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Am I Addicted to Marijuana?
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Addiction. It’s not a pretty word. From gambling to pornography, there are so many ways a soul can get lost on the path to maturity. You’re not only putting your mind and body at risk with your incessant cravings, you’re also destroying your eternal spirit. It’s an insult to God our Creator to take that beautiful thing He has given you and to destroy it, to trash it with filth and desire, with hardcore kicks and toxic smoke. Yet many of our fellow friends in faith continue down this wretched, rambling path, thinking somehow that Jesus Christ himself would look the other way at their secret escapades with a certain magic weed.
There is no place for drug addicts in Heaven. That is made abundantly clear by many passages in the Bible, from Galatians to Corinthians, from Peter to Luke. In the last year alone, over 26 million Americans have abused marijuana at least once. Do these people seriously expect redemption? Even the casual user, egged on by a liberal society that approves our culture of extreme selfishness, thinks they deserve a free pass. They will show up in church, their long hair tucked in the back of their ragged old sweaters, thinking that their peers do not notice. We do notice! We notice the unkempt facial hair, the stale human smell, the guilty look that says you were up too late last night.
Do you honestly believe that you’re not an addict? Do you say to yourself that you’re just a casual drug user? That you’re doing no harm to this world? Here is a simple set of questions for you, my pot-smoking friends who claim to follow Christ. Take an honest look at yourself and see where you have crossed the line from experimenter to desiccated soul.
1. Have you ever smoked marijuana to escape your problems?
People often turn to substance abuse to avoid real life situations that they are incapable of coping with because they lack the will or emotional strength.
2. Do you suffer from depression because of your drug use?
Narcotics drain the spirit of positive energy and make people generally unhappy. They begin to distrust every form of tradition and morality they encounter and they turn their backs on Christ.
3. Have you lost interest in physical exercise and hard work?
Marijuana seriously reduces the motivation for healthful bodily activities so necessary for a vital, successful life. Such inactivity also makes the abuser antisocial and lonely. Remember, Colossians 3:23 tell us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
4. Do you suffer from pimples and acne even though you’re no longer a teenager?
One’s skin is an indicator of what’s happening on the inside, and pot smokers cannot escape the scourge of frequent pimples.
5. Ever woken up the next morning and regretted a sexual experience?
Marijuana lowers inhibitions and smokers regularly engage in perverse acts of copulation. Guilt, regret and shame are common and there is no way to avoid this when one lights up.
6. Can you remember the last time you turned down a marijuana “joint”?
Addicts are incapable of saying the word, “no.”
7. Do you ever laugh inappropriately?
Hallucinogenic drugs corrode the brain to such an extent that the toker fails to navigate social situations properly. They live deep inside their heads and laugh randomly to the shock and dismay of those around them. It’s an embarrassment.
8. Do you feel that drugs enhance your enjoyment of music?
Music bands like the Phish or the Grateful Dead are notoriously connected with drug abuse for in their meaningless strummings the addict finds a soundtrack worthy of schizophrenia.
9. Have you ever hurt your children or your spouse while high on drugs?
Violence is a sad reality of the pot smoker. If you’re high and want to beat someone, the best idea is to lock yourself in a closet or bathroom until you “come down.”
10. Do you own Visine eye drops, cigarette rolling papers or incense?
If you’re so immersed in the lifestyle that you need to purchase paraphernalia, that’s a problem. How far will this go? Will you borrow money to buy special pipes and imported crops?
11. Ever made a late night ATM withdrawals to pay for your habit?
The danger here is that many of these machines are located in inner city neighborhoods where robbery and other crimes are rampant. Are you willing to take that risk simply to feed your vile needs?
12. Do you choose your friends based on their ability to “score” drugs?
Friendship can be a deep and powerful thing, but when it is based solely on a shared addiction it is hollow. Take a look at those you spend the weekends with: would you really be willing to endure their personalities if they didn’t have a supply of marijuana?
13. Have you ever been hospitalized for marijuana usage?
This may seem like an obvious question, but it bears asking. Take a good, hard look at yourself!
14. When you smoke, do you put yourself in situations that you would consider dangerous when sober?
Are you hanging out in after hour clubs or violent ghettos? When you’re high, are you miles away from the people who truly love you? Ask yourself why!
15. Have you ever called in sick to work so you could abuse pot?
A common problem for any kind of addict, putting indulgence ahead of proper work will eventually lead to impoverishment.
16. Are you familiar with the terms: 420, bud, yellow submarine, homegrown, mow the grass or Humboldt Country?
The layperson is not so educated on drug terms. If you think you’re not an addict, but know all these words maybe you need to think again.
17. Do you suffer from frequent hallucinations?
Have you imagined your skin crawling with spiders or the government spying on you from the old tree in your yard? The paranoia is only going to get worse and shows that you are on the road to damnation.
18. Are your fingers burned or discolored?
The people who love you will notice how the cruel habit manifests itself on your body. You think you can hide, but you can’t. You are a walking signpost of the dangers of addiction.
19. Do you ever have unexplained moments of grandiosity?
A pompous attitude is a side effect of pot smoking and while it is hard to detect when you’re on drugs, others around you will notice and warn you of this. Pay attention to your friends when they warn you about your arrogance!
20. The most important question of all: Would you give up marijuana if God asked you to?
God demanded the greatest sacrifice of Abraham when he asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove his faith. Abraham was willing to murder his beautiful son to prove to God that he loved Him. Would you be willing to do the same with your immature and dangerous habit? Are you capable of giving God that gift?
My friends, THERE IS HOPE! The key is admitting that you have a serious and deadly problem and that you’re throwing your life away chasing down some senseless kicks that are only hurting those who love you! You have to prostrate yourself before our Lord God and beg His forgiveness for your disgusting sins and then, only then, can you begin to heal. Here are some wonderful resources for you as you climb free of the marijuana nightmare!
- Is It Okay for Christians to Use Marijuana (Cannabis) and Other Drugs?
- Is It OK For A Christian To Smoke Marijuana?
- Narcotics Anonymous
- Sex, Drugs & Video Games: Why Our College Are Kids Failing At Life
- Focus on the Family: What are the dangers of marijuana use?
- NSFW: Sound is the New Illicit Drug!
- Marijuana Addiction Facts
- The Road Less Traveled: Christian Drug Rehab
- Alta Mira Recovery Programs
- The Road Less Traveled: Christian Drug Rehab
4:39 pm
I like how the acne link linked to a site in which it was nearly unanimous that it doesn’t cause acne. and one person only got acne because they weren’t cleaning their bong
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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12:05 am
I think the video above makes a very strong case against the dangers of marijuana addiction.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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10:56 am
the bible speaks of this “Wildwood Flower” if you stupid christians would actually read the thing instead of letting your pastor read whatever he wants to you……shut up read the book…..notice the word BOOK…….. it’s not a hallucinogen ive been “using” for years now…never seen anything not once….. god you guys are stupid
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12:53 am
im sure if us terrible “marijuana addicts” were as prone to violence as you say we are. you would have been dead a long time ago mr billings. your idiocy pisses alot of people off. you are a weenie and a joke baldy. get a real fuckin job you asshole. all of that shit in this article described as effects of marijuana are definitely for way harder drugs then just a simple plant. maybe meth or crack have those effects but not pot.your investigative journal credentials are looking rather shaky you fakey. keep writing these articles please i want to see what other bullshit you can try to make sound legitimate so you sound smart. you make me laugh with the shit you say. i gotta go now. i just smoked some marijuana in a violent ghetto. now i feel like fighting
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3:34 am
What DANGERS? You MORON! There are no dangers in smoking pot, more people die from the rarest disease known to man(whatever it is) Because Marijuana HAS NEVER, And WILL NEVER KILL ANYONE, sure its been something in peoples systems when they crash their car because they are drunk or when they have a heart attack from to much crank, but never has pot killed anyone, I smoked marijuana from around the age of 10 up until I was 22, smoking marijuana enhanced my life, it took care of my chronic back pain, it helped my neck pain it helped me get motivated in the mornings and want to get work done, it made me a nicer person. I have since stopped smoking marijuana a year ago(girlfriend made me) and i am a complete dick, i’m irritable and always in pain, i never want to wake up and try to sleep all day because of my horrible depression that I have been dealing with my whole life, only when high could i escape depression. Marijuana is a great thing. It should be legal. Alcohol and tobacco are legal and they are a million times more dangerous and a trillion times more addictive, and in order for it to be addictive it must decrease a persons quality of life, and everyone i know and everyone i have talked to ever say it improves their quality of life.
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3:15 am
Jesus was a great man… respect what he taught… we are all the son’s and daughters of god, there is not just one… by putting judgement on others for their beliefs and harmless actions without a perfect being of selflessness is just as bad as being a satan worshiping heroine junkie… and just because you go to church and listen to another judgemental human which god on his side doesnt mean you are selfless and for the whole world… go volunteer in third word countries that your god fearing country has brought horror to and don’t bring up your god… then you will have the selflessness jesus sought upon this earth… and then maybe you will see that there is one “god” and it is this rotating ball we need to survive… and then maybe you will see that jesus was much more than the man your “church” could ever make him to be…
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12:55 am
Apparently you don;t know that Christ means anointed one. The oil used for anointment included an ingredient called Cane Bosm in Hebrew. The English folks who translated the Bible didn;t speak Hebrew,and made several errors.They translated Vane Bosm as spikenard,but the offical Israeli Hebrew/English dictionary ( written way before the modern drug scene) translates cane bosm as cannabis,ie marijuana. Addiction is indeed a serious problem in contemporary life.Having worked with people in recovery for 25 tears,what I see is addicts are emotionally wounded people trying to self medicate. The substances aren;t really the problem,they are attempts to mask pain.There are plenty of legal things that folks use the same ways that are far more destructive than marijuana. Alchohol and nicotine are deadly poisons and kill millions a year. Marijuana is nowhere near that level of toxicity,you can;t take a fatal dose. Money and power are the most severely destructive addictions related to the whole societies’ the addiction to Oil.
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5:07 pm
“It’s an insult to God our Creator to take that beautiful thing He has given you and to destroy it, to trash it with filth and desire, with hardcore kicks and toxic smoke.”
And yet it’s totally fine to destroy your body by not being able to control your food cravings and becoming fat and unsightly?
“There is no place for drug addicts in Heaven. That is made abundantly clear by many passages in the Bible, from Galatians to Corinthians, from Peter to Luke.”
Please post those scriptures.
“One’s skin is an indicator of what’s happening on the inside, and pot smokers cannot escape the scourge of frequent pimples.”
It’s called hormonal fluctuations, and adults get them as well.
“6. Can you remember the last time you turned down a marijuana “joint”?
Addicts are incapable of saying the word, “no.””
Can you remember the last time you turned down that second cheeseburger with onions?
“10. Do you own Visine eye drops, cigarette rolling papers or incense?”
Yes, because god forbid anyone who owns eye drops should actually have tear deficiencies or other eye problems…
And many people who burn incense simply find the aroma relaxing.
“13. Have you ever been hospitalized for marijuana usage?”
I highly doubt anyone would ever have to be hospitalized for using marijuana unless they had some sort of allergic reaction to it.
“20. The most important question of all: Would you give up marijuana if God asked you to?”
