Dear Reddit: Internets is riddled with benefits of Weed (from curing cancer to making you win olympic medals and fuck Carl Sagan), is there anyone brave out there who can say a bad thing at all?
Posted Feb 9, 2009, 11:52 AM UTC
44247
It stinks.
39
Are you serious? The good stuff smells gooooood
10
Not if you cook it into brownies, a hamburger, or... bacon.
7
This would be my complaint, too. I don't like the smell.
6
I just said this to the other guy who replied to me but I thought you'd want to hear it too: really good quality pot doesn't smell that bad at all.
7
To you and many others. There are plenty who don't enjoy even the killah stank.
3
I don't enjoy any of it, I've never smoked pot. I think it's gross. That's not even the right way to do it, you're destroying the plant, you're all fucking nuts.
If I were going to experiment with marijuana, I'd put it in tea. Tea, then food, in order of priority. And I would never, ever intentionally set fire to any of it. To me that's just stupid. Not to mention wasteful.
3
whoa whoa whoa...i hope you mean good stink.
half the time i just want to break up little pieces of it and stick it up my nostrils so i can smell that smell all day.
5
imo the smell of exhaled smoke does smell pretty bad, but that's not at all what you're inhaling, and if you're inhaling... the exhaled smell doesn't bother you.
1
Your point is moot to someone who doesn't smoke.
And I'm told that the lesser quality pot's smell is the one that makes me nauseous and/or gives me a headache. The high quality (or at least, from one pothead's point of view it was high quality) actually smelled more like freshly cut grass, and didn't bother me at all. But most of the pot I've been around is just varying degrees of stinky.
-1
I never said it smelled good to someone who doesn't smoke/isn't smoking. The point is not moot, it is added information. Thanks for the downmod though, was just trying to be helpful.
2
Oh, I'm not the one who downmodded you. I assume the person who upmodded me did it.
0
It makes you kill kittens and jump out of high-rise windows.
29
Feed me a cat.
7
Get a goddamn job, Al!
7
I'm pretty sure it's "Get a goddamn job, Al."
2
Hey, I'm a child of divorce, gimme a break!
1
I'll get a job tomorrow, mom!
0
(it was an American Psycho reference)... No, don't be SORRY! Think for a FUCKING second! What are you doing‽ No! Don't shut me up! ... and so on ...
1
I will. You can lose or not be able to get a job if you don't have time to prepare for a piss test. You can get arrested for it if you're stupid with it. I used to be very paranoid of answering the phone so consequently I lost a lot of friends and missed out on a lot of things because I was stoned for 3 years straight. But I did have a ton of fun and don't really have any regrets about it.
29
Someone said "the most dangerous thing about marijuana is that it is illegal"
37
Even if made legal, it would perhaps take a full generation for the bias against it to fade. Jobs would remain at risk.
Also, I see a change in society where, were marijuana made legal, the use of it and other "legalized" drugs would remain a deal-breaker for those who 'fess up to using it. The prevailing sentiment for many situations would still be "don't ask, don't tell".
Most certainly, government jobs (and those of government contractors) that require a security clearance would remain out of reach.
3
In the US maybe but in the UK we have a lot of legisation dealing with unfair dismissals etc. It would be a liability to sack a worker for anything except poor performance.
1
We had to sack the last underling here for "poor performance", mainly because she was always scrounging around in a deliriously happy state, trying to find food in the oddest of places. She also appeared to have continuous eye infections, but never went to a doctor about it.
1
it kills your short term memory.
21
and it kills your short term memory.
40
Plus, it kills your short term memory.
23
Someone should post a question about the negative effects of weed in ask reddit.
30
I think it kills your short term memory, but I could be wrong.
17
I think I remember someone saying that it does something to something.
2
wait... what?
2
YoDawg!
1
http://www.reddit.com/r/Marijuana/comments/7vvl1/marijuana_may_raise_testicular_cancer_risk/
Marijuana does not cure cancer, nor does it solely make you win olympic medals.
Hyping and exaggerating its effects beyond reality doesn't help anymore than demonizing it beyond reality. (and I smoke it every day)
15
The article says it is a hypothesis. If you take science at truth based on hypotheses you are in for a long life of believing craziness.
3
But the article does mention that this is from users of marijuana, not just the use of it. So the user probably does smoke it, which does take away/reverse a lot of the positive effects of the substance. Also, you might want to take into account for the diet of an average stoner: Doritos, etc, need I say more?
