Cannabis

[Guest [am...]]

This just in...

 

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2010/10/01/possessing-1-ounce-of-pot-no-longer-a-crime-in-calif/ 

 

Yes, there are 49 other states and in 13 of those other states it is now legal on a medical basis. http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881 

 

When it is possible to pick the type of medicine that works for you and knowing how to administer it, it becomes therapeutic and not damaging.  Being stoned is never an end-point or goal when used properly.  Yes, there are a bunch of idiots who do nothng but get stoned, but I am never talking about being stoned as an alternative to benzos.  Apparently, some folks like to add that "stoned" concept to what I have been writing. 

[[Co...]]

The recreational use of any drug should be discouraged (including nicotine and alcohol).

 

When we take a medicine, we are balancing side and deleterious effects against medicinal benefits. It is easy to frame an argument for the legalisation of marijuana, but its legitimate use probably would be quite narrow, and there are huge numbers of people that would attempt to abuse its legal availability to gain a high (either through illegal second black-market, theft, or the faking of medical conditions). Although it would appear that marijuana would have legitimate uses (even if fairly narrow), the argument is messed up by those that would seek to abuse it.

[[ke...]]

I'm using it right now to sleep when I'm really exhausted and to stop nausea when I need to eat. Barely any because I don't like being stoned very much but it's helped so far, I was sick to stomach all day but managed to keep dinner down. And I slept last night. I'm still not smoking constantly because it's a hassle because of the smell, and I don't want to be dependent on it for say a year...or however long this takes...but the fog from it is not as bad as the brain fog and it helps a little...

 

I've used it "medically" before to help gain weight and then stopped...was only a month or two though.

[[...]]

 

If we are to classify marijuana as "medicine"...then is cocaine also a "medicine."  Of course, before you laugh, it was considered medicine at one time.

 

Just a question to ponder... I don't really have an opinion either way on the marijuana arguement...I choose not to smoke it...but I am not offended if you smoke it...   There are vices that are far worse than smoking some pot for sure...

 

 

TC

[Guest [ke...]]

If we are to classify marijuana as "medicine"...then is cocaine also a "medicine."  Of course, before you laugh, it was considered medicine at one time.

 

TC, this is a good question, I think Freud used Cocaine 

Old Freudian stuff.. lol

 

 

 

 

 

Cocaine

 

History of Cocaine, Medical Use

 

 

Toothache Cures and Patent Medicines

 

Cocaine was first synthesized in pure form by Albert Niemann. In 1860, he extracted pure cocaine powder from the leaves of Erythroxylum coca (more commonly known as the coca plant). Soon after it was isolated, cocaine was used to try to cure almost all the illnesses and maladies that were known to man.

 

It wasn't long after the isolation of pure cocaine until people became aware of the addictive potential of the drug. Today, use in medicine had been tempered by experience. Medical use has been largely restricted to producing local anesthesia. Even in this area, the dangers of cocaine led to the early development of safer drugs.

 

One of its first non medical uses was military. In 1883 Theodor Aschenbrandt administered cocaine to members of the Bavarian army. It was found that the drug enhanced their endurance on manoeuvre. His positive findings were published in a German medical journal, which brought the effects of this wonder drug to a wider medical audience, including Sigmund Freud (see below).

 

In the USA, cocaine was sold over-the-counter until 1914. It was widely used in tonics, toothache cures, patent medicines, and chocolate cocaine tablets. Prospective buyers were advised (in the words of pharmaceutical firm Parke-Davis) that cocaine "could make the coward brave, the silent eloquent, and render the sufferer insensitive to pain".

 

When combined with alcohol, it yielded a further potently reinforcing compound, now known to be cocaethylene. Thus cocaine was a popular ingredient in wines, notably Vin Mariani. Coca wine received endorsement from prime-ministers, royalty and even the Pope.

 

One medical use that was found early in the history of cocaine, and which the drug is still used for today (rarely), is that of a good surface anesthetic. Beginning in the late 1880s surgical procedures using local anesthetics (numbing a specific area to pain) were starting to be used instead of general anesthesia (rendering a person unconscious).

 

This was due to experiments that were conducted by William Halstead, using cocaine. William Halstead was one of the four founders of The Johns Hopkins Medical School. He is often referred to as the Father of American Surgery.

 

Unfortunately William experimented on himself by injecting cocaine, to see if surgery could be performed using cocaine as a local anesthetic. After experimenting for a time, he became addicted.

 

The addiction grew so bad it put his career on the line. He stopped shooting cocaine and began taking morphine instead. A habit that probably lasted the rest of his life.

 

Coca Cola also had Cocaine in it..

 

Coca-Cola was invented in 1885 and first sold to consumers in 1886. At that time, it was sold as a patent medicine. It was promoted as a temperance drink offering the virtues of coca without the vices of alcohol. The new beverage was invigorating and popular.