Would you give up that tub of ice cream if god asked you to?
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11:27 pm
Hi Claire, thank you for the thorough reading of my work. I realize you’re young and full of questions so I’ll try to help you out understanding the complex things in my article!
1. Obesity is a problem in our society, but drugs are dangerous in a completely different way. They intoxicate and make one incapable of making decisions. They lead one into crime and false worship.
2. Here are the verses:
“Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” –Galatians 5:21.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” –1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” –1 Peter 5:8-9.
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.” –Luke 21:34.
3. Clearly, I’m not condemning people with legitimate eye issues who buy Visine, but if you purchase this product because you’re high so often that you need to hide it, clearly you have a problem.
4. Incense is used to mask the smell of marijuana smoke. In that sense, it is an indicator of someone afraid of their own drug abuse.
I skipped some of your other statements because they were not constructive. Please try to stay focused when delving into this issue and I really do pray you avoid the drug temptation. God bless my young friend!
Stephenson
Hot debate. What do you think?
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12:04 am
How is marijuana use being a ‘reviler’? Not only that, it’s not considered to be a form of ‘drunkenness’ and thus not subjugated by the bible. Not only that, the Bible seems to be against the use of alcohol rather than marijuana use and you just proved it.
//4. Incense is used to mask the smell of marijuana smoke. In that sense, it is an indicator of someone afraid of their own drug abuse.//
Yes, because thinking incense is used for nothing other than masking marijuana smoke is just insane, right?
//1. Obesity is a problem in our society, but drugs are dangerous in a completely different way. They intoxicate and make one incapable of making decisions. They lead one into crime and false worship.//
You seem to want to dodge the fat problem quite a bit. Probably because you’re too fat to pass through the gates, so you instead insist that you’re excluded (typical insane man, thinking he’s above the laws set forth to him), and how does marijuana use make someone falsely worship? There are plenty of Christians who light up a joint and many others who do so in the name of God, the god you claim to worship, so how is that being false?
//I skipped some of your other statements because they were not constructive. Please try to stay focused when delving into this issue and I really do pray you avoid the drug temptation. God bless my young friend!//
This part I love, you have nothing else to say to any of Claire’s points so you flat out admit that you’re going to ignore them. Typical, just typical, avoid as much as you possibly can when it comes to explaining yourself. With how often you run away, why do you even bother trying to defend yourself? You’ve already admitted to ignoring the public when it comes to giving out the truth and that you’re just a lying asshole, so why not just keep your cheeto-crusted fingers off the keyboard and not say anything at all?
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12:10 am
Biblical scholars are in agreement that drug abuse constitutes “intoxication,” which is roundly condemned in the His teachings. Drunkenness and revelry and most certainly mean intoxication. Just because hardcore drugs like heroin were not widely in use in Biblical times, doesn’t mean that these teaching about sobriety and keep a clear head don’t apply. You’re just using circular logic to try and legitimate an illegal narcotic that harms many.
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12:20 am
//Biblical scholars are in agreement that drug abuse constitutes “intoxication,” which is roundly condemned in the His teachings.//
The same Biblical scholars who also said that the Old Testament is only worth a grain of salt? The same ones you said were wrong? And you’re trying to tell me I’m using circular logic? You don’t just pick and choose what to follow out of the bible, you pick and choose what to believe in from the same damn person!
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2:52 am
So from these uber informative bible quotations I’ve read (Im an atheist by the way and am just reading this for the laughs) apparently you who smoke the green are obviously drunkards and revelers (Even tho its not alcohol or w/e u would consider a reveler) are doomed to hell (Even though you really aren’t and this is just a blog made by some old bigot)
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5:12 pm
well let’s take the quiz just for the fun of it though i’ll start of by comenting on this: “Yet many of our fellow friends in faith continue down this wretched, rambling path, thinking somehow that Jesus Christ himself would look the other way at their secret escapades with a certain magic weed.”
did it occur to you that they may not be christians?
1. nope never take the stuff. it’s a disgusting habit just like alcohol and cigerates.
2. well i do get depressed from time to time mainly because of people like you billings.
3. never had any to begin with. sports suck and hard work is only worth it if it acomplishes anything.
4. nope i’m clear here
5. never had one period
6. haven’t been a first time yet. never actually seen drugs or meet any who took it. well at least that i know took it.
7. when i get tired enough i might laugh at disney chanel. is that what you mean?
8. oh dear god no. my music would be horendous unless i could enjoy it fully with all my senses at full activity
9. í find it disturbing that you aparently only think you need to calm down if you are high whille wanting to beat any one. you should calm down period
10. yeah it’s werid to own the stuff for the things you use right. it’s allmost like being christian and owning a bible. but no i don’t
11. let’s turn this around. have you ever made an ATM withdrawal to buy a burger or something like that? you have your own adiction to fight with buddy
12. you base your friends purely on a shared faith. how is that any better?
no i do not however. think people like that are obnoxius morons.
13. i don’t actually belive that is possibel.
14. my relationship with fear is strange. i kinda fear nothing most the time but then again i’m scared of everything….meeh.
15. i call in sick when i actually am sick.
16. no,no, isn’t that a song, that one’s obvious, no and no.
17. i suffer from no hallucinations thank you very much
18. they are hardly even dirty
19. comeing from mister arrogance himself. i am not impressed billings. knock yourself down a few notches before aiming for others.
but no i rarely think more of myself than i can prove or otherwise stand by.
20. no. blind devotion is the most dangerous thing you can ever do.
i would need a reason to do anything god asked me.
had i been issac my first action after getting free would be to murder daddy by the way. he clearly didn’t love him near enough.
the story in question proves just how evil god is.
well billings haveing answered truthfully and pretty damn well proveing to be clean…. you just wait for your adiction test. the chesseburgers will come back to haunt you and they will send you straight to hell.
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7:29 pm
21. If your marijuana use somehow contributed to the complete destruction of the American Way of Life in its entirety, would you quit because some socially retarded, uninformed, paranoid, immature back-birth that no one could ever possibly love with a blog said you should?
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11:47 pm
Mathias, I am glad to hear you are a moral and clean person. Obviously, this test was meant for someone who actually uses marijuana but doesn’t believe he/she is an addict. It is meant to push someone to look deeply inside and see how their “casual” habit is destroying everything they love. Well, God bless my son.
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11:54 pm
That was Jazze you retard, not someone else.
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12:13 am
Jazze’s real name is Mathias. And he’s from Denmark. Don’t be so conceited, you’re usually wrong.
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2:45 am
actually he is right mr. pedophile clown.
i have asked you to call me Jazze seeing as that is my user name but hey if you can call me other names so can i stevie.
as for being a test like that… no. you can easily use a substance like marijuhana without being addicted. just like you can with alcohol and chesseburgers. and this is not the way you test it.
also clean up your own act before you start preaching at others. get over your own god damn adiction please.
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2:00 am
II listen to tool and smoke weed everyday
Probably my best decision ever after becoming an atheist
Why doesn’t this failure of a journalist report on real topics in the real world.
This is obviously another myth made up by christians so they can pretend they’re better than everyone else.
I got beautiful news for you. People are opening their eyes and their minds. In about 5 years pot will be legal and in about 20 years christianity will be a 3rd world religon. Dance around your cross for as long as you can because people are getting smart and realizing that your primitive people made up there own version of history. That’s right. I pulled the conspiracy card. Weirdly enough, it has validity. Get ready for an atheist world, a logical, rational world.
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7:48 pm
What if you know all of those terms, but have never done weed?
Because I know all those terms, and I’ve never done weed.
And what if you need money late at night because you’ve flown into America or something from London so it’s five a.m. in America and like, ten in the morning over there, and you need food, but don’t have any cash? Might as well take a withdrawl.
And music as a general rule probably wouldn’t sound very good if your world is moving slow and you’re using a downer.
So if you’re sick, and you call into work, does that mean that you’re doing drugs?
What’s wrong with incense? I mean, it smells good. Doesn’t mean you’re using drugs unless you buy it laced or something.
And I have a question, if you eat cookies or brownies, does that automatically mean that they’re has cookies/weed brownies?
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11:27 pm
Stop being ridiculous. This is a serious issue!
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11:56 pm
Insane troll logic at it’s finest. Calling someone ridiculous because they pointed out bullshit at the poster’s claims.
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12:39 am
Yeah, stop being ridiculous, that’s Stevie’s job.
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8:37 pm
Well first let me start by saying you are a dumbfuck. It is impossible to get addicted to marijuana. So there, you’ve already lost this. Second, i am the strongest atheist you will ever meet, and if i had a choice, i would be chilling with satan, he seems pretty chill. And now, to answer your test.
1. Have you ever smoked marijuana to escape your problems?
yes, that’s why a lot of people do it, and i’m not ashamed.
2. Do you suffer from depression because of your drug use?
Nope, makes me feel happy.
3. Have you lost interest in physical exercise and hard work?
Well, i’m getting all A’s in school, and I dance almost every night a week. So no.
4. Do you suffer from pimples and acne even though you’re no longer a teenager?
Well since I am a teen, i’m just going to say i’m lucky i have good genetics cause I haven’t had a pimple yet. Oh and just so you know, genetics is a science word, sorry for confusing you.
5. Ever woken up the next morning and regretted a sexual experience?
Nope.
6. Can you remember the last time you turned down a marijuana “joint”?
Yes i do, cause the stuff was crap.
7. Do you ever laugh inappropriately?
well, laughing makes you live longer, so when you smoke, it actually helps you live longer.
8. Do you feel that drugs enhance your enjoyment of music?
Well for one. Phish and The Grateful dead are two of the best bands I know. And yeah it does, so music is better? wait- are you saying that music is bad too? HAHA
9. Have you ever hurt your children or your spouse while high on drugs?
I’m 15, no
10. Do you own Visine eye drops, cigarette rolling papers or incense?
yes, yes and yes. The visine is also for my contacts. and the incense it cause i have three dogs that smell like shit.
11. Ever made a late night ATM withdrawals to pay for your habit?
No, normally I just look pretty and i get it for free.
12. Do you choose your friends based on their ability to “score” drugs?
No, i pick my friends on who they are, and they just become even more awesome because of weed.
13. Have you ever been hospitalized for marijuana usage?
Umm, that’s not possible.
14. When you smoke, do you put yourself in situations that you would consider dangerous when sober?
no, i think you’re thinking of LSD.
15. Have you ever called in sick to work so you could abuse pot?
oh and miss a days pay so I can’t pay for my pot?
16. Are you familiar with the terms: 420, bud, yellow submarine, homegrown, mow the grass or Humboldt Country?
Study up fatso.
You forgot sour diesel.
17. Do you suffer from frequent hallucinations?
Suffer is a bad word here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyHakCQN0Ss
That is just fucking amazing. I want some lsd now.
18. Are your fingers burned or discolored?
No, but if people who smoke finger’s are, then they dont know weed safety
19. Do you ever have unexplained moments of grandiosity?
My friends encourage me to smoke.
20. The most important question of all: Would you give up marijuana if God asked you to?
and if you think i’m a bad person, i’m a vegetarian, so i dont kill animals for food orgasms. like you do billings. oh and did you know it says unicorn in the Bible?
God NEEDS to have a joint. He needs to chill instead of being such a hard ass. And i’m an atheist.
