digg

Join DiggAbout

The Digg Crew wants to hear your thoughts!
Please take our short survey about Digg and potential feature ideas.

Middle class relaxing with marijuana

eurekalert.org — A variety of middle-class people are making a conscious but careful choice to use marijuana to enhance their leisure activities.

show profanity settings
expand all
  • skateboard1, on 05/15/2008, -5/+44I also use it to help me concentrate on the task at hand... like waking up
    • NikoKun, on 05/15/2008, -3/+12All joking aside, it actually does help in that respect. Easing relaxation via helping to forget daily stresses, is another good one. It's surprising how good it is for both of those.
      • Flamancot, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3I don't think we're smoking the same weed.
    • nj10ii, on 05/15/2008, -3/+2I think this highlights a sterotypical image of users, using to escape reality. While the intent of the article focused on how it is used to enhance reality.
  • rlray216, on 05/15/2008, -4/+63Another article where a scientist confirms what everyone already knows. (Not a bad thing necessarily.) But it leaves one amazed that marijuana is still illegal in the USA.
    • Kyrgizion, on 05/15/2008, -2/+10As far as I know, it isn't legal anywhere. Even in Holland, it's only 'decriminilised', which in effect means it's still illegal but it won't be prosecuted.
      • newms32, on 05/15/2008, -4/+3i'ts legal on moon
        • jakobrowning, on 05/15/2008, -0/+8yes but there it is called moon-ijuana
        • saisumimen, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1and it smells like burned tires.
      • flashback99, on 05/15/2008, -0/+4Not entirely true. It's legal in some places around the world:

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_ ...
      • FearNLoathing, on 05/15/2008, -1/+9I am all for legalization, but what exactly does a study of 41 people prove? They should try to expand the number of people they are surveying.
        • ElAssoWipo, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2It's hard to find marijuana study participants. But this is Canada. Marijuana is a prescribed drug here.

          Health Canada's Marijuana Research Program:
          http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/4628.html

          They grow their own:
          http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/supply-ap ...

          Health Canada's marijuana information for health care professionals:
          http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/how-comme ...

          This is a sociological study. And sociology professors are hippies. But that's besides the point, the real point of the study was to simply illustrate that marijuana is enjoyed by everyday, hardworking Canadians who are useful to society.

          "“The Canadian government has never provided a valid reason for the criminalization of marijuana,” said Osborne. “This study indicates that people who use marijuana are no more a criminal threat to society than are alcohol and cigarette users. Legalization and government regulation of the drug would free up resources that could be devoted to tackling other crime, and could undermine organized crime networks that depend on marijuana, while generating taxes to fund drug education programs, which are more effective in reducing substance abuse,” Osborne added."

          Medical marijuana being perfectly legal here, he wants legalization for leisure pot smoking. It's not really about who smokes weed. But hey, whatever helps!
        • duke, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Actually, that's not too bad as a sample size, depending on the number of confounding variables.
        • a1532b, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1I would gladly volunteer for that study....Providing that they supply chips!
    • DteK, on 05/15/2008, -1/+9everyone together now "Thank you Mr Aslinger for keeping us safe from the evils of marijuana"
      It really is amazing that all these years later and all of the research that has been done, it is still a sched 1 drug.
      I think there is no doubt it is all about money at this point. Not to mention all of the non violent users in prison for possession.
      What the hell are we wasting our time and money on in this country. Oh, the conquering of oil holding nations, thats right, I almost forgot.
      • ZxEfR, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1It's partly about money but it's only the direction of monies to certain entities (a type of laundering). It's not about acquiring monies at this point...the people in power (and big pharma) have all the money they could ever want...at that point it is all about the power. Once you've had a lot of money for even a short period of time you get bored and power becomes the only thing left to attain.
    • newms32, on 05/15/2008, -3/+0.
    • bvlietst, on 05/15/2008, -0/+4Marijuana and Hemp is Illegal because Hemp threatens the oil industry. Henry Ford origanally planned on using Hemp to power his vehicles. (http://www.rense.com/general67/FORD.HTM) Within 30 years of the first car the cultivating of hemp was illegal even though it was the major cash crop of the 1800's
      • ZxEfR, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Hemp does not threaten the oil companies! Even if it used to threaten them....today it could never. The earth couldn't begin to grow enough hemp to replace the amount of oil that is used today.

        I will agree that back when it was made illegal that people like DuPont wanted hemp shut down because hemp was a competitor. But now hemp could never replace the plastics or the oil or any of that old argument stuff.

