Cannabis

Beaucoupfish

I have a couple of questions which i'm sure may interest many.

Is smoking cannabis (either hashish or pure marijuana) addictive?

If it is, is it a physical or a psycological addiction.

Is there an organisation which deals with this issue in Ireland (e.g marijuana anonymous)

These are very open-ended questions. Any feedback from long-term or previous heavy users would be of interest.

thanks

ricey

Its a psycological addiction.

There is no marijuana anonymous but there is nacotics anonymous
as hash or weed is a narcotic that would be he place to go.

Hope everything is ok for ya. Im around most days if you need a chat
or anything. Best of luck k.

board om

Beaucoupfish wrote: »

I have a couple of questions which i'm sure may interest many.

Is smoking cannabis (either hashish or pure marijuana) addictive?

If it is, is it a physical or a psycological addiction.

Is there an organisation which deals with this issue in Ireland (e.g marijuana anonymous)

These are very open-ended questions. Any feedback from long-term or previous heavy users would be of interest.

thanks

my question would be what is this informtion for? is it becuase you are thinking of trying cannabis yourself? or do you know someone that is using it heavily that you are worried about?

the reason i ask is they are quite particular questions.

Miss Fluff

Beaucoupfish wrote: »

If it is, is it a physical or a psycological addiction.

It's hugely psychological and depends on usage/regularity of use. If you smoke a lot then giving up is not easy by any stretch of the imagination but if it is f8cking up your life then probably best you do. Very general questions OP, maybe tell us a bit more and you will get more accurate and relevant advice.

Rb

Miss Fluff wrote: »

It's hugely psychological and depends on usage/regularity of use. If you smoke a lot then giving up is not easy by any stretch of the imagination but if it is f8cking up your life then probably best you do. Very general questions OP, maybe tell us a bit more and you will get more accurate and relevant advice.

It depends tbh.

If you didn't smoke cigarettes first and went straight on to smoking joints, then you'll seem to be addicted to them when in reality it's the nicotine that you're actually addicted to.

If you're a smoker who also smokes joints, it won't be a problem giving it up as long as you continue smoking cigarettes. Funnily enough, people also give up cigarettes by switching to joints (probably 2 a day at most instead of 20 cigs).

Beruthiel

beaucoupfish

Can you tell me why you are asking these questions?
Is this a personal issue for you?

There is no physical addiction with it, more so a psycological one, which is easily taken care of if you remove yourself from access for a couple of weeks.
B

Overheal

Its purely psychological. Depending on how much you have used it can take a while to get over the habit but Cold Turkey is in no way hazardous.

There is technically a clinical toxicity threshold as well, but nobody has ever reached that point as far as I know: more people have died of suffocation from eating Jalepinio Peppers.

And I'll just throw it out there: its still smoking, and actually is 4x more harmful per volume than a cigarette.

Whats your reason for asking?

Irishcrx

There's is no marijuana helplines or anything like that, mainly because it is not addictive in then same way the harder drugs are, it's all mental. I'm a user myself and can go weeks without smoking then I might go 3 weeks smoking again...but it's not I need to have a joint it's I'd like to have one sort of thing. The way people become addicted is they get mentally addicted to being in that state of mind and people can become very edgey, aggitated and irratable when they are not or can't smoke. it.

LaVidaLoca

the arguement for 'addiction' potential for marijuana is confused by stupid arguements from both sides.

On one hand kids are told it's a drug, and therefore more harmful to you than alchohol is. Then you try it and find it pleasant and more interesting and genuinely fun than alcohol, so you assume that adults are eejits who dont know jack, and therefore it must be OK to smoke Cannabis all day, every day, and you start listening to Pink Floyd and reading Jack Keroac, writing bad poetry, and all the rest.

Pot is not bad in the same way that alcohol and hard narcotics are: You wont end up sucking dick to get a fix, or beat you wife, or crash your car, but you might end up not living up to your potential: Particularly if you're a creative type person (Writer, Artist, Musician). Pot can make really boring, bland ideas seem inspirational, and can make you pathologically incapable of getting things done.