-1
Hot smoke is bad for the lungs no matter the source. The smoke breaks down the thin walls between alveoli. This lowers the efficiency of gas exchange every time you breathe. This also makes breathing feel easier because there is less resistance during breath intake.
15
[deleted]
1
It makes you lazy and fat. Also, it's illegal.
It supports awful people (drug cartels).
It seems to burn out the higher reasoning powers of people- just based on the potheads I've met. They seem pretty burnt and unable to do productive things.
I think it introduces some crazy hormones or something which can be bad for dudes.
10
You've just argued for making WoW illegal.
23
And watching movies.
7
Drug cartels run WoW?
3
To be fair, your main comment was "It supports awful people" - have you seen how gaming publishers run their companies?
1
Do they sacrifice kittens to the coding gods?
1
I wouldn't argue it in that direction (although Blizzard may treat devs like crap, and their forum moderators have to deal with the players directly, so that's probably a violation of some sort of labor laws) but from what I've read, gold farming in WoW is serious business, and the gold farmers work in sweatshop conditions.
1
Drug cartels only exist because pot is illegal. It becomes a bit of a circular argument to go on to say that pot is bad because it supports awful people.
0
First of all, if you sit around on your ass already, using cannabis will just make you do that more. If you are a productive person, then you most likely won't turn into a lazy fatass.
And second of all, if you get the good herb, not the crappy mexican stuff, then again, most likely you are not supporting drug cartels, just the local home-growers.
For your third statement, that is true in the cases in which the users use it 24/7. I know from experience personally and from others that don't use it all the time every day, that it actually improves ones higher reasoning skills. The only problem is after one has the insanely awesome idea or thought, one would forget it before telling someone else or writing it down.
And I don't know where you got the idea about the hormones... that does sound like something a (not-smart)stoner might say though.
16
I actually started working out since smoking
6
Since smoking cigarettes or pot? I work out more often with the consumption of cannabis as well, but cigarettes are the essence of death that makes me want to go smell the bottom of a pool.
1
Yeech pot not cigarettes.
1
if you sit around on your ass already, using cannabis will just make you do that more.
In most cases, that is not a good thing.
if you get the good herb, not the crappy mexican stuff, then again, most likely you are not supporting drug cartels, just the local home-growers.
Hopefully, but by no means is this always true. This is one of the reasons why I wish that weed was legalized. At least then users would know where their product is coming from, and the producer can be punished if they sell you an inferior, or an item laced with something that you did not expect.
Keep in mind, I'm not saying these things to attack you. I'm simply trying to argue that some of your reasoning is suspicious.
1
I was reasoning in favor of the person I was replying to. You know, by not being a douche and saying everything the previous commenter said was wrong. And how exactly is my reasoning suspicious? By looking at both sides of an argument something must be up?!?!
1
based on the potheads I've met
That's called anecdotal evidence, and it's not really useful for much. I personally know physicians and lawyers that smoke, so based on my anecdotal evidence, I could just say that you probably hang out with stupid people. Also, wasn't there an olympic medalist that was recently caught smoking? Hasn't the president of the US admitted to having smoked? Also your comment on hormones is completely baseless
8
Ha!
Yup, lots of people have smoked it. I'm just saying that those I've known who smoked the most were totally burnt and didn't do anything. Sure, some have done it and had no ill effects- but, the heavy users are fairly useless.
-1
It's people like you that keep these stereotypes going. I was high throughout university and ended up with a Master's degree and loads of top of the class awards. Maybe I'm the exception, or maybe you just have a social circle that isn't all too bright?
3
I don't know. It's possible. I don't hang out with them anymore- it got boring.
1
You're talking out your ass.
2
No, I'm using my mouth.
What body part do you use?
1
It makes you lazy and fat.
Bullshit. I'm highly motivated, smoke regularly, and haven't gained a pound since high school (I'm 6' and roughly 160lbs). It may bring out the pre-existing lazy tendencies within a person, but that's not the weed's fault.
Also, it's illegal.
So is driving 5 miles over the speed limit, jaywalking, sodomy (at least in several states), and hundreds of other other harmless activities that people engage in every day.
It supports awful people (drug cartels).
Mostly propaganda. The vast majority of cannabis consumed in America is grown in America.
It seems to burn out the higher reasoning powers of people- just based on the potheads I've met. They seem pretty burnt and unable to do productive things.
That's a subjective assessment based on the "obvious" stoners you've met. I guarantee that for every "lazy pothead" you've met in life there's a hard working, motivated smoker who probably never told you they smoke.