        Today it's purely about control. Marijuana is a miracle plant of sorts....you give people the ability to grow their own medicine and you no longer have control over that aspect of people anymore....and that "aspect" is huge.
  • lucidguru, on 05/15/2008, -3/+17How about "All classes relaxing with MJ" I would just limit it's use to the middle class.
    • bertbarndoor, on 05/15/2008, -0/+4I think the point of the study is that an appreciable percentage of the largest socio-economic segment of western society is using the drug recreationally, with little to no ill effects on society. That would tend to challenge the notion that the drug is predominantly used by criminals and disaffected youth, something the far right would probably believe to be the case. Which it is not.
  • NikoKun, on 05/15/2008, -3/+44The middle class has been using Cannabis, for just as long as everyone else.
    “This study indicates that people who use marijuana are no more a criminal threat to society than are alcohol and cigarette users."
    Yet it's still illegal... What the ***** is wrong with politics, when something like this, can remain so backwards, for so long... Legalize it!

    Well, I'm off to go "relax". ;)
    • toasty168, on 05/15/2008, -2/+11actually people who abuse alcohol are likely to be a criminal threat.
    • RX9735, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1Yeah the middle class has been smoking weed since the late 70s if not sooner.
  • mciampa1214, on 05/15/2008, -4/+21The only difference here is: They're not getting arrested for it.
  • Devilboy666, on 05/15/2008, -8/+23I could never live in a country with mandatory jail sentences for petty crap like smoking a joint.
    • Klisk, on 05/15/2008, -2/+8Welcome to the USA. My friend got 3 months for possession of a nickel bag.
      • longbow486, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2my buddie is just getting over his 6months for having a grinder and a bowl
    • musters, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1de Nederland!!!
  • Ryan0617, on 05/15/2008, -1/+42I thought the middle class was wiped out during the Bush era?
    • ncredblstrength, on 05/15/2008, -1/+9I guess Canada still has a middle class
      • carnold, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Don't kid yourself, the middle class in Canada is finding it harder every day too.
    • Scrappy1850, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3I'm still alive
  • Kyrgizion, on 05/15/2008, -12/+1I was totally expecting a Youtube vid of a class of 15 year olds tokin' it up at school. But this is cool too.
  • koft, on 05/15/2008, -23/+13Must be nice having a good paying job where you can excel while being dopy. I write software for a living, if I smoked pot I wouldn't be able to stay on top of my *****.
    • cryptomystic, on 05/15/2008, -4/+9And you still suck, maybe you should take it up.
    • peestandingup, on 05/15/2008, -4/+26So, you would be high on the job? Do you also go into work drunk off your ass??
      • koft, on 05/15/2008, -13/+7I didn't say anything about being high at work now did I? You might want to put down the bong for a while and let your brain catch up.
        • tophu, on 05/15/2008, -0/+18You are the one missing the point. Cannabis used after work is not going to have any remaining effect on you by the following work day. He was pointing out that your "I can't smoke or I couldn't work" argument was full of *****.
        • smotpoker, on 05/15/2008, -0/+15Then how the ***** would it interfere with your work?

          I taught myself C as my first language, and others after that, while stoned (smoking every 4-6 hrs). I have coded things from multi-threaded network apps to lamp solutions from scratch *while* high smoking multiple times per day.

          I'm sure if I can do that nearly anyone can smoke after work and perform competently the next day.
        • peestandingup, on 05/15/2008, -0/+9"I didn't say anything about being high at work now did I?"

          Uh, yeah chief, you did. You said: "Must be nice having a good paying job where you can excel WHILE being dopy." That would imply you were working while high, genius. Geez, that software you claim to write must be some quality *****.

          Maybe you should try pot. It might help you cobble together those broken fragments of yours into sentences so you can better understand what you write. Might also help with that memory loss & prickish attitude you seem to be suffering from.
        • richbleak, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Let me just add a little class and logic to this discussion: ***** you koft.
        • koft, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1this is for peestandingup:

          I write firmware for medical devices. Would you like to know that a stoner wrote the firmware for your insulin pump? I wouldn't.
      • macweirdo42, on 05/15/2008, -1/+5http://xkcd.com/323/
    • LogicBomB, on 05/15/2008, -2/+9koft, Clearly you don't know hot pot works.

      It's very much like alcohol - you get a buzz and then it dies off and you are back to full speed. No hangovers with pot although expect to get hungry and fall asleep :)
    • mojo31979, on 05/15/2008, -1/+9I have to agree with LogicBomb, I'm a very productive Pot Head. In fact it's often easier for me to concentrate on the task at hand if I'm high. If you are a naturally lazy person, smoking pot will probably make you more lazy. It's really up to the individual on how they spend their time when they are high. Unless you get retarded stoned. But I'm a little too old for that anymore.
    • ziptnf, on 05/15/2008, -1/+10koft, I'm a software engineer for a travel agency, and sometimes I smoke before I go to work. There are times when I've squashed so many bugs that ailed me from the previous day, just because I opened my mind and looked at the problems from a different perspective. Marijuana is definitely a good thing, you just have to know how to use it.
    • roodammy44, on 05/15/2008, -1/+7You really don't know what you're talking about.
    • koft, on 05/15/2008, -4/+1Guys, I've been there, done that. I'm all for pot legalization but you aren't helping the cause any by pretending that everyone on the planet can smoke a j after work and not suffer from decreased performance at work the next day. Been there done that. (in canada too!) It doesn't help any to pretend that people don't get mad ***** up on it either. Marijuana, while having some interesting and promising medicinal properties isn't a medical silver bullet either. The best thing you can do to help the legalization cause is to be upfront and honest about it from every angle, use it responsibly and keep it out of sight from children.
    • LogicBomB, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1Koft - No seriously, you've tried it? Really?

