Marijuana [Cannabis]

[DieYoungStrong]

Re: Marijuana Question

I smoke a lil bowl before every workout. Always have. When I started, the old timers all did, so I followed along. At the time, I thought it was the weed that made them so strong . I wasn't really aware of gear yet. I do some rec road cycling, and I'll smoke a little before I head out for some fairly long rides. Gets me going and focused. I smoke a lil at night before bed sometimes too. I'm by all American standards, pretty successful. I have some real addicts in my family so I know what you guys are talking about. My cousin, who was like my brother, OD'd on xmas a few years ago at age 27. My brother-in-law smokes more blunts then you'd think was humanly possible - like 10 a day. He's a fat waste of space. I never thought you could really be addicted to pot (remember the movie half baked [)]) He's changed my opinion on that. Anything in moderation is fine. I hardly drink alchohol now, but in my past I've done enough blow and pills to kill a herd of cattle. Not proud of it, but when I came to the crossroads, I just quit cold turkey. Wasn't a big deal really, I just knew I had to stop. This was probably like 12 years ago. That is the difference between a user and an addict - addicts can't stop. One's to much and a hundred ain't enough. In my opinion, pot is a hell of a lot less dangerous then booze. Booze leads some to some really bad decisions.

 

[Kamala]

Re: Marijuana Question

Absolutely. I was a very dangerous and mean drunk. Killed my dad (age 36, I was 10) and pills and Vodka killed my mom.

I was addicted to every drug possible, and finally it was pot (15 years and almost 8 months ago). I started on pot at the age of 13 and was a daily smoker for many many years. What happened is that I did not develop emotionally as a result.

Admittedly, pot is, IMO, the least dangerous among recs, and less dangerous than Alcohol.

The problem was that I needed to be stoned all the time as opposed to developing the ability to live life on life's terms.

I don't judge others, they may well be able to smoke a little pot now and then. I can't, and I am fine with that.

I was just skimming through this thread, and this is just one of a lot of quality posts you have in here P........... You have gained a lot of insight into yourself, and that's a rare thing and a really hard thing for a lot of people.

I have worked with a few recovering addicts, and they had a similar outlook on life to what you have...... Maybe at some point a person need to take an honest look at your life to move forward?
Anyways, great posts man

 

[JackC4]

Re: Marijuana Question

I used to love to smoke and let lift, it made me feel more in touch with my body, it definitely affected my wind during workouts though no way around that, then again I was a stone cold pot so I could do anything high lol

 

[Pericles]

Re: Marijuana Question

I was just skimming through this thread, and this is just one of a lot of quality posts you have in here P........... You have gained a lot of insight into yourself, and that's a rare thing and a really hard thing for a lot of people.

I have worked with a few recovering addicts, and they had a similar outlook on life to what you have...... Maybe at some point a person need to take an honest look at your life to move forward?
Anyways, great posts man

Thank you, Kamala. I have always enjoyed the wisdom of your posts as well.

I was blessed w/ the opportunity to join an amazing fellowship that has given me tools for living. That is really the responsible entity for my recovery. I just try my best to get w/ the program.

 

[BBC3]

Re: Marijuana Question

Hard core baby.!! I have always attributed pot as like a Prozac. Plus, I know plenty of stoners. Lol. But yes. First it knocks ya out after the pig out. Next, your a little creeped about the fact that yur still awake and may even venture the general public. And finally, u r walking round high and don't even know it. Other than that big-ass socially inductive grin. It's AWSOME no doubt. Forget about whether its fukin with you metabolically - it aint. Puff puff give...

 

[BBC3]

Re: Marijuana Question

Ummm.... YUm Yum.. Huh HUH.... HUh HUH... And GOD BLESS EASTER...

Feel ME... !?!

 

[ergomaniac]

Re: Marijuana Question

Reefer Acceptance: Most Americans Now Support Legalized Pot | LiveScience
and just as fun. Trippy Tales: The History of 8 Hallucinogens | Drugs & Controlled Substances | MDMA, Ecstasy, LSD | LiveScience. page through.
and some people who work on it. MAPS: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

 

[Michael Scally MD]

Re: Marijuana Question

Chronic Marijuana Use As A Potential Cause Of Hypopituitarism
Case Study Links 'Pot' to Pituitary Damage

Objective: Hypopituitarism is most often caused by a mass lesion and less commonly by inflammatory, infiltrative, or vascular disease. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, has ability to alter various neural transmitters in the hypothalamus or neural transmitters in the CNS which affect the hypothalamus. We report a case of hypopituitarism seemingly secondary to chronic marijuana use.

Case Presentation: A 37-year-old male presented to the Emergency Department with symptoms of dyspnea on exertion, increasing fatigue, and loss of libido. The patient reported daily use of marijuana for 15 years. There was no history of radiation exposure or head trauma. On physical exam, significant findings of bibasilar rales, gynecomastia, and bilateral atrophied testis were noted. Considering the possibility of hemochromatosis, iron studies and echocardiography were completed, which were normal.

