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Great Story: 75 Year-Old Pot Smoking Atheist in Perfect Health

richarddawkins.net — "I will turn 75 years of age in about a week. I smoked my first marijuana when I was 12 years old, and I have used it pretty much since, on again off again, but at a pretty steady pace. I have grown my own for the past 35 years. That all sums to about 63 years of use.... I am living, breathing proof that marijuana is not a "dangerous" drug."

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  • NikoKun, on 10/31/2007, -7/+24Not like I needed to see this, to know this... lol
    I've lived around casual Marijuana users most my life. My parents are over their 50s, and they've used Cannabis since they were in college. People can live perfectly normal healthy lives, and live just as long as everyone else, even if they smoke marijuana almost every day! (granted you might have some lung troubles in your late years, but nothing anywhere near what Tobacco would do to you! (also u don't HAVE to smoke it. what about vaps, or baked goods? lol)) There is even some evidence, that Marijuana may help hold off Alzheimer's, so those that have used throughout in their lives, might actually have a sharper brain, for longer than others who haven't used!

    So how is Marijuana harmful? If people can live normal long, healthy lives regardless of their Marijuana use... What is the problem?
    Good article though, I wish more people could see this kind of evidence.
    • ZenMojo, on 10/31/2007, -1/+7In other news, the world's oldest woman and George Burns lived past the age of 100 smoking a cigar a day since their teens. Tobacco's not a dangerous drug either!
      • whiskeymb, on 10/31/2007, -2/+2There is a big difference between tobacco and cigarettes. The US (and most countries) allow you to kill yourselves smoking cigarettes but won't let you smoke cannabis. You can OD from alcohol but never in the history of the world has someone OD'd from weed. Don't fool yourself into thinking the legality of cannabis has ANYTHING to do with health.
        • Firehed, on 10/31/2007, -1/+4That wooshing sound you just heard was the point going over your head.
      • BearinG, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Yet, tobacco is legal..
    • adrenalmedulla9, on 10/31/2007, -7/+3How is it harmful? It makes people act like you. :) I do enjoy your ignorance and complete avoidance of facts, though.
      • NikoKun, on 10/30/2007, -1/+4Yes well that proves you don't pay attention to what I'm talking about... In fact I normally post numerous sources and factual scientific backups for what I say.
        In this case, I have only my opinion to back me up, but it's basically common sense... Not like I didn't expect your kind of reaction...
        If you want to discuss ignorance... The prohibitionist side of this argument is WAY more ignorant, and willfully ignorant at that... Not to mention backwards and counterproductive...
        • Shawn4168, on 10/31/2007, -3/+1And the legalization side of this argument is adverb adjective, buzzword, adjective, more buzzwords without any supporting evidence, buzzword...
        • petewiz, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2No shawn, you're actually just a douche bag. The legalization movement deals in facts. Prohibitionists deal in propaganda. Do some research, jackass.
      • petewiz, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2"ignorance and complete avoidance of facts" The irony hits like a shotgun blast to the face. Jesus, when will you ***** do some actual research?
        http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/
  • Wiini, on 10/31/2007, -48/+19Oh yes, "GREAT STORY!". If he can do it, everyone can, Right? I mean it's not like there were other factors concerning his health. I'm sure that everyone who smokes dope their entire lives will be nothing but the better for it!

    And not only that, but god bless the athiests! I mean they really have it down, don't they? All dressed up and no place to go.. but at least they'll have their weed!!

    Now, for all of you who will Digg this STORY up, and I'm sure you will, realize that the Digg submitter is playing you. Why? Because he knows Digg loves two types of people:
    Pot-Smokin' dopies and Athiests/Agnostics. There really isn't anyone else on digg (besides me and like 5 other people, who will Digg me up, in a tired and pointless battle).
    • 3ugene, on 10/29/2007, -8/+11Well I myself love how diggers are somewhat like minded on some issues. If you plan to stay, get used to hanging out with pot smoking atheists. I haven't read the article yet, but looking at the overall desc./title/url, I will probably digg it.
      Oh, and have fun talking to your zombie in the clouds for the rest of your life.
    • CaptainNoPants, on 10/29/2007, -6/+10@Wiini
      All that typing and you really didn't have anything to say at all, apparently.
    • MonarchWastxD, on 10/29/2007, -8/+9*tiredly and pointlessy diggs this guy up*
    • Rsardinia, on 10/29/2007, -6/+14The fact you said "smokes dope" shows you have no knowledge of the subject other than what you've been taught in school and from the DARE program. Please do not comment on something until you've tried it. And lay off the jesus freak stuff ok? Just because you still have a boogey man in your closet doesn't mean the rest of us do.
    • macweirdo42, on 10/31/2007, -2/+15While groupthink can be dangerous, and I appreciate your concern for it, your assumption that because a group of people agrees on something, they must be wrong, is flawed. Even in the case that you just happened to be right, it would be sheer luck, and not because of some great deduction that you made.