      There is no hangover... maybe your sleep patterns were just messed up while smoking it?

      Not only is there no hangover, if you smoke a J after work and wait a few hours you will be back to 100%. It's not a multi-day problem. More like multi-hour.

      The *ONLY* conclusion I've heard of is that heavy, daily use leads to decreased memory functions which return to normal once daily use stops. This was from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.
    • trumpydumpy, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Tell that to this guy: http://www.stallman.org/
    • NikoKun, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Koft, you're a fool... It's not hard to balance Pot and Work, as long as you keep them separate.
      I'm an IT consultant making over $20 an hour, and I smoke pot almost every night after I go home. Trust me, it doesn't interfere at all... If it did, I wouldn't have many clients now, would I?
      • koft, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1It's easier to just not smoke pot. You know, you get a little older, you meet a girl, you get a good job, and pot just doesn't fit in. You need to think about what you are doing. 20 something an hour is good money. The law isn't fair and if you get caught you're going to do some time. It's not worth it. ***** pot, put that money in your 401k.
  • ncredblstrength, on 05/15/2008, -7/+35Lower class relaxing with wife-beating and crack
    • jimyipp1, on 05/16/2008, -0/+0Perfect responce ! As long as we dont achieve Low class,we'll be ok?
      WTF?
  • racco, on 05/15/2008, -4/+16FTW!!!*

    *Free The Weed
  • alphaswift, on 05/15/2008, -31/+7I used to smoke weed, but then I graduated from university and chose to be responsible, get a job and raise a well-adjusted family.

    Weed does not fit in with that choice.

    • Kyrgizion, on 05/15/2008, -2/+25That's like saying you can't drink a beer when you have a job and family.
      Toking up once a weekend isn't the same as being perpetually stoned.
    • citizen782, on 05/15/2008, -3/+31Funny. I graduated from a university, got responsible to the point of being anal, have a perfectly adjusted family (2 kids in honors programs at a private school) and my "relaxation" time fits in just fine. Just because you can't handle it doesn't mean others can't. Don't be one of the pricks who feel like it's your place to impose your morals on the rest of us.
    • Frappman, on 05/15/2008, -22/+5I joined just to Digg your comment despite the fact it's doomed to be buried because one isn't rebelling against big brother hard enough unless they're high while smashing on their keyboard about how the Patriot Act ruined America!
      • citizen782, on 05/15/2008, -1/+15Get back in the church. And stay there.
        • ZxEfR, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1I was with you until this very unadjusted statement! To generalize with your "church" statement does nothing but make you exactly what your supposedly fighting against.
      • wigren, on 05/15/2008, -0/+8Please tell me you're closing your account now.
      • roodammy44, on 05/15/2008, -0/+9And yet you probably drink alcohol - a more destructive, deadly and addictive drug by every count.
        Please please try to stop being so retarded
      • bdawg123, on 05/15/2008, -0/+7"it's doomed to be buried because one isn't rebelling against big brother "

        No, it's doomed to be buried for assuming that nobody can live a responsible life and use marijuana just because the OP couldn't. The fact that you dugg it tells me that you enjoy others telling you what you can and cannot handle.
    • LogicBomB, on 05/15/2008, -1/+10I find it absolutely amazing that you actually claim to have smoked weed yet still have an ignorant view of the world. Amazing...

      I hope to ***** God you avoid alcohol and tobacco or else you're a ***** hipocrit.
    • internetcoward, on 05/15/2008, -1/+5So did I, but I still smoke it from time to time, I am working on a DVM next semester.
    • JimmyJoseph, on 05/15/2008, -1/+9If you are unable to maintain your life when you occassionally smoke, it's probably for the best that you quit - it affects everyone differently. Just remember that not everyone fits that profile...the most functional, intelligent and (believe it or not) highest paid friends of mine all smoke a TON. College educated and they even stay in good shape too. Just remember that it affects everyone in different ways and some people are able to totally kick ass in life (far beyond that of their coincidentally non smoking peers) while being constantly blazed. But it was mature that you know yourself enough to make the responsible choice for your life.
    • NikoKun, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2My family, is proof that cannabis use can, and often does fit into that life. We're no worse off than any other family, and I'd rather have family members getting stoned, than drunk.
  • edebolt, on 05/15/2008, -3/+28I prefer an 8 Ball and a BJ to relax but America is all about freedom of choice !
  • chkdg8, on 05/15/2008, -2/+27This quote just blew me away:

    “The Canadian government has never provided a valid reason for the criminalization of marijuana,” said Osborne. “This study indicates that people who use marijuana are no more a criminal threat to society than are alcohol and cigarette users. Legalization and government regulation of the drug would free up resources that could be devoted to tackling other crime, and could undermine organized crime networks that depend on marijuana, while generating taxes to fund drug education programs, which are more effective in reducing substance abuse,” Osborne added.

