that may enhance the carcinogenic effects of the smoke.

cannabis with "alcohol" and I might agree. It is my experience and belief that alcohol causes much more harm to yourself and those around you than cannabis ever will.

But society is not always logical or consistent about what types of drugs to permit. The society we have now came about in fits and starts and we can't go back and change how it developed.

The reality for today is that we have alcohol and tobacco legal. In general, I'm against adding another drug to the mix. The society we have today is the one we need to deal with.

But I do agree with decriminalization. And, as I mentioned elsewhere, I could probably be swayed to having pot regulated and discouraged the same way tobacco and alcohol are.

Not that swaying me one way or another will affect any of this. It's just my point of view.

but honestly, just reading your posts, you seem to always find a reason to be anti pot..

Yeah, the War on Drugs is a good thing..

I will NEVER support making heroin and cocaine freely available. Mixing that position up with marijuana is disingenuous, IMO.

That's why I am in favor of decriminalization. It makes no sense to put someone in jail for smoking a harmless weed. By the same token, it doesn't make sense to me for anyone to spend more than five minutes trying to legalize it. It's a weed. Other things in the world are made illegal that most of us couldn't give a damn about.

The only reason so much effort is put into making weed legal is because some want to get high. I get that, I really do. But it's not worth the effort, IMO.

decriminalization but no legalization for pot. And because other things are illegal,...who gives a fuck about all those lives the war on marijuana users has affected negatively..

Have I got that straight?

So I guess I do 'give a fuck' about those whose lives have been affected negatively. But I don't think it's a good idea to encourage smoking of any kind. The government makes labels on cigarettes and alcohol mandatory in an effort to encourage healthier habits. I would not like to see that trend reversed.

okay, I can accept that..but why not do the same thing for pot as with tobacco and alcohol, warnings and age limits, but legal?

I rarely drink. I don't smoke tobacco. I use pot daily. I don't see why I should be discriminated against for my choices..

You are transparent.

...if you need to go outside yourself to see inside, you have already lost the perspective you wanted.

Getting high means nothing to me. I have quite a fulfilling life without it. And 2 beautiful, intelligent daughters who inspire me every day. I think it's important to point out that there are other ways of looking at the subject.

aren't limited to stoners.

You need to read your own posts. You have repeatedly stated that you get high from biking and running, or didn't you really mean that? I really don't get why you are now bringing your daughters into the argument. BTW, for those of us with plantar fasciitis, running and biking is a very unpleasant thing. I seldom drink, haven't smoked tobacco since '87. If I smoke a little weed once every four or five months with friends, at 69 I'm not the least bit worried about whether or not there are carcinogens in the weed. I just want weed that doesn't have other additives.

My daughters aren't strictly relevant, I'll admit. But I think one thing that divides the 'legalize' and 'don't legalize' camps is the presence or absence of a family. That's just a guess on my part, of course, hardly a scientific study.

And I have no problem at all with you smoking all you want. Truly. But I think it should be regulated and discouraged in the same way alcohol and tobacco are regulated and discouraged.

Your specific condition is not the same for the vast majority of others. And I would argue you would be healthier overall if you stopped but I can't prove that.

As a lifelong smoker of cannabis I can say (for myself) that the smoke is not bad for my lungs. And in fact cannabis has shown to be able to attack cancerous tumors.

Show me a study that says cannabis causes cancer.

But the smoke does contain carcinogens. I don't see how anyone can say with a straight face that it's a good idea to put smoke into your lungs. It's clearly not as bad as nicotine but it's not good, either.

And no, I don't have proof of that. I think it's axiomatic.

Or being near to vehicle emissions.... or sitting around a campfire and breathing.... or allowing alcohol to touch one's liver. I imagine those who value their health never do those things, either... unless we're simply allowing a lower standard for one or the other thing.

But it should be legal anyway. Decriminalized AND legal. It's a plant. It's green. What? Next they're going to make salt illegal because it raises blood pressure?

It should be discouraged just as strongly as tobacco and alcohol. Cigarettes are not as 'cool' as they once were and that's a plus in the health of the general population, IMO. Are we going to reverse that trend and make it 'cool' to smoke again?