I think it introduces some crazy hormones or something which can be bad for dudes.
I won't even dignify that with a response other than to ask for a source to back up that crazy claim.
5
[deleted]
2
I generally agree with the fist two points you made
I hate that people can undergo a science-based education and still reach conclusions like this. Do you not pay attention to the evidence of your own experience? Did you not say:
I'm premed and I spend a lot of time hanging out with a lot of fairly intelligent people. And we all enjoy smoking weed on a regular basis.
So which is it? Are you all lazy and fat? Or are you intelligent adults acting responsibly?
And let's be clear here, cannabis is a plant; IT DOES NOT SUPPORT ANYTHING, including "awful people." To say that because we've made cannabis illegal and thus of high worth on the black market, which is usually run by people of low morals, we should continue to keep it illegal and encourage those who would turn to the black market in the first place simply boggles the mind. Brilliant.
2
[deleted]
1
I'm not questioning your intelligence, I'm questioning your logic (and saying I'm questioning your intelligence instead of your logic furthers my argument).
Cannabis does not cause weight gain, irresponsible behavior does, as you point out. You also identified then ignored the real cause:
many people are slaves to their impulses. ...
This has nothing to do with cannabis at all, yet you imply a link and do so after establishing your credibility as a "premed." If you're going to set yourself up as an authority, be prepared to defend your positions. Bottom line: these people are going to be lazy and fat with or without cannabis; they eat too much and use cannabis for exactly the same reason, it feels good, but that does not mean one leads to the other.
I have to question your logic again when you say irresponsible smokers are the majority. They're the ones the press focus on because they're the ones who do stupid things and get caught. What you're noticing is that stupid people do stupid things and the press highlights their stupidity to sell advertising, thus skewing the public perception. Your own experience tells you the real story.
My comment about prohibition and supporting "awful" people was in response to the first poster, and I included it in my response to you because you reiterated the point, again after attempting to establish your credibility as an authority.
Ugh only has one G.
1
Well said.
1
Not really.
-1
Thanks.
0
Can you name any awful drug cartels which make money from weed? If my impressions are correct the bad drug cartels make their money from just about every drug besides weed.
1
The mexican ones. They're destroying California forests with their 'gardens' and employing anglos as drug mules.
-2
That's not a name... that's just blaming Mexicans for what Americans would do if it weren't so easy to cross the border.
You can't destroy a forest by growing weed in it, you can destroy a forest by hosting a bunch of illegal immigrants who are running away from the government in it. The blame in this case clearly belongs to the US government's stupid drug policies.
3
Hush! You're going to make him think about his "logic!" It could be dangerous if he discovers all those holes. He might fall through one.
3
No, I posted a link about it not too long ago. It got buried because some people didn't like it.
Here.
0
Destroying the forests? Nope. I live in Tulare County, the largest cannabis producing county in the world, and they're fucking up relatively small areas. But, the important point is they wouldn't be there in the first place if cannabis were legal, so that's a total bullshit argument.
3
Here.
That's what I gave the other guy.
0
You can't use the argument that "It's illegal" when questioning why a drug is illegal. That's the sort of circular logic we expect from the mentally handicapped and religious.
Same thing for supporting drug cartels... that's an argument FOR the legalization of marijuana. By making it illegal we are supporting those who would profit from illegal activity.
You're right about losing reasoning skills... while you're stoned. The same argument can be made for alcohol... it doesn't generally make people smarter, yet it's widely accepted as a normal drug to consume and is not considered "evil" in any way. On top of that, alcohol commonly makes people violent and angry, which leads to many injuries and even death. Marijuana for the most part, makes people calmer and less aggressive (based off of 1st hand and anecdotal experience).
I have yet to hear a reasonable, fact-based argument for why weed is illegal.
1
It makes you lazy and fat.
sources please.
It seems to burn out the higher reasoning powers of people- just based on the potheads I've met. They seem pretty burnt and unable to do productive things.
funny then seeing all this news about michael phelps recently. or carl sagan. or george motherfucking washington.
protip: if you're an inherently lazy person, smoking marijuana won't change that. if you're an inherently outgoing, and productive person, marijuana won't change that.
I think it introduces some crazy hormones or something which can be bad for dudes.
this is why d.a.r.e. works about as well as abstinence education.
1
Crazy hormones or something.
Well, thank you, Mr. Wizard. Seriously, STFU.
