Your brain is a huge matrix of chemicals. it is very sensitive to external intervention, but has evolved (or was created) in such a way that it is also very durable to the impurities of life. In your brain, certain cells and cell components control the processing information or storing information. they can do one or the other to a certain degree. there is a group of chemicals that regulate this control. In nature, many chemicals are created from many sources, and some of them mimic the chemicals in our brain. Cannabis contains many chemicals that act like the ones our brain uses to control storing of memory and process of thought. by mimicing natural chemical 'endocannabinoids', the cannabinoid chemicals in cannabis sort of amplify the brain, at the expense of the storing of memories. now these memory losses are unlike that of alchohol. unlike alchohol where you can remember generally what your doing when your drunk but the next day dont remember any of it, cannabis causes a user to forget in short term, while being stoned. then, while sober, while one cannot remember by acessing memory, if one is reminded of a situation, the memory will return, more or less (theres a certain point where someone becomes extremely stoned and does not even pay attention to anything besides the contents of their mind, which can be harder to remember later on). while stoned, the brain is, as mentioned, 'amplified'. hunger is amplified, as so is the feeling of a yearning for food. humour is amplified; humour is achieved through more diverse perceptions. the part of the brain that recognises or percieves objects is amplified. things from afar may look for certain like something or someone you know but up close you realise it is something completely different and very interesting. the part of the brain that derives creativity is enhanced, and more lucid ideas come into play and creativity becomes a new form. the part of the brain that takes exitement is amplified, as is the part ofthe brain that imagines sequences. this can go awry however for many people. because cannabis enhances the thoughts of paranoia as well. while stoned, one might imagine all the possible things that may go wrong with what theyre doing. things can become scary because of the very fact youve thought of some situation, and want to be safe for safes sake. but if comfortable, this does not happen, and so your setting is very important concerning this drug. The part of the brain that percieves your surroundings and builds the three dimensional perception that we have is enhanced. distance perception contrast is increased (referred to as 'loss of distance perception' but is actually just an enhancement, but which is counterproductive if your not taking it into acocunt). One can have a much better sense of their surrounding and control over their body and their balance. WHAT?? you might say? weed makes you clumsy! well it does. however this is not because of your feeling of surrounding, its your awareness of surrounding. if you are not looking at something for over a second, chances are you have forgotten its there, for movements sake. While this doesnt make clumsiness any better, it means that the clumsiness from cannabis can be overcome with certain willingness and awareness. panic and anxiety can be amplified. as can your feeling of awe, and your feeling of dispair, and your feeling of beauty and your feeling of insecurty (if there are any). One particular function of cannabis is that it often drops down learned-behaviors. one will often forget about or disregard a routine or habit while stoned. This includes also phobias, and learned expectations. it includes the dropping of cultural boundries often and the supression of bias. this can lead to finding new interest in foods, and in activities or people you recently were disinterested in because of some bias. it also includes in some, the willing freeness of their love. while stoned, ones sense's are intensified. colours are saturated, light is brighter, touch is sensitive, as is smell. but two senses in particular are elevated to higher levels. oral, and aural in a sense. Food takes on new qualities as your brain picks up every little taste and texture. new interest can be found in previously disliked or strayed from foods. once food eating has begun, it may continue until all food is gone. rather than the stomach sending a signal to say its full (which would probably lead to weed making a person want to throw up and not eat), the brain trigers hunger, and the feeling of an empty stomach, depending on predicament. this is what is amplified by marijuana. stomach is supressed. this is one of the main medical uses of cannabis. it stops people from throwing up (not the case if one is pissed) and enhances their hunger. music moreso takes on new meaning while stoned. sometimes music that is heard for the first time can sound very odd... but music that is known already takes its best enhancement. because the brain takes most enjoyment from musical sounds it is familiar with, when stoned. this is partially due to the way a person recognises music. the recognition is enhanced, and this can trigger euphoria or simply amazing vibes in a person who is stoned listening to music. New songs can give a