I am in favor of alcohol and tobacco being strictly regulated and even discouraged by the government. I would prefer NOT to add a third drug to the mix of societal ills.

If it was ever legalized, I have said elsewhere in this thread that I could probably accept it if it was, like alcohol and tobacco, strongly regulated and discouraged.

It's not just government currently doing this, either. It's no longer 'cool' to smoke cigarettes. I would hate to reverse that trend and have smoking -in any form- be 'cool' again.

Sorry, I pretty much repeated my post #90 without realizing it. But my first point remains, I do not condone cigarettes or alcohol. They are obviously big problems in our society.

Flat out I would be safer with a quart of morphine than a quart of grain alcohol.

Every motorcycle I crashed, every legal problem, every time I got my ass kicked or hurt some one else alcohol was involved.

PCP & Bath salts & maybe crack & crystal meth are about the only things more dangerous.

Do you want the cops to continue to be able to roust people carrying small amounts of weed? That decriminalization.

Do you want the wholesale markets controlled by criminal gangs? That's decriminalization.

Do you people to continue to go to prison for growing a plant? That's decriminalization.

You cite the examples of alcohol and tobacco. We have had effective public health campaigns around them without resorting to making criminals out of their users, producers, and purveyors. We should treat marijuana no more stringently.

And strong discouragement from both government and society in general. Smoking anything is not good for you. We've reached the point where smoking is no longer 'cool'. I prefer it that way, both for myself and my daughters and their friends.

at least until Dec. 6th, anything less than 40 grams is a misdemeanor which you can be cited for. That very simply isn't good enough.

There's a reason why I-502 passed so easily. Your fervent opposition to pot is really hard to understand. Your daughters are your business, but what the rest of us do isn't..

I'm 'allowed' to weigh in on those drugs but not pot? My point of view won't affect anything but, when asked, I prefer, as I said, that pot be regulated and discouraged in the same way alcohol and tobacco are.

Alcohol and tobacco use are as much my business as pot. There is a reason that smoking is no longer 'cool'. There is a reason that driving while under the influence is against the law.

You seem to have very little difficulty in backing their continued legalization, but for some reason you're unable to go along with granting pot that same legal status..

Again, very hard to understand.

Neither is the society we find ourselves in today. We have enough problems with 2 legal drugs. I just think legalizing a third in an effort to be consistent is not worth the effort.

HII, S. W., TAM, J. D. C., THOMPSON, B. R. and NAUGHTON, M. T. (2008), Bullous lung disease due to marijuana. Respirology, 13: 122–127. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2007.01186.x


Background and objective: In contrast to the well-described effects of tobacco smoking upon pulmonary emphysema, with ?15% of smokers being affected at the age of 65 years, the effects of marijuana smoking are rarely reported and poorly understood.

Results: High-resolution CT revealed asymmetrical, variably sized, emphysematous bullae in the upper and mid zones. However, the CXR was normal in four patients and lung function was normal in five.

Conclusions: Marijuana smoking leads to asymmetrical bullous disease, often in the setting of normal CXR and lung function. In subjects who smoke marijuana, these pathological changes occur at a younger age (approximately 20 years earlier) than in tobacco smokers.

know what he's talking about.

no problems for lungs at all…and its a small hand held thing that looks like a cell phone, we got it at head shop in New Orleans. I think its made in Canada.

But in a much larger population, many, if not most, would choose to light up because it requires nothing more than a joint and a match. And the affects are faster, if I'm not mistaken. If I'm wrong about that, please correct me.

Because of the way pot smokers smoke. Cigarette smokers smoke as though they are breathing. Pot smokers "take a hit," meaning they breathe in a "sucking all the juice out" way. Then they pass around or just relax. They don't smoke it like cigarettes, or like chain smokers where it's one after another all day everyday.

At the very least, smoke irritates the lungs so I would think it would have a negative affect.

Human DNA contains carcinogens. All of life contains the risk of death and damage.

Sorry, I don't ascribe to the theory that my life doesn't matter. And if I conclude that it matters, then I want it to last as long as possible. And with as little discomfort as possible.

It's wise to avoid smog, too.