    Has anyone else noticed that there has been a lot of buzz topics around this issue lately?
    • LogicBomB, on 05/15/2008, -0/+7Yes, and it's ***** good that there is a lot of buzz about it. Gets people talking and interested in learning more.

      Hell I *LOVE* that I see "don't drive high" ads all over the place because it makes it seem like enough people do it to warrent public advertising about it. The more common it appears the more likely something might be done.
      • actionscripted, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Said commercials actually help raise awareness (spread the good word) that a lot of people use marijuana. The commercials -- when people aren't laughing at them -- make marijuana use seem common.

        I'm with you, I love those commercials (and the product they villianize).
    • odaen, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5It's also one of a hot-topic on both sides of the Atlantic. Not only Obama spoke up about his positive views of medical marijuana, but just recently the Home Secretary in the UK recently moved Cannabis back to grade B despite professional advice from the board of experts that it should remain class C.

      In a truly democratic world it would have been legal yonks ago.
  • Sasquatcho, on 05/15/2008, -2/+14The only thing keeping me responsible is fear of random drug screening at work. To save on my health insurance, I had to sign a contract agreeing not to use tobacco either. I'm eligible to be tested at my employers discretion. It would seem that fear is a good way to keep people under control.
    • YamiJim, on 05/15/2008, -2/+5freedom is slavery.
    • LogicBomB, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3Fear is not a good way to keep people under control although I would do the same thing in your situation. Disagreeing with a law and blatantly putting yourself in front of the bullet are two different things.
    • senorsubagua, on 05/15/2008, -0/+13Commit yourself to sending out at least one resume every day until you find a company that doesn't feel they own you 24 hours a day. There are plenty that still respect their workers.
      • Sasquatcho, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5You are right... I've been close to doing that. My resume is up to date, I just need to get the balls to go and do something with it...
    • zantos420, on 05/15/2008, -0/+6http://www.whizzinator.com/
      you're welcome :)
    • hellsing47, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1If I ran an insurance company I wouldn't want to insure smokers either.
  • username484767, on 05/15/2008, -13/+3Well no *****.
    How do you tell the difference between a "good" weed smoker and a "bad" smoker? Usually? The "good"/responsible ones will know what strain they smoke when they find it an okay time to do so, say Friday night. Like the sativa strain Bubblegum or the more Indica based one, "Freezeland", or the crazy sativa one from Turkey named "Cinerella99".
    ;-)
    • LogicBomB, on 05/15/2008, -0/+11Umm... no. Usually the "Good" smoker is the smoker who was a good and moral person before they started smoking. A "Bad" smoker is the ***** who will always be an *****, high or not.

      Knowing your strains just makes you a hobbiest...
      • odaen, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3Actually, I'd consider a good smoker one that didn't just start toking cause their friends did, moderates how much they take, well educated in both the negatives and positives of the substance, who can quit cold turkey if he has some important work to do and most importantly understands the impact it has on ambition.

        I'd consider a bad toker someone who obnoxiously gets slated everyday and night, drags his friends into it, becomes violnt and anxious whenever he is without and is can't watch a film without being high.

        It's all about being responsible and although pot doesn't make you reckless, it certainly can take over an irresponsible person.
  • Neoanarchist, on 05/15/2008, -4/+29The legalization argument has already been won scientifically. It just has to be won socially. The government knows full well that marijuana is harmless and even beneficial, however many of its constituents (read: ignorant Americans) believe marijuana to be physically harmful and also relate to it as if it were a moral issue. Once the loud, ignorant minority realizes its neither physically harmful nor a moral issue, its just a choice, then we will begin to see the shift towards decriminalization

    I had to put my two cents in. I am currently on probation for Marijuana related charges so I have felt the nasty end of this debate.

    Recommended reading for anyone who wants to know why the drug war is wholly ineffective and unconstitutional: Bad Trip by Joel Miller. Great read. Highly depressing but it's things we all should know. It explains the moral stigma against all drugs. Not only does this book pose the problem, but also solutions which sets it apart from many political analysis books, especially drug related.

    http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Trip-Against-Destroying- ...
    • livestradamus, on 05/15/2008, -0/+11Thanks for your comment.
      Sorry to hear about your troubles with the related charges but keep fighting the good fight
    • odaen, on 05/15/2008, -0/+13Never once has weed caused me any trouble in my life.