0
Ha!
Did ya read the OP?
It's from a claim from a guy at my school.
0
So what? That's an excuse for spreading stupid ideas?
0
stupid ideas
What? A guy at his high school said - it must be true!
1
It's not the weed that'll get you, it's the Cheetos overdose that follows.
10
Leading to severe nap.
6
Epic nap.
3
best.nap.evar.
2
I need a Doritos infusion stat!
3
It ain't easy being cheesy.
1
Shopping lists can become costly.
Get some sour cream and onion chips with some dip, man, some beef jerky, some peanut butter. Get some Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars, a whole lot, make sure chocolate, gotta have chocolate, man. Some popcorn, red popcorn, graham crackers, graham crackers with marshmallows, the little marshmallows and little chocolate bars and we can make s'mores, man. Also, celery, grape jelly, Cap'n Crunch with the little Crunch berries, pizzas. We need two big pizzas, man, everything on 'em, with water, whole lotta water, and Funyons.
10
Yeah, get me a box of condoms, and, what was that thing we used to eat back in the day? What was it... oh yeah, pussy.
4
Sure thing. Listen, if I'm not back in an hour...
1
Well, one is deeply inhaling smoke (the way most people enjoy it). Hopefully that changes when it's legal.
8
Vay-po-rize-or!
4
I think the positive propaganda is out there to offset the negative propaganda. Weed isn't as bad as smoking or alcohol, but I think smoking too much marijuana can be bad . . . Not that that's an excuse to keep it illegal.
Arguments based on supporting drug cartels, while true, doesn't effect the effort of legalization. If drugs were legal and taxable, I doubt drug cartels would focus on marijuana as a source of income any more.
8
Yeah. Drinking too much is worse for you than smoking too much... and alcohol is legal.
5
[deleted]
7
What if you get it from a local grower?
4
Uniformed criminals profits from it due to the fact it is still illegal.
2
[deleted]
1
Make it legal. Problem solved.
1
I just don't enjoy it. It makes me anxious and paranoid, and I feel like there's an elephant sitting on my chest. I never really feel happy when I smoke so after a couple years of occasional smoking I just stopped altogether.
7
My first time was in high school. Felt great during the first 15 minutes or so. My body felt all tingly and the music made beautiful visualizations in my head. But then the room felt like it was shrinking, I became claustrophobic, and I couldn't breathe. So I HAD to get out. Afterwards, my mouth obviously felt dry, and I felt, just like you, anxious, paranoid, and sometimes depressed for the next couple of days.
1
Stop smoking trash. Smoke some good stuff.
0
Maybe he just doesn't like weed. Get over it.
4
Most people that gripe about weak experiences have only smoked ditch weed back in school. I encourage everyone to try some higher grade stuff and see if the high is more enjoyable before turning your noses up.
0
He's not "turning his nose" up. He said right there it makes him feel anxious and paranoid. I get that sometimes too when I'm high, doesn't matter the grade of quality it is. It just happens sometimes, and maybe for him it happens more often than not. And that's a good enough reason to say "I don't smoke weed".
So what's the problem?
5
Actually a lot of what I smoked was "good stuff", at least according to the connoisseurs who I smoked with (not necessarily the people I bought it from). My ex boyfriend had me smoke sour diesel a couple of times swearing it was the raddest shit ever, but I still didn't enjoy it.
1
That's because of all the PCP they were slipping into it just to fuck with you.
-2
For me, it slowed my reactions somewhat. Before I regularly smoked I was pretty good at doing things like catching stuff accidentally knocked off desks. It took a few years after I stopped to fully regain the capability (i.e. get back to where I was before.) Not saying it will affect everyone like this.
7
Huh, the exact opposite for me. I learned how to quickly catch things while being high. (including lit joints while laying in bed-- DANGEROUS I know I know, but a lot of fun too.)
2
That somehow this magical smoke won't cause any ill effects by inhaling it over long periods of time (unfiltered no less).
For example, emphysema:
http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2000/B/200001082.html
6
You get stoned, and crash your car into mine. Also, being stoned you forgot to get insurance. Thanks.
3
That's an irresponsible person, not a stoner.
10
You don't think possibly that might have been his point? Maybe?
-1
He should have then said that stoners are irresponsible people, which others have pointed out, isn't always true. There are irresponsible people and stoners and sometimes irresponsible stoners.
2
Satire.
0
I heard on the radio this morning that it may give you a slightly elevated chance of contracting a certain type of testicular cancer.