People who will do anything to live long will ultimately be disappointed, there's just no escaping that fact.

Should be much healthier, too. I still think most people would light up, though, if was widely legalized.

Pot isn't all that uncommon presently.

Also, Many of those newer users would drink less, with less liver issues offsetting whatever increase you'd see in lung issues.

I hear that shit will kill you.

I think most people smoke as opposed to other means of ingestion is because it is the most effective way to self-regulate the dosage.

And I really doubt the study's findings that putting marijuana smoke in your lungs actually HELPS lung function.

That only applies, however, to those who toke 2-3 times a month. For heavier users, there WAS impaired lung function, according to the study. I'm sure the same thing can be said for cigarette users -smoking only a little doesn't do much harm.

It also claims that smoking marijuana leads to 'slimming effects', which is at odds with what DUers have to say on the subject in this very thread.

And sativa strains really can energize you.

products are more dangerous than weed.

Many people cannot tolerate milk, but I think milk and milk products should remain legal--not just be decriminalized--even though my friend's 3-year-old son recently had a dangerous allergic reaction to it, a reaction he had never had before.

But alcohol and tobacco are also strongly discouraged by government and society in general. IMO, we don't need to add a third drug to the list of available drugs. We barely manage to contain the ills caused by the first two.

and governement strongly discouraging the use of that self same Vodka? It is absurd to claim that a product which is legally sold and heavily advertized is 'strongly discouraged by society'. I see the President host 'beer summits' and 'cocktail parties', sending a strong message against alcohol!
Do you read what you type?

I would be in favor of restricting or even eliminating alcohol commercials in the same manner that tobacco commercials were outlawed.

The taxes on tobacco are a very strong discouragement. And the labels and public outreach against alcohol abuse are a good thing, IMO.

doesn't back that up.

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/761540/pot_may_not_harm_lungs%2C_new_study_says

Marijuana is a powerful bronchial dilator - so much so that doctors have "prescribed" it to asthma patients for at least 20 years. Most of them drink it in tea (I used to give all my stems and seeds to a friend with severe asthma) but smoking it does not appear to have the same harmful effects as cigarettes.

People also smoke weed very differently than they smoke cigarettes.

Heavier users would no doubt exhibit more serious effects. That's just my guess, of course.

I once read an article (can't find the link) in which a study linked the use of incense to respiratory problems.

I, myself, even have difficulty with fireplace smoke because of severe sinusitis.

My mother has a terrible allergy to marijuana. She breaks out in hives and her throat closes even if she's near the plant...as she found out the hard way one day, when walking where we didn't know MJ was being grown.

So I do think that, as with cigarettes, MJ should be legal--but smoking weed shouldn't be allowed in public places. There are too many people with asthma and other problems who are affected by smoke of any kind.

Some will abuse said liberty and hurt themselves or others. As for me I come down on the side of personal liberty, not safety. I am a staunch advocate of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, harder drugs, guns, contraception, abortion, pornography, and prostitution all being legal.

Cannabis should be treated just like beer or wine. You can produce 100-200 gallons per calendar year of wine depending on how many adult in a household. Make Cannabis legal to consume, and legal to produce in small amounts for your own consumption. And tax the hell out of it on the commercial level.

While I don't smoke anything, I look forward to the day Cannabis is fully legal. It will put the anti-smoking and health advocates into such a frenzy that I will sit back and laugh my ass off.

Don't know how old you are, but the strength of today's pot is substantially greater than it was 20 or even 10 years ago. I'm in CA and the medical marijuana places have seemingly endless strains, a lot of which are pretty damn potent. So it's possible that the stuff that's around today is just too strong and not pleasant at all.

The other possibility is that you body or mind, for whatever reason, is reacting badly to weed. This is not that unusual as you get older. 30 years ago, there was a story in Rolling Stone about this. A bunch of old hippies had to stop smoking as their responses to it were no longer the way it used to. Panic attacks are a bad side effect and you are wise to just stop smoking at this point in your life.

...some of the pot these days puts you squarely into cartoonville BUT...try tiny amounts of any weed you get. You'll find for yourself a nice, moderated buzz that precludes paranoia. The beauty of legalization, by the way, is we can actually label which of the batches are mild and cheery and which are not.