“God brought them out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of a unicorn.” Numbers 23:22
ftw?
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10:56 pm
My child I am terribly worried for engaging in such a low lifestyle. How can you take pride in all that? When you’re older you’ll realize what a fatal mistake you’ve made but I fear it may be too late then. Please consider giving your soul to faith, or at least embracing the idea that there are powers greater than yourself. And by all means, have your mom and dad email me!
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11:56 pm
My child I am terribly worried for engaging in such a low lifestyle. How can you take pride in all that? When you’re older you’ll realize what a fatal mistake you’ve made but I fear it may be too late then. Please consider giving your soul to faith, or at least embracing the idea that there are powers greater than yourself. And by all means, have your mom and dad email me!
I feel sorry for your low lifestyle… bringing people down? hahahaha And I take pride in it because I know it’s something that makes me happy and being happy is the point of life. And when I”m older, i’ll be able to get it easier. And fatal? (excuse me but we went over this. Weed isnt fatal) You fear for me? HA HA HA. And giving my soul to faith….. I thought that was like selling your soul to the devil. And powers greater than myself. That would be fairies. bahaha. And dude, the chances of my parents emailing you? haha. My parents are both atheists especially my mom. She like spit in some religious guys face when he came to our door and called her a whore cause she didn’t have faith in god. Haha and my mom was a stoner in the 80′s…. Soooo yeah theres that.
(OH btw, before you said that if you smoke, you stop to exercise and you dont like working hard work. Well i”m thinking that you smoke too. Because obviously, you’ve let yourself go *cough* weight *cough* and you didn’t do any research on this article.)
Oh Califonia, Colorado, Illinios and Nevada have all started a bill to get weed legal for medical and recreational use… get your protest signs ready.
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8:32 pm
Are you serious? All I see on this site seems to be hate! Where is the compassion for others? Your articles seem to be bashing people for who they are! Your information is biased and not backed by today’s true scientific facts! Addicted to Marijuana? I am addicted to is about as much as a diabetic is to insulin! Marijuana is no more a gateway drug than Tylenol, or Aspirin and this is not a “Theory”, but is a FACT! Did you know a Cannibadiol was found in Marijuana in 2007 that offers the hope of a non-toxic therapy that could achieve the same results without any of the painful side effects of chemo-therapy for cancer patients? Maybe you didn’t know that our government has Patent #6630507 Issued on October 7, 2003 “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants Get educated instead of pushing Hate & condemnation!
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11:30 pm
Derek, it is difficult for you to admit you have a problem but surely your friends and family love you deeply and worry about you. Maybe you should spend a little time soul searching before lashing out at a humble man of faith just trying to spread some thoughtful inspiration.
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11:57 pm
You don’t even know the meaning of the word ‘humble’, you’ve tried to equate yourself to Jesus multiple times, that isn’t being ‘humble’.
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1:00 am
Billings, when are YOU going to admit that you not only have a problem, but that you ARE the problem?
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8:47 pm
oh shit man looks like im hooked on the reefers
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9:16 pm
Humboldt County is a new one on me.
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10:36 pm
Well crafted troll site. /salute
(unless you’re serious, in which case you should probably seek help)
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4:08 am
stevie i hope i get a response because you seem very good about that. ive been reading your last two articles on cannabis and id like to ask where exactly you get your facts from. ive read the bible and discussed it with my uncle whos a baptist pastor, and the things you say(besides the quotes) are nowhere to be found, so an actual citation would be much apriciated. just to be clear a somewhat related bible quote is not a citation. and to avoid future mix ups do not use or advocate the use of marijuana, but i am well read on many studys and papers done from the 60s up untill today and i would prefer a modern source. studys from 30+ years ago tend to be unscrupulous and debunked by now. if you would like some updated information for reaserch on future articles ill be including a link to norml’s news archives which is full of studys and reaserches from the past 15 years. Thank you for trying to spread the word of jesus and god bless you for the effort, id just like to see your citations so i can see your side of the fence.
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3442
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5:52 pm
Don’t be so bossy. I am not here to do your bidding, young man. And if you actually read my article and clicked on any of the numerous links within, you will see all the information you need. If that wasn’t enough, there are a number of links at the very end of the article which compliment my thesis. Furthermore, I am not here to engage children in debates over science. We are talking about faith and aiding adults in making proper decisions about their lives. Your pestering questions have absolutely no merit.
You have completely failed to understand what I’m trying to accomplish here. I am helping people see and take ownership of their addictions. I AM NOT getting in some silly argument about the supposed “health benefits” of hardcore marijuana usage. Try to stay focused and stop the hate!
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20
6:08 pm
//Don’t be so bossy. I am not here to do your bidding, young man.//
He asked you to provide sources that weren’t full of bullshit. That’s not being bossy, that’s something you should have fucking done in the first place.
//And if you actually read my article//
blog
//and clicked on any of the numerous links within, you will see all the information you need. If that wasn’t enough, there are a number of links at the very end of the article which compliment my thesis.//
Which he already stated have been debunked and are old, new information overwrites old information Stevie, that’s why sensible Christians don’t take the Bible literally.
//Furthermore, I am not here to engage children in debates over science. We are talking about faith and aiding adults in making proper decisions about their lives. Your pestering questions have absolutely no merit.//
Running away, the Stevie’s only known tactic aside from petty insults. You, sir, have been disproved on many, many occasions, and yet you still feel like you’re right. Why is that Stevie? Why is it that many others of your faith have declared you to be wrong with actual evidence and yet you still are hellbent on saying that you’re right.
//You have completely failed to understand what I’m trying to accomplish here. I am helping people see and take ownership of their addictions.//
and you’re completely ignoring what people are telling you.
//I AM NOT getting in some silly argument about the supposed “health benefits” of hardcore marijuana usage. Try to stay focused and stop the hate!//
You didn’t read a word he said, did you?
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1:33 pm
I’m only wrong in your little perverted mind.
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2:21 am
Judging from the number of responses on here..I’d say it is YOU stevie,who is wrong in the minds of so many…
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1
9:54 am
Prove me wrong jackass.
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8:46 pm
“I’m only wrong in your little perverted mind.”
oh, did you learn to say that in church?
my bad.
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2:25 am
The only information I would trust is from a verified source …not some clown who claims to be a journalist..
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11:52 am
Brothers and sisters,I believe God put narijuana on this good earth as a temptation.Works for me.God bless Y’all
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3
11:34 pm
God put Marajuana on this earth TO ENJOY!!!!
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4:29 pm
Do you condemn alcohol too? What about caffine? What about sugar? What about pain meds? Medical Cannabis is incredibly helpful for those with serious conditions. Many aids, cancer, Alzheimers disease, brain cancer, Heroin addicts, and MS patients are helped greatly by medical mariujana.
Many societies have used cannabis for its healing effects
EXAMPLES
Ancient greece; ancient india; ancient taiwan.
Do you have any reputable sources? You sir, are a hack. You aren’t a journalist; you are a fearmongerer. You pull random facts out of your ass; and (unsuccessfully) attempt to turn it into a coherent story. Make your own decisions; don’t rely upon the judgement of some god or whatever you blindly follow. God is a crutch; you should all try walking. Marijuana is on earth because it has a niche as a plant. NATURAL SELECTION.
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4:45 pm
The focus here is Marijuana. Don’t try to distract the issue!
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13
5:21 pm
“Don’t try to distract the issue!”
Does the issue have ADD?
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6:00 pm
The issue is, you don’t like marijuana because you’re nothing but a misinformed sheep, and rather than do actual research, you just run to who fed you the bullshit and say that these people are right because you said so. Children have better arguments for why they’re right, and you’re supposed to be a ‘journalist’.
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9:02 pm
Well, at least stoners have an excuse for getting the munchies. What’s yours?
I was gonna ramble, but I’d get bored halfway through writing my response. I already wrote a novel on your BOTDF article anyhow.
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7:40 am
i smoke the lords gift daily or every other day. and none of these negative “questions” would be answered with a yes if i were to answere them. whats this even based on? you cant just make up random stuff stephonson… you need scientific back up.
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2:14 am
“Biblical scholars are in agreement that drug abuse constitutes “intoxication,” which is roundly condemned in the His teachings. Drunkenness and revelry and most certainly mean intoxication. Just because hardcore drugs like heroin were not widely in use in Biblical times, doesn’t mean that these teaching about sobriety and keep a clear head don’t apply. You’re just using circular logic to try and legitimate an illegal narcotic that harms many.”
Funny..My pastor is a well respected man in our community and retired judge of over 25 years..Very honorable man and he commands respect without saying a word..When his wife died a few years back,there was over 4 thousand people that came to her funeral and well over 500k raised in memorial funds..Now THAT says a ton about them…and you know what else…He uses medical marijuana daily for his arthritis simply because pharma drugs cost more and more these days.Does it make him any less of a man…Absolutely not!,While everyone may not agree with his choice,and many do agree with him,those that do not.. still accept and love him as they have always done..see my point?
Whereas,you tell people they are perverts and bad people.That is not setting a good example for people.
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3:04 am
marijuana does everything you mention.
thinking music is better, laughing for no reason, saying no to a joint.
the video on this site is a MUST SEE for everyone..
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12:21 pm
None of these statements bare true evidence behind them. This is simply just another one of those ‘Refeer Madness’ propaganda articles. Yes, I am a Christian and I have used this magnificant gift God blessed us with every single day now for 5 years. And out of those 5 years, I have NEVER had to go to the hospital, hiluscinated, had a one-night-stand because of marijuana, or purposly inflict pain on someone just because I was high.
Smoke weed everyday.
Vote Yes on Prop. 19.
Support you local non gang-related dealers.
Help end the drug cartels in Mexico.
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3:15 pm
Oh my god, that is the dumbest video I have ever seen…
Sure, kids use pot (Marijuana) and smoke it! I’ve done it several times too! Doesn’t mean it’s an addiction, just means that’s it’s something to do for fun! With friends, on a rainy day! Plus, it’s made me a lot more creative with music and art!
Shit, all you think is that Marijuana is an addictive drug… Coca Cola is even more addictive than Marijuana!! You can stop weed anytime you want, can pick it up anytime you want, but it is in no way a highly addictive narcotic! It’s 10x better than alcohol!!
If you wanna talk about addictions that ruin the human body, try looking for just that, a narcotic that “IS” addictive, not something that isn’t even considered a drug by today’s standards.
Trust me: me, my brothers, and almost everybody in my family knows what you need to know about drugs and alcohol! We’ve all read-up on it, researched it (had a school debate about it), and it is the least harmful “narcotic” out there…
Just saying, I wish that people like you would say something true about Marijuana instead of making false claims.
And by the way, that video only talked about dope! Sheesh, how off-topic could you get?!
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4:45 pm
“And by the way, that video only talked about dope! Sheesh, how off-topic could you get?!”
The video was about marijuana, that was the point. What are you confused about?
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9:33 pm
I am at all not confused. I know exactly what I have said.