3
Link for those who don't listen to the radio.
3
Biggest problem with this study is the ugly fact that correlation != causation.
5
That and the small sample size of 369.
3
Hey guys, the news posted an alarmist headline about a scientific hypothesis that my cancer risk could increase from .333% to .666%. Should I be worried?
1
Lots of people are saying bad things. We all know that weed can have bad side-effects for a lot of users and that overuse can lead to laziness and apathy. Not everyone should do it, just as not everyone should drink. However, adults should be allowed to make that decision for themselves.
3
I once tripped on a stoner and I made a boo boo. :(
3
I smoked a lot of weed at uni. I was fine for a long time, then once when I was pulling an all-nighter for a programming project my short term memory completely disappeared.
I couldn't concentrate, and alternated between seeing garbage characters on the screen and not remembering what variables were what, etc...
This completely freaked me out at the time (since programming was one thing I was really good at - it felt like I had lost my sight or a leg), so I stopped cold turkey.
This was 7 years ago. Now I occasionally smoke, maybe 3-4 times a year, and it doesn't bother me at all.
In short, Moderation in all things
There're only two things I hate about being stoned:
and 2. ....
... and 2. ....
Shit.
2.) there is no in-and-out in santa cruz
;-)
yeah, but theres great surf
sure does; its a trade-off that I have no trouble making!
its an herb. and oregano is an herb. but you wouldnt make an oregano burrito. thats my little analogy.
To those who use the "it's an herb" or "it's natural" excuses: Hemlock is an herb, an herb that will kill you. Arsenic is an element, doesn't get more natural than that.
my point was more the old "its a spice of life" saying. as in spices are used sparingly to add to an overall recipe (life).so when you try to smoke weed everyday (oregano burrito) its not good.
and water is natural, but people have died from drinking too much water...so i dont really know what your point is...
My point exactly. Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it's safe.
Drink too much dihydrogen monoxide and you'll die.
The sun gives you cancer.
I really hate when people justify their cannabis use by describing it as some kind of mystical mind-expanding experience.
We smoke weed coz it feels good, and harms nobody. End of story. We shouldn't have to justify any further.
Different people use for different reasons. Many smoke simply to relax, unwind, and to feel good and that's awesome. Others smoke to, yes, expand their mind. In the right mindset, cannabis can give you an entirely new way looking at the world and a different way of approaching problems. And you are right- in either case its not hurting anyone!
Why do you care how other people choose to describe their experience? People smoke for different reasons; maybe not everyones' experience is exactly the same as yours - why on earth would you 'hate' that or classify it as justification?
I would amend that to say moderation in most things. I personally draw the line at LSD, for example...
Sure... what I meant was moderation in everything you indulge in, not try everything but in moderation.
There are a lot of things I don't indulge in, including heroin and coprophagia, and so "moderation" isn't really necessary.
I just try to remember two things I was taught as a kid: "A little of what you fancy does you good" and "Too much of a good thing is a bad thing". So far in my life, I haven't noticed any major exceptions to these rules.
Well said. Your final dictums are precious; I shall have to pass them along...
ive heard it as: moderation in everything...even moderation.
I too prefer to balance my moderation with excess.
There is no line with LSD. It's more like a multi-dimensional, pulsating, gyrating, sensation laden paint-job. If there was a line somewhere in there, I seemed to have missed out on it.
It was there... only the cosmic nature of a line, extending into the depths of all space and time, created a confluence of realizations involving the circular nature of reality and the neverending loop of macrocosmic reality on a microcosmic scale.
You realized your relationship to a one-dimensional mathematical concept could be mirrored in your relationship not just to two-dimensional concepts, but to three-dimensional concepts. And the realization could be transfered to another being via communication. And the swirling hyper-understanding of the confluence of so many dimensions... so many realities...
it distracted you.
Try it someday. You may have drawn the line at weed years ago.
Moderation in most things except go hawg wild with LSD, then? ;)
Precisely...
[deleted]
what side of that line are you on?
Perhaps a line of stardust...
. . . including moderation.
including moderation.
And your memory loss had nothing to do with sleep deprivation. Sure. It's all pot's fault.
Sleep deprivation was nothing new to me at the time. It may well have played a role, but I was definitely feeling more stoned than tired at the time, so I think it was the pot.
Sounds more like you were driving yourself too hard and blame pot for your breakdown since it would be painful and difficult to admit you're pushing yourself too close to the edge in pursuit of your goals.