      At any rate, attacking the character of the people you disagree with is no way to prove a point. Offer your arguments and your evidence, don't just destroy the other side's credibility. Just because they're wrong doesn't make you right. And yes, I realize I'm doing the same thing right now, but on the other hand, I'm not really arguing one way or the other on the pot/atheism issue right now, I just felt like addressing your approach to the debate.
    • Acewrap, on 10/29/2007, -1/+4How about instead of complaining about the users here not lining up with your views, you go to freerepublic or LGF and hang out with your kind of folk?
    • jbhannah, on 10/30/2007, -1/+3I'm Christian, sober and liberal. I dugg this comment down and this article up.

      To each his own is my philosophy on life. Not being a jackass to people who are different from you pays off, Wiini; you should try it sometimes. But being a jackass only gets the same back to you.
    • DirtyBurger, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2Now, normally I would write a smarter and not so childish comment, but i'm afraid Wiini doesn't deserve such luxury. Wiini, why can't you be more like jbhannah over here? I don't agree with his religious beliefs, but i respect them anyways. Yours on the other hand, I cannot. And yes, we post smoking atheists do have it down. Some of the greatest artists and thinkers in history enjoyed the mysitcal bud. See, we believe in the physical world and it's rules and laws, things that have been PROVEN. Until you get me some proof that Jesus was ***** ressurected in 7 days, please do so. And don't refer to the bible, it is not a factual document.
      • Wiini, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1How did this become a Biblical Argument?
        • DirtyBurger, on 10/29/2007, -1/+0when you said: "And not only that, but god bless the athiests! I mean they really have it down, don't they? All dressed up and no place to go.. but at least they'll have their weed!!"
  • Gabberwok, on 10/29/2007, -5/+8I hope I live that long 'cause if I'm wrong about the whole "God" thing, to quote the Stones: I know that I'm a sinner I'm going down there in the coal...
    • Arcesius, on 10/29/2007, -5/+4you're not wrong... don't worry
    • macweirdo42, on 10/31/2007, -4/+7Hey, look at it this way. The Christians are playing at 1 in a million odds. Even if there is a God, they've probably got the wrong one, considering the number of religions in the world. We're smarter than that, because we know the game is rigged, so we keep our money and go home. Sure, we're passing up on an opportunity at being a gazillionaire (assuming that winning's even possible, and there's no real evidence that it is), but on the other hand, at least we're not coming home broke and miserable.
  • Shawn4168, on 10/31/2007, -4/+58What does the Atheist part have to do with anything? That shouldn't make a difference about where he is at age 75, only after he dies.
    • fonebone, on 10/29/2007, -3/+26This is Digg. Any story about pot makes it to the front page. Any story about atheism makes it to the front page. Pot and Atheism, now there's a winner ;)
    • kelly, on 10/31/2007, -11/+6It's relevant because the pot friend enough brain cells to bring him to that conclusion about God
      • coollettuce, on 10/31/2007, -7/+3I'm sick of your christian comments all the time. Blocked.
        • Bishop256, on 10/31/2007, -3/+3oh cmon atheists can make fun of christian beliefs but when someone makes a joke about atheism then they are obviously an insane extremist christian?
      • coollettuce, on 10/31/2007, -1/+3PS
        Oh, and it's been proven in many studies that marijuana does not "friend/fry" brain cells.
        • BearinG, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Fried.. fried rice, fried chicken, "Now, me and the mad scientist got to rip apart the block... and replace the piston rings you fried."
      • GlassParkingLot, on 10/31/2007, -3/+1Do you really think somebody cares when you block them?
      • Shawn4168, on 10/31/2007, -0/+5Kelly, I see what you're trying to do, and I'm sure that your intentions are good, but implying that you must be brain damaged in order to not believe in God is no way to convince people to believe what you do. Copying and pasting the same misspelled comment over and over again in the same story is even worse. If I were an atheist, reading a comment like yours would only drive me further away from religion.
      • petewiz, on 10/31/2007, -0/+3Kelly, you are a dumb bitch. Pot doesn't fry brain cells and the Christian god doesn't exist. I might not know everything, but I do know that you don't know what you're talking about.
  • Shawn4168, on 10/29/2007, -3/+16Sorry, didn't get this added on to my above comment in time:

    Since when is an anonymous post in an obscure forum something to be taken as fact? We don't know if this story is true or not. The poster could be a 16 year old kid for all that we know (especially with a name like Fact-Man, who could possibly think this guy's for real?). The guy's not living "proof" of anything, because until somebody can verify everything that he said on there, his words aren't worth a damn thing. Buried as inaccurate.
    • macweirdo42, on 10/31/2007, -0/+5Damn good point. Of course, logically, there's no reason there couldn't be a 75-year-old healthy pot-smoking atheist, so even if this particular story isn't real, it doesn't mean that this could never happen. I don't even really understand the point of the story - despite what we're constantly told, everyone knows that pot, used responsibly, is fairly harmless, and certainly there's no reason to believe that an atheist couldn't live a long, healthy life.
    • profundiz, on 10/31/2007, -0/+3Good point indeed, and what proof is one man, there's probably also some coalminer of 75 in good health out there somewhere.
      I smoke marijuana myself, but still this is no proof *****.com
  • itsthebrod, on 10/31/2007, -2/+39As much of an Atheist for the legalization of weed I am, stories like this are pretty much worthless. The whole argument "I did it, so it works for everyone!" is rather silly since it's often applied to things like immigrant grandparents who smoke [cigarettes] daily while having a regular breakfast of 6 eggs, bacon, sausage, and paint thinner (etc.). I'm not saying in the least that weed is bad for you, but stories like this are completely irrelevant since anecdotal evidence is worthless to begin with.
    • orp2000, on 10/31/2007, -4/+0You nailed that one dude. I agree with almost everything you said. 'cept the atheist part - don't worry, I'm not going to try to convert you.
    • Firehed, on 10/31/2007, -0/+3Atheist for legalization? What the heck is that supposed to mean?

      But a good point regardless.
    • pineutrino, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Exactly. Sample sizes of one don't constitute proof that this works for everyone.
  • sensoukami, on 10/29/2007, -2/+19Hmmm....couldn't someone post a link to a story about a guy who smoked too much pot and ended up broke, poor, unemployed, and sleeping in his mom's basement before ending up in jail? I mean, there probably is someone like that out there. Would that be definitive proof that pot was bad?

    There is a real limit to how far you can go with anecdotal evidence. Do you know someone who lived to an old age while smoking heavily? If so, then that proves cigarettes arent' dangerous. Know anyone who survived an accident because he WASN'T wearing a seatbelt? If so, then I guess seatbelts don't save lives do they...

    Sorry, while I'm a natural sympathizer to 'the cause' so to speak, but this is kinda silly. Show me data and studies that go beyond one person, far more relevant.
    • yojiffyskippy, on 10/31/2007, -0/+5I know someone that played Russian Roulette and they didn't die. Proof positive that it isn't dangerous.
      Do I really need the /*sarcasm*/
      • BearinG, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1But there's a bunch of stories of people playing Russian Roulette who DID die. The reasoning is the same..

        If someone died of smoking too much marijuana, I would be one of the first who would want to know. There is proof that Russian roulette MIGHT kill you.. you can even calculate the odds.

        I agree that this article doesn't prove much though..
    • jcaino, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1i know a guy that is 32, does the entire gamut of drugs and sleeps in his parents basement. he steals from them to support his habit.

      somehow he's managed to stay out of jail despite 3 DUI's and a crack possession charge.
  • Superflks, on 10/31/2007, -16/+14So ***** tired of Atheist stories...
    • TheInfamousOne, on 10/31/2007, -3/+10I'm so tired of christian stories, but everywhere i go i see em. On people's cars i see "Honk if you love Jesus". My email inbox gets spammed with FWD::GOD IS WATCHING YOU! at least twice a day. Any social event i go to always starts with: Lets pray and give thanks for everyone making it here alive. Every TV award show i watch has each and every person thanking god for helping them "win". The old lady in the cubicle next to me is singing gospel music to herself all day. Numerous churches have signs on their front lawns saying I'm going to hell. The list goes on and on.