Also, if you are someone who's head is not screwed on too tightly in the first place, in can make it more likely that it'll come loose.

diamondp

Im a long time smoker. have smoked for about 14 yrs. i found it to be addictive.And the more you smoke the more you need. At one stage i could smoke nearly 10 splifs a nite. Not good believe me. i gave up smoking for a yr a couple of yrs back and had cum-down/ side effects. couldnt sleep properly for the first 3 months or so and found after about a month when i did sleep i woke up sweating. actually had to get up and change the bed sheets it was that bad,it only lasted for about a week but was very uncomfortable. As a constant smoker i would advise you - if you havent started dont. If you have stop. it dose affect your desire to better yourself and you will have no motovation whatsoever. I stupidly started smoking again after been off it for a yr. Now its harder than ever to want and succeed at giving it up. keep thinking up new excuses to just have another smoke. Kids annoying me, bad day at work, i could go on but i think i should leave room for other posters.

Canis Lupus

The worst part is craving sugarpuffs, pita breads, yoghurts, ice cream, choclates, toasted thick sliced white bread and pork stir fry all in a bowl at the same time.

I've just stopped cos I'm doing sprint triathlon and truth be told I feel a billion times better off without the stuff although I had a couple of nights of fitful sleep initially.

gracehopper

LaVidaLoca wrote: »

the arguement for 'addiction' potential for marijuana is confused by stupid arguements from both sides.

On one hand kids are told it's a drug, and therefore more harmful to you than alchohol is. Then you try it and find it pleasant and more interesting and genuinely fun than alcohol, so you assume that adults are eejits who dont know jack, and therefore it must be OK to smoke Cannabis all day, every day, and you start listening to Pink Floyd and reading Jack Keroac, writing bad poetry, and all the rest.

Pot is not bad in the same way that alcohol and hard narcotics are: You wont end up sucking dick to get a fix, or beat you wife, or crash your car, but you might end up not living up to your potential: Particularly if you're a creative type person (Writer, Artist, Musician). Pot can make really boring, bland ideas seem inspirational, and can make you pathologically incapable of getting things done.

Also, if you are someone who's head is not screwed on too tightly in the first place, in can make it more likely that it'll come loose.

I think this is a well balanced commentary on the subject.

JC 2K3

ricey wrote: »

hash or weed is a narcotic

No it's not.....


I think all that needs to be said about marajuana addiciton has been said here, it's psychologically addictive, meaning that it's nice and very easy for it to become a habit, but your body will never rely on it.

I'd advise against smoking it daily. Whether it's addictive or not, I really don't think it's something to be doing every day.

And as this is an example of a topic not suited to PI, but which would be a perfect topic for a hypothetical Drugs/Narcotics Forum, I'm going to mention it here.

stevoman

okay here goes. I would consider myself an addict. i have a good job, work hard, im a good person with good values and i have never n been in trouble. nevertheless, i cannot go a day without smoking weed. it was hash up until weed came on the scene and now hash isnt strong enough. I have been smoking it for about say 10 years now and honestly never miss a day. when i come home from work each day, i have a joint. probobly another two to three then throughout the night.

Me and my friends all grew up smoking it with each other and we still do as well as on our own. Its not physically addictive but definitly menatally. If i dont smoke say, if a "drought" comes along and i just cant get any im subjected to wild mood swings. the worst part though is when i fall asleep. basically i havnt really dreamed or remember dreaming in years and when i dont smoke before i sleep, i wake to terrible nightmares, as the dremas feel so real as im not used to dreaming. My girlfreind is litterally sick of me smoking and after a few years of being with me, she's defintily going to leave, she says she will the whole time. Problom, is i wont stop..... My honest reasoning, i dont want to, truthfully im 50% enjoying it 50% dependent. Hope this helps. Im not here to brag or impress anyone. thats the truth and i would definitly consider it addictive.