      However, the laws against it have.
    • PrincessDejiko, on 05/15/2008, -0/+11Whats up, fellow marijuana probation buddy? Something I do in my own home that hurts nobody else should never have landed me on probation or put me through complete hell for months. My "arrest" even got me evicted from my former apartment. All for smoking some weed. Things need to change.
      • Biznarie, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5Its a senseless law for a victim-less crime. Keep fighting man.
      • aetherboy, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2While I feel bad for you since I agree that laws need to change, if you signed a lease stating you would not use drugs there, and you used drugs there and got caught, well....hate to say it but you can't be surprised you got evicted. That's how the cookie crumbles. Its a known risk.
      • actionscripted, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3According to the Above the Influence commercials the only real problem is when you try to hit-up the drive through for "fifteen cheeseburgers" and mow-down a little girl riding her bike.

        You know now that I think about it, that really is a commercial about bad parenting -- why the hell was there an eight year old girl riding her bike down a busy sidewalk unattended?
  • Evildudetx, on 05/15/2008, -20/+6If you need to smoke ***** to relax, then you should be seeking professional help.
    • perrym, on 05/15/2008, -1/+25and the 'professionals' will probably give you a nice selection of colored pills to 'help' you.
    • RudeTurnip, on 05/15/2008, -1/+13In your opinion then, anyone who has a beer or glass of wine after work to relax is a total psychological fsck-up.
      • logosx1, on 05/15/2008, -1/+0If someone NEEDS alcohol to relax, then yes, it is a problem as well.
    • bdawg123, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4I don't NEED to smoke to relax, I CHOOSE to. See the difference?
      • logosx1, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1His statement was confined to "if" someone needs to smoke, so it doesn't apply to you.
        • bdawg123, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Well the "smoke *****" part tells me what he thinks about marijuana users in general.
  • bluntwrap, on 05/15/2008, -3/+6This issue really does need attention. I believe it should be legalized.. I am 28 and I doubt in my life time it ever will be but we can hope.
  • Hoprot, on 05/15/2008, -3/+8I was tempted to bury this as science of the obvious, but it obviously isn't to most policy makers. I think productivity would increase if the majority of middle-class drinkers switched to being stoners, mainly because work days are lost through hangovers, which are near fiction for cannabis.
  • mckirsch, on 05/15/2008, -3/+8I am getting a kick out of these replies because I am enhancing my leisure time activities with Marijuana right now!

    /I kid I kid
    //anyone got any Doritos?
  • oldcavpilot, on 05/15/2008, -1/+24I'm state legal for pain from Agent Orange. I wouldn't be here without it. I'd either be dead from the long term stress of the pain or from the damage opiates would have done to my body. That simple. I'm still considered a Federal criminal, even though I became totally disabled working for them. What part of that makes sense?
  • amightywind, on 05/15/2008, -20/+6"A variety of middle-class people are making a conscious but careful choice to use marijuana to enhance their leisure activities."
    The level of psychosis and schizophrenia is also on the rise. The two are strongly correlated.
    • funkatron3000, on 05/15/2008, -2/+12Ice cream consumption and murder rates are also highly correlated.
      • Hoprot, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4If you want to start pointing fingers at cannabis and mental health, let's look at alcohol, which has a much stronger link with depression, anxiety, brain-damage and suicide. Yet most people who drink don't end up with these problems. Why? Because causal links are hard to establish, and levels of use vary massively; association is not causation. We need consistency in the law to reflect the relative risks of drugs. None are harmless, but they're a social issue that's here to stay.
    • aidave, on 05/15/2008, -2/+9Here comes the propaganda parrot...
    • XtheXlanternX, on 05/15/2008, -2/+9I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you, but you need to remember one of the first rules of statistics: correlation does not equate to causation, and vice-versa.
      • amightywind, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2Especially when the conclusions contradict your desire for get high. It is not about science. It is about rationalizing your perversions.
        • apetrie, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3Your statement is not about science, its about justifying your bias and ignorance.
    • weephar, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2umm...no they are not...do some actual research.
    • apetrie, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2You are so full of *****.
    • ashfish, on 05/16/2008, -0/+2If you look at the research, the link they make is very weak and has been refuted by others in the field. A lot of the research also didn't take into account people who lace, or use other drugs in conjunction with marijuana. In fact, if you look at the research that the White House quoted the other week about this very subject, the results even say that more testing is needed to come to any concrete conclusion about the connection.
  • evilpoptart, on 05/15/2008, -3/+9im all for legalizing the weed, but 41 IS far too small a pool to do a decent survey.
    • FSTRM, on 05/15/2008, -1/+0you know its true anyways, dumbass
    • ashfish, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Regardless of if its true or not, a study conducted with 41 people isn't going to hold any merit anywhere, so it does nothing for the cause. I too was greatly disappointed when I saw the sample size. Their findings are pretty much going to go to waste.
      • whiteguysamurai, on 06/19/2008, -0/+1I call for a larger study, and i volunteer!
  • mojo31979, on 05/15/2008, -1/+5"A qualitative study of 41 Canadians surveyed in 2005-06 by U of A ............etc"

