dunpeal2064 wrote:
I think the major difference is that weed grows like that. You don't have to chemically alter it in any way. Pretty much all other drugs, even plant dirivitives like cocain and herion, are still chemically man made.
Try datura sometime (don't, really) and you'll reconsider whether "natural" necessarily implies "safe". The real reason is that the CB1 receptor doesn't control any systems that are critical to life. You can even make viable CB1 knockout mice. Opiates, alcohol, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, and cocaine on the other hand all work through receptors that mediate vital functions like breathing or your heartbeat.
Another reason is that THC is what is called a "partial agonist" at the CB1 receptor. This means that even if there are saturating concentrations at the CB1 receptor, actual receptor activation is only a fraction of what the CB1 receptor can do. In other words, the CB1-THC complex is less active than the CB1-endocannabinoid complex.
I point this out because most of the synthetic THC that's popular now ("spice") are chemicals that are full agonists at the CB1 receptor. Accordingly, we see a lot more problems with people smoking spice than people smoking pot.
BoringSupreez wrote: it's awfully hard to moderate your use of crack.
Actually crack cocaine is chemically identical with that found in coca leaves, which have been used with essentially no incidence of addiction or abuse for thousands of years in the andes. Both the route of administration, and the culture of administration have a major effect on what a drug actually does. As long as we have a culture that treats drugs like the enemy, we'll never figure out how we can use them beneficially.
BoringSupreez wrote:
But, as I said earlier, it reduces intelligence. Still not worth it IMO.
There's more to life than performance on intelligence tests. Trading a tiny bit(really barely measurable after years of heavy use) of smarts for an abundance of calm playfulness and creativity is a pretty good tradeoff in my opinion. Of course YMMV.
Don't let anyone talk you into taking anything you're not comfortable with. I am a huge advocate of marijuana use, but only for myself. Your brain may like different things. And if you go into it expecting problems, you're sure to find some.
On the other hand, try not to be offended if people repeatedly ask for clarification about your choice. For some people drug use is just so normal that choosing to abstain draws the same sort of attention a vegetarian in Nebraska would. A lot of us are used to being judged negatively by teetotalers, so you may get some probing questions as they figure out just how tolerant you are. And a lot of it is just enthusiasm. People like sharing the things they like.
