Bernie Sanders files marijuana bill in Senate

a reply to: reldra

Hey, I never said anything about going mad.

And if your one of the mature reasonable types who can enjoy a smoke on the rare occasion then.. congratulations. you think like an adult too - welcome to the club!

Its nothing to be super excited about.. its how people should be.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop

originally posted by: Nyiah
a reply to: Agit8dChop

Ask the states that legalized it how it's going for them. There's your answer. As for motivation, that's a dead horse argument that's been beaten & disproven time & again. Why keep coming back to the stupid reefer madness-era propaganda?

I love this site just look at those stars.. u2 kids

really? so you think smoking marijuana constantly for weeks on end doesn't give people a lack of motivation? a lack of going out there and doing something?

What junk science is that.. I'm talking from experience. if you sit at home and smoke day in day out you don't feel like doing crap. Your social skills deteriorate and your kidding yourself if you think they don't.

Such a shame that ATS disallows the ability to refute from observations & experience. Best I can say is nope. You're just being hardheaded about it.

a reply to: Nyiah

hang on.. so your saying stoners don't lack motivation?
they have just as much get up and go as people who don't smoke?

just want to be clear we're not confusing anything here.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
a reply to: reldra

Hey, I never said anything about going mad.

And if your one of the mature reasonable types who can enjoy a smoke on the rare occasion then.. congratulations. you think like an adult too - welcome to the club!

Its nothing to be super excited about.. its how people should be.

Being that I am an American, I must not be responsible enough. I will smoke all day while playing video games and eating McDonalds. You said so yourself.

a reply to: Agit8dChop but European countries like Sweden are burning down refugee camps, which isn't very mature is it. Say what you want about the USA I can't see them stooping that low.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
a reply to: Nyiah

hang on.. so your saying stoners don't lack motivation?
they have just as much get up and go as people who don't smoke?

just want to be clear we're not confusing anything here.

Exactly. Your notion of it being a motivational suppressant is about as logical as asserting that alcohol is, too, being that it's a CNS suppressant.

Edit: That is to surmise drinkers and tokers are equally unmotivated and lazy useless schlups to society with your logic.

originally posted by: reldra

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
a reply to: reldra

Hey, I never said anything about going mad.

And if your one of the mature reasonable types who can enjoy a smoke on the rare occasion then.. congratulations. you think like an adult too - welcome to the club!

Its nothing to be super excited about.. its how people should be.

Being that I am an American, I must not be responsible enough. I will smoke all day while playing video games and eating McDonalds. You said so ourself.

You forgot about using your McDonald's free hand to club baby seals.

originally posted by: reldra
Being that I am an American, I must not be responsible enough. I will smoke all day while playing video games and eating McDonalds. You said so yourself.

judging from the past 15yrs of American action around the world and events occurring inside America's society Id say:

yes, whats your point? or do you only see what you want to see?

I just said if your a responsible person and can handle things like an adult good for you - your an adult.

Yet you chose to be all witty and smart with a sarcastic comment.

bravo!

a reply to: Agit8dChop

People lack motivation, there are lazy people that don't smoke. Just like there are plenty of driven people that do.

People who smoke marijuana regularly over long periods of time tend to produce less of a chemical in the brain that is linked to motivation, a new study finds.

Researchers in the United Kingdom scanned the brains of 19 regular marijuana users, and 19 nonusers of the same sex and age, using positron emission tomography (PET), which helps measure the distribution of chemicals throughout the brain.

They found that the long-term cannabis users tended to produce less dopamine, a "feel good" chemical in the brain that plays an important role in motivation and reward-driven behavior. [Trippy Tales: The History of 8 Hallucinogens]

Study participants who smoked marijuana regularly, and those who began using the drug at a younger age, had lower levels of dopamine in a part of the brain called the striatum, which could be why cannabis users appear to lack motivation.

The study, by scientists at Imperial College London, UCL and King’s College London, was funded by the Medical Research Council and published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

The researchers used PET brain imaging to look at dopamine production in the striatum of 19 regular cannabis users and 19 non-users of matching age and sex.