biko

I used to smoke but stopped when I felt it becoming too much.
Fags and beer ftw

sportswear

may i also add that it is likely to be also physically addictive, just not scientifically proven.


the nicotine in the tobacco certainly is. that can help make it more addictive especially if you are smoking it every day

board om

sportswear wrote: »

may i also add that it is likely to be also physically addictive, just not scientifically proven.

the nicotine in the tobacco certainly is. that can help make it more addictive especially if you are smoking it every day

well then it is the nicotine that is addictve and not the cannabis.

it is definitly not physcially addictive. it is mentally addictive and that might play with you mind a bit and make you think it is physcially addictive, but it is not.

Overheal

The tobacco thing is a Sith Mind Trick - you arent addicted to the cannabis youre addicted to the nicotine. Personally I watched out for that pitfall so I only ever smoked without the tobacco: ruins the flavor anyway.

I quit after a particularly bad purchase of hash - someone had cheaped it up by putting little bits of plastic into it. But being stoned and wanting to get stoned I smoked it anyway and now I have some mild asthma issues. **** can make you stupid. Just as well that I did: 6 months later there was a major news story out of Britain about someone had purchased gross quantities of weed and re-distributed it after they added Glass Dust to it. They assume it was an anti-smoker group behind it but nobody was ever charged. Anyone who smoked it is expected to get serious lung related complications in the long-term. You can never guarantee what your smoking is as safe as you think (safe being 4x more death than a cigarette safe)

seahorse

LaVidaLoca wrote: »

Then you try it and find it pleasant and more interesting and genuinely fun than alcohol

That would be a personal perspective; I don't find it any of those things. I haven't smoked hash for many years because I find it the polar opposite.

LaVidaLoca wrote: »

Pot is not bad in the same way that alcohol and hard narcotics are

There is only variety of narcotic and that is the hard kind. Alcohol and cannabis are not narcotics.

LaVidaLoca wrote: »

You wont end up sucking dick to get a fix, or beat you wife, or crash your car

A person is highly liable to crash their car after smoking cannabis as it adversely affects coordination and also has a highly disorientating effect.

LaVidaLoca wrote: »

Also, if you are someone who's head is not screwed on too tightly in the first place, in can make it more likely that it'll come loose.

This I definitely agree with. Many studies have shown that cannabis is liable to amplify already existent psychological problems. There is debate ongoing in the medical community as to whether it can actually cause them, but I think it's been pretty well documented that it can certainly exacerbate them.

Canis Lupus

seahorse wrote: »

A person is highly liable to crash their car after smoking cannabis as it adversely affects coordination and also has a highly disorientating effect.

Just wanted to mention that it's unlikely. There was a pprogram on the other night and a journalist tried weed for a month.

She drove a driving test whereby you had to drive at 60 towards a row of dolls and when lights flashed on you had to avoid the dolls.

Sober she did fine at 60.

Stoned she thought she was flying at 30mph and was so paranoid she had no issues avoiding the dolls (altho I'm in no way condoning driving under the influence of weed)

Then she drove it drunk, acted like Michael Schumacher and wiped out a doll.

However me arguing the point is pointless seeing as it shouldn't be done anyway but I just thought I'd throw it in there.

If both alcohol and weed were illegal and the public were given the vote to make one legal then I'd be voting cannabis all the way. The world would be a much nicer place although both drugs and any drug for that matter have their side effects. It's all **** we're putting into us, it's just a matter of perspective.

seahorse

I wouldn't agree it's unlikely to cause an accident as a result of being stoned Canis Lupus. I think you're right in that there's a greater loss of coordination when drunk, but I'm not comparing being stoned to being drunk, (because as you say obviously we should be neither when driving) I'm comparing it to being sober.