The whole point of the video was not to turn out like the firl in the picture, and to not do drugs, right? But instead of posting one about the harmful effects of Marijuana, you decided to post one about a girl who started off by saying that pot was the thing for “weak” guys or whatever, and went on throughout most of the thing talking about how she was a dope addict, and how badly it effected her. Sure! I hate dope, that’s why I don’t ever wanna get near it, even if my friends offered it to me, hell, even if my own family did! I would never wanna do it, and I’ve also known about the bad effects of that for a while as well. And just to add to that, the video seemed as if it were made in the early 80′s!
I’m sorry if I come-out as angry at you, I don’t intend on doing so, but I just didn’t understand why that video was about dope instead of pot (I mean you could argue that it had “something” to do with marijuana, but in the end, it’s mainly about dope, and how messed-up your future could be if you were addicted).
Anyways, I really would like to see something (more modern and scientific facts as well) about how it’s bad for your health. I mean, sure, you get lazy, everything is funny, you might get paranoid but that’s only if you stupidly go off and smoke like 3 or 4 joints in 20 minutes, you might not care as much about your appearance, although I know for a fact that that didn’t have such an effect on me, and maybe it might make you more careless, but for the most part, you become more careful!
And just to add to THAT, why do you think that there are tons of drinking and driving accidents instead of smoking and driving accidents? Just because people are a lot more careful when they smoke, it’s a proven fact, I’ve read on that and watched tons of (i guess they would be called) educational videos on it as well.
Anyways, I don’t mean to sound like a temper-controlled freak, just want you to get some of the facts straight
.
I hope this helps somewhat, definitely don’t want it to hurt.
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12:14 am
6. Can you remember the last time you turned down a marijuana “joint”?
Addicts are incapable of saying the word, “no.”
That’s a paradox for one thing
And secondly, what is the purpose of this article? It clearly says that there is no chance for redemption if you have ever smoked weed, so why is it giving us tips on how to quit? If we’re already doomed, we may as well just smoke even more
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9:28 pm
I have a few questions, firstly, what were you smoking when you wrote this article? Either a little bit too much of jesus’s blood, or you and Ted Haggard hang out together. Secondly, I WOULD BE OBLIGED to have some of you fundamental idiots hang out with me and find out what it means to be with someone that does smoke this “forsaken” plant. Even though in genesis god commands us to use everything on this earth, EXCEPT the forbidden fruit, which that slore eve just had to have lol yet marijuana is the issue? I am sorry guys, read something OTHER than your bible and maybe you can truly see what this walk of life is TRULY about. Feel free to ask me anything, but I doubt any of you will because instead of listening to someone elses point of view, you shut down and probably didn’t even read this. SAD!
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9:42 pm
dude…they were shooting up jesus blood and jacking it to the “New international version” while tripping on some “legal” salvia. makes me wish we could still nail people to rail road ties haha
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9:44 pm
AMEN BROTHER! but whats bad is amen, is another word for Amun, who was the God of the Gods in ancient egypt. So praise that 5000 year old asshole and lets smoke some more
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9:29 pm
and I AM VERY PROUD TO SAY! I AM ADDICTED!
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11:42 pm
REEFER MADNESS ALL OVER AGAIN!!!! get over it bible thumpers, you cant control everyones lives and force your religious BS onto us.
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10:39 am
I m concerned by reading so much bullshit.
I’m a foreign student, 24 years old, I’ll get my master in marketing management in 2 month, I have a gf here in NY for almost a year, I have a 3.45 GPA, and I smoke pot pretty much 3 times a week. Despite the promises of a great career, and the fact that I care about my friends and people in general, will I go burn in hell? What about you, people from Christwire.org?
After keeping spitting on people’s face, pointing at our vices and dysfunctions, denouncing, criticizing, blaming, trying to scare people, and releasing your anger and your hate hidden behind your computer, don’t you think that Satan will come for you and shove his fork up your ass ?
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4:33 pm
I am serving the Lord by helping to lead others away from darkness. Yes, sometimes this is hard and harsh, but life is not meant to be easy! Why are you so afraid of a little discipline and hard work? ANd what do I care about you GPA score? All that stuff is fake and inflated these days by our liberal educational system trying to squeeze greater funds from the federal government. You should be working on keeping your body pure, regardless of your “New York girls.”
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2:14 pm
Which is funny because Bush was the one that said that grades and graduation were more important than actual understanding and rewarded schools that produced inflated graded assholes.
Sooooooo how are liberals evil exactly again now?
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12:31 pm
It saddens me to read an article like this. As someone who identifies as a christ follower and a regular, open smoker this comes across as angry, baseless prattle that further goes to defame christ and his church in america. Marijuana use is a biblical gray area that requires us to use one of the most preciouse gifts god gave us: our logical, rational minds. As others have said, I suggest the author review the facts on marijuana use before filling the web with hate and condemnation in christ’s name. For myself marijuana usage has helped to open my eyes to the wonder and love of god and his creation as well as helped me find peace and comfort in trying times. Reconsider your stance or at least your approach mr billingsly or I fear the words “depart from me I never knew you” my sadly be the last you hear.
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4:34 pm
Absolutely wrong. There is no room in Heaven for drug addicts who do not repent their sin. You are nuts.
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7:23 pm
the problem with that arguement is that a marijuana smoker is no more a drug addict than a user of caffine or alcohol. There is abuse potential but it pales in comparison to alcohol. As far as to who will and will not be welcome in heaven you are even more off base. According to scripture heaven will be filled with sinners saved by his grace. I’m nearly certain “drug addicts” will be among that number. The idea that our place in heaven is in anyway associated with our own deeds and our cheap attempts at righteousness flys in the face of everything you believe in and makes a mockery of christ work on the cross. I don’t mean to be so contentious but I think of it as a cleansing of the temple senario. Please rethink your stance to prevent further damge to the cause of christ in our country.
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2:16 pm
You do realize that the definition of a drug extends to medication taken to relieve pain, right? And how stretching things literally means a good number of people who exist are addicts because they literally can not live without the drugs they take to maintain their health. How many times have you taken medicine when you had a headache? Every time? Congrats Stevie, you’re a drug addict. You can’t say no to migraine medicine whenever one hits, thus your logic dictates that you and people like that are addicts.
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8:18 pm
Is this site supposed to be a joke? Honestly, because thats what it seems like.
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9:03 pm
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE MOST RIDICULOUSLY FUNNY AND MISINFORMED ARTICLE I HAVE EVER READ!!! If you believe this and most of the other articles on this site you are plain ignorant, and as Socrates said, “Ignorance is the root of all evil.” Why do you need a book or a pastor or anyone else to tell you what is what? Your a living breathing human being, go out and experience life for yourself and stop worrying what happens when you die because in all reality, no living being has any clue what happens after we take our final breath.
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1:58 am
“Absolutely wrong. There is no room in Heaven for drug addicts who do not repent their sin. You are nuts.”
YOU are wrong billings,There is room for EVERYONE.
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3:05 pm
Oh, man. I think you may be right–I AM addicted to marijuana. Maybe I should choose Jesus instead so I can become a religious bigot and judge everybody around me who doesn’t share my views and then spout false facts on a website to prove that I haven’t done my research, nor do I actually know anything about the subjects on which I write.
That is definitely the answer.
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3:48 pm
since the root word for pharmacy comes from sorcery, what are your views on taking prozac or tylenol. These are manmade chemicals that can kill if taken incorrectly and create far more side effects than marijuana. So are we allowed to take any medicines considering it is sorcery, or just man made medicines- because in a way these pharmaceutical companies are trying to play god by denying gods plan. Perhaps natural medicines like marijuana are the answer, not the problem. Also you mentioned marijuana is not meant to be smoked. What about eaten or usedas a topical oitment?
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11:44 pm
This post is absurd.
Please , even the DEA does not list Marijuana as a narcotic.
Tobacco …. narcotic
Alcohol…… narcotic
In case you don’t know,
a narcotic by definition is a substance that produces PHYSICAL withdrawal symptoms when stopping to consume .
By the way Cannabis is now being PROVEN to cure many forms of CANCER
http://wn.com/What_if_Cannabis_Cured_Cancer
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1:22 pm
Billings does not want to hear any scientific facts…
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3:52 pm
If marijuana is so wonderful and safe why do you think decent Americans have been fighting against it for years? Why do you think narco-terrorists are the chief promoters of it? Wake up to reality, my friend.
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11:46 pm
wow….
you, my friend, are a moron…
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12:50 am
Here’s some REAL facts Billings..
Myth: Marijuana use impairs learning ability.
Fact: A 1996 U.S. government study claims that heavy marijuana use may impair learning ability. The key words are heavy use and may. This claim is based on studying people who use marijuana daily–a sample that represents less than 1 percent of all marijuana users. This study concluded: 1) Learning impairments cited were subtle, minimal, and may be temporary. In other words, there is little evidence that such learning impairments even exist. 2) Long-term memory was not affected by heavy marijuana use. 3) Casual marijuana users showed no signs of impaired learning. 4) Heavy alcohol use was cited as being more detrimental to the thought and learning process than heavy marijuana use.
Myth: Marijuana is a significant cause of emergency room admissions.
Fact: The U.S. government reports that marijuana-related emergency room episodes are increasing. The government counts an emergency room admission as a marijuana-related episode if the word marijuana appears anywhere in the medical record. If a patient tests positive for marijuana because he/she used marijuana several days before the incident occurred, if a drunk driver admits he/she also smoked some marijuana, or if anyone involved in the incident merely possessed marijuana, the government counts the emergency room admission as a “marijuana-related episode.” Less than 0.2% of all emergency room admissions are “marijuana related.” This so-called marijuana-causes-emergencies statistic was carefully crafted by the government to make marijuana appear dangerous.
Source:http://www.legalizationofmarijuana.com/marijuana-myths.html
Table of Related Deaths To Drugs
TOBACCO 340,000 to 450,000
ALCOHOL (Not including 50% of all highway deaths and 65% of all murders) 150,000+
ASPIRIN (Including deliberate overdose) 180 to 1,000+
CAFFEINE (From stress, ulcers, and triggering irregular heartbeats, etc.) 1,000 to 10,000
“LEGAL” DRUG OVERDOSE (Deliberate or accidental) from legal, prescribed or patent medicines and/or mixing with alcohol – e.g. Valium/alcohol 14,000 to 27,000
ILLICIT DRUG OVERDOSE (Deliberate or accidental) from all illegal drugs. 3,800 to 5,200
MARIJUANA 0 (zero)To overdose on marijuana,a person would have to smoke twice their weight within 15 minutes.
Myth: Marijuana is a gateway drug–it leads to harder drugs.
Fact: The U.S. government’s own statistics show that over 75 percent of all Americans who use marijuana never use harder drugs. The gateway-drug theory is derived by using blatantly-flawed logic. Using such blatantly-flawed logic, alcohol should be considered the gateway drug because most cocaine and heroin addicts began their drug use with beer or wine–not marijuana.
Myth: Marijuana is addicting.
Fact: Marijuana is not physically addicting. Medical studies rank marijuana as less habit forming than caffeine. The legal drugs of tobacco (nicotine) and alcohol can be as addicting as heroin or cocaine, but marijuana is one of the least habit forming substances known.
Myth: Marijuana contains over 400 chemicals, thus proving that marijuana is dangerous.
Fact: Coffee contains 1,500 chemicals. Rat poison contains only 30 chemicals. Many vegetables contain cancer-causing chemicals. There is no correlation between the number of chemicals a substance contains and its toxicity. Prohibitionists often cite this misleading statistic to make marijuana appear dangerous.