Still works for me, but I know several other including my brother that their experience has changed for the worst.

I was still in my teens, a regular recreational user. Then I either got some bad pot or my wiring just shorted out. I had one of those nasty panic attacks you describe and had to call a friend to come hold my hand until I became "normal" again.

I haven't smoked in several years. Whenever I have smoked since that occasion, I have been (as a former boyfriend describes it) "squirrelly." I squirm all over the place, eyes darting around the room, wondering whether my unease is visible to others, wondering when I'm going to be able to think clearly again...in short, just waiting for it to be "over."

Since Einstein's definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results, I finally gave up hope for a different outcome.

I have no problem with others doing it, even being in the same room with smokers--although the silliness can be irritating to those of us with clear heads. I just know it's not for me.

Kids need a lot of education if they're going to use this--or any--drug safely. Heck, my kid can barely handle caffeine.

Strain matters. A LOT.

I have a variety on hand that is rather heady and sativa-ish that I prefer not to use before bed (though it's not a problem when made into oil and put in brownies). I prefer to smoke indicas or indica-dominant strains since I only use it before bed.

If it makes you nervous, try going with a kush and not a haze and get good pot that has been grown organically and has no pesticides. I'm allergic to pot but my boyfriend and all my friends smoke and most prefer indica dominant strains to mellow them out.

the pot got better. Those two things together made my experience quite different than the early years. Now a small hit would send me into a weird space in my head, not hyper but very trippy and not comfortable. I have also found that as I have gotten older I am less comfortable not being in control and am always afraid of saying something really stupid and hearing about it later, that is my own problem not the pot.

I quit a long time ago using it with any regularity. I have smoked a few times off and on since then but the experience is not that great anymore for me. Sad about that but it is what it is. I have other friends who smoke a lot and this has never been a problem for them.

Just one hit makes me feel like shit the next day.

I'm also amazed it's used for pain management, because every little ache I have is magnified x100 when I'm high.

Don't enjoy it at all.

Could be the type--some weeds are sleepy, and some are more active.

Could be the caffeine, if you drink a lot of coffee. When I got old, I had to begin cutting back on it, as it caused just the type of symptoms you describe.

Could be you're getting some sort of impure variety, cut with something. If others who smoke it aren't reacting the same, that probably isn't it.

My own personal journey led me to the same place, where I was agitated a lot, found I didn't care for the people I was forced to hang around with, they became kind of petty and back-biting. I just decided to stop.

While I recognize weed isn't as bad as alcohol, and does have helpful qualities, I would never go so far as to encourage anyone to start it, or use it regularly. If you do smoke, realize the difference between doing a bong hit once every week or so, and smoking daily. Bottom-line is, saying it has no down-side is bunk--but it shouldn't be illegal.

I've quit for 15 years now, so I'm living proof one can do it. I had to pretty much cut myself off from most everyone but my most respectful, closest friends, who do me the favor of not smoking around me.

Do you think if pot is legal that everyone will be required to smoke it? It seems to me that if it's not a pleasurable thing to use, the thing to do would be to not use. I'm not being facetious. I really am trying to understand.

...so much as curious in finding out if anyone else has had the same experience. Since legalization is in the news, and pot will be available to more people than ever before, I thought it was relevant. For the record, I still think it should be legal in all 50 states, but should be regulated in the way alcohol currently is.

It's gratifying to know I'm not the only one with this problem; my friends (who are by and large the same age as me) really don't know what to make of it.

My husband never liked it because he says it makes him paranoid. I wonder if it's not similar to the experience you had.

I am anxious for it to become legal, and not for my personal use. Prohibition is expensive and harmful. If we could trace the dollars, I think we'd find some very powerful and respected businessmen and politicians the end of the bootleg trail. That, IMHO, is the reason that it continues to be classified and criminalized as it is.

when I was younger, in the 70's, and smoked, I would get paranoid, sometimes.
Years later, no paranoia.

tho I am sensing, from what I hear in this thread, that the type of pot may have something to do with it.
or not.

now those will make you sick and paranoid. Curling up in a ball crying is something I have never seen anyone do after plain old marijuana.