lot of interest, but in a different way. if a song is heard for the first time stoned, it will sound to the user quite differnet ly to how it sounds to someone when they are familiar to the music. The effects of music in the brain is however a very complicated one, and not much is known about it under any state. following that the sensation of fouch is enhanced, as is that of orgasm. after being stoned, one may feel 'cotton headed' the next day or maybe two. one who smokes regularly may feel this often, depending on their outlook, or just get symptoms of less memory, or less motivation (laziness - scourge), or less interest while sober. smoking of any substance will take its tolls on your respiratory system, but perhaps not as much on your lungs as on your blood, which can carry less oxycgen if you smoke. at the same time, cannabis seems to have not been reported to give anyone cancer (not including those who perhaps smoked a tonne of cigarettes as well, and then got cancer). Cannabis has in fact bene shown in many studies to supress cancers, and promote regrowth of brain damage. cannabis does not kill brain cells. the dumb stoner stereotype comes from the lack of will power of the common man in societies where drug use is accepted, the lack of motivation for one thing, but mroe specifically, the lack of memory and of learning action. If one doesnt want to learn, they wont unless its spoonfed or forced through them. and so this stereotyped stoner might often not care about eductation and just not learn anything at all. marijuana does not reduce someones intellectual-conception potential, but more their willingness to be active. this is related to the user's personal perspective through which they view and treat cannabis. cannabis is non toxic (does not kill you or even make you ill at any practical dose) and has even been shown to aid repare of your body as mentioned. however cannabis has a very perculiar long term affect in sertain people who spend many years, generally their younger years, stoned more than they are sober. Excessive use without any limit for extended time has been linked to schizophrenia for a long time now. while no actual evidence is there that the person would nto develop the illness anyway, it seems clearly obvious when a majority of people diagnosed with schizophrenia took drugs, particularly weed. With more study, this problem may even be overcome but until then, moderate use will only affect those who are susceptable to schizophrenia already. Females who smoke cannabis often will have irregular menstrual cycles, because hormones are much more finely tuned. Cannabis has been told to have herrendous effects on male hormone systems, such as infertility, lack of sex drive, small testicals, growing breasts. It may be true that testosterone levels are not high in smokers. but it is most probably more that, instead of testosterone levels going below normal, they are just not rising according to environment, as male hormones do. at any rate, marijuana does not cause infertility, or any physical changes in the body. however it can decrease a males' desire for sex. many anti drug promotions claim that blood pressure is increased, and chance of heart attack is increased. In rality, blood rate is increased. but blood vessels are also dilated. this means that they relax, and stretch more. so while higher pulse would lead to increased blood pressure, the relaxing of blood vessels balances that out and can in fact lower blood pressure while relaxed. the dilation of blood vessels gives the stoned person red eyes. cannabis also dilates other passages in the body such as the lungs, which can hold more air while stoned, and breath clearer while stoned. also, the pupil dilates. however these effects can all vary but the one efect that cannabis brings always is a glassy coating over the eyeball. one's mouth may become very dry, this is called cotton mouth, and happens more to begginers than regular users. so far there is no link between cannabis and acne. if there is any, chances are, cannabis helps treat acne but eating large amounts of junk food does not. most of its beneficial uses to humanity however arent getting high, they are cannabis' industrial uses. the human body requires certain oils and nutrients from seeds, and all in differnet amounts. the cannabis seed contains the exact ratio of these oils and nutrients as the human body desires, in rich amounts. the oil from cannabis seeds can be converted into usable fuel. the cannabis plant family will grow almost anywhere under almost any conditions. it grows very quickly. one field of cannabis produces 4 times as much paper as a standard logging practice, and grows back in a matter of months, not years. the cannabis plant prepares soil for planting in, and also can be used as a cycle crop. this means that while one crop is not being harvested (due to season) cannabis is grown in its place. the cannabis prevents any other weeds from growing during the off-season, and prepares the soil for the new plants. then the cannabis can also be harvested for its produce! before the 1930's, practically all of the worlds paper, rope, and generic fibre was hemp. cannabis can also be grown hyrdoponically which allows for greater production in