Drugs and Revelations: an insiders view.

[_Moniker]

Recently I asked a friend what weed was like - he said it makes you relaxed and you feel like you are smart.

I don't know that it makes you feel smarter. It makes you think that every minute detail of anything is like some new discovery.

Did you ever see "Animal House"? Remember the scene where they're all high and Tom Hulce is talking about how the dust speck on his finger is like a tiny little universe?

That was a pretty accurately depicted scene.

I think LSD, DXM, or Shrooms does that more than weed. Or maybe it's just me? Could be....

[_Yoda]

I think LSD, DXM, or Shrooms does that more than weed. Or maybe it's just me? Could be....

Never tried those...couldn't tell ya! LOL

Alcohol and pot are about as adventurous as I've been. LOL

[_Moniker]

I think LSD, DXM, or Shrooms does that more than weed. Or maybe it's just me? Could be....

Never tried those...couldn't tell ya! LOL

Alcohol and pot are about as adventurous as I've been. LOL

Well, I'd already done LSD before I even tried pot (LSD was my gateway drug;) so my perspective on it may be a bit tainted...

[_Dr. Shades]

What's the appeal of doing drugs, anyway?

I thought pretty much everyone realized by now that they're both illegal, dangerous, and addictive.

[_Mercury]

What's the appeal of doing drugs, anyway?

I thought pretty much everyone realized by now that they're both illegal, dangerous, and addictive.

Pot:

shouldn't be illegal

Is much less dangerous than alcohol

Is as addictive as TV, oreo cookies or scrapbooking.

[_BishopRic]

If you haven't read about this study, it's quite interesting:

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_re ... 11_06.html

An excerpt:

"Cited as “landmark” in the commentary by former National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) director, Charles Schuster, the research marks a new systematic approach to studying certain hallucinogenic compounds that, in the 1950s, showed signs of therapeutic potential or value in research into the nature of consciousness and sensory perception. “Human consciousness…is a function of the ebb and flow of neural impulses in various regions of the brain-the very substrate that drugs such as psilocybin act upon,” Schuster says. “Understanding what mediates these effects is clearly within the realm of neuroscience and deserves investigation.”"

As we have come to understand the brain and drugs better, this study helps to explain much, in my opinion. The "spiritual witness" many talk of appears to be real, but real insofar as it is a powerful hormonal process that various factors can trigger. Throughout history, different religious traditions have had a little understanding of them, and have used various techniques and chemicals to induce these experiences. Fasting, dancing, music, group facilitation and dynamics help to amplify the experiences. Because there was a dramatic halt to the visionary experiences after Joseph's death, I think it's possible Joseph utilized these "sacraments" to induce mystical experiences in members. The Kirtland Temple reports are compelling.

The person often attaches his/her religious beliefs into the experience, and is convinced because of the powerful intensity he/she feels, that the feeling is confirmation of their beliefs. Of course, since each belief is so vastly different, it is logical to deduce it is simply a hormonal/chemical process -- and an outside influence should not be assumed. Mormons are not alone in their insistence that the experience is evidence of their "truth claims," but they certainly emphasize it more than most.

[_Who Knows]

Pot:

shouldn't be illegal

Is much less dangerous than alcohol

Is as addictive as TV, oreo cookies or scrapbooking.

This is why i've never understood why alcohol is legal, while pot is not. Alcohol is so much more dangerous than pot.

I don't get it.

[_GoodK]

Pot:

shouldn't be illegal

Is much less dangerous than alcohol

Is as addictive as TV, oreo cookies or scrapbooking.

This is why I've never understood why alcohol is legal, while pot is not. Alcohol is so much more dangerous than pot.

I don't get it.

It's basically legal here in California, and "Grass" is an excellent documentary to watch on why it is illegal.

[_Canucklehead]

Pot:

shouldn't be illegal

Is much less dangerous than alcohol

Is as addictive as TV, oreo cookies or scrapbooking.

This is why I've never understood why alcohol is legal, while pot is not. Alcohol is so much more dangerous than pot.

I don't get it.

It's because drug policy has a lot to do with entrenched social habits and little to do with rationality. (And this is coming from someone who's never touched pot and has no desire whatsoever to even try it ... yet I love a good micro-brewed beer and a full-bodied red wine.)

[_Some Schmo]

I thought pretty much everyone realized by now that they're both illegal, dangerous, and addictive.

The question is why they are illegal and why other drugs aren't. As has been noted, why is pot illegal while alcohol is not? Hundreds of thousands of deaths can be attributed to alcohol consumption while trying to find a single marijuana-related death is practically impossible. Does it make any sense at all?

The legality of drugs has everything to do with politics and little to do with the various affects of both legal and illegal substances. It seems pretty obvious to me that prescription drug companies have an "in" with those in charge of government legislature, for instance, given the number of later-discovered harmful drugs that have been approved over the years. I can't say I really trust the FDA. Multiple studies have shown that chemotherapy patients can benefit from marijuana use because it helps to increase appetite and manage pain . And we’re talking about something that grows naturally! I think it’s absolutely hilarious that the government has outlawed the existence of a living thing! For such a theocratic country, I’m surprised they have such a low esteem of life when it comes to this particular species.

For the most part, it’s obvious why certain things are legal and others aren’t (theft, murder, rape, etc), but with respect to drugs, trying to convince someone they shouldn’t take marijuana using the legality angle is a joke, and most people know it.