Interesting thread, thanks to all, and especially Xenogear for his insightful views. I personally use cannabis on a daily basis, and I have a theory about how it operates on the brain. I find it stimulates right-brained thinking, while dimming left-brained thinking. I find left-brained, linear, logical activities such as solving a crossword puzzle or beginning a homework set to be very difficult after smoking. However, in my experience (and that of most artists of all sorts) cannabis greatly improves right-brained, parallel, intuitive thinking, and therefore helps immensely in creative activities or those involving broad-level thinking.

For example, when I was a student, I would never use cannabis before beginning a homework session; if I did it would be a complete waste of time. However, I found that if I had worked through a homework set, and had familiarized myself with the material, I would often end up getting stuck. This is where cannabis (or the serotonergic psychedelics) would help; oftentimes if I was stuck on a homework set, I would have an insight during a cannabis session that let me know how to go about solving the problem. If you're familiar with the awesome psy-trance group 1200 Micrograms, they use a similar process in composing their stunning music; they spend one day sober composing the outline for songs (a left-brained process), then one day using psychedelics to help with insights and creativity in perfecting the song (a right-brained process).

So cannabis does have practical uses, and there are millions of very successful people who have used it and continue to use it responsibly. To me it's a very stately plant, with a beautiful ambience and spirit. I've also had good results using it for energy channelling and spirit work. Like a number of people here have noted, it's all in how one uses it. I've taken long breaks (3-5 months) from it and haven't noticed a change in my reading habits, sleep patterns, or cleanliness, but I also notice that my head feels a bit cloudy if I have a heavy session before going to sleep. All in all, I've found it a beautiful plant to work with, a wonderful gift from the gods, and I feel that I'll have a relationship with it for the rest of my life, including working to remove the insane criminal sanctions imposed on its devotees.

Peace * Love * 23.

I agree with this. But in relation to canabis or other substance abuse it does proof one thing: if the same persons consistently have lower IQ's if they smoke cannabis on a regular base than when they don't, then you know that the use of cannabis limits their potential at least in one field. I personally think that in the brain, all functions are more or less linked so that it indicates that they generally are functioning below their potential.

I bet that if you would let the same persons take ANY other sort of test, you would get a simmilar picture.

I think that they would also score lower, for instance, in general well-being, wich is ofcourse even more subjective and harder to test for.

I disagree entirely with this. Did you read what I posted earlier? From that study, to claim causality is ludicrous, imo. Weed, especially heavy use, definitely fucks with the user, but I just think there are too many variables to be able to say what the study attempts to, with any authority.

SB

If a group of regular users of a substance would score lower on ANY type of test, it's and indication that the use of that substance inhibits your potential. That was my only point.

A substance should not affect you negatively in any way. If a report would show that the use of DMT would slow your reaction speed, even if it would be a minimal effect, than that would be an indication that i'm less able to fully realize my potential, to fully be myself therefore, if i would continue the use of this substance.

There should not even be a slight indication that a substance would inhibit any of your abilities.
That's also the reason why i'm wary of substances of wich still not much is known, like salvia.

To me the inhibition of ANY ability is an indication that in the end your well-being is also being affected by this substance.

That was my point. (and there are many studies that indicate that cannabis leads to a temporary decline of short-term memory and lower IQ score are consistent with that, so it's very plausible that regular use of cannabis temporarily lowers people's IQ's.)

point taken, my only argument with that statement would be to add the modifier "can" before "inhibits your potential" as physiology varies from person to person, but that's splitting hairs. I hear what you're saying.

wow i have had the exact same experience (of course with a few small changes) i originally stopped because i was getting piss tested which made me realize i wasnt getting anything out of abusing drugs. nowadays those friends i had continue their lifestyles while i kind of cut myself off. it feels good, like a breath of fresh air, but im also pretty lonely these days. my piss testing will be over next week so i will start smoking again mostly for medical reasons and also to accompany other drugs for mind-expanding purposes. one very important thing i have learned is that when i can smoke weed, just take one, two, maybe three hits and stop it there. my buddies and i would smoke weed non stop and between the 3 of us went through about a QP every week. at that kind of dose, there is no mind-expansion, my medical needs were met but i was not smoking to medicate i was smoking to get fucked up. the bottom line for me is that Cannabis isn't bad, but the way i abused it was very bad.

The name 1200 mics came from Raja Ram taking 1200 mics of LSD spread out over a week whilst composing their first album. I think that's cool considering the music produced. I just agree on the fact that cannabis can totally expand the mind when being creative (even though cannabis is completely different to LSD).

All through my years at university doing graphic design, my creative juices flowed so much easier when smoking some pot. I honestly believe i would have done so much worse without it. The days i didn't have a smoke before creating ideas for projects, i handed in pieces of shit. Every time i had a bit of a toke... bam! I was coming up with all sorts of great ideas which ultimately made me graduate at the top of my class. Fortunately i didn't smoke whilst writing my dissertation (thesis) and did well on that too, as smoking pot and trying to write complicated shit, can unfortunately make me babble crap which makes sense but in a very unorganized fashion. I have all ways been an artist and so have found myself using pot not only for a giggle with fiends, but as a tool to create some nice art.

I will conclude my thoughts on this thread on the use of cannabis by saying different strokes for different folks. Some people it hinders parts of their life, but it doesn't mean to say it will be the same for everyone else. Each to their own. Peas

DK

Hmmm I got the impression, from the quote "God Paul I took 1200 micrograms!", that Raja Ram was stuck in a writers block during the composing sessions for the first album, so he took a whopping 1200 mic dose, all at once. The wikipedia article says it was spaced out over a week, but the quote implies it was all at once. This is just nitty-gritty details, but wanted to correct that.



I have a number of musician/student friends who say the same thing, and as Bill Hicks said, "if you don't think drugs have done any good, then take all those records and all that music that's enhanced your life throughout the years and BURN THEM, because the musicians that made them were real fuckin' high on drugs". But true, to each their own, it seems from what people on here are saying that pot ab/use does hinder some people's lives.

Just have to say, Paul Taylor is the fucking man! I wish he was my grandfather. I saw him play live and nearly shat myself (not literally of course). I think you are right on the whole "taking it all at once". I didn't read it off wikipedia so didn't see that quote, but you are probably right. Shit, just realized i said my last post would be my last post. Oh well.

As for Bill Hicks... I all ways loved that quote, plus so many others. He was truly a fucking cool individual who made a lot of sense. Ok. Anyways, i have now gone completely off topic. Good pie

Hmm I've never heard of Paul Taylor other than that quote. If you have any recommendations for songs/albums PM me, I'm always looking for new stuff.
I agree about Bill Hicks, to me he was a very intelligent individual, and almost like a prophet in ways, such as speaking the truth even when it wasn't comfortable to do so. I wonder if he ever blasted off on Spice; as I'm sure you know he was an advocate for entheogenic psilocybin use. Good pie funny you say that I'm enjoying a mighty fine key lime pie with meringue in celebration of this fine Spring weather. Hail DeMeTer!

pwned

welldone shoe!!
very proud of you!
i will know not to pass a spliff to you anymore then even though I dont know of i will return to cannabis use after my 3 month break that i am now 5 days into.

keep at it and see you soon bro!

however lets not totally diss the weed.it has got its good side too