certain areas, but this has its usefullness in producing the psychoactive elements of cannabis, more than industrial. once cannabis was the most widely used medicine in the world. it was initially eaten in very large doses to cure perhaps every single ailment. this is not because people were stupid jsut as they were prescribing cocaine and opium to patients. it is because cannabis IS a universal medicine, aiding an ill person in many many ways. for example, cannabis is the only known treatment for chronic migraine (there may be some very obsucre and dangerous chemicals avaiable on prescription), si commonly used by legal patients to sooth pain, or take ones mind off an illness that is getting in their way. there is some evidnece floating around that cannabis harms a smoker's immune system but this has not been observed in a practical context, only in the lab, perhaps not even with humans. whatever the case, the conclusion that cannabis blocks or harms the immune system is more likely to be falsely derived. However, you cant put a patent on a plant, and there is more money floating around when one industry is taken over by many seperate industries. Timber industry, cotton induystry, plastic fibre industry, and the PHARMACEUTICAL industry all had a role in getting cannabis illegalised, not the demon-dictated effects that cannabis apparently brought with it, back in the 1930's. perhaps the tobacco industry even had a role. but drug companies cannot take royalties off cannabis in any way, since it is a plant. plants grow, anyone can grow enough cannabis for their own use easily, and any farmer can produce cannabis fields relatively easily. while cannabis is the most industrial diverse plant in the world, its not the most friendly to tycoons and the money men, and it was illegalised. since then, drug prohibition itself changed drugs in society into something else, just as prohibition of alchohol perhaps did. in conclusion, the only negative effects from cannabis are: lack of motivation/interest, and the drawing out of mental disorders. the former is a matter of will power or merely personal interest and discipline, and the latter effects those who either smoke a tonne of weed or who already have symptoms or a high susceptability to mental illness. when someone observes imagination more than they observe reality, the balance can change in their brain. the positive effects and uses of cannabis are endless. post script: one of the few things that seperates humans from the conventional animal is 'symbolic thought'. lateral thinkning, and metaphoric perception, on many different levels. deriving ideas from linearly unrelated thoughts or perceptions, and also the assignment of linearly unrelated thoughts or perceptions to display ideas. cannabis also enhances this thought process. though that is stepping into increidbly significant understanding that is beyond the current known scope of science. it will be understood in due time. Just like a person who premotes drinkning water does not premote drinkning too much water, i premote cannabis. i commend those who read it all lol
Excellent thread SB, I assume Cannabis is as illegal in Australia as it is here in the USA. I don't seriously think freedom-fearing Mainstream America has the courage to allow individuals the freedom to use Cannabis. Cannabis is psycho-active, and has the ability to pierce through the delussions and denials of Mainstream America's mass psychosis. Cannabis is especially dangerous to the anal-retentive conservatism of Mainstream America's freedom-fearing homo-eroticism
a most excellent thread this is stoner bill. i have trouble believing that weed lowers a males desire for sex though.
ive seen it go both ways, but overall, stoners seem less 'pussy driven' than the alchoholic jocks. thats not to say they dont enjoy it and chase it when its around, or when theyre drunk.
oh yeh and i read waht it was tlaking about and i meant, while stoned, some guys report not gettin horny, others say they get horny often if the stimulus is there (or in head). but females? more than not, though they might not always like ot admit it, females often have a stronger desire for sex, or at least 'desire for men' which may be more what women think along.
Please make this more a political debate or it will be locked or moved to the ‘Marijuana’ forum. Balbus
anyway, so as i mentioned there in paragraph 32, "what do you think this passage means to our young politicians?" answering is optional
stonerbill, did you write this? if so then get into the pro-legalisation debate man! smoking marijuana and cojent political debate dont often go together, i've read some of your other posts and you seem like a damn clever guy. you have the rare gift of being able to talk sense when talking about cannabis, use it!
Stoner Anyway, as you didn’t mention that in paragraph 32 or anywhere else in the piece I presume you are asking it now? So are you going to answer it as well? ** What does the legalisation of cannabis mean to young (or old) politicians? ** The thing is that there are people of both left wing and right wing persuasion who believe in the legalisation of cannabis, but for differing reasons and to be brought in different ways. May I ask you how you would do it?
