Getting More Worried About Health Consequences!

I get a LOT of mail from people visiting the Hip sites, and lately I've noticed more people having drastic physical effects from smoking the herb. Now I've been getting this kind of mail for 9 years, and there has always been the occasional "panic" attack email. But something different has arisen in the past year or so, with people writing about much more severe physical responses to the drug, often with symptoms that indicate heart problems. Even seasoned stoners are sometimes writing that they've recently had an experience unlike any other before.

So I'm wondering, what's up? Have the latest strains become that much more powerful? Are we looking at accumulated use having a more dire effect? Or are growers doing something to the herb that is causing more severe reactions?

I'm thinking the last reason has the most merit. There are so many more people growing now, and MOST of them are not that consciencious about their methods, preferring to optimize yield at the expense of quality and apparently the health of their customers.

I myself just had an experience similar to those I've been reading about. I'm in Australia and I was enjoying some fine organically grown weed and bubble hash from Nimbin, and I had no unusual effects from smoking any quantity of this.

I just returned from Fiji, where I smoked some of their native, organically grown herb, and it too was no problem to smoke. I should mention that all this aforementioned weed was also pure sativa, all grown outdoors.

Likewise the homegrown in Thailand was also organically grown sativa. How do I know it was organic? Well when you've been smoking organic and you switch to non-organic, you usually know it on the first toke. Chemically grown weed is harsher, less sweet, and usually makes you cough and feel a bit off.

I don't know whether it's the strains, the fact that they're grown indoor under lights, the chemcials used or that they were poorly flushed or poorly cured, but I seem to no longer be able to smoke anything but organic weed without unwanted physical effects.

So when I recently obtained some hydro, I smoked only ONE HIT and almost passed out on the spot. I know it's stronger, but that wasn't the cause. I felt ill, and had to lay down. As soon as I hit the bed I was out.

I did the same the next day, with again the same reaction. Fortunately, this weed was well processed and the third day I was able to smoke it with fewer side effects (thru a bong).

So I wonder what you all think about this. I know hydro is very strong, and I'm not saying it's bad, but with all the email I'm getting lately, with people reporting all the symptoms of heart attacks after having just one or two hits, I wonder if the current crop is a health menace...

You never know what chemicals have been used to fertilize, enhance and reduce pests on these plants. Chemicals that perhaps have not been fully tested for effects upon humans, or if they have, perhaps not used properly by growers. In the race to maximize yield & profits are they sacrificing our health?

 

No it doesn't. I've seen what goes on in grow rooms, and it can be scary the lack of concern for health.

 

Well I guess that IS the question. Is it just stronger that makes you feel sick in some cases, or is it the way it's grown, with unhealthy chemical residues being ingested?

I've had some ass kickin' shit grown outdoors, organically that I can just smoke & smoke until I'm floatin' high above the world (i'm thinkin' da kine hawaiian). So I really don't think it's only THC % causing these reactions.

 

Never seen someone spray their plants to get rid of spider mites? (to mention just one common situation). Sometimes this is done close to harvest. I've seen fruit farmers do the same shit just before the fruit is picked (against the warning labels on the insecticide/fungicide).

How do we know growers aren't using say Miracle Grow which is not recommended for human consumption? My point is they're maximizing growth and not caring about health consequences.

Have you ever smoked shit that wasn't properly flushed? I'm sure you'd notice the difference. I think we all have.

 

Yes this is the other issue. More and more ppl are having mental problems as a result of smoking. And now it's not a result of heavy long term use, but I'm getting emails about people freaking out after just a few hits, and the freakout lasting days, weeks, indefinitely even. Often (but not always) accompanied by physical symptoms.

 

Well imagine you bought a bunch of that, and of course you don't want to throw it away, so you smoke it all. Then you get more cause that's all that's around. What are the consequences?

 

Headaches are a very common symptom of those who complain about physical & mental effects. A rise in blood pressure can cause this as well as toxic chemicals.

This thread reminded me of what happened when the Feds went on the supposed paraquat spraying frenzy in the 70s. It was difficult if not impossible to know if this thing was actually being sprayed and where. We couldn't be sure if our pot was contaminated or not. This is right when everyone started getting health conscious too. So the net result was many of us (millions i'm sure) STOPPED SMOKING WEED! We finally had a good enough reason and our paranoia knew no bounds.

Funny thing is, the Feds can't spray indoor shit, can they. Actually the deal was they were supposedly spraying down in Mexico, the source for most weed in those days.

 

Uh, how long does THC remain detectable in your body? Come on. Certain toxins don't leave your body at all. That's why they're toxic, and can have such lasting effects. Think Mercury. They just revealed that mercury was used to perserve immunizations given to children since the '70s and that was the cause of so much ADD and other neurological diseases that have suddenly become rampant.

Even if a chemical doesn't remain long, it can still do lots of damage, especially if you're constantly dosing yourself with it.

I really feel weird having to be negative about the drug, cause I really dig it, but this has been bothering me for awhile and after reading yet another long email describing a whole nightmare experience someone had, I felt I had to let people know that more people are reporting these symptoms, including regular users who never had this happen before.

And actually if you put it in perspective, it's not the marijuana that's doing harm, it's the way that SOME people are growing it. I've noticed that the older hippie growers are far more conscious about their methods and always strive for a superior natural product over profits.