Is weed bad?

[YeLLa-TiGeR]

A very close friend of mine told me yesterday that for the first time that he had smoked some weed. He knew that I didnt like people that took any kind of drugs at all. I just said it was cool and that he shouldnt be doing it anymore. But hey, everyone does stupid stuff once in awhile, and he smoked it once. No harm done right? I just told him not to do it anymore, and he promptly agreed.
The next day, we were all hanging out in the hallway during our break, and my friend goes up to me and says that he wants to try it again. I tell him over and over that he really shouldnt and that I'd be hella disapointed in him. Despite my pleas, he just repeats "I'm gonna do it" over and over. Finally in a jokingly manner, he tells me that maybe I should join him, finally I get pissed off a bit.

I then commenced in clinching, to a hip throw and as he was on the ground I start yelling at him that I really do care for him and that he shouldnt be doing it. I was really close to hitting him though. Stupid drugs....

What would you guys have done? Personally, I believe at an early age, doing drugs is a sign of weak character and its harmful to your friends around you and to yourself. If my friend was more mature and older, I wouldnt feel so strongly about it. But damnit, it really pissed me off. My friend is also mad at me cause I made him look stupid in front of everyone. Do you think I reacted too strongly? I remember past posts about this subject and that the majority thought weed wasnt a really bad thing to do. But he's only a f uckin kid...

[Anabolic Ted]

ask duchman, he should know!

[Angel_of_Pain]

Best thing to do is not been violent you almost did more damage yourself then the drug did to his body and mind. You made your point he did his decision respect it and one day I hope he is gonna think of it and thank you for respecting your choice of respecting him.
Oh and you really have to learn to control yourself I know its hard I'm a fighter who love to fight, but you just hurted your friend feeling next time you will maybe hurt him badly 2 and then you will no-more friendship whit him and that will be sad.

[Ryu (non-working password]

YeLLa,
I once became so angry at a co-worker for telling me he just came from a concert where the band pulled a girl on stage, duct-taped her up including her mouth, and through her into the crowd where people ripped her shirt off (he was laughing about it) that two co-workers literally became afraid enough of my anger to lock themselves in the managers office until I cooled off.
........I'm lucky they didn't call the police and I didn't get fired. I know this isn't the same thing, but the point is that I got angry for the right reasons, and even showing that anger and disgust was the right thing to do...HOWEVER..I was way out of line with my aggressiveness and violence. The person in question didn't learn anything other than "That makes "Ryu" mad".... which doesn't solve anything.
My heart was right, my actions I feel were wrong. Violence is not something you want to jump into unless you are absolutely sure it's necessary.

I tell you what though. I really respect your beliefs, and I hope you stick to them. Without going into the entire business of the physical dangers or no dangers of marijuana, I'll leave you with something you can't really argue
If someone needs a foreign substance to make their normal functioning mind "feel" a certain way...then they are not really in control of their emotions or their lives. That like you said is rather weak. Yes you are right.
People tend to rely way too much on outside influences rather than themselves to solve problems or feel a certain state of being.
To me really, all the talk on whether or not it's harmful to you is irrelevant. I think needing marijuna or any drug to make you "relaxed" or "mellow" is spirtually pathetic. Take that however you want it.

I do think you should try to talk your friend out of doing it. Why does he want to anyway? Shouldn't he be studying or something? LOL

Good luck, and keep up your attitude. It's nice to see the maturity you have. I mean that.

Take care,
Ryu

[E1am]

I think you should both smoke a joint and relax.

Seriously, you guys need to learn some anger management.

Yella, how is your friend smoking a joint any worse than you getting drunk? You can tell him you don't like the idea, and try to convince him to stop. But it shouldn't go further than that. Saying you don't like people who take any kind of drugs is pretty immature. I have close friends that do all kinds of thing I don't agree with or don't like, but that's life. A guy I've been friends with since high shcool has, over the years, become a junkie. Because of that a lot of our old friends want nothing to do with him. I think that is bullsh!t. Roughing your friend up to prove your point just makes you look like a d!ck. If that's how you handle dissapointment in someone you are in for a miserable life.

Ryu, what is your deal? Maybe you or someone close to you has been assualted of sexually abused. If that's the case I understand why you would be carrying around a lot of anger. But to flip out over a story, that maybe exaggerated, to that extent is a bigger sign of weakness than smoking a joint.