So smoking pot and being able to formulate logical arguments is rare? I think that's something the .gov would have people believe, but it's not really true. Cannabis doesn't make people stupid; people are stupid to begin with lol...
Those on the right who believe in the legalization of cannabis are probably motivated more by the dollar and personal benefit than the gross lack of logic in outlawing cannabis. (Although there are some on the left with the same motivations.) I just think there are a couple really basic flaws with the idea of cannabis being illegal. Outlawing a plant that grows naturally- think about that. Telling someone what to do with THEIR body- think about that. Most of the country is sitting back blindly following the instructions they're given throughout life, without stopping to think hey- I thought this was the land of the free? I can't say I have any kind of plan drawn out in my skull for the legalization of cannabis; I'm not even sure I want the government controlling my marijuana. It's a really heavy issue, and it takes a whole lot of thinking from different perspectives to tackle it. (I just realized that a couple of you are from the UK, sorry for generalizing with the 'land of the free' comment, I am just from the US)
on legalising, I think the only real way to legalise it properly is to just let anyone grow it anywhere. but the govt wants money eh? well, tobacco sells at around 8-16 dollars an ounce, australian, with tonnes of tax. you get less bud per plant than you get tobacco, but you can also grow bud easier. and people dont smoke quite as much as they do tobacco. people say 'the weed will be less potent!' or 'the weed will be full of chemicals' or 'theyll tax the shits out of it' well, qute simply, if the commercial weed doesnt suit the weed smoking population, then there will still be a demand for dealers. dealers who can sell at parties. dealers who will deliver it. dealers who have natural stuff, for traditional (perhaps cheaper) prices. they would ave to sell it cheaper than it is already, or the same, and make it potent as mids to good weed is, and if they add chemicals.. well there would probably be big uproar, and since people can grow natural stuff, they would just grow it themselves probably, as long as the plants are hidden, there would be a small chance of getting in trouble. i think in terms of what weed is going around and how cheap it is, i think if it was legalised wed all be very happy. the ony concern i have is that people would be stonedd alll the time. perhaps certain positions of responsibility would be required not to smoke (since you cant test if someons stoned, you can only test if someone has smoked weed in thel ast few weeks, youd need them to stay clean all the time so that you can be sure they wont get stoned on the job). but really, you can do most things you can normally do, while stoned, so i think a lot of people would be stoned often. perhaps it would jsut be looked down apon if your acting stupi9d while stoned, and when everyones getitng stoned, perhaps a way of being stoned can be tought that is productive, like finding the best techniques for working while stoned, the work thats best done, ways to get interest out of work, that sort of thing. because it would be very popular if legalised, methinks. the world would be better for many reasons, on the industrial side, so much better, i think legalising weed would maybe be the single most impacting step towards healing the planet, and the people. schizophrenia? well i think, if people started smoking heaps, and then people started getting schizo or crazy, then the whole population would go 'oh i see i guess it is a fact'. but there may be, as i said, a way around schizophrenia. the right only dislikes cannabis caus its classed a 'drug'. right is all about tradition and preserving the 'right' ways. and since its got an image of being a drug, this is why the right side mentality wants it stopped. but if it was legalised, the rights would looove the new industry to exploit. unless theyve got shares in logging and pharmaceuticals
oh and the biggest reason to legalise marijuana is the industry i didnt really care until i found out what the world is doing to itself by illegalising the cannabis plant
I don't think many politicians dislike it for that reason. They might act like they do, but it's just looking good to the public.
remember the us govt's 'war on drugs'? a shitload of money went into keeping everything criminalised, but for the benefit of whom? this is a terrific article about cannabis. i can't touch the stuff anymore: makes me feel paranoid and nervous.
the affect of pot are diferent for diferent people,makes it hard to say it does this or that, but with at least 60 phsycotropics its no wonder. I know if you study stoned its best to take the test stoned, (learned that in phsych class) But one thing is for sure the powers that be are afraid of it, the pharmasuticel companies dont want it thats for certain. but its also the plastic, paper and cotten industry. its hemp they fear, and according to the honerable *jack herrar its why it was made illegale in the first place (athough the goverment said it was to attack wetbacks) *the emperer wears no cloths. by jack