Myth: Smoking marijuana can cause cancer and serious lung damage.
Fact: There chance of contracting cancer from smoking marijuana is minuscule. Tobacco smokers typically smoke 20+ cigarettes every day for decades, but virtually nobody smokes marijuana in the quantity and frequency required to cause cancer. A 1997 UCLA study (see page 9) concluded that even prolonged and heavy marijuana smoking causes no serious lung damage. Cancer risks from common foods (meat, salt, dairy products) far exceed any cancer risk posed by smoking marijuana. Respiratory health hazards and cancer risks can be totally eliminated by ingesting marijuana in baked foods.
Myth: Today’s marijuana is more potent and more harmful than it was many years ago.
Fact: There is no medical evidence that shows high-potency marijuana is more harmful than low-potency marijuana. Marijuana is literally one of the least toxic substances known. High-potency marijuana is actually preferable because less is of it consumed to obtain the desired effect; thereby reducing the amount of smoke that enters the lungs and lowering the risk of any respiratory health hazards. Claiming that high-potency marijuana is more harmful than low-potency marijuana is like claiming wine is more harmful than beer.
Marijuana Smoking Doesn’t Kill
Illegal Herb Not Harmless, but Data Show No Link to Death
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
Sept. 18, 2003 — Marijuana smoking isn’t harmless, but at least it won’t kill you.
It’s been feared that marijuana smoke, like tobacco smoke, causes cancer and heart disease. The evidence argues otherwise, writes Stephen Sidney, MD, associate director for research for Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif., in the Sept 20 issue of The British Medical Journal.
“Although the use of [marijuana] is not harmless, the current knowledge base does not support the assertion that it has any notable adverse public health impact in relation to mortality,” Sidney concludes.
No Marijuana Deaths in 2 Large Studies
Sidney points to two large studies. The first is from (where else?) California. A large HMO looked at 65,177 men and women age 15-49. Over 10 years, marijuana users died no sooner than nonusers.
The second study looked at 45,450 Swedish army conscripts. They were 18-20 years old when asked about marijuana use. Fifteen years later, the marijuana users were just as likely to remain alive as nonusers.
And since marijuana smoking can’t kill outright — there’s no such thing as a fatal marijuana overdose — short-term use isn’t deadly. Long-term use can’t be good for you. But Sidney notes that most marijuana smokers don’t become long-term users.
One worry about marijuana smoke is that it is inhaled, and held, deep in the lungs. But the typical user smokes only one marijuana cigarette — or less — a day. Tobacco users often smoke 20 or more cigarettes daily. Moreover, tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Marijuana, Sidney concludes, is less likely to harm than tobacco.
A 2001 study suggested that marijuana smoking increases the risk of heart attack in the hour immediately after smoking. But this seems to be the case in no more than one-fifth of 1% of heart attacks — a very rare risk indeed.
More Marijuana Deaths in the Future?
Marijuana users shouldn’t cancel their life insurance policies just yet. Sidney warns that longer-term data may indeed show that marijuana smoking eventually raises the risk of premature death.
And if marijuana is legalized, long-term use may become more common. If this is the case, there certainly will be more long-term effects of marijuana use.
SOURCE: Sidney, S. The British Medical Journal, Sept. 20, 2003; vol 327: pp 635-636.
And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more
consumed with hunger in the land.
— Ezekiel 34/29
Every 3.6 seconds someone in the world dies of hunger. Hemp seeds are the most nutritious and economical solution to end world hunger. With an 80 percent concentration of “good fats” our bodies need for good health maintenance and protein with all eight amino acids plus optimum dietary fibre, hemp truly is a “perfect balance” food source.
One acre of hemp can produce as much raw fibre as 4.1 acres of trees. Pulping hemp for paper would produce a strong paper that lasts incredibly long and doesn’t yellow with age. Also, using hemp as a raw source for paper would eliminate the need to cut down our dwindling old-growth forests which contribute to climate control and clean the air we breathe.
———-
NEWS:
Michigan became the thirteenth state to legalize the physician supervised possession and use of cannabis. According to early returns, more than 60 percent of Michigan voters decided in favor of Proposal 1, which establishes a state-regulated system regarding the use and cultivation of medical marijuana by qualified patients. Voters endorsed the measure despite a high profile, deceptive, and despicable ad campaign by Prop. 1 opponents — who falsely claimed that the initiative would allow for the open sale of marijuana “in every neighborhood, just blocks from schools.” (In fact, Proposal 1 does not even allow for the creation of licensed cannabis dispensaries.) Michigan’s new law goes into effect on December 4th, at which time nearly one-quarter of the US population will live in a state that authorizes the legal use of medical cannabis.
———– MORE:
A Government Agency Tells the Truth About Marijuana
The government is extremely multifaceted, so which agency am I referring to? The University of Texas at Austin’s University Health Services.
Instead of promoting fear and paranoia, or subsidizing the private prison industry lobby, their mission is to “support academic pursuits by fostering physical and psychological wellness and by promoting healthy lifestyles among UT students”. Perhaps this frees them up from the usual propaganda requirements.
At any rate, check out the UHS page on Marijuana. Some selected portions:
Q: Smoking marijuana causes laziness and saps motivation.
A: Undetermined, but it appears to be more false than true. The lack of motivation that some heavy users experience often can be attributed to other factors such as the use of alcohol or other drugs, depression, or other underlying personality characteristics.
Q: Marijuana is a “gateway drug.” (That is, smoking pot leads to using harder drugs.)
A: This is most likely false. Most drug users don’t begin with marijuana, but start with tobacco and alcohol at a fairly young age. People who go on to use harder drugs tend to be experimenters. Pot is just one of several or many drugs that experimenters may try.
Q: Use of marijuana promotes aggression and crime.
A: This is generally false. Marijuana usually has a calming effect. Most criminals who use marijuana began committing crimes before they started smoking pot. On the other hand, a couple of studies have shown a correlation between heavy marijuana use in teenagers and aggressive behavior, disruptive behavior, and crime. It’s important to note that correlations do not necessarily show cause and effect.
Source for this information is also:http://www.legalizationofmarijuana.com/marijuana-myths.html
These are facts from our own U.S. Government and Science.
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1:41 pm
So Billings,Let’s see where you get YOUR “FACTS” from…You may not like the facts that I posted,but they are genuine facts from our government and scientists.
You are losing the battle..
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3:54 pm
I have been around this world long enough to learn everything I need to know about marijuana and its users. That film above is a great synopsis of the TRUE dangers of this drug.
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1:50 pm
Billings…. Mr. Billings…
There is no room in heaven for your ego. Satan is your god, not mine. I have faith the lord will enlighten you to your arrogance and ignorance in the near future.
good day and god bless
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4:19 pm
OK, just to preface, I am an interfaith polytheist. I look to any and all world faiths for inspiration, insight, truth, and understanding and such things.
So with that…the writer is a jackass. That video is classic propaganda, you are only gonna convince the ignorant with that one.
You can’t patently say ANY substance is bad. Morphine is bad, but not if you shattered 10 vertebrae, then it is vital to survival.
You can’t say wine is patently bad, then ritually drink it every week(or however often you take communion).
I literally grew up in a cool 1905-ish domed sanctuary church, it was my daycare, my rollerblade arena, my playpen where i could explore, my place of learning, where i ate meals.
Nobody in my church growing up would have spouted out the sinful tripe this site produces. When one forgets the spiritual truth and sets their ways in the dogmas of inaccurate translations, missing the countless unknown connotations of cultural conditions, then they have lost the way to the gods.
It is not through a book and hopeless attempts to intellectualize, compartmentalize, and disseminate, contradictory laws and concepts that we find our connection to the One, or the many, or the All. It is through seeking truth beyond the book. The Book is simply a historical artifact to keep us connected to the founding of civilization. It is our first real historical reckoning. Not the inspired instruction of any of the Gods, or the supreme Godhead. Men wrote it, Another man translated it for a corrupt king. Many popes edited it to their will. And you think this is the inspired work of God? It is the product of 3 thousand years of meddling an misunderstanding. A place to go to stimulate the search for the gods, not the final truth and instruction.
Now…on to the topic
To say with a blanket that the usage of marijuana is abuse, is just a form of lying. There are therapies, both psychological and physical that it helps with, just like poppies and their precious morphine.
And to up the ante, recent studies(multiple of them) report that psyloscibin(sp?), the active thingy in mushrooms, may be helpful in psychotherapy. The study, I will have to look for if requested, says that patients receiving the real chemical reported a better overall sense of well-being for 6 months afterwards. Just a preliminary study, but it is science of the real, and that is where we should look to decide civil policy….not an archaic artifact like the bible.
As a compassionate polytheist, i could never support laws based on my faith. That would be sinful and oppressive of those who do not see as I do. Faith based law is an abomination upon society. We should all be free to live the life we believe in our heart of honest hearts is the right way for us, as individuals.
silly stuff:
Franckenscense contains an MAO-Inhibitor, doesn’t that make Jesus a drug addict from birth?
Olive Oil contains an anti-inflammitory, so every time jesus touched someone he was spreading drugs….and drug usage.
Jesus drank lots of wine…there are tons of citations of it in your precious edited, redacted version, your King James.
Thou shalt not bear false witness….<—— In journalism, if you DO NOT cite scientific sources you are lying….thats how REAL journalism works.
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6:30 pm
steven you are an ignorant asshole…that is all…have a nice day.
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6:50 pm
I don’t need my soul in heaven, i prefer my brain in earth and my mind into the universe. brb, smoking the hell out of my lovely MJ.
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9:24 pm
My response:
http://bible.cc/genesis/1-29.htm
epic PWNAGE
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2:36 am
pwn indeed
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3:55 pm
Do you know what it means to be Born Again in the Spirit? Do you know what responsibilities God asks of you? Can you honestly say sitting around on a saggy couch smoking bong hits and watching cartoons is part of His plan?
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9:21 pm
Well god being omnipotent and all that he knew you were going to be a stonner before you did and thus doomed us poor devils weed smokers to hell. Makes you wonder if he is so loving and powerful why does he let “men of god” molest innocent children, some god.
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12:14 pm
HAVE YOU EVER MET THAT GOD GUY? He seems like kind of a dick, i don’t even want to spend an eternity in “heaven” with him.
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12:57 pm
Questions 2./4./5./6./8./13./15./18./20.
I have been using Cannabis Medicinally for 5 years. The questions I have typed above I have never had problems with while under the effects of Cannabis.
2 – I do not suffer from depression while on it or not on it.
4 – I have never broken out in acne because of Cannabis.
5 – I am fully aware of my actions, I would never engage in sexual intercourse under the effects of Cannabis if i did not want to.
6 – I turn down joints before work every morning.
8 – While under the effects of Cannabis I am open to a wide range of music, which I believe gives myself a better range of music to practice my skills, making me a better musician.
9 – I have never once been angry under the effects of Cannabis, I am relaxed and at peace.
13 – I have never been hospitalized for using Cannabis, The reason why i am using Cannabis Medicinally is to prevent that very thing from happening.
15 – No, I have never called in to work to smoke pot. That irresponsible, also effects future pay, which effects daily living life.