      I'd never really complained about it until i saw your comment. Your tired of Atheist stories huh? To ***** Bad.
      • Superflks, on 10/31/2007, -4/+1Honestly right now I am tired of YOUR horrible grammar.
        PS: I talk to my church and you are indeed going to hell.
        • BearinG, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1What about me? Can you ask god for me if I'm going to hell or not? Cause I've got Buddha on the line and he's wondering if he should prepare my room or not..

          Great counter argument by the way.. grammar.

          I was brought up Christian, and although some good values can be taken from the story, which pretty much any religion as some "good values", as soon as you learn about other religion (in an informative kind of way), you quickly start to wonder why your god would be better then all the other gods.. why would not believing in god send me straight to hell.

          What if i was born in the Amazon and I don't have knowledge of Jesus. Its not my parents fault, or my fault that I didn't choose the religion.. so that means that i deserve to go to hell for it? Like every other clueless people. Or was that God's original plan that I not be included in his kingdom and that's why he picked China as my birthplace.

          Seriously, think about it.
    • kelly, on 10/31/2007, -7/+1It's relevant because the pot friend enough brain cells to bring him to that conclusion about God
      • walkingdogs, on 10/31/2007, -1/+3You are clueless aren't you? Pot doesn't fry braincells and the medical benefits FAR outway any negative effects that weed MAY have. But seeing how you buy christianity hook line and sinker it is apparent that you will believe any wives tales told to you. Go get informed before leaving your lame ill informed comments on digg again. I smoke pot every day, got through college with a 3.74 gpa, have a 120 IQ, work a 40 hour a week corporate IT job and came to the conclusion that god is a hoax by taking the initiative to actually question what is fed to me instead of being a mindless zombie and listening to some people using a single book as a reference point. As for this one guy's experience with weed it is in no way proof that weed is good for you but that goes for anything that someone uses in excess. And a perfect example is that you obviously have stunted your ability to think for yourself and use reason because of the direct result of your religious fanaticism. And BTW there is no "n" in fried.
  • killakan, on 10/29/2007, -5/+15Buried for inaccuracy. One person does not constitute proof of the safety of marijuana. There are a number of people who smoked tobacco into their old age, including George Burns, yet that does not change the fact that thousands of people die each year from smoking related illnessnes

    Just like there are people who do crack and don't get addicted, but there are thousands of people who get addicted the first time they try it. Using the logic of this post, crack is safe because at least one person did not get addicted to it.
    • hotshot33610, on 10/29/2007, -0/+6Meh, it might not physically kill you, but I know plenty of burnouts that I used to call friends.
      • BearinG, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Crackheads? or Potheads?

        So why aren't they your friends anymore..
    • DefaultGen, on 10/31/2007, -1/+5I don't think you understood... this person is an atheist. That automatically confirms everything.
    • Cid420, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2Dugg down for inaccuracy.
      Crack > Tobacco & Marijuana. No where near an accurate comparison. While tobacco and crack are both addictive, crack addicts far are more desperate and manipulative then just about anyone else. Crack is dangerously addictive, only drug addicts that compare are meth addicts.

      "There are a number of people who smoked tobacco into their old age, including George Burns..."
      ***** again, he smoked cigars, while still harmful no where near as harmful as cigarettes. There are far more older men who smoke cigars then there are cigarettes.

      "...yet that does not change the fact that thousands of people die each year from smoking related illnessnes. ( illnesses)"
      Show me the bodies and reasons for death!! Not everything you can smoke is equally harmful you dip *****.

      Anyway, thats not "One person...", thats one MORE person. When I did community service at a senior center I was amazed at all the smokers in there (weed). I got high with so many old people and listened to so many stories. Oldest I smoked with was 92. Didn't see any crack heads or cigarette smokers though, so go ***** yourself and "All drugs are the same" War on Drugs attitude.

    • BearinG, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1I dugg you up because it is definitely a bad logic .. but just to look at it from the other side of the fence, how many documented people HAVE died from smoking pot.