[DIRE WOLF]

If you get drunk then you have no room to talk.

[Water Dragon]

Puf Puff Give

[Shimora]

Martial Artist, you are correct in your belief that growing minds should not partake in any drugs.

The teenage mind is still developing. If you start doing drugs you will effect the proper ripening of the brain. I know guys that have smoked since they were 13 or 14 and they are the dopiest morons I know even when they are straight.

On the other hand I know many people that did not do drugs until they were fully grown. Whilst it has an effect during the time they are stoned, they function perfectly well while they are straight.

You did over react but you did it because you care. Cant be too harsh on you for that.


As for duchman, just because that little punk lives in Amsterdam does not mean he knows anything about drugs. Thats like saying because heterosexuals live in Holland that duchman would know anything about heterosexuality.

[SweepEm]

Is Weed Bad? sure

Is Alcohol Bad? sure

There are plenty of chemicals out there that get you high and are bad for you.
Lots of dudes will say, it's no big deal.
Many people take the stand that alcohol ain't bad, but they just look at the fact that you can buy alcohol as long as you over your state's drinking age.
Weed ain't legal to buy, at least here in the US,
Duche can tell us about his reefer madness.
The fact that you get high from some type of substance, it will mess with your brain in one way or another.
And look at the long term effects of alcholism....
Cirrhosis of the liver.
I had an oppurtunity to talk with a doctor that was between patients and asked him about addictions along with the obsession/compulsion disorders.
We talked specifically about alcohol.
It was interesting that he said that although the liver is one of the body's organs that can regenerate, depending on the amount of chronic alcoholism, scarring does occur with Cirrhosis, even though the liver can regenerate due to damage. But with long term Cirrhosis, the scarring is irrepairable.
I also asked the doctor about addictive personalities and he told me that some people can be addicted to many things and others will be just addicted to just one substance. I was under the impression that a person that has an addiction to let's say drugs, would also be addicted to let's say alcohol.

At one job I had, the one owner had such weird mood swings........
I found out later that he was a heroin junkie, never wore short sleeve shirts and would never roll up his sleeve for obivious reasons.
When he wanted to get clean, he would turn to booze. And vice versa, when he wanted to dry out from the booze, he shot up.
Unfortunately he had such awful pain internally, he killed himself.
Such a tradegy since his father commited suicide first, when this guy was a young boy, and then his mother committed suicide about a year before he died.
And this guy was worth millions....a trust fund baby.
Money can't buy happiness.

Yella, for your friend, he is just being curious with drugs.
You can lecture him all you want.
You can beat him up all you want, but I doubt that it will stop him from trying weed or other substances.
You should just try to be a friend and tell him that smoking is bad, if that's what you believe in, and have some information and statisics to back you up.

I don't think that anyone has died from smoking weed, but look at the other drugs where just one time, they did.

Most people do drugs or other addictive behaviors to escape reality.
Sometimes the pain that people feel is so harsh that they will try anything to escape, even if it's for a short time.

For a little while, I worked in a VA drug re-hab ward
I had to get out of there, it was worse than One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest....
The people in charge were partiers and were having parties and getting high/drunk and they were the ones trying to rehabilitate these guys that were drug and alcohol addicts.

I knew one guy, he wasn't a close friend and he was always getting high, starting in junior high. By high school, he was high almost the whole time he was awake.
In high school, we used to be amused because he was always wasted and only after the fact, I look back and see how he threw his life away. I believe he was huffing-inhaling all types of solvents.
Eventually these chemicals fried what little of his brain was left.
This guy lived in a small park about 2-3 blocks from the house he grew up in.
I wonder if he is still alive...............

[Shimora]

"This guy lived in a small park about 2-3 blocks from the house he grew up in.
I wonder if he is still alive..............."



Yes, he is now the President of the United States.

[Ryu (non-working password]

Actually E1, it wasn't exaggerated, and I agree with you that it was a sign of weakness. Letting your anger overcome you and losing your cool is definately not a sign of strength. You'll get no argument from me there.
I won't tell you my personal business, but I do carry around anger. Not so much now, I've found proper ways to channel it into very usable energy.