    Okay, not that I don't agree with the article, but I hardly think a survey or 41 people in 1 metropolitan area represents the whole Canadian middle-class. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge advocate of legalization but it's a pretty small pool to draw accurate statistics from.
  • Sh0rtcake, on 05/15/2008, -1/+9actually, the psychosis and schizophrenia is related to the over-abundance of pharmaceuticals (sp?) on the market, mostly those having to do with cardiac problems. it's also related to the fact that 70% of the american public is obese AND taking presription drugs.
    i smoke to enhance my activities, and i call it my "reset" button. life can get to be terribly mundane and political, and smoking just makes those things more humorous. it also makes you not care about all the politics associated with everything, and makes you more happy over-all. i'm a huge advocate of THC consumption, but definitely not an advocate of many other drugs.. just the ones that can grow naturally. @evildudetx: nobody NEEDS to smoke to relax. there are only three things a person needs in life: food, shelter, and clothing. anything other than that is not a 'need', it's a 'want'. people WANT to smoke to relax. if they need it, then perhaps you're right and they do need so seek psychological help.
  • pookkake, on 05/15/2008, -2/+6Has anyone noticed a spate of anti marijuana "research" that has been popping up on news sites recently?
    Like Dr. Drew claiming it causes/makes mental illnesses worse, or talk about how if the average mj smoker who has 78 joints a day has higher blood pressure than a non smoker. All funded by the ONDCP of course. I suppose they have a stake in it. If we stop fighting marijuana they might lose a lot of funding, unless of course they fought real problems, such as meth and crack. But then again the real problems are so apparent they would not need to blanket the media with misinformation and jobs would still be lost. Oh well.
  • zantos420, on 05/15/2008, -2/+13what really gets me is that they make marijuana illegal yet it doesn't kill anyone and what we DO legalize (alcohol and cigarettes) kills hundreds of thousands of people each year and no one seems to care.

    and i hate those damn commercials, "i... i did what last night? ... ... yeah i was so high... ... ... ... ... dude you know me... i wouldn't do that...." then the friend hangs up on him. There are so many damn things wrong with that! you still know what you're doing when you're high you don't "black out"! those ***** commercials should be for alcohol. seriously. ***** propaganda.
    • Biznarie, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2Marijuana definitely can kill you in the long run (or at least damage you lungs, it is smoke your inhaling) but you cant overdose on marijuana (worst thing that will happen is you fall a sleep), you can drink until you get alcohol poisoning, you can drowned in your own vomit while passed out from alcohol, there are many ways alcohol can kill you now and its legal, does that make sense?
      • TBoneFever, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3Then you get a ***** vaporizer! Marijuana damage due to smoke is NOT a valid argument anymore.
        • Biznarie, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Even if you have a vaporizer your going to smoke joints sometimes you cant always have it with you, it does help a lot though.
    • sgtpppr, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3Those commercials aren't meant to be logical or even truthful. They also aren't aiming at those who have already smoked regularly. Their goal is to scare people away from trying it by playing off people's lack of knowledge on the subject. They put regular users in jail...they don't even try to convert them. I remember the anti-cocaine commercials and after school specials from when I was a kid saying that a single time using cocaine can be fatal and making it appear likely you will die if you snort a small amount of cocaine once. They are pulling the same misinformation with marijuana now. "Don't smoke pot or you could become schizophrenic". The worst are the pseudo studies that imply tons of normal people of all ages have dormant schizophrenic or psychotic disorders that will be triggered if they smoke dope once. The gov't will do anything to avoid having to apologize to the millions of people who's lives were ruined by US drug policy and jail time.
  • Shots, on 05/15/2008, -9/+4I can't see a nation of obese people "relaxing" with MJ being very productive though...
    • tushyd, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3I'm not obese and I smoke.
      • Shots, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1I forgot, America is full of fit / sexy / muscular people....
  • Biks, on 05/15/2008, -2/+10I read somewhere that the highest use of Marijuana for teens/young people was in 1979. I was in high school then and now I'm a middle class-middle aged old fart. I've met plenty of 20 year olds who haven't even tried Marijuana. What the hell is wrong with the youth of today? Put down that can of Red Bull and have a joint fa chrissakes. :-P
    • tushyd, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Where did you see this? I have a hard time believing it...
  • normalkid0615, on 05/15/2008, -7/+10WARNING!! MJ is VERY dependent, I can't stop! And I have nobody to turn to!
    • wafflesomd, on 05/15/2008, -2/+5I'll smoke with you.
    • odaen, on 05/15/2008, -2/+5World of Warcraft is more addictive than cannabis. And harder to quit.
    • JosephStalin, on 05/15/2008, -2/+4"Marijuana is not a drug. I used to suck dick for coke. Now that's an addiction. You ever suck some dick for marijuana?"
    • sb66, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4ok first step, give me your weed.
    • Jorin, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Dude, just don't shoot yourself in the head like that kid on the TV commercial okay?
    • jimyipp1, on 05/16/2008, -0/+0Thanks to Digg I've been entitled to your opinion. Here's mine......If weed is harmlez,why then why am I so *****-up...........DOOOOYIIIIEEEEE>>>>>>>>>
  • digitallysick, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2Damn laws! I would like to smoke it every now and then but i can't risk all that i have to break the law to do so.
  • internetcoward, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1*some ignorant 'fact' about marijuana and it's users/something about how i am an adult and you aren't/something about the left wing something or other*
  • jameshighmore, on 05/15/2008, -1/+5A study of 41 Canadians?