      Not to say that it is in no way harmful..
  • AtomicNewt, on 10/31/2007, -3/+3@ Killakan,
    Thats strange, no where did I find the "I did it, so it is 100% safe for everyone" line that everyone is trying to say he said/meant. Personally, if there are ~50,000 deaths from car accidents a year in the US and NO DEATH DIRECTLY RELATED TO POT, all you people out there should be scared as hell to drive your cars. But you are not are you? So why is everyone scared of pot? Is it because big brother told you not to think and you obliged? Good for you. Stop asking for studies, move your mouse you lazy ass and google it. In the meantime, I'm going to go back to thinking that his guy hit it right on the head.
    BTW, 1.8 million people die each year in the world from Alcohol and I bet you don't have a problem with a beer every once and a while huh?
    http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summarie ... Yes, I know its from 2003 so the number is more then likely higher now
    • Flamekebab, on 10/29/2007, -0/+3I know a few people that regularly do pot and can handle it. I know many more that ended up in a really bad way. Death isn't the only negative effect a drug can have, you know.
      • BearinG, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1I'm curious, please tell us how bad they ended up from smoking pot.. and we're not talking about someone that does everything they get their hands on.. and ends up a coke or crack addict.

        Just tell us how it "ended up in a really bad way" from smoking pot only.

        I am genuinely interested in hearing these pot smoker stories.
    • yojiffyskippy, on 10/29/2007, -0/+4That's strange, nowhere did I find the "everyone scared of pot" that you're talking about.
    • formergthing, on 10/31/2007, -1/+1YOu couldn't find that part where he said it was safe for everyone? It might have been the phrase "I am living, breathing proof that marijuana is not a "dangerous" drug." That's a pretty big sweeping generalization right there if I've ever seen one.
    • macweirdo42, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1Personally, I think driving a car is suicidal, and so I try to avoid it. I never really got why more people aren't afraid of it. I mean, tens of thousands of people die every year from driving, how is it that people aren't afraid of that?
      • nakani, on 10/31/2007, -0/+2It's not illegal
      • BearinG, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1Just like people are more scared to travel on plane when plane crashes are only fractions of fatal car crashes.
  • Chaulis, on 10/29/2007, -0/+2He may be fine, but the page sure paid the price for the way it got around.
  • DiscoLando, on 10/31/2007, -0/+4Hmmm... one of the words in the title of this story does not belong. I wonder which one it is?
  • designer, on 10/31/2007, -0/+11I don't think smoking anything is good for you. The whole smoke in my lungs doesn't seem healthy or likely to improve my health.
    • DefaultGen, on 10/31/2007, -1/+2And here I thought Digg was just a bunch of pot heads.
      • Firehed, on 10/29/2007, -0/+3They're just more talkative than the rest.
  • Shattermap, on 10/29/2007, -4/+3Great (Digg) Story!

    ***** story everywhere else
  • catalysis, on 10/29/2007, -0/+5I don't think people are against marijuana use for its health effects. The anti-drug people never claimed that it causes cancer or anything as far as I know.
    • Hetman, on 10/29/2007, -0/+3I agree. But for some reason they do try to claim that marijuana makes you flat. Which is weird because I have never seen a flat person in real life. Just in anti-Marijuana commercials. And being flat would defiantly cause serious medical problems.
    • Flamekebab, on 10/31/2007, -2/+3Actually, the people I've known that used pot often did do a lot more stupid, risky *****. They paid the price. Not sure how many of them are in prison now, but I'm fairly sure most of them didn't make it to university, despite their priveleged backgrounds.
      • Hetman, on 10/31/2007, -1/+3Just becase it appears that teens that smoke do more stupid thing does not mean that the mariujana is to blame. It could be that these kids before smoking did more risky and stupid *****. There for there more likely to try marijuana. But even with out marijuana I thing these kids would still chose to do more stupid and risky ***** as you put it.
    • jbhannah, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1They've claimed marijuana as a cause for just about everything that could or could not possibly have any sort of medical or chemical cause.
  • CravenTwain, on 10/29/2007, -0/+275's really not all that old these days...
  • zolaar, on 10/31/2007, -4/+1THIS JUST IN: Lucifer walks among us -- humankind was unaware for 75 years
  • Bonz2008, on 10/29/2007, -1/+9who gives a *****?
  • darksheer, on 10/29/2007, -0/+13Sorry, there are too many problems here...
    1. Not a verifiable story--but that's nothing new
    2. Not really evidence. There are plenty of people who have smoked cigarettes all of their lives and not ended up with cancer because of it. That doesn't constitute "living breathing proof" of anything.