 

Until the early 1900's, one of the ingredients was cocaine. Today, coca-cola still uses coca leaves for flavoring. The company imports several tons of coca leaves from South America each year. However, the leaves are used only for flavoring, since the cocaine has been removed.

 

A coca leaf typically contains between 0.1 and 0.9 percent cocaine. If chewed in such form, it rarely presents the user with any social or medical problems. When the leaves are soaked and mashed, however, cocaine is extracted as a coca-paste. The paste is 60 to 80 per cent pure. It is usually exported in the form of the salt, cocaine hydrochloride.

 

Was an interesting read..

 

Also, some medications (Chemical) Pharmaceutical such as Dilaudid (Hydromorphone) has/ or has been derived from Heroin, it was rumored...

but I don't know if it's true or not.

Also it was rumored at one time Valium was derived from Heroin, I don't think so.. I've heard and read about it.

Ya know, looking at the chemistry of some of the medications.. I wouldn't doubt that some medications do have Heroin, or diacetylmorphine (INN), also known as diamorphine (BAN) in them, Heroin is a Sched I and IV substance, strange Benzo's are Sched IV too, eh?

Marinol (THC), also known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC), Δ¹-THC (using an older chemical nomenclature) used for Stomach Pain &c. is basically Cannabis, you'd be surprised what's in Pharmaceutical's !

 

Keryn.

[[le...]]

Hi Keryn,

 

I was at a church gathering today and was talking with a man about his life story, which included cocaine addiction (he is clean now)...but he would love to have this info that you have found.  I am going to see if I can print it up to share with him.  Thank you for making good use of your new position here!  You are a wonderful asset to the team!

 

~Leena

[Guest [ke...]]

Hi Keryn,

 

I was at a church gathering today and was talking with a man about his life story, which included cocaine addiction (he is clean now)...but he would love to have this info that you have found.  I am going to see if I can print it up to share with him.  Thank you for making good use of your new position here!  You are a wonderful asset to the team!

 

~Leena

 

Leena,

 

Happy to hear he's off and recovered, I had a friend, she passed away back in 2005 of a car accident..I helped her get off Cocaine, I never was on the stuff.. She got off and was able to help her, I just wish she was still around to help me through Benzo's.. Not trying to make a sad story. After she got off she was a wonderful person, very caring person.

You're welcome and I don't mind at all if you print it.

 

Keryn.

 

PS- Not trying to Hijack a thread, as it is about Cannabis, but this leads to other subjects.. it's interesting actually.

I, myself do not smoke cannabis or anything, but I have nothing against those who do for Medical Purposes, well, if it helps them..

 

[[...]]

Keryn...

 

Good info there..that is who I was thinking of too...ol Siggy...

 

 

And I guess if we really want to stretch it....the old LSD experiments were "medical research"....quite a stretch I know....but technically true

 

 

TC

[[ke...]]

Most things have probably been used medically, or at least parts of them, lol. I think it's less dangerous than benzos but the last thing on my mind right now is recreational use. I can eat right now without it so I'm good It does up anxiety if you're already feeling sick, but I can't lose that much weight without feeling super sick anyways. So idk depends on the person. I believe in the state I started withdrawing in (Michigan), it was legal...so legality is still a very big danger most places still and I wouldn't recommend not caring about it unfortunately.

[Guest [ke...]]

Most things have probably been used medically

 

They have.

[[Co...]]

Hello Ampersand,

 

Look, I know you know that your last post (deleted by me) is not acceptable at this forum. Please do not attempt to push buttons by posting detailed instructions of how to take marijuana. It is not fair to us, the team, trying to keep a calm and orderly atmosphere, nor to the wider membership. We are not a website dedicated to the abuse of drugs. We are simply a support forum for those experiencing problems with benzos, usually through no fault of their own.

 

Thank you.

[[tr...]]

I am big on not taking recreational drugs myself, but I've done a lot of research on marijuana. It has the safest profile of any of the commonly used drugs, including alcohol and nicotine. It honestly does not appear to be physically addicting. Some individuals seem to get psychologically addicted, though.

 

Whether it works in withdrawal, I don't know, because I'm not about to try it, when I hate altered states. I am told I would likely have a bad experience. But to categorically say that it is bad? That would require there not to be millions of people who have used it at least once and have perfectly productive live, or there'd be at least thousands who are going through some sort of hell.

 

Also, as far as I can tell, marijuana was banned because it was said to be a narcotic, which it most definitely isn't. It's closer to dextromorphan--which is over-the-counter legal.

 

By Colin's standards, nicotine and alcohol should already be banned. What medicinal do they have?

[[mi...]]

it is addicting, like any other drug

[[...]]

i agree with mike59. i was a big pothead. i smoked thru my taper etc. quitting weed was much harder than benzos. the withdrawal of benzos might be CRAZY, but the mental addiction was easy to get over. cannabis for me is more addictive than cocaine. i smoked about 1-3grms a day of "coffeeshop" quality weed from holland. (i live real close to the dutch border and actually come from holland.)