    Hmm.
  • Shagisley, on 05/15/2008, -2/+12I smoked lots and lots of weed during my youth. I have to disagree that it's like drinking. I can finish mowing my lawn and have a beer and feel mildly better. I don't drink a six pack. Smoking a joint is sort of like in for a penny in for a pound. It's the equivalent in this metaphor as drinking a six pack. I, personally, don't have the ability to raise three kids, go to the gym, be a good husband and hold down a stressful job in a recession and smoke dope. I wish I could, honestly. I thoroughly enjoyed smoking dope. I enjoyed it too much, and I am not afraid to say that I would not be able to do it at a manageable level if I started again.

    All that said, I believe it should be decriminalized and leave it up to adults whether they can manage it in their life or not.
    • Flamancot, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4hope you don't get buried - to each his own u know.... ass for every seat and all... in my humble opinion though, you might pick up a one-hitter and dug-out combo. sounds like your issue is the joint issue: you smoke a joint and it brings you past the point where u can function normally (still great tho), leading inevitably to the next J. I like j's very much and smoke them almost exclusively, but I've met plenty of people (usually the harder working types) who don't like joints at all and prefer to smoke one hit bats jus for that little buzz when you go to the gym.

      btw, smoking and working out work = success. cannabis is raising your heart rate anyway - might as well get your swell on.
    • JimmyJoseph, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Cool man, i hear ya - i respect that and I think it's responsible of you to evaluate it for yourself and do what you feel lets you be the best guy you can be. But how are you smoking? Are you taking a hit off a 4 foot glass monster? Lol just take LITERALLY 1 or 2 puffs off a J and you'll be in that nice middle area where you feel great but you're still functional. But, yes this goes back to the whole "what's right for ME" thing. Some people I know can't drink a beer bcz they'll HAVE to drink the whole 6 pack. If thats how smoking is for you, thats good you caught it and stopped to do bigger things.
      • TBoneFever, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1You see ...that's where it starts. You take a little puff here, and a little puff there and by the time it's week 2, you're smoking an ounce a week. That is ...if you have little self-control and are weak-minded. Maybe this guy has a weak mind, and he knows he'll gradually need to "increase the dosage" to sustain those highs. Building up a tolerance is a bitch. So, it's all or nothing.
    • sgtpppr, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Dosage depends on the person and it's up to the person to determine how much is right for them. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. You don't have to get smoked out of your mind every time you smoke.
    • xceptionaly, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2This is an example pointing out that human beings are perfectly capable of managing their own lives and do not need the ***** government to do it for them.
    • aetherboy, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Some of the others have pointed this out already but I think your comment should read "I have to disagree that its like drinking FOR ME" (emphasis mine). The rest of your post helps make that more clear though.

      Some people are able to indulge mildly while others have less discipline and go for broke. It can work other ways too...such as someone who only takes a puff or two of bud but then when confronted with a 12-pack of beer, must drink the whole thing even if they need to puke to continue.

      Another example of how to control things is do it like the Brits do...roll a spliff where you mix bud w/ tobacco. More mild high (more carcinogens) but you still have fun doing the actual smoking.
  • Flamancot, on 05/15/2008, -2/+7Cannabis is great. It's delicious, nutritious, and fun too.

    It should be legalized, it's obvious to us all. However, it's fair to say that excessive use (more than 2 - 3 J's a day) is going to slow you down. But shy of that, smoking weed isn't going to affect your workday, your kids, or other responsibilities any more than drinking would (a lot less actually). I once lived with a kid who was a veritable WoW addict. I was smoking *at least* 4 times a day, while he played WoW about 18 hours a day. We kept this up for two months and did little else of any note... anyway the point is I always used to think to myself that as far as drug abuse went WoW is much much deadlier than Our Mother Herb, and to any random onlooker the kid screaming about fireballs into a vent account 18 hours a day looks a hell of a lot farther away from "normal" human behavior than somebody high as a kite watching Chappelle.