    That said, I'm completely *for* legalization--but this story does little to nothing to support the cause.
    • deborah195, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1I can agree with you there, but it's still nice to hear stories like that. The media, doctors & drug companies want people to believe smoking pot is more dangerous than being on some sort of drug (anti-depressant or whatever) daily or even drinking a 6 pack of soda every day. I will always believe the man-made products do more damage to one's constitution if taken regularly. Also, everyone is different, goose gander thing. Another guy down the road who's been smoking pot since 12 got throat cancer quite young... wasn't that Bob Marley?
  • Nudar, on 10/29/2007, -1/+6This is the dumbest story I've ever heard. There are occasional smokers who live to 90 and alcoholics that outlive the rest of us. It does not mean that smoking and alcohol are safe. Btw: 75 is not really super old.
  • Avor, on 10/31/2007, -1/+7I found an article of a lady who turned 100 and started smoking cigarettes when she was 7 with no adverse health effects. Lets all light up; if she can do it so can we!
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/new ...
  • Ninnux, on 10/29/2007, -0/+5Yes, and I knew a late thirty year old woman in perfect health, never drink, never smoked, ran several miles everyday, a happy mother of two who obtained some form of horrible cancer and died within a few months of diagnosis.

    Lesson learned: you don't make judgment calls based on the outliers of a dataset. At least use a trimmed-mean or something robust along those lines.

    The media uses this trick all the time to drum up hype and scare you into buying more newspapers.
    • iceperson, on 10/29/2007, -0/+2Just to be safe I've decided to start drinking , smoking, and stitting on the couch instead of jogging...
  • DuffyDirect, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1didnt the Red Chinese give the soldiers in Vietnam dope and cause all sorts of problems in the military?
  • jeremyduffy, on 10/29/2007, -3/+6I'm confused. How does one guy somewhere who's 75 years old and has smoked weed since he was 12 prove anything about ANYTHING? He's alive so pot is safe? What kind of stupid logic is that!?

    Oh wait... Pot-logic.

    Ah! I get it now...
  • vsaint, on 10/29/2007, -0/+3There sure is a lot of preaching to the converted on digg despite all the atheists and pro-pot people.
  • coryj558, on 10/29/2007, -1/+0Classic Digg right here...retardando story!
  • kjizzle, on 10/31/2007, -1/+5What the ***** does him being an atheist have to do with anything? Pull your needle dick out of your mac's mic jack and submit some real news.
  • itchytooth, on 10/29/2007, -2/+2That does it. I'm going to try marijuana.
  • formergthing, on 10/29/2007, -0/+4This headline is ... well, ridiculous.

    This guy is proof that smoking Marijuana is harmless (Except it has clearly killed off a few brain cells as his logic abilities seem to be lacking), and I can show you some guy who would say the opposite. You can't make big sweeping generalizations based on limited experience.

    George Burns was freaking older than dirt and he smoked cigars - do you think that proves that Tobacco is harmless?
  • evilregis, on 10/29/2007, -0/+5Sweet, sweet anecdotal evidence. It must make it true!

    I'm a supporter of legalization, but this is just a ridiculous story about a guy who beat the odds (smoking is unhealthy) and lived to a ripe old age. And why bring up atheism? Was he a cat owner too? Any other mundane details about him that you could contribute his health to?

    I could write a story about my grandmother who lived to be almost 90. Smoked over 75 years of her life. Did not die of cancer. Guess that means we should all smoke because you can do it for 75 years and still die of natural causes.
  • bubbadigg, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2Pot has nothing to do with it.... he's an atheist... that means that for 75 years of his life he did not need to kneel and wreak havoc on his knees... he's healthy because he didn't get torn up and beaten down by the rituals of religion.. nothing to do with the pot smoking.