But I agree with E1 that getting drunk is not that much off what your friend was doing. What I respect was the fact that you did not like seeing yourself like that, and erased the post you made. I agree that becoming violent is the wrong course of action unless the situation demands it. That situation did not (and neither did mine) However your beliefs are right, in my opinion. I hope you stick to them.
I wouldn't necessarily just blow your friend off, but you don't have to get into situations you don't like just for the sake of your friend. That's not real friendship coming from him.

I stick to my original comment about needing something foreign to make your normal mind feel a certain way. You should be responsible for your state of being.
(also, E1, don't misunderstand. I am not angry like that anymore. That was a while ago. I would have handled that differently don't worry Though my beliefs about it do not change.)

Take care,
Ryu

[Mik_36]

I'm only 25 so I'm not going to pretend that I'm this wise old man that knows everything but I've seen a whole lot of alcohol and drug abuse in my life (about 85% of the males in my family are admitted alcoholics, and I've seen a lot of drug abuse amongst people I know of or have known in the past).

Amongst Irish people, like my family, I think there is this attitude that drinking is fine, but DRUGS ARE PURE EVIL.

In fact my girlfriend (German/French) kept telling me how she thought it was so hypocritical when the Irish Republican Army was executing suspected drug dealers, and the Protestant Paramilitaries (i.e Ulster Volunteer Force) were doing the same thing in N.Ireland. ----This was a couple years ago during a cease fire, they stopped fighting eachother and turned their fury and venom on suspected drug dealers amongst their own people----. I not going to defend either group in this activity, as I believe someone as small as a pot dealer should not be a target for violent vigilante justice, just let the police deal with someone like that. I'm not defending the pot dealer either I just don't feel it warrants a death sentence per say, especially for a first offence.

In a way I see her (my girlfriend's) point, they go execute a drug dealer then go get sh*tfaced at the pub, it is a little hypocritical.

However I'll tell you what I have seen with Pot. It is probably a lot better for you than alcohol physically but the fact is that with many many people it makes you LAZY, it is so common that they have a medical term for it "amotivational syndrome". I feel practically nothing will be more devastating to your life than something that takes the fight out of you.

So while it may not harm you as much physically it does more damage to your life and to society. How many 40 year olds have you seen living in their mothers basement that have smoked pot since they were kids, I PERSONALLY know three guys in their mid to late twenties that are headed for this sad pathetic life. And they take no other drugs but pot. 3 guys, not a lot right, but if you think about it I think most people including myself would say they only PERSONALLY (known for a long time, pretty well) know about 25-30 people. So 3 out of 25 people, and maybe only 6 of the 25 smoke pot, so half of those that smoke pot have had it affect their lives very very negatively. Almost every one that I know drinks moderately - to like a fish, and every one of them can hold down decent jobs. The three guys I'm talking about that smoke, go from crappy job to U.I to crappy job, to welfare etc.

I've seen alcohol ruin some lives also, but not nearly as many as pot. The sh*t is terrible for our country and individual people and that is why I hope it remains illegal.

Now before I get flamed by some pot smokers out there that say "I smoke pot" or "I know people that smoke" and they have jobs etc. Yes there are exceptions, but my PERSONAL experience has been that a lot more people have their lives seriously effected by pot than alcohol.

I think it would also have to do with genetics also, some people just can't handle their liquor.

My Grandfather and Great Grandfather both drank like fish, my Great Grandfather lived to 99 years old and I think he would have lived even longer had he not lost the will to live after his wife died (he got very lonely). My Grandfather is 78 years old and still kicking and still goes to the Legion and Bar to tie one on. They did a liver biopsy on him a while back, (I guess because they know he drinks) and they found everything to be normal and O.K.. Both these men held down jobs, raised families and were considered outstanding Veterans of WW1 and WW2 respectively.

I honestly think that some families have been drinking for so long that it is in their genes and blood that they can handle their booze with out any major problems. Every drinker in my family has had some alcohol related problems, family fights, etc. but they have all had it together enough to keep jobs and raise families.

I personally keep my drinking under control because I know that being an alcoholic is far from a good thing, and I know it can be harmful to your family in many ways and my girlfriend hates drinking (her father drank quite a bit) and so constantly nags me if she thinks I'm drinking to much.

Drinking CAN definitely be dangerous, but I disagree with those who say pot is better than alcohol because it is not as harmful physically, that should not be the only variable, another variable would be what it does to your life.