    By the way, none of this is meant to imply that cannabis and WoW don't go really well together - like most things and grass they go *great* together. Wouldn't exactly say that it helps my concentration though - as was mentioned above a few times. Nah, I never really got that out of it.
    • trumpydumpy, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Very true. My roommates are both wow addicts and I really see it as more addictive than any drug I've ever tried. Never before have I sit in the same spot doing the same drug for more than 8 hours a day... yelling at non existent creatures the whole time. I play wow too so I'm not hating on the game, but the difference is I might play once every few days, although I'm thinking about quitting because I see that once you hit level 70 you are constantly raiding in order to get the best gear... something I really don't want to be doing. I'd rather sit back, smoke a joint, and reflect upon the fact that I don't have to compete with everyone in order to be the best, that I can just be myself and enjoy life while I can.
  • FSTRM, on 05/15/2008, -2/+1""Middle class relaxing with marijuana""

    WOW I WONDER WTF ITS USED FOR
  • TheFuturist, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2It's just too bad most politicians are bias towards anything marijuana. I saw this documentary on HBO where this guy was a lobbyist trying to get politicians to vote on a law towards medical marijuana. As soon as he mentioned medical marijuana the senator just put up this wall and wouldn't listen to anything the lobbyist had to say. Wouldn't look at any research.

    Go watch some TV and you'll see a bunch of anti-drug commercials then "This budweiser, this is beer". What kind of ***** is that.
  • eleete, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1In FL, we used to have a helmet law for motorcyclists, that is gone but the seatbelt law remains, all on the premise of 'protecting citizens'. It's a profit center, they make so much money off of seatbelt tickets and say it's for safety. Same deal for weed ; )
  • apetrie, on 05/15/2008, -2/+5Marijuana comes close to being decriminalized in Canada every few years. It seems then we get threatened by the American government, there's moral outrage by the hypocritical social right (by that I mean, those that are politically conservative on social issues, not financial ones) and the process of getting it approved takes too long, the government changes hands, and we're stuck in the same old ***** situation. It won't change until:

    1) The U.S. starts respecting the right of sovereign nations to make their own laws with out threatening consequences
    2) People realize that legislating morality is wholly inappropriate
    3) The government is stable enough for long enough to get the laws changed, or at least stays out of the conservatives hands. If it keeps flipping between the liberals and the conservatives, it'll never happen.
    • musters, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2***** Harper

      Conservative policy is determined by party/personal preference, they have even said on record that while they may consider scientific proof in policy decisions, it is not likely going to sway their decisions.
  • lysdexic, on 05/15/2008, -3/+1Wait, isn't it the sweet pill that makes life bitter? The assassin of youth. The devil's harvest. Women cry for it, Men die for it.
    • whiteguysamurai, on 06/19/2008, -0/+1What the ***** are you smoking?
      ...Oh yeah, pot!
  • frishack, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2No, we're not.
  • musters, on 05/15/2008, -3/+5If I was Prime Minister/President, decriminalizing marijuana would be my first task.

    I would save millions from incarceration.

    I would save millions in taxpayer dollars.

    I would be able to fund treatment for those who abuse drugs and cannot use them responsibly.

    I would effectively cut off funding for any gang related activity funded by marijuana.

    It just seems like a no brainer. This is why I think politicians do not have brains.
    • Derrekito, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1You have to remember that ignorance and the religious vote can go a long way. Politicians will start doing what they need to do when we tell them to ***** do it.
    • longbow486, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1there is no thinking needed, its a known constant not a variable
  • Derrekito, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2I wonder if this is a reflection of our increased liberalism or a reflection of our economy. Medical bills are a bitch.
  • sandersdamnit, on 05/15/2008, -3/+6all i do is smoke weed, i don't give a *****!
    • musters, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2You should care, one day it could be you who is incarcerated for an unjust reason.
  • duckyinc, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1This article is a little biased isn't it? It's like smokers writing on why smoking rocks
  • Jorin, on 05/15/2008, -1/+1I think there's some basis to this study and it shouldn't be dismissed at first glance. In Canada there is a very large, often unspoken-of demographic of middle class people who enjoy marijuana. It's a big issue because lower-class people take the heat for something that many university profs, teachers, doctors, and all sorts of other professionals enjoy mostly on a moderate basis.

    It was really funny for me to be walking on the waterfront behind some seniors who were in very good moods -giggling and grinning- and catching a whif of weed from their direction.
  • LilRabbitFooFoo, on 08/11/2008, -1/+2Why is marijuana illegal in the US?

    Two word answer

    Big Pharma

    Nobody likes a cheaper/safer/time tested alternative to their cash cow monopoly.
  • craiginct, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1They asked 41 canadiens - what a massive study.
    Who's house party (or dorm) in Vancouver was this study done?
    I can go to a church and ask 45 people if they use it and get a near zero response.
    Bury this one it means nothing
    • Los2002, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1I was also skeptical at this study because of the limited number of people surveyed. But at least they surveyed a broad range of ages and occupations to get a somewhat objective cross-section.
  • sandersdamnit, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1too late, but that was refrencing a Nick Swarsdon Video where he...... ***** it nevermind
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.