I understand what you are describing.

It's worth noting that the main psychoactive compounds have opposing effects, and strains are bred to vary in their concentrations of each. On one end of the spectrum you have the relaxing compounds, and on the other, the energizing/mentally stimulating ones. And in between, a range.

But in general I agree with you. I don't like it nearly as much as I did as a teen. Even though there are certain health benfits to me, I just don't like it and have no incentive to use it.

Refer to my other post.

No snark intended. Seriously. I've smoked pot almost daily for nearly 40 years, and enjoy it more now than ever. I find it tremendously relaxing, however I've also learned that it can magnify anxiety as well. The solution, for me, is to simply discount any anxiety I feel-- it's usually situational-- and shrug it off. "Don't worry about that now, you're stoned." Works like a charm, most of the time, probably because I'm stoned, LOL.

For me though, it's really true that pot will get you through times without money better than money will get you through times with no pot!

Just as not all booze has the same effect on an individual, neither is all mj identical with identical characteristics. There's busy pot, one might smoke before a day in the garden, but not good for setting around by oneself with nothing to do, as it will cause ansty-ness when hands are idle, there's sleepy pot for when you want to relax, veg, or sleep.

People all over say and believe and I think they are correct, "man, I can't drink Tequila, it makes me crazy" and I've seen how bourbon and sour mash whicskey seem to make men (sorry never knew any women bourbon drinkers) very pushy and borderline aggressive, rum seems to make people a bit happy go lucky, ... well mj is no different.

Regardless, you would never be forced to smoke if it was legal, nor would anyone else. Just a folks are capable of saying and following thru with, "man I don't drink tequila because..." and you seem to analyze your situation and determine likely that mj isn't your cup of tea, there's no more to worry about than there already is with alcohol.

Secondly, how much you smoke can make a huge difference. I have found that pot, again like mj, isn't instantaneous. So I inhale 2-3 puffs (like cig puffs, not TOKES) and then I hang for 5 minutes before smoking more. Usually within that 5 minutes it kicks in a little and I don't want or need anymore. But if I'm not thinking, same as with tall cold highballs in the summer, I might overdo before I realize it, and then that kind of antsy feeling comes over me too.

If you are determined to smoke, which there's no reason to choose such, then try to buy the right pot for your choice, and then take the time to smoke it you are comfortable with, rather than what you see others do in movies, which is normally way over-smoking compared to anyone I know in real life.

I think some of this is due to the potency that, thanks in large part to its legal status, has been bred into it. Many of the "new pot" strains have little medicinal value and researchers are requesting growers to produce weed that is closer to some of the old strains.

quite a bit. as i got older i just didn't like the feeling of total lethargy and unquenchable hunger anymore. got into fitness and like this feeling a lot better.

I smoked it for while when I was in my 30s. But stopped because it made get the munchies, and I did not want to gain weight.

But that's because my environment is more calm and most importantly I vaporize --smoke free and total control

Smoking makes the high pretty benign, but can lead to and unintended over-buzz and makes me feel dirty.

Vaporizing also leaves residue that can be stir fried later. So less expensive and Zero waste.

i use a vap as well. are you talking about the used product (already been vap'd, or ABV as i call it), or the resins that you're stir frying?

After Vape. It looks like nothing more than old coffee grounds but it comes back to life heated up in oil. Absolutely zero waste. Careful with the amount you use.
It will hit you hours later like any edible

but I did buy a brownie several months back with a gram of bubble hash baked in. dude at the dispensary warned me to eat only 1/4 of the brownie at a time. i'm thinking yeah yeah, whatever. well, i ate 1/2 a brownie, and it really hit me 20 minutes later. nothing debilitating, but enough for me to notice that it actually worked for once!

Most people can only handle a small amount of edibles. It sends them down the ladder. Edibles are incredibly good for getting a long refreshing, deep sleep like when you have had a long week and now don't have up get up early the next morning. But you really need to know who baked and how much they used That's why I like Vape residue. You can control the effect -- a mere quarter gram will get you are your partner nice and numb three hours after dinner