The cannabis users in the study had all experienced psychotic-like symptoms while smoking the drug, such as experiencing strange sensations or having bizarre thoughts like feeling as though they are being threatened by an unknown force.

The researchers expected that dopamine production might be higher in this group, since increased dopamine production has been linked with psychosis. Instead, they found the opposite effect.

but lets not beat around the bush. I can put my hand up and say in my early 20's I was a hardcore smoker.


Myself and my 4 buddies that house shared.
Once you smoke constantly like that, you have no motivation. You dont want to go out, you dont want to go to work. You want to relax, on the couch with a smoke day in and day out..

Even now, when either of us has the tiniest amount the last thing we want to do is go exercise, go out or do anything productive.

but please, flame on! lord knows if opinions dont match your's it means they're wrong!

a reply to: Agit8dChop

Legalizing recreational Marijuana in the USA is a dangerous thing..

It's hard to know if you're saying that because you think that people are going to be running around buying out Taco Bell or because you're talking about how certain someone's that run certain complexes view it.

I live in WA and have been mildly irritated with some of the changes marijuana legalization has brought about (all completely anecdotal). I just think people should refrain from smoking in the parks and whatnot. That's about it. Sometimes I smell weed smoke in a place I think it's not appropriate to be smoking. Like on campus (I feel so old going back to school), or when I'm walking by a playground. Or the person in front of me at the stoplight or outside a bar or business casually lights up. It's gotten SLIGHTLY worse! I'm not worried about it being a danger though.

Compared to alcohol, marijuana is incredibly benign. I wish I could enjoy it (I freak out, BAD and have partook after it was legal and I was in a super safe place). Alcohol is legal and contributes to a staggering number of violent crimes. Drunk driving, murder, assault, rape, the list goes on. I've never heard of someone getting all out of control after smoking pot and turning into a monster.

A substance that appears to be nowhere near as addictive as hard drugs (or alcohol which I think perhaps should be classed differently if we're talking about capacity to resist/danger to others) shouldn't be illegal. No one is going to get strung out and start robbing houses to get their next pot fix. It's not the same kind of "need to get high". I've dealt with a LOT of meth heads and that is a drug that should NEVER be legalized.

I take a more moderate approach on drug legalization. I want marijuana legalized and controlled (safety, I've been privy to some bad stuff) but I don't want to see crack/heroin/meth allowed. There's a big difference. Someone who enjoys marijuana isn't going to succumb to it the same as someone who starts dabbling in those others. It's not the life ruining, criminal making thing people make it out to be. I know some incredibly bright and completely trustworthy people that smoke regularly and maintain a good quality of life. It's hard for me to judge when I see so many others taking prescription drugs with worse side effects for the same issues like anxiety/depression/etc.

I don't think anyone deserves to go to jail for holding a certain amount of marijuana. Yeah, if they deal to kids, or knowingly supply to people who do, throw them in jail. The rest? It's a freaking petty offense. It wastes tax dollars, it wastes cop's time and energy, and it's insulting. Treat it like alcohol. If you find someone that's manufacturing booze to sell to underage people or doing it in vast amounts and dodging taxes, go get 'em. It's perfectly legal for me to make beer at home, why not grow a little bit of pot for personal use? Actually I think I can since I live in WA, but you get my point.

I can't remember a single incident in my entire life where someone was high on marijuana (I sound like Hank Hill) and I felt threatened, or anything more than annoyed. It's just not the same thing. I've dealt with drunks and people strung out on hard drugs, but I've never thought "Oh this guy is stoned, I better be extra aggressive/cautious!"

We waste an OBSCENE amount of money combating something that is incredibly benign in the US. I don't care about Bernie Sanders, but I completely agree with decriminalizing/legalizing marijuana. And I HATE marijuana, at least using it.