For example I've seen gambling do more damage to lives than alcohol or pot but your not putting anything in your body there (I guess your body does release some stuff, adrenaline, during gambling). But I just don't think the only judge should be what a drug does to you physically.

I have also know of 3 people who got into harder drugs and completely ruined their lives, but I didn’t include them in my list of people that I know because the second I found out they used harder drugs I completely severed the relationship, I want nothing to do with that kind of crap. "Cold", maybe, but that kind of crap really does bother me to no end.

Yella Tiger, sometimes you have to accept that you can't control other people's decisions, you can let them know what you think and give them advise, but then you have to sit back and let them make their own mistakes. And this applies not only to drugs but many life decisions, sometimes people only understand through doing and making their own mistakes, even if those mistakes may do permanent damage to their lives. It can be frustrating if you genuinely care about that person, so I don't blame you at all for what you did, but that is just the way it is in life.

[Ryu (non-working password]

Mik,
my father also came from an alcoholic family.
I enjoyed your post.

Ryu

[Hookah Smokin Caterpillar]

The only time I don't smoke pot is when I have BJJ class later on in the day. Tonight I have class and I haven't puffed. Also if I have a test in school.

Some people love smoking pot, getting intoxicated isn't a sign of weakness; especially when its pot. I smoke pot, drift off and listen to music or hang out with my friends. I don't do it to be cool or to have fun at parties. I don't party and I can honestly tell you I have only 7 real friends, and 3 of them I rarely see. My friends (who are responsible) have been smoking pot everyday since they were in 9th grade, and now we're in 13th grade (****ing Junior College). I've been smoking everyday since I was in 12th grade, and I'll admit to some short-term memory loss. I'm thankful I don't smoke ciggs, because my lungs are still somewhat functioning. Weed is bad, but not half as bad as you porbably think it is. Its that you were taught by our society that pot is bad and you always see dumbasses who smoke. Bro, I used to think only stupid people smoked pot, until I got into college. EVERYone at my school smokes pot, its nuts. I'll admit (I think you're 17 right?) that in high school the majority of people that blaze are really dumb, but thats because the smart kids are scared to try it. When they get into college, it stops being such a big deal. Reaserch about pot, maybe you won't have such strong feelings about it. Also, maybe if you smoked yourself a joint everyonce in a while, you won't throw your friend in front of the entire school because he likes smoking pot.

Wow Mik, thats insane, you've seen that many people ruined by pot? I don't see why you think that if these guys didn't smoke pot they wouldn't be the way they are. I see people like that all the time, they're called dumbasses. Dumbasses smoke pot, so do intelligent people. I'm lazy naturally, however, I have a job I never miss, holding it down in school and I have two hobbies one of which is doing something crazy like Jiu Jitsu. I hope you realize that a lot more people than you think you think smoke pot. Usually, you can't tell people smoke pot and I can guarantee you the only reason you can tell I smoke pot is because I listen to Pink Floyd and come from southern california.

I'm sorry if I come off like I'm trying to prove my point too hard, but its just something that annoys me. I am annoyed that cigg smokers and alcoholics can have their poison and I can't have my moderatly safer one. Its everyone's option to do what they want, and keeping it illegal isn't making any less amount of people smoke it.

Just my 2 cents

[E1am]

Ryu,

I'm wasn't trying to find out anything about your personal life. I was just acknowleding the fact that there might be some reason for you to have such a severe reaction. As opposed to just calling you a pscyco (which was my first instinct). But maybe you are just a nut-job who thinks he's Batman.

Mik,

Wow, you know three guys who's lives you think were ruined by pot. So that proves pot is evil and should remain illegal. You ever hear of annecdotal evidence. I went to the Bronx High School of Science (one of the nation's best). There was a guy in some of my classes who was a into all kinds of drugs. He used to miss class constantly and always seemed spaced out. We used to make fun of him and call him a druggy. Then report card day rolled around. His lowest grade was 93%. Last time I bumped into him (been quite some time) he was going to Cornell and doing fine. Still doing drugs too. That must prove that drugs are great. If you have kids maybe you should encourage them to do drugs so they too can go to an ivy league school. BTW, I don't do any drugs other than alcohol. So I don't want anyone accusing me of defending my own behaviour.