18 – Very slight discoloring, mainly because of Cigarette smoke in my younger years. I use water pipes to prevent that.
20 – No. I would not if god asked me to. Smoking Cannabis keeps me able to continue my daily activities without any problems or worries.
Please don’t stereotype all Cannabis smokers as one singularity.
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1:10 pm
I once did an entire marijuana and woke up in the emergency room.
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1:33 pm
Anyone who takes this site seriously is just feeding the trolls. But by all means please continue, you’re providing good content.
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2:18 pm
http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php
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2:33 pm
Ahahahahahhahahahahahahha…
Seriously, I have been a youth peer minister at my church for years and I smoke weed everyday. Im still the best person for the kids there, best worker at my job, provide for my family the best I can…
Seriously, the only thing bad about marijuana is that cops would arrest you. Thats the only bad thing, and thats going to change in November in California. And the worst part, a majority of Republicans are FOR the legalization of weed. You guys can live in the stone age if you want, im in the age of getting stoned.
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9:18 am
I was an atheist until I picked up my first joint, it was then I realized the truth and love of our savior Jesus Christ and became a Christian.
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7:50 am
That’s not funny.
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11:46 am
I guess that something that God made is bad. I mean, surely God didn’t really mean “I give man every seed bearing plant.” Gen 1:29. Surely, man made laws trump God’s laws. Isn’t this what you are really saying?
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7:54 am
Do all of your hippies read from the same cliff notes? Your people have pulled this verse out a hundred times in the past week already. Do you really believe it means we should all eat poison ivy and pine cone? And what about opium? Please don’t treat me like an idiot. You have no knowledge of what it means to be faithful to God’s teachings.
“They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.” –2 Chronicles 15:12-13.
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3:20 am
Haha, no loser christian radical would know where to find those nice pictures…it would be some squares trying to smoke a plastic bong and look very shady.
Even squares would have to reconsider their position seeing a hottie smoke a Roor.
Stephen, you are a genius to stick with your persona so well ><
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7:55 am
It’s called Google.
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1:19 pm
damn im fried as hell right now reading this and im laughing my ass off! oh yeah and i would definitely smoke with the girls in the pictures ohhhh yeeaaahh!
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2:46 pm
Dear Mr. Billings,
after reading some of your articles, I have to come to the conclusions that you are one of the stupidest and most hateful people I have ever come across. You need to do some research and get more up to date facts and sources, as pointed out by many people already. I used to be a very active christian until I grew older and realized how hypocritical and stupid many christians, yourself included really are. Your attitude is exactly what has turned me and countless others away from your religion. Now, back to the reason i am writing this. To help you in the writing of your next article on cannabis, i will include this link: http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_faq1.shtml#2-1 this website is dedicated to helping people truly understand many legal and illegal substances. i strongly suggest you throughly go through this site for an unbiased and educational point of view. Oh, and The Comedian, i fucking love you, i laughed so hard at how many times you have torn this man a new one. keep up the good work.
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3:57 pm
“The Judge”– Laughing Out Loud! How wonderful you would select that as a user name when you don’t seem capable of embracing the simplest ethics.
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2:08 am
Did you even read my comment? I offered you a legitimate counter-argument, it has nothing to with my comprehension of ethics, which by the way is very likely much greater than yours. I am a daily smoker, have a job, my own place, and fit into society just fine. I don’t believe in your god, however as I said I used to be a very strong christian and smoked even then. Smoking marijuana simply does not cause the things you claim, you’re lying to yourself and everyone that reads your articles. Which by the way, lying is an abomination to the lord. Oh look, I can quote the bible too! Anyway, back to the point, many “good christians” I know on a very personal level have smoked with me on many occasions. Simply put, pot is not what you claim and if you did the smallest bit of research, you would come to realize you are entirely wrong. At least look into other, more reliable sources before you say the things you do.
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4:06 am
There are many different kinds of ethics. I don’t share your taste in ethical practices. I prefer Aristotillian ethics.
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2:54 pm
Hey my friend totally just said this to me,
” hey its 420, anyone wanna smoke some homegrown bud on my yellow subarine to humboldt county where we’ll mow the grass?” I’m afraid that he is asking me to smoke the “wacky tobaccy” for the first time.What do i do?
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3:20 pm
do it faggot hahahaha!
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10:00 pm
Everything is okay in moderation. I doubt we would use an alcoholic drink for the blood of Jesus if God did not want us to drink. It is ridiculous to say you are going to hell if you get drunk, while the son of God is supplying the wine.
I believe the bible means man should not be a slave to these substances, and thus many still are sinners in that respect. But having the ocassional beer or joint is fine. When these substances interfere with your life and faith is a problem.
It is more of a sin to control what your fellow man can do, than to let him sin. For only God is suppose to command man.
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2:24 am
Stevie maybe you should have tried it,it might have stopped you from smoking COCK.
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3:34 pm
no, you are not addicted to cush, seeing as it is a non-addictive substance
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3:40 pm
Just a quick thought. Marijuana grows naturally on the earth, right?
Well, God created the world and everything in it, correct?
God then said it was good, correct?
Marijuana=on earth= Made by God= Good
…or did God make a mistake?
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10:48 pm
I am so sick of this fucking fascist propoganda-fuckery.
There is no god and you are not superior to anyone else. I smoke pot on occasion, and I am more like your Jesus than you are. At least I don’t spend my time condemning people for smoking a natural herb which you obviously know nothing about.
In fact, look at the rastas. The rastas are the best christians out there because they don’t take their asses so god damned seriously and smoke on the ganja to get closer to Jah, and take their spirituality to heart. They’re a bunch of misguided motherfuckers but at least they’re fucking chill about it.
But the worst thing is, you’re condemning people as if you know exactly what it is your God wants. Who are you to proclaim what ‘God’ wants? That’s fucking bullshit, asswipe, remember the 10 commandments?
Exodus 20:7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
You’re fucked buddy, you have spoken in the name of your God and according to this, that shit really pisses him off. So fuck you and your campaign of misinformation and fearmongering.
Jesus, I’m a fucking atheist and I know more about the bible than you do. Have you even fucking read that piece of shit? I have, it was the worst fucking book ever. They tell the same god damned story 4 times over but nothing makes any fucking sense, and then after that is a rant by some repressed fucking homo named Paul who hates sex because he can’t attract any fucking women.
And the worst thing is, Paul thinks that because he’s not getting his balls sucked dry by an insatiable whore, nobody can. Paul’s a fucking asshole and nobody should be listening to his stupid fucking ass in the first place.
All you bible-bashing morons make me and the rest of humanity with an IQ above 65 really fucking sick. You have none of the answers and act like you know fucking everything. Come to my house, smoke a fat blunt with me and then tell me that I’m going to fucking hell motherfucker because I will throw you out of the god damn window. You can’t smoke my weed and then tell me I’m a sinner, that’s bullshit.
Also, at the last guy: If God made pot it should be good is a crappy argument. According to these demented weirdos, God also created rattlesnakes. Don’t fuck with rattlesnakes, Austin, because they will
fuck
you
up.
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9:10 am
This cite is the most ludicrous display of Christianity what happened to thou shalt not judge who r u to tell me what’s right and wrong u act like u r our god and if we don’t listen we will surely go to hell.this is just ur interpretation not mine absolutely mind boggling to say that women r the devil men r just as bad if not worse absolutely incredible that people believe this garbage
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10:30 pm
Sucessful troll is sucessful
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:LnjDmosPmIr_ZM::imagemacros.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/successful-troll/&t=1&usg=AFrqEzeOMOG11jK2Ghjg2TAEG42jxU_daQ
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4:13 pm
I just got done burning one and by the grace of god managed to find this article. Best troll job ever!…Billings, you’re a genius. This is my new favorite website
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12:43 pm
Ignorance is the only way to explain this article and many other articles written by uninformed “journalists” who have been trapped into believing the thought that marijuana is a drug. In all actuality the drug is inside the mind of the user. The person who uses mary jane as a drug also uses everything in their life in excess “like a drug”. Lets look at the real drug problem, the pharmaceutical age we live in. Countless number of walking zombies roam the streets clouded with numerous chemicals with a list of side effects as long as the world is round. now you tell me who the real drug users are, maby its those who believe in everything they hear from half-rate reporters. The issue that is a hard one to handle is that the power is still in the hands of the pharmaceutical corps. The reason being is that the legislature allows someone with a “pain” issue to go to the doctor and recieve a perscription for valium or vicodin, or countless number of meds, to not help the problem but to only mask it. Marijuana should be in the same catagorie as any meds that a doctor is able to perscribe. In a world where everything made sense to everyone there wouldnt be this issue because people would realize the ridiculousness of this topic and mary jane would not have a legality attached to it. people would be able to grow and use how they please. Unfortunatly we live in a world where money is a huge deciding factor in EVERYTHING. This is why we will never be able to understand why people dont want or do want things to be supplyable to the people. We are regulated to the max on our entire lifestyle and this is why we cant choose what is rite for ourselves, lobyists and groups of people decide for us. This is the system we have been forced to be a part of. Lets start deciding what is rite for ourselves and not for others. lets regain our human rights and stop listening to the ignorant brabble. as for using the bible against marijuana, there is a verse or line in the bible that could be INTERPRETATED as what ever you want. The fact is marijuana is natural. stop believing everything you hear and learn for yourself!
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4:26 pm
This article made me laugh because most of these “effects of marijuana” are actually effects of OTHER drugs. Pot heads don’t get violent and need to lock themselves in a bathroom to “come down”, they don’t get arrogant and pompous. And pimples? Really? Try angel dust, cocaine and crystal meth.
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4:37 pm
Ahahaha okok you got me.
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5:40 pm
hey, you are the reasons why Christians get such a bad name; you spread out lies.
you should get the facts because the Bible also tells you not to lie in the 10 Commandments. just the fact you said violence is a sad reality of a pot smoker; BULL SHIT.
I’m sorry, but you don’t even have to be Christian, just be Human. you’re probably against gay marriage as well.
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1:08 pm
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4:42 am
First of all I really hope I can get a reply from you since this is your blog and you seem to be replying, which is nice. But really quickly is there a reason you are referring everyone to being young children? Unless there is a way your finding out that i don’t know about which makes sense, if not I just think it is kind of demeaning for us who are adults.
Anyway, I can see why you would very easily think everyone pro-marijuana is very immature because of their use of bad language etc., but I do think it is kind of a reasonable point that you often avoid questions by saying they are going off topic (which i find ironic) My argument is not one of being pro-marijuana but that your article seems to be insane. It is SO accusing ANY use of marijuana as being addicted and as many pointed out your “symptoms” are obserd. You use the excuse that you were refering to using the articles for covering marijuana, then why don’t you just say that in the article instead of just saying “7. Do you ever laugh inappropriately?” That has NOTHING to do with marijuana, and if you are hitting your kids on it and are high and going to the hospital, YES, there is a problem! It seems no matter what anyone says if they are opposing your viewpoint you view them as being a childish fool, I myself am a christian and would appreciate if you didn’t call me a hippie. If you were to post some valid arguments against your hate comments (which their seems to be alot of for a reason) maybe it would not get this out of hand.