I'm soured on internet politicians after the Ron Paul thing. After I read up on Ron Paul I disliked him quite a bit, and felt like an idiot for being swept up. I dislike that Sanders seems to be supported by the same people. Not a typical politician doesn't mean they'll be a better politician to me. Seeing people that swore their allegiance to Paul instantly switch a TON of ideals to support Sanders makes me think a lot of people are incredibly fickle and just want to be edgy. I suppose a certain percent want to support a candidate that's different, but I REALLY dislike the Sanders cult I'm seeing spring up.

and this all goes back to my original point.
America hasn't the mental maturity to be able to handle things like this.

your all sitting here pretending smoking dope doesn't (for majority of cases) bring about a lack of motivation.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop

originally posted by: reldra
Being that I am an American, I must not be responsible enough. I will smoke all day while playing video games and eating McDonalds. You said so yourself.

judging from the past 15yrs of American action around the world and events occurring inside America's society Id say:

yes, whats your point? or do you only see what you want to see?

I just said if your a responsible person and can handle things like an adult good for you - your an adult.

Yet you chose to be all witty and smart with a sarcastic comment.

bravo!

Thank you, I accept the compliment, on being witty and smart. You have said 2 different things. 1) That America as a whole is not responsible enough for marijuana 2) One is responsible if they can handle things as an adult.

Which is it?

a reply to: Agit8dChop

Moral of your study there:

Bloomfield concludes that the 'amotivational syndrome' which he describes in cannabis users is linked to lower levels of dopamine, but acknowledges that whether such a syndrome exists is still controversial.

www.psychologytoday.com...

Basically, yep, lower levels. Actual issue? Magic 8 Ball says "Try Again."

a reply to: Domo1

yes, and that's a very fair point you make.

the thing is, heroin, meth, coke etc aren't going to become as prevalent as weed.

people see powder going up the nose, needles going into a vein etc and it immediately puts them against it.
but smoking a joint? its as easy as sculling a coke and when you can buy it on every corner store it will be in every home.

Kids now a days, teenagers and some of your younger 20's already binge on welfare and fast food. Sure they smoke weed, but its sometimes hard to get, its a pain in the behind to find and when its like that you tend to savoir it.

Sure, weed doesn't turn people violent and abusive like booze does, but its more about the person being violent or abusive. Stoned people can still throw a punch, shoot a gun, use a knife or rob a shop.

Weed is very much a gateway drug for teens too.

I understand peoples hopes and dreams and utopia images of people smoking a joint now and then and going to work. But society is becoming lazier and lazier each day. Once weed becomes a shopfront item.. it will put it into hyperdrive

a reply to: reldra

those that can comprehend that for themselves are adults.

those that cant and argue meaningless points, aren't.

see how easy that was?

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
a reply to: Domo1

yes, and that's a very fair point you make.

Kids now a days, teenagers and some of your younger 20's already binge on welfare and fast food. Sure they smoke weed, but its sometimes hard to get, its a pain in the behind to find and when its like that you tend to savoir it.


Weed is very much a gateway drug for teens too.

I understand peoples hopes and dreams and utopia images of people smoking a joint now and then and going to work. But society is becoming lazier and lazier each day.

1)How are teens and people in their younger 20s 'binging' on welfare? Unless they have a lot of children themselves, it is not possible.
2) Low income people tend to receive SNAP benefits, so they rarely eat fast food.
3) How is weed a gateway drug?

a reply to: Nyiah

From your very link:

The London researchers studied the level of dopamine production in the striatum of 19 regular cannabis users and 19 non-users of matching gender and age. The cannabis users chosen for the study started experimenting with cannabis between the ages of 12 and 18.

The researchers found that the younger someone was when he or she started smoking pot the lower the current levels of dopamine. Also, dopamine was lower in those who smoked more cannabis and had higher levels of THC in their bodies. The researchers conclude that these findings suggest that cannabis use may be the cause of the difference in dopamine levels.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
a reply to: Nyiah

yes, but what happens when its legally sold on most corners in the shops?

less illegal drug deals

dope is short bursts now and then is great. Its relaxing, instills creative idea's, calms people..


but when you smoke and smoke and smoke and smoke you become a drag on society. Your social skills diminish, your enthusiasm and motivation diminishes..

I know if you drink and drink you become much more of a burden upon society. Especially when the liver starts going. Booze is still legal though.

meh whats the point.. you americans always know best.. go for it. legalize it.. rest of the world already has their mind made up on you lot.

so far the states that have legalized it have seen a huge success from it. Now it's taxed, regulated money, not black market money, look into it if you feel like learning.