Hormonal evaluation revealed low LH (0.2 mIU/mL), FSH (1.8 mIU/mL) and testosterone (22 ng/dL) along with high prolactin (53.3 ng/mL). Further endocrine chemistry revealed ACTH of 6 pg/mL, and cortisol at 0 and 60 minutes following administration of cosyntropin of 6.4 ug/dL, and 9.3 ug/dL respectively. Additional lab studies revealed low total T3 (30 ng/dL), high T3 resin reuptake (49%), low total T4 (3.94 ug/dL), normal free T4 (0.97 ng/dL) and low TSH (0.22 uIU/ml). In addition, growth hormone was within normal limits (5.0 ng/mL) and IGF-1 was low (75 ng/mL; Z-score of -1.3). MRI of head showed a protuberant pituitary gland that was slightly larger than expected size, but there was no identified mass lesion. The patient was started on cortisone 25 mg in the morning and 12.5 mg at bedtime and levothyroxine 25 mcg daily. Subsequent to this his fatigue and edema improved dramatically.

Discussion: THC impairs GnRH release resulting in lowered LH and FSH, which is responsible for reduced testosterone production by the Leydig cells of the testis. Several studies have also shown impaired cortisol response to stress resulting from cannabis exposure. Similarly, animal models have shown that exogenous cannabinoids suppresses multiple hypothalamic-pituitary pathways, including growth hormone, and thyroid hormone. Given these findings, we postulate that chronic cannabis use, by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, is a potential cause of hypopituitarism.

Conclusion: Given the climate of increasing legalization of cannabis in the United States, the relationship between chronic marijuana use and its potential effects on the endocrine system warrants further study.

 

[ergomaniac]

Re: Marijuana Question

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/16/could-marijuana-reduce-diabetes-risk

 

[Dr JIM]

Re: Marijuana Question

Even though the majority of HYPO-PIT cases are due to adenomas, the notion THC was the likely hypothetical causation, because an ademoma was not located upon imaging, is a FAR stretch IMO.

This would seem obvious since there are literally millions of chronic THC users in the US today and presentations of this nature are extremely rare. Obviously there is MUCH more to the patients presentation than a complex endocrine disorder being the direct result of chronic THC use.

 

[Michael Scally MD]

Re: Marijuana Question

Naftali T, Lihi BL, Iris D, Ephraim Philip L, Benjaminov Fabiana S, Fred Meir K. Cannabis Induces a Clinical Response in Patients With Crohn's Disease: A Prospective Placebo-Controlled Study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. http://www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(13)00604-6/abstract (Elsevier)

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The marijuana plant Cannabis sativa has been reported to produce beneficial effects for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, but this has not been investigated in controlled trials. We performed a prospective trial to determine whether cannabis can induce remission in patients with Crohn's disease.

METHODS: We studied 21 patients (mean age, 40 +/- 14 y; 13 men) with Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) scores greater than 200 who did not respond to therapy with steroids, immunomodulators, or anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha agents. Patients were assigned randomly to groups given cannabis, twice daily, in the form of cigarettes containing 11.5 mg of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or placebo containing cannabis flowers from which the THC had been extracted. Disease activity and laboratory tests were assessed during 8 weeks of treatment and 2 weeks thereafter.

RESULTS: Complete remission (CDAI score, <150) was achieved by 5 of 11 subjects in the cannabis group (45%) and 1 of 10 in the placebo group (10%; P = .43). A clinical response (decrease in CDAI score of >100) was observed in 10 of 11 subjects in the cannabis group (90%; from 330 +/- 105 to 152 +/- 109) and 4 of 10 in the placebo group (40%; from 373 +/- 94 to 306 +/- 143; P = .028). Three patients in the cannabis group were weaned from steroid dependency. Subjects receiving cannabis reported improved appetite and sleep, with no significant side effects.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the primary end point of the study (induction of remission) was not achieved, a short course (8 weeks) of THC-rich cannabis produced significant clinical, steroid-free benefits to 11 patients with active Crohn's disease, compared with placebo, without side effects. Further studies, with larger patient groups and a nonsmoking mode of intake, are warranted.

 

[Michael Scally MD]

Re: Marijuana Question

Eric Holder Says DOJ Will Let Washington, Colorado Marijuana Laws Go Into Effect
Eric Holder Says DOJ Will Let Washington, Colorado Marijuana Laws Go Into Effect

The United States government took an historic step back from its long-running drug war on Thursday, when Attorney General Eric Holder informed the governors of Washington and Colorado that the Department of Justice would allow the states to create a regime that would regulate and implement the ballot initiatives that legalized the use of marijuana for adults.