PS – I used “Google” to search many terms such as weed, marijuana, pot, smoking, reefer, and many more and those pictures were not on the first 2 sections so im not sure why you are using those as they are pretty inappropriate even though you are not advocating it, it’s still on your “article”
Thanks for replying, Andrew
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6:31 am
I woke up early today because I had a urinary tract infection and I’m a bit in agony. Your demeaning comment does not help. Where do you get off being so bossy? My article is clearly aimed at families dealing with a serious addiction issue. It’s shocking to me that you find humor in that. Personally, I am not insane. And the truth is many PARENTS are dealing with children suffering from narcotics usage and will find this piece very helpful in saving lives. SAVING LIVES!!!!! God bless.
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6:14 am
I git high nd i rrrrape kittens,
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4:20 pm
I would just like to ask, if there is any scientific evidence for this? I being a college student who frequently consumes cannabis with a GPA of 4 i feel that what you posted is lies. I have never hallucinated and personally dont even see cannabis as a drug. Its a plant, people can smoke cannabis all they want in the private of their house and you would never know. Marijuana is technically not a narcotic either, just since the United States has adopted such draconian marijuana that they coined it as a narcotic. You might want to get some scientific evidence and try smoking yourself. If i never smoked cannabis i would be just like you no doubt. It has opened up my mind to the entire world, call me a hippy if you want ill gladly accept your stereotypes, hippy’s are peaceful unlike you stereotyping judgmental Christians. So before you condemn me to hell (which is as fake as god) i would just love to say FUCK YOU. Im sure your a nice guy but honestly dont spread lies it brings everyone down your not helping anyone with your outlandish testimonies, sir.
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6:12 pm
I love it when people say, “I’m a college student with a 4.0 GPA”. First of all, why the point zero? Why include that at all? IT DOESN”T MAKE SENSE! And most kids in school have no idea what their grades are, let alone the calculation of their GPA, which normally only comes out once a year. So stop trying to impress me. I could make up this sort of nonsense as well. I had a 10.00 GPA in college. Why don’t you put that in your pipe and smoke it, you freak. Really, do you go around telling girls this in order to impress them? I AM NOT IMPRESSED! As for my facts, you are apparently not intelligent enough to understand my article. Surprising, since you have a 4 GPA! If you want to comprehend things my imbecilic friend, there are LINKS AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE! They provide all the proof you need. Again, you’re an idiot and you amuse me.
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8:03 pm
Poor retarded incestuous man.
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6:27 am
Man you are just so smart. You completely avoid everything, and pick out 1 thing from my reply and traveled along with it throughout the whole post. Your hardcore stereotyping and you think that god will love you for spreading bullshit? Do you think that everyone who smokes pot is a freak? For your links thats not proof thats Christian bullshit, i want Scientific evidence, but i am sure your lacking that like every other brainwashed Christian who ignores any scientific facts and thinks that a big invisible bearded man in the sky does everything. By the way using caps lock doesn’t help get your idiotic point across it just makes you look like an immature little kid who does not know what they are talking about. SO HOW ABOUT YOU PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT?
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8:03 pm
Your post is not saving lies, because marijuana is not taking any lives and never will.
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10:55 pm
“Some of my finest hours have been spent sitting on my back veranda, smoking hemp and observing as far as my eye can see.”
-Thomas Jefferson
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6:11 pm
Mr. Billings,
I find your argument largely opinionated, judgmental, and lacking in facts.
I have responded to each of your points below. I respect your opinion and hope to hear your response.
1. Have you ever smoked marijuana to escape your problems?
When people smoke marijuana, they are not doing so to escape their problems, they are doing so to better confront and accept them. Since there is no scientific evidence backing either of our claims, so it is simply my opinion vs. your opinion. I do smoke marijuana. I boldly assume that you do not. Whose opinion should a neutral party choose to agree with? The one who knows from their own experience, or the one who is making speculations?
2. Do you suffer from depression because of your drug use?
While many hard drugs may cause depression. People smoke marijuana because it is a mood booster, and is relaxing and fun (Do your religious beliefs prevent you from having fun?)
3. Have you lost interest in physical exercise and hard work?
I’m in the best shape I’ve been in my whole life. I also, being a university student, have the best grades I’ve gotten in my whole life. Am I an exception? I don’t think so. The real problem with staying healthy is our eating habits.
4. Do you suffer from pimples and acne even though you’re no longer a teenager?
I find it pathetic that you use anecdotal evidence on a message board rather than any science evidence to claim any significant relationship between acne and marijuana usage.
5. Ever woken up the next morning and regretted a sexual experience?
Marijuana lowers inhibitions and causes regretted sexual experiences? I think you’ve mixed that up with alcohol.
6. Can you remember the last time you turned down a marijuana “joint”?
Yes, I can remember the last time I “turned down a marijuana joint”. It was a few days ago. Most people who smoke marijuana smoke it only occasionally. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, less than 1 percent of the American population smokes marijuana on a daily basis.
7. Do you ever laugh inappropriately?
Laughing is a wonderful thing and laughing spontaneously should not be frowned upon.
8. Do you feel that drugs enhance your enjoyment of music?
Of course marijuana enhances enjoyment of music. That is one of the best things about it! What is your favorite music group? I bet if you smoked a joint (or vaporized or ate an edible if smoking isn’t your preference), you would rediscover that band and fall in love with them all over again.
9. Have you ever hurt your children or your spouse while high on drugs?
There is NO LINK between marijuana and violent behavior!!! It’s quite the opposite. For some facts, please visit this website: http://www.saferchoice.org/content/view/24/53/
10. Do you own Visine eye drops, cigarette rolling papers or incense?
Visine is a great way to clear up dry eyes, no matter the cause. Also, incense is a pleasant aroma for a room that many people enjoy for non-intoxicating activities.
11. Ever made a late night ATM withdrawals to pay for your habit?
No, I haven’t.
12. Do you choose your friends based on their ability to “score” drugs?
The people who I smoke with are the people closest to me. That includes my friends, and some of my relatives (including elders).
13. Have you ever been hospitalized for marijuana usage?
No one gets hospitalized for smoking marijuana unless there was some kind of allergic reaction which is extremely rare.
14. When you smoke, do you put yourself in situations that you would consider dangerous when sober?
Many more people smoke with their closest friends in a comfortable area than with strangers in dangerous situations.
15. Have you ever called in sick to work so you could abuse pot?
Any occasions of this are not due to marijuana, but more out of a disinterest for their work. Those kinds of people will find any reason to avoid work.
16. Are you familiar with the terms: 420, bud, yellow submarine, homegrown, mow the grass or Humboldt Country?
I find drug terms quite interesting on a sociological level. It’s great to expand your understanding of different cultures.
17. Do you suffer from frequent hallucinations?
Hallucinations? You’re thinking of LSD, Magic Mushroom, Mescaline, DMT, or something similar, not marijuana.
18. Are your fingers burned or discolored?
Burned and discolored fingernails are definitely not a common occurrence.
19. Do you ever have unexplained moments of grandiosity?
That is false. Please provide some scientific evidence for such a ridiculous claim.
20. The most important question of all: Would you give up marijuana if God asked you to?
Sure, but I’d also ask him why he would be spending his time asking me to give up enjoying one of the herbs that he blessed me with, rather than asking world leaders to give up something like, oh I don’t know, war and genocide.
Remember,
God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth.…To you it will be for meat. … And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:29-31)
Educate yourself. The cannabis plant is incredibly versatile and has many medicinal and industrial uses. It plant is NOT physically addictive and is not physically destructive.
I am not a very religious man, but if I was, I know that God would want me to partake virtue and wonder of the fruits of his creation.
Regards,
~Michael
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6:36 pm
If I roll my weed in pages from the bible, then isn’t the weed smoke holy?
Yahweh, dam straight it is.
God Bless Y’all.
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7:53 pm
Hot box a church and God will kiss your ass.
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10:19 am
Your attempt at making an “addiction test” falls rather short. For the sake of information, as someone who has overcome an addiction to cannabis, I’m going to provide contrasted answers to each of the questions for the “before”, “during”, and “after” the addiction, as well as some criticall analisys on them.
1. Have you ever smoked marijuana to escape your problems?
Before: no. During: yes. Afer: no.
“People often turn to substance abuse to avoid real life situations that they are incapable of coping with because they lack the will or emotional strength.”
Allright, hit in the center on this one. I wouldn’t entirely agree on the wording you have choosen, but overall you got it right. OTOH, if you know of anyone who is capable of coping with three jobs that barely pay for college, a depression, family issues, and a complex relationship with a gap of some thousand miles separating a couple, all at the same time, I’d applaud that person.
In any case, there is one aspect of this point I’ll go deeper into this “escaping the problems” topic. But for now let’s go down through the rest of the questions.
2. Do you suffer from depression because of your drug use?
That’s a triple no. Worth mentioning that I ended up using drugs because of a depression.
“Narcotics drain the spirit of positive energy and make people generally unhappy. They begin to distrust every form of tradition and morality they encounter and they turn their backs on Christ.”
I know of no mechanisms to measure the positive energy in someone’s spirit, so I can’t know how accurate that claim is.
One of the well-known effects of cannabis, however, is that it alters perception. So it’s a direct consequence that, with a distorted perception, a smoker is likely to question most traditions and morality. In fact, a good deal of morality is quite dependant on the viewpoint; so it’s only natural that a distorted viewpoint will distort morality.
3. Have you lost interest in physical exercise and hard work?
Not much of a reliable question on my case, as I am more inclined to take into mental activity than physical (I am a software developer, so for me “hard work” means struggling with some thousand lines of code to find out on which of them things ain’t going how they should). I could say that I was engaging on a lot more physical activity during the years I was addicted; but I guess my huge intakes of sugar during that time played a big role on that.
“Marijuana seriously reduces the motivation for healthful bodily activities so necessary for a vital, successful life. Such inactivity also makes the abuser antisocial and lonely. Remember, Colossians 3:23 tell us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.””
I can say from direct observation that this is highly dependent on the nature of each individual. I know people who turn extremely hyperactive when they were “high”. I have also seen the oposite on some other people. On the social aspect, there is also a high variety of effects, quite related to the perception distortion on #2.
4. Do you suffer from pimples and acne even though you’re no longer a teenager?
Before: N/A, I was indeed a teenager; During: no; After: slightly.
“One’s skin is an indicator of what’s happening on the inside, and pot smokers cannot escape the scourge of frequent pimples.”
In fact, tobacco has a much more drastic effect on skin than cannabis.
5. Ever woken up the next morning and regretted a sexual experience?
Triple no again. I have *never* regretted a sexual experience; but I have to add that I have only had such experiences with one person, and I have no intent on ever having them with anyone else.
“Marijuana lowers inhibitions and smokers regularly engage in perverse acts of copulation. Guilt, regret and shame are common and there is no way to avoid this when one lights up.”
The point about lowering inhibitions is indeed true. Whether the acts are “perverse” is a matter of opinion I can tell in advance we won’t agree on.
The point where this fails is that someone who is really addict doesn’t “light up”. In my case, smoking a joint used to be the last thing I did every night, and the first one every morning.
