The Glade 4.0

I get where you are coming from, and yes, people should be free to choose....but honestly, in my 30 years on this planet, I have yet to meet one single person who smoked tobacco for pleasure and not addiction.
I was under the impression that the pleasure was in the gratification of the addiction?

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Maybe you're only meeting cigarette smokers?

I dunno. I can think of two relatives who smoke cigarettes essentially for "pleasure." Now, they're addicted as well, but they truly enjoy smoking.

I know of several people who chose, on occasion, to smoke cigars (including myself) for the pleasure. It occurs rarely enough for these individuals that there's no real way I could try to call it addiction. For example, I have perhaps 3 cigars a year, if that (less since Ohio passed a smoking ban, meaning I can't smoke at the bar).

So, are these people the majority? Probably not. But if they didn't start due to peer pressure as a youth, but instead made that decision as an adult, such as Lex stated he was deciding, I'd say that's a clear case (at least initially) of it being due to pleasure. Now that may be pleasure over the feeling of the stimulant, the "feel" of smoking, or the "image" you think you have, but pleasure nonetheless.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

That is the thing about substance abuse DFK, no one does it because it feels bad when you start, it almost always feels good, or at least masks your pain. As the addiction progresses you no longer get the great rush of feeling good, you just stop feeling bad when you use the substance - if it was like that from the start the substances wouldn't be nearly as appealing. Tobacco to high end opiates and everything in between.

My guess is your relatives who enjoy smoking will continue to do so for awhile. One day they will wake up and realize something has changed, that they are fumbling for the cigarette not because they are thinking hey, a cigarette would feel great right now, but because they want to stop feeling bad, stop feeling the need for their next cig fix. When they try to quit, it will get a lot worse.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

DFK, I would put you in the category of "exception to the rule."

I agree with Micheal...we all started out smoking thinking it was the greatest thing ever, and we convinced ourselves that it was still pleasurable, but in reality we only truly "enjoyed" a very very small percentage of our daily cigarettes. The rest were smoked out of the need to feed the addiction and brought no pleasure whatsoever other than stopping the immediate physical withdrawal symptoms.

There are some great articles about this in Joel's Library on whyquit.com

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Smoke weed instead, Lex. You're already taking other drugs anyway.

I perpetually feel drugged out, and I don't know how much is from my medication and how much is from my head.

I've smoked weed and it made me tired and spaced out. I don't think I like it.

Here I'll merely refer you to Mark Twain. "Everything in moderation."



And my guess is that you're incorrect. They're in their sixties and still enjoy it. They've quit cold-turkey in the past for health, monetary, or other reasons, and been successful doing so for long durations. They will then take it back up for the enjoyment of it. I believe currently one is off and the other on.

Does the return to the drug indicate addiction? Sure. The fact that the choose to return to it after years apart, and their personal expressions regarding the choice, indicate that it's entirely voluntary, though.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

lex, don't be a retard

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Ron Paul 2012

LMAO.

Honestly if you want to try an opioid I'd get about a 20mg pill of oxycodone...not much higher than that though, unless you know what you're doing They make as high as 80mg pills but I recommend staying away from those, that's just too damn much.. The most I've ever tried was 25 mg of hydrocodone (about half-ish strength of oxycodone) when I had my wisdom teeth pulled, and I also had 2 or 3 beers. Best, most relaxing sleep of my life. I'm sure my liver didn't appreciate the apap/alcohol combination, however.



Smoke less.

First time i got high, i got an anxiety attack and vertigo, I almost felt like i was tripping, I couldn't concentrate on what I was writing. I would try to write a sentence, and every 3-5 words I would be on another idea because my thoughts were racing.

Basically, to me, weed gives me A.D.D. Now there are benefits and drawbacks to this change in mental patterns. Same with people with A.D.D. maybe some parts of them are weaker, but others are stronger...just look up hyperfocus, flow, chi, all of those things, etc. Hyperfocus is an interesting thing to me, and it shows me how ADD and weed are related....maybe I have ADD, and weed helps me relax and it brings out a natural side to my personality. This is all just a theory, really, but I listen to myself and this is what I feel. Anyways...ADD / Hyperfocus can be bad or good. I guess it's the difference between "zoning out" and "zoning IN". I can write a book on the subject, but then I got high

Anyways...for me, now that I'm used to weed and realize what it does to me, I can appreciate the benefits. I can also appreciate the benefits of being sober. For me the biggest thing weed does for me, it makes me relax and helps me focus. Relaxation and mental ability go hand in hand... If I'm tired, it makes me sleepy. If I'm wide awake, it makes me energetic. It basically takes wherever I'm at, mentally, and amplifies it.