A Justice Department official said that Holder told the governors in a joint phone call early Thursday afternoon that the department would take a "trust but verify approach" to the state laws. DOJ is reserving its right to file a preemption lawsuit at a later date, since the states' regulation of marijuana is illegal under the Controlled Substances Act.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole also issued a three-and-a-half page memo to U.S. attorneys across the country on Thursday outlining eight priorities for federal prosecutors enforcing marijuana laws. According to the guidance, DOJ will still prosecute individuals or entities to prevent:
• the distribution of marijuana to minors;
• revenue from the sale of marijuana from going to criminal enterprises, gangs and cartels;
• the diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal under state law in some form to other states;
• state-authorized marijuana activity from being used as a cover or pretext for the trafficking of other illegal drugs or other illegal activity;
• violence and the use of firearms in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana
• drugged driving and the exacerbation of other adverse public health consequences associated with marijuana use;
• growing of marijuana on public lands and the attendant public safety and environmental dangers posed by marijuana production on public lands;
• preventing marijuana possession or use on federal property.

 

[Millard]

Re: Marijuana Question

Eric Holder Says DOJ Will Let Washington, Colorado Marijuana Laws Go Into Effect
Eric Holder Says DOJ Will Let Washington, Colorado Marijuana Laws Go Into Effect

Cool!

 

[Mike Oxbig]

Re: Marijuana Question

Not sure how they made such a quick transition from throwing the book at cancer patients to turning a blind eye to recreational usage but it's great news nonetheless.

 

[Live_Evil]

Re: Marijuana Question

Just get one of those new nicotine vaporizers and put some hash oil in it. Cleanest high you'll ever have, and there's no fire or smoke at all.

I do alot of things that are incredibly demanding as far as cardio goes and I've never noticed any ill effects of the pot. I race downhill mountain bikes and do dirt jumping competitions in the summer and even with a muscular build, smoking (tobacco) off and on for 15 years, and smoking pot every now and then, I have great cardio.

Any more I only smoke maybe once a month, and I'll go as long as 4 or 5 months without smoking, but I've smoked off and on for about 15 years and the new vaporizers with some hash oil is amazing.

 

[Michael Scally MD]

Re: Marijuana Question

Few Problems With Cannabis for California
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/u...abis-for-california.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&hp

But at a time when polls show widening public support for legalization — recreational marijuana is about to become legal in Colorado and Washington, and voter initiatives are in the pipeline in at least three other states — California’s 17-year experience as the first state to legalize medical marijuana offers surprising lessons, experts say.

Warnings voiced against partial legalization — of civic disorder, increased lawlessness and a drastic rise in other drug use — have proved unfounded.

Instead, research suggests both that marijuana has become an alcohol substitute for younger people here and in other states that have legalized medical marijuana, and that while driving under the influence of any intoxicant is dangerous, driving after smoking marijuana is less dangerous than after drinking alcohol.

Although marijuana is legal here only for medical use, it is widely available. There is no evidence that its use by teenagers has risen since the 1996 legalization, though it is an open question whether outright legalization would make the drug that much easier for young people to get, and thus contribute to increased use.

And though Los Angeles has struggled to regulate marijuana dispensaries, with neighborhoods upset at their sheer number, the threat of unsavory street traffic and the stigma of marijuana shops on the corner, communities that imposed early and strict regulations on their operations have not experienced such disruption.

Imposing a local tax on medical marijuana, as Oakland, San Jose and other communities have done, has not pushed consumers to drug dealers as some analysts expected. Presumably that is because it is so easy to get reliable and high-quality marijuana legally.

Finally, for consumers, the era of legalized medical marijuana has meant an expanded market and often cheaper prices. Buyers here gaze over showcases offering a rich assortment of marijuana, promising different potencies and different kinds of highs. Cannabis sativa produces a pronounced psychological high, a “head buzz,” while cannabis indica delivers a more relaxed, lethargic effect, a “body buzz.”

 

[Dr JIM]

Re: Marijuana Question

Well duh a research scientist was paid to discover what any damn ED/Trauma doc will tell you, unless mixed with alcohol OR other drugs, smoking marihuana and driving poses as much risk to the public as granny behind the wheel, lol!

 

[Michael Scally MD]

Re: Marijuana Question

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOKvva73aWo]Miley Cyrus Smoking a Joint On Stage at MTV EMA Amsterdam 2013 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[CensoredBoardsSuck]

Re: Marijuana Question

Miley Cyrus Smoking a Joint On Stage at MTV EMA Amsterdam 2013 - YouTube

Poor Miley. She has become the quintessential auto-tuned, no-talent "performer" of 2013, reduced to faux fucking a giant foam finger and smoking dope onstage in order to stay relevant post-Hanna Montana.

I didn't watch the video - some things can't be "unseen" but the camel toe in the screenshot makes me think her next single is going to be My Achy Breaky Twat.

CBS

 

[CensoredBoardsSuck]

Re: Marijuana Question

Well duh a research scientist was paid to discover what any damn ED/Trauma doc will tell you, unless mixed with alcohol OR other drugs, smoking marihuana and driving poses as much risk to the public as granny behind the wheel, lol!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFjbbPSYXw4]SPEEDING GRANNY ARRESTED FOR DRIVING 100 MILES PER HOUR TO HAIRDRESSER - YouTube[/ame]