Posted by Mitchell on November 23, 2001, at 19:25:50
In reply to Re: cannabis use » Mitchell, posted by Cam W. on November 23, 2001, at 2:22:14
> • Since there is evidence that cannabis is one of the first crops to be cultivated, with it's use dating back thousands of years, I believe that the long-term effects of the use of the plant have been fairly well established from a cultural standpoint. Much of this information is ignored, though.
The implication here is unclear to me. Drugs are not approved on the basis of cultural knowledge, and a therapist cannot logically conclude, on the basis of cultural knowledge, that approved medications interact with cannabinoids at any particular receptor site. Cultural knowledge brought us laws that allow alcohol and tobacco use, for better or for worse. Unless one is to conclude that the Muslim world is inherently inferior to the Western world on the basis of cannibas use throughout much of south Asia, cultural knowledge could support the conclusion that cannabis can be a useful component of a society's pharmacopia. My 1960 Time-Life book says cannabis use was at that time widespread in the Muslim world. I beleive more recent laws and publishing practices make it unlikely that we can find an accurate recent published account of cannabis use anywhere in the world. As you say, it has been around for thousands of years. Since I raised the subject, let's please not presume that despotic Muslim regimes are a product of cannabis or opiate use, or that Muslim nations always execute anybody caught "using drugs." Recent news suggests that some despotic regimes have in the past century come to power in some Muslim nations, but these regimes have almost always arisen in the wake of international interference. In other south Asian nations, western or industrial oriented governments are trying to stop cannabis use, but many of the same governments are trying to change the simple agrarian way of life often practiced by cannabis users. For the most part, cannabis seems to have been part of a simple, unassuming and uniquely caring culture throughout the Muslim world, perhaps for centuries.
> • I suppose that this escapism could extend to internet use; and the littering of landfills with obsolete personal computers could be considered environmentally damaging.My point, exactly. Though personal computers don't begin to approach the level of personal injury and environmental harm caused by the automotive industry.
> • If I had a choice to be operated on by a surgeon who smokes marijuana on a regular basis and or one who doesn't, I think that I would opt for the surgeon who doesn't. This is not to say that there aren't surgeon's who do not operate high, but if they do, one can be reasonably assume that their perception is impaired. If it weren't, what would be the point of smoking a joint.
If I had a choice of working on an assembly line where cannabis use was allowed, I might see no problem with it. Most people who have the choice of enjoying or avoiding entertainment in which cannabis users participated in the production continue to enjoy. I would not be particularly concerned about a surgeon who used cannabis. I would be more concerned about surgeons so driven by economic ambition that they do not slow down enough to make sure they removed the forceps or surgical cloths from my gut before they sew me back together. To Err Is Human, the NAS study, documented a pervasive tendency toward error in the medical industry, and attributed none of the errors to cannabis use. The few medical professionals I have known who used cannibas seemed among the more empathetic of their kind and probably are more willing to buck a system that put inappropriate levels of pressure on practitioners for profits' sake. Given a choice between flying with a pilot who had used cannabis and one who had not, I might choose not to fly. For pilots who do use cannabis, not flying for a few hours after use might be a wise choice. Either way, there is no evidence that allowing pilots to use cannabis would be any more dangerous than letting profit-motivated airlines take responsibility for the security of their passengers.
> • Also, does marijuana use lead to amotivation, or does amotivation lead to marijuana use?
Is there a documented correlation between cannabis use and amotivation? The more motivated cannabis users I know almost universally refuse to acknowledge their use, for legal reasons, in any study, survey or personal conversation with anyone other than trusted confidants. That might just be one of those elements of cultural knowledge that has not been documented by research. But otherwise, I can suggest that cannabis might help some people avoid participating in behaviors that their peers would otherwise pressure them toward, such as economic competition at the expense of personal integrity. That is based mostly on my experience and my obervation of cannabis users I have known, though, not on any research.
> And, are thoughts after marijuana consumption really more profound, or do they just seem to be, at the time?
Profundity might not be the goal of some contemplation. I suspect that thoughts are more fluid shortly after cannabis use, perhaps because of the role of cannabinoid receptors in short term memory. A reduced attachment to the most recent thought might allow the mind to more quickly wander in search of other interesting stimulus. In a world where people are trying to manipulate my thoughts, through advertising, mechanical artifacts and cultural demands, a psychotropic that tends to break that spell seems to me to be useful. Unfortunately, it is illegal and I tend to suffer without.
> Just a couple of observations. - CamIt is important to be observant. Thanks - Mitchell
poster:Mitchell
thread:1748
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