To Smoke or Not to Smoke...that is the question

[TheSmokingMonkey]

It won't make your problems go away, but maybe it can help you escape from them for a little while now and again. It is worth a try, but I think it is easy to overdo it. Don't worry, it shouldn't harm your health in any way, but it is far from the cure-all that some people say it is.

As for the paranoia, etc - these things might happen to you and they might not. The only way to find out if you like something is to try it, right?...

[Cure Ryus]

...I doubt you'll get caught, so theres no need to be paranoid. If you only ever have a small amount on you, and dont smoke it in public people will never know, meaning no cops knocking on your door...

Alex.

I'm not really worried about getting caught once I have it. My concern lies with obtaining it. It's not like I can open up the "Yellow Pages" to marijuana, and call them up like Pizza Hut to deliver a joint. I suppose it would work if they were called the "Mellow Pages".

Where do you go to just get one joint to try? How do you know you can trust the person selling is: A) not an undercover cop; and B) not misrepresenting what you're getting? (at least that's what happens in the movies)

Thank you for all of your advice. As one person mentioned, I didn't expect you all to tell me NOT to try it. I guess I was kind of looking for advice on what kind to try and where I can find it.

Thanks again...

[Cooler Then Jesus]

from what it looks like, if you guys moved to california, EVERY single one of you could get a medical marijuana perscription. except for grandpa. and your son until he turns 16.

[KL4D4]

I'd say go buy a metal cigg pipe for like 5$ and pack it up and burn through it all at once and thats a very decent hit that should do the trick.

[jamstigator]

You like music? Go to a concert or a hippie festival or something, and if someone doesn't come by and offer to sell you some, when you see someone fire up, politely ask if you might purchase a joint or a small bud or something. Hippies rock, man, they'll help you out. Heck, some jonesing hippy guys came by our tents at Bonnaroo this past year looking to buy something, and I just smoked 'em out for free, then gave them a joint for the road. I'm going for that karma high score, baby!

[Cure Ryus]

You like music? Go to a concert or a hippie festival or something, and if someone doesn't come by and offer to sell you some, when you see someone fire up, politely ask if you might purchase a joint or a small bud or something. Hippies rock, man, they'll help you out. Heck, some jonesing hippy guys came by our tents at Bonnaroo this past year looking to buy something, and I just smoked 'em out for free, then gave them a joint for the road. I'm going for that karma high score, baby!

That's a good idea. I live in the Phoenix area, so I'm sure there will be plenty of concerts to choose from.

Thanks for the advice.

[Its a Plant]

You like music? Go to a concert or a hippie festival or something, and if someone doesn't come by and offer to sell you some, when you see someone fire up, politely ask if you might purchase a joint or a small bud or something. Hippies rock, man, they'll help you out. Heck, some jonesing hippy guys came by our tents at Bonnaroo this past year looking to buy something, and I just smoked 'em out for free, then gave them a joint for the road. I'm going for that karma high score, baby!

Jam, that reminded me: are you going to Wakarusa this year? I'm pretty sure it was you who I mentioned it to last June, but seriously, bail on Bonn (unless you love the masses of people, no room to run, ect) and come to Waka! It's a hell of a lot closer to you, too. Serious. The dates just came out, and are June 7-10th 2007 - Lawrence, KS. No line-ups have been announced yet, but dear God, I feel that they will honestly top last year, which was so mighty a festival I spent another 4 days sleeping and recooperating (after 4 days no sleep )

[Halcy0n]

"Hippocampal binding fits in with the ability of cannabis to affect short-term memory", suggests Pertwee, an idea that is reinforced by in-vitro work showing that CB1 agonists can prevent long-term potentiation--a model of memory. SR141716A, a synthetic CB1 antagonist, improves memory in rats, raising the possibility that this drug could improve memory in cognitive disorders, even aging."

Also...

"Research to be published in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation will reveal some surprising things about chronic marijuana usage. Instead of having a debilitating effect on the brain's memory, it may actually work to stimulate the growth of neurons that would increase the brain's capabilities for learning and memory.

According to findings released to the media by Dr. Xia Zhang, an associate professor with the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon not only did high doses of cannabinoids promote the generation of neuron growth in the hippocampuses of rats, but it also seems to alleviate depression and anxiety. The hippocampus is the part of the brain associated with learning and memory, and scientists have long suspected a correlation between depression and a slow down in neuron regeneration in that area."

To be fair, the synthetic cannabinoid used was 100 times more potent than delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and the rats were injected twice a day for 10 days. So to get the full benefits, it might require smoking (or eating) a LOT of pot. And not everything that works on rats works on humans, but most stuff does (which is why they use them, they're like 98 percent genetically identical to us).

As an aging person, I'm willing to take that chance. Worst case, I get baked. Best case, I get baked and remember stuff better that happens when I'm not baked. Can't really lose!

What kind of biased study is that? Giving people the facts is one thing, lying to them is another. Other research says pot does negatively affect your memory and I've found this to be quite true for me. My short term memory has gone away considerably.

[jamstigator]

I don't know how biased that study is. You're assuming it's biased, but unless you got an advance copy of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, how would you know? You know what they say about assuming. It *sounds* legitimate to me, and it's peer-reviewed - and most scientists don't submit stuff for peer-review if they think it will tarnish their reputation by showing they do bad science, as that can come back to haunt them and cost them their jobs or even their entire careers.

I have short-term memory loss when I'm stoned. I attribute that to the fact that I'm intoxicated and not paying as much attention to things like I would if I weren't. And when I'm not stoned, I have no problem with memory loss at all, other than the minor age-related losses everyone endures as they get older.

[biker6403]

try it dude. if you dont like it, try meth (jk) if you do, stick with it but treat it with respect and dont abuse it (abusing it being using it to get to a normal state of being)

If you advocate meth usage you are in the wrong forum.Meth freaks give pot smokers a bad name.Think b4 you speak.