I also think a person driving along with their mind so distorted with paranoia that they think they're flying at half the speed limit is a danger in itself. That'd cause anyone driving behind them to overtake and probably result in an accident. I think a person driving when stoned out of their heads is just as selfish and inconsiderate and stupid as the next person driving while drunk.

lester76

I smoked hash + weed from the age of 14-28 just about everyday, i cant remember those yrs at all hash at the start is good fun with ur mates but when it becomes a daily habit ,controlling ur life ,holding u back,not wanting to move off the couch its a serious problem. my life now is drug free i feel great il never visit those days again. DRUGS ARE FOR MUGS:D:D

LegacyUser

Beaucoupfish wrote: »

I have a couple of questions which i'm sure may interest many.

Is smoking cannabis (either hashish or pure marijuana) addictive?

If it is, is it a physical or a psycological addiction.

Is there an organisation which deals with this issue in Ireland (e.g marijuana anonymous)

These are very open-ended questions. Any feedback from long-term or previous heavy users would be of interest.

thanks

ive smoked cannabis daily for about 20 years. As cannabis effects on an individual are as unique as the individual themselves. the concept of addiction is irrelevent to me. any fears of ill effects, legalities or what anyone might think about it are long gone in my mind. for me cannabis is like a fine wine or cheese or beer which compliments my mood. It gives me a deeper intuition, a broader perspective it enriches my journey through life.
I havent bought cannabis in many years as I grow it. i dont get involved in any sort of trade of cannabis.
life has been good to me so far, I have 4 great healthy kids & a wonderfull soulmate am popular amongst friends . I have worthy ambition, a very successfull career and am very comfortably setup.
I do worry about the ill effects of cannabis but i do smoke it in its purest form and can control that myself. although i dont have figures to back this up but I do think in a very minute majority of people it can tip those close to the edge of mental illness over the edge.
cannabis is most definitely personality/mentality orientated and not really enjoyed by the majority of people.
your questions are very broad OP, woudl be happy to answer more specific questions.

ricey

hash fu€kes you up BIG TIME you mental health can be affected
by it. I know because it messed me up big time. I suffer from very
bad anxity over smoking it. Still have that problem today and i aint
smoked hash or weed in years.

Bottom line hash/weed aint safe.

Bottle_of_Smoke

It's just a psycholological addiction though that description can be misleading. It doesn't mean it's easy to stop doing it.

From my own experience I find it near impossible to not smoke if I have some in the house. I have none at the moment & have no craving for it. If there were a bag of green in front of me I'd be skinning up.

A while back I decided I wasn't going to buy hash again, just weed. As weed is very difficult to come by it's kind of a good control for me.

I think it's very addictive if you have a regular supply.

Overheal

ishy wrote: »

ive smoked cannabis daily for about 20 years. As cannabis effects on an individual are as unique as the individual themselves. the concept of addiction is irrelevent to me. any fears of ill effects, legalities or what anyone might think about it are long gone in my mind. for me cannabis is like a fine wine or cheese or beer which compliments my mood. It gives me a deeper intuition, a broader perspective it enriches my journey through life.
I havent bought cannabis in many years as I grow it. i dont get involved in any sort of trade of cannabis.
life has been good to me so far, I have 4 great healthy kids & a wonderfull soulmate am popular amongst friends . I have worthy ambition, a very successfull career and am very comfortably setup.
I do worry about the ill effects of cannabis but i do smoke it in its purest form and can control that myself. although i dont have figures to back this up but I do think in a very minute majority of people it can tip those close to the edge of mental illness over the edge.
cannabis is most definitely personality/mentality orientated and not really enjoyed by the majority of people.
your questions are very broad OP, woudl be happy to answer more specific questions.

Even in its lovely green and bud-like state its still quite harmful. The 4x a cigarette harm I cite is taken from smoking a pure weed joint. At the end of the day you are still burning vegetable matter and paper.

Use of a Vaporiser allows for vaporisation of the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) crystals without any burning. What results is a pure THC-and-Air vapor. To date its the safest way to 'smoke'. Anything less and you are still taking in carcinogens (cancer causing substance).

And again that only cleans up the physical side of things - you still deal with mental addiction. You also build up tolerance levels to THC very quickly with regular use.