If your tolerance is low and/or you have a large dose, it will put you to sleep and/or give you anxiety / panic / vertigo / loss of concentration.

You wanna smoke a real real small amount....if you were to compare it to alcohol, it'd be the equivalent of having a few beers to take the "edge" off. For me, weed helps with social anxiety, depression, insomnia, appetite, relaxation and concentration. The great thing about the relaxation / concentration / focus aspect is that it puts you "in the zone" (again with the chi, and "flow" concept) Best thing to do with weed is just smoke a tiny bit to get a little high, you don't wanna be totally "baked" or else youll just fall asleep or zone out....and then go do something before the weed kicks in. If ya just sit around, the weed will make you panicy and / or tired, since you have nothing to focus on. I recommend smoking a tiny bit and then going out for some cardio exercise or go out with friends to the movie or zoo or a museum or other similar activity. It's also great for homework or any type of creative endeavor. Like writing posts on the glade, stream of consciousness style.

As far as health reasons go, weed is pretty safe. Much safer than tobacco. Nicotine can be pretty damn physically addictive and it's pretty toxic and not good for you in general. I know THC has "bad" effects, such as affecting your ability to drive or operate heavy machinery, but what drug doesn't anymore? lol.....and outside of the social stigma associated with the drug and the legal issues, I'm fairly certain that most of the medical community agrees that THC can be a very good thing. As far as carcinogens go, yeah, there are those. Light anything on fire and inhale it, and it's not good. You're inhaling ash and smoke......good thing about THC, is that it can be activated and aerosolized without burning the plant matter. In other words, get a vaporizer and you don't have to worry about the health issues. Get a vape, and don't drive high, and consume small doses and you will learn to safely enjoy weed.

Don't be a retard, though....you want to quit smoking tobacco. It's just all bad.

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Ron Paul 2012

Some native Americans would disagree with you.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

and don't smoke schwag (spell checker help). Weed is like liquor. Get the good stuff or don't bother. In addition, weed is a couch-lock Adult Swim optimizing high. If you want a drug for socializing go for cocaine. However, if the cops catch you with coke, you'll be taking a trip to the pokey. (This message has been brought to you by the person who has enough cops in her family to make a Charles Bronson movie.)

Take the pack of smokes you bought and hand them out to the homeless people in lieu of money when you are approached for a handout. Carry a lighter in case they need a light.

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“The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration.” - Pearl S. Buck

Now you want him to murder hobos?

Damn.

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Holy shitsnacks!

Homeless people do love cigarettes. Maybe I should donate them to the few homeless people I like.

Ooo Lex you could write your number on the cigs and pass them out to homeless chicks!

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Hahaha! I'm so going to do that!!!

Sweet!!!

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

LOL,

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Ron Paul 2012

Smoking can cause impotence by reducing blood flow. It's the single best argument against for guys in your age group.

Also, if your meds make you feel drugged out tell your doctor. You meds should make you feel gloriously human.

Actually. For Lex, this is a HUGE argument for.

Some people don't need to be breeding

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Holy shitsnacks!

When I'm on meds, I feel like I'm on meds... there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor.......THC is a vasodialator, bronchodilator and aphrodisiac.





Watch the movie "Equilibrium" to kind of get a feel for how SSRI's and other anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication can make you feel. A nice touch is how they named the drug in the movie "Prozium"....lol.

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Ron Paul 2012

I'm on:

moderate dosage of lithium - mood stabilizer
moderate dosage of lamictal - mood stabilizer, mild anti-depressant
small dosage of risperdal - anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety
small dosage of cogentin - relieves muscle tension of the risperdal

I basically never feel anxiety about anything. I always feel like I'm "intoxicated", similar to being slightly buzzed on alcohol. I get mood swings towards the depression side sometimes, but hardly ever manic unless something gives me the fight or flight response. I tried reducing my lithium a little, and my social anxiety went through the roof. Like talking to people would make me sweat all over and become really nervous. It was bizarre.

Yeah, dude, tell your doctor. There are many different kinds of those medications and they can give you something else.

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Ron Paul 2012

I like my meds. I am not complaining.

oh. k.

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Ron Paul 2012