    Ciggarettes are safe too.. my uncle smoked them (unfiltered) his entire adult life and was fine until past age 75, it wasn't until his late 70's that they found the throat cancer and he had half of his mouth and throat muscles removed..... so give this guy a few more years to find out what damage he has done..... smoking anything is not good
  • busket, on 10/29/2007, -0/+2Nice. If this is guy is somehow "living breathing proof that marijuana isn't bad" then the fact that bananas have five ridges on the side is proof that god created everything.

    For a site devoted to polishing the knob of its namesake's brand of science based skepticism, it seems to draw quite a few folks who don't understand what proof is.
  • krnldmp, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1There are millions of them out there. Most are probably doing better than you.
  • LuxFX, on 10/30/2007, -0/+5"I am living, breathing proof that marijuana is not a "dangerous" drug."
    And not everyone who smokes cigarettes gets lung cancer. I don't really care if pot is or isn't dangerous, but a single data point NEVER constitutes proof.
  • pickypg, on 10/29/2007, -1/+1Sweet, the millions of smokers around the world can say the same thing, which makes it true, right?

    Idiots.
  • doktorrocket, on 10/29/2007, -1/+2He can't be in "perfect" health, since he states he's an atheist. That means the flying spaghetti monster is tearing up his soul as we speak.
  • RedNeckerson, on 10/29/2007, -1/+2Lessee.
    Smoke damages your lungs and causes various cancers. That's why cigarettes are bad.
    Leave it to a bunch of self-absorbed hippies to say marijuana smoke is harmless.

    That's ok though. You go ahead and kill yourselves. You may not do much good in life, but you make great fertilizer. It is a remarkable story though. Not too many addicts make it near 75.
    • Hetman, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1I guess it matters what your definitoin of an addict is. Do you consider occasional use 1 or 2 times a month an addict? Because if you do then there are probably many addicts who make it past 75 or atleast as many as people who do not do any drugs.
  • Fedaykin311, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1It's not illegal because it is harmful or addictive, that's just the spin. It's illegal because it would take a huge chunk out of big pharma's profits (and other industries as well). It's a cheap and very effective alternative to many current drug treatments. It could single handedly wipe out large chunks of the painkiller market, everything from aspirin to oxycodon.
  • mwalker05, on 10/29/2007, -0/+1"in perfect health" what did he go in for a physical / cat / mri / ekg right before this? and did you really just link a random forum post with no proof that this guy even exists as a legitimate article?
  • elmoslemur, on 10/29/2007, -0/+0Another horrible article on Digg. I love how one person is a good statistic. Ever go to High School.
  • peterinjapan, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1For my part, I've noticed that people who do weed have lower ambition, don't care about things as much. Hence, I owned a home before turning 30, but my friend who did a lot of pot does not at 38. Just sayin'...
    • looselips, on 10/31/2007, -0/+1If you are in the US, you are retarded. So someone who pays half of what you pay for your mortgage and did not have to maintain anything including mowing, raking, and shoveling snow has a lack of ambition? Do you realize what the US housing is doing right now? Your investment has cost you more work and more money and when you consider taxes and residential services such as garbage pickup, do you realy believe you are still getting a great deal?
      Maybe he did do too much and maybe he is worthless, I know many people who excel, they innovate, they create, and many of them have the insight to see correlation does not equal causation. Maybe he was lazy before and always will be.
      Pity you never had the insight to ask him why he makes his choices.
      Maybe because you are only more interested in judgment in him, to make yourself feel higher. In other words, you sound like a hypocritical and ***** friend.
  • Cwicseolfor, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0"... they still don't bother to spend 5min doing some basic research for themselves."

    I hope it's clear what _research_ means. Ha.

    //uses a vape.
  • GodIsntReal, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1This is stupid. Just because nothing happened to him doesn't mean it not a dangerous drug. My grandmother is 84 and she smokes a pack of cigarettes a day for almost her whole like and theres nothing medically wrong with her so i guess cigarettes aren't dangerous. Let all smoke them.
  • CrazedLeper, on 11/14/2007, -0/+1What a load of crap. He could get hit by a meteorite tomorrow.
  • treelovinhippie, on 12/05/2007, -0/+1Yep, it's definitely another piece of "anecdotal evidence"... something which the anti-drugs side always throws at everyone.

    The Atheist part, yeah I added that cos it gets more attention as a title, and come-on, atheist generally means intelligence and rationality which means he has actually researched marijuana for himself and not just been sucked into the government propaganda.
  •  

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