In fact, the continuous “smoked” state is the main fuel of the addiction. It is common for addicts to think they are not “high”. Been there, done that. When the habit turns into a routine, each joint when you are “high” doesn’t put you “higher”, it just keeps you “high”. Keep on that for a while, add in the distorted perception from #2 to the mix, and the difference between “high” and “normal” quickly blurs until it’s unnoticeable. An addict is unable to realize that s/he’s “high”.
6. Can you remember the last time you turned down a marijuana “joint”?
Yes, I can. The night between May 28th and 29th. Do you need/want details? But to provide a more relevant answer, I turned down a joint from time to time even on the time I was addicted.
“Addicts are incapable of saying the word, “no.””
Fortunately, when they are too high they are also incapable of rolling a joint, or even of holding it. Actually, the fact that smoking requires some degree of manual and breath coordination makes this *slightly* less dangerous than some “hard” drugs.
7. Do you ever laugh inappropriately?
Triple yes on this one.
“Hallucinogenic drugs corrode the brain to such an extent that the toker fails to navigate social situations properly. They live deep inside their heads and laugh randomly to the shock and dismay of those around them. It’s an embarrassment.”
I have always had a tendency to dive deep into my head; and I know of plenty of people with a similar tendency. Which makes this question highly unreliable.
8. Do you feel that drugs enhance your enjoyment of music?
Another triple no.
“Music bands like the Phish or the Grateful Dead are notoriously connected with drug abuse for in their meaningless strummings the addict finds a soundtrack worthy of schizophrenia.”
I don’t know those bands, but I’m sure you won’t like the kind of music I listen. Quite a pity, because Metallica’s masterpiece “Master of Puppets” is actually quite a good match for this topic: despite the unusual approach, it’s a rather tough warning on the dangers of drugs and addictions.
But aside from that, the triple no is again a hint that the question is not representative enough, and hence not reliable.
9. Have you ever hurt your children or your spouse while high on drugs?
I have no children, and I’m not formally married (now, I know you’ll feel tempted to take on that, but are we speaking about drugs or about marriage?). If I were to ask about my girlfriend, I may have hurt her by accident (like turning around while carrying something, without realizing she was behind me) on some rare ocassion (and the other way around would also be true, she hurting me by accident); but overall I’m rather far from being a violent person.
“Violence is a sad reality of the pot smoker. If you’re high and want to beat someone, the best idea is to lock yourself in a closet or bathroom until you “come down.””
Actually, cannabis, tobacco, and the vast majority of CNS depressors have the contrary effect. That effect is much more common with alcohol and exciting drugs (even caffeine, on high enough amounts). In fact, when I get too upset at something, it often helps to get a cigarrete to calm down.
So, once again, unreliable question.
10. Do you own Visine eye drops, cigarette rolling papers or incense?
I never used eye drops (except for two weeks as a child, under prescription, for an ocular infection… not relevant, but I’d rather say it than lie). I do own cigarrete rolling paper, but I smoke hand-rolled tobacco; and I often have some incense bars at hand, simply because my mother and some friends like it, and it’s always nice to be an attent host when they come to visit me.
“If you’re so immersed in the lifestyle that you need to purchase paraphernalia, that’s a problem. How far will this go? Will you borrow money to buy special pipes and imported crops?”
That question was a close miss. The examples you used are too situational, and all of them have alternative uses. Pipes, seeds, and other *specialized* paraphernalia would have worked much better for that question. Although that on its own would still not be enough (I know of people who have a collection of pipes, posters with the Jamaican flag and/or Bob Marley’s silouete, and even plants in their balconies who don’t actually smoke, they just like the colors, the music, and the shape of the leaves, respectively).
The extra question on borrowing money, however, is far better. I’ll admit that I was often borrowing money when I was addicted, and there was a clear relation with my consumption; but I must also point out (as stated earlier) that a bad economical situation was one of the factors that led me to cannabis.
11. Ever made a late night ATM withdrawals to pay for your habit?
Again triple “no”, and again bad question despite a not so bad point behind it. Keep in mind that cannabis is generally much more affordable than “hard” drugs. Due to this, most buyers will often be able to get small amounts of it with “pocket money”.
“The danger here is that many of these machines are located in inner city neighborhoods where robbery and other crimes are rampant. Are you willing to take that risk simply to feed your vile needs?”
Persons buying drugs will often be much more cautios about being caught than about the risks you mention. As most addicts would avoid the late night withdrawals due to a different concern, the reliability of the question quickly falls down.
12. Do you choose your friends based on their ability to “score” drugs?
Triple “no” once again; but this time I don’t think it’s the question’s fault: I am rather picky and very exigent in terms of friendship (in fact, I only call “friends” the few ones I would blindly trust my life without hestiation).
“Friendship can be a deep and powerful thing, but when it is based solely on a shared addiction it is hollow. Take a look at those you spend the weekends with: would you really be willing to endure their personalities if they didn’t have a supply of marijuana?”
Good point. Despite I may be an “exception”, I think this question is quite reliable in general.
13. Have you ever been hospitalized for marijuana usage?
Of course, no. Due to its nature, it’s extremelly hard to ever need hospitalization for that.
“This may seem like an obvious question, but it bears asking. Take a good, hard look at yourself!”
This would be a good question for alcohol and/or hard drug addictions, but not for “soft” ones like cannabis or tobacco. Note that the distinction between hard and soft is exactly about this: hard drugs are the ones that have a big, quick effect, much more prominent than cummulative effects, while the soft ones are the ones whose damage “builds up” over time. Regardless of how good the intent could have been, the inclusion of this question makes me think that you didn’t document yourself properly before writing this.
14. When you smoke, do you put yourself in situations that you would consider dangerous when sober?
Actually, the other way around: I used to turn much more cautious when I was smoked. See the distorted perception from #2 once again.
“Are you hanging out in after hour clubs or violent ghettos? When you’re high, are you miles away from the people who truly love you? Ask yourself why!”
Again, this is highly dependant on many variables, so not reliable.
15. Have you ever called in sick to work so you could abuse pot?
Before addiction: no. During addiction: no. After addiction: no.
“A common problem for any kind of addict, putting indulgence ahead of proper work will eventually lead to impoverishment.”
Not a definitive question, but still relevant. A “no” doesn’t mean to much, but a “yes” would point to a clear problem.
16. Are you familiar with the terms: 420, bud, yellow submarine, homegrown, mow the grass or Humboldt Country?
Taking in account that the jargon varies widely by area (and I’m not a native English speaker), the question would need some rewording to work as probably intended. However, answering it for the jargon for my area and language, it would be a triple “yes” (in fact, I knew most of the jargon quite before ever having smoked)
“The layperson is not so educated on drug terms. If you think you’re not an addict, but know all these words maybe you need to think again.”
As exemplified by my answer, this is too situational. Anyone with doctors and/or police on their close family is likely to be somewhat familiar with the jargon. On areas where cannabis are relatively common, even non-smokers get quite used to the terms. So, once again, the question is not reliable.
17. Do you suffer from frequent hallucinations?
No. That one actually made me laugh, despite this is not a topic we should laugh about.
“Have you imagined your skin crawling with spiders or the government spying on you from the old tree in your yard? The paranoia is only going to get worse and shows that you are on the road to damnation.”
Now you have confirmed that you lack the documentation to put together a quiz like this. While some forms of mild paranoia can easily be associated to cannabis, going from there to “frequent hallucinations” is quite an overstretch. We are speaking about a CNS depressor here, not an hallucinogen. Even if they can be equally bad, they are different kinds of drugs with different kinds of effects.
18. Are your fingers burned or discolored?
Another resounding no. When miximg
“The people who love you will notice how the cruel habit manifests itself on your body. You think you can hide, but you can’t. You are a walking signpost of the dangers of addiction.”
There are many external signs of cannabis consumption, but skin pigmentation is not one of them. Redish eyes due to capilar dilatation, black-blue circles around the eyes are the most comon examples. However, these signs do not necessarily point to an addiction: an addict that stays for a day or so without smoking won’t show these symptoms; and a casual smoker (by casual I’m counting 2-3 joints or less per year) will still show them for a few hours after smoking. Furthermore, long-term consumption of tobacco can also trigger this (although not so heavily), so the question fails again as unreliable.
The most reliable sign you can look for are small burnt holes on clothes. Although they can be caused by cigarretes, they are much more common among frequent cannabis users, as part of the short-term effects are a loss at manual coordination (thus causing joints to fall often from the fingers of the smoker). And even that isn’t much reliable.
19. Do you ever have unexplained moments of grandiosity?
Triple no again.
“A pompous attitude is a side effect of pot smoking and while it is hard to detect when you’re on drugs, others around you will notice and warn you of this. Pay attention to your friends when they warn you about your arrogance!”
Sigh. See #2 even once more. This is a side effect of the distorted perception, and widely varies from person to person. Also, there are many persons who are already arrogant “by default”. So, once again, not reliable.
20. The most important question of all: Would you give up marijuana if God asked you to?
“God demanded the greatest sacrifice of Abraham when he asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove his faith. Abraham was willing to murder his beautiful son to prove to God that he loved Him. Would you be willing to do the same with your immature and dangerous habit? Are you capable of giving God that gift?”
Biased and speculative, so entirely unreliable. Biased because a non-believer would simply not believe that it’s God who’s asking (so you can’t rely on the response to know if that person is actually addicted); while a believer could easily concede that request, even if he was indeed addicted. Said in other words, this question serves as a comparison to see what’s stronger between the addiction and faith. While it’s an interesting question on itself, it’s not reliable as an indicative of addiction unless you can first somehow measure the subject’s faith to factor it in.
And, while it is an interesting question, due to the unlikeliness* of the event of God just popping up in front of someone to ask this, there is no telling on how the subject would react (that’s what I mean when defining the question as speculative). * To clarify, by “unlikeliness” I’m referring to the fact that, since there are not many reported cases about events like that, there would be a huge surprise factor to take into account.
In summary: while most of the questions presented are well aimed, too many of them miss on some critical detail or are too badly worded for the answers to be reliable indicators of addiction.
There is, however, an extremely reliable method to determine if you are addicted. Before going on, I must clarify that there is a significant difference between an addiction and an habit: while both are problems, addiction is easily identified by the body developing a physical dependence. That dependence is what makes it easy to find out: quit it for a week. The abstinence syndrome, similarly to tobacco, lasts between 24 and 78 hours. The symptoms are also similar to those of tobacco, although less pronounced: irritability, craving, anxiety, and some degree of disorientation* (this last one is probably a consequence from quitting the habit rather than a physical symptom, but since they always come together, it’s nearly impossible to empirically tell apart).
If you can abstain for a whole week without any of the symptoms, you are not physically addicted, and all you need to deal with is the habit (this isn’t as easy as it sounds, but is not as tough as dealing with both the habit and the physical dependence). If you experience the symptoms but can abstain for that whole week (congratulations, that takes a good deal of will!), I’d strongly recommend you to keep up the effort and hold on for at least a month: the hardest part is over, and after a month the craving should be almost gone. Then, while being sober, you can make a real choice to remain sober or to go back to the habit.
It may happen, however, that you just can’t hold the craving. Look for as much support as you can: family and friends are the first resource you should try (and I mean true friends worth your trust, not just random smoking buddies); but there are many others. Medical support can also help. I can’t say anything about Christian rehabilitation groups because I don’t know any of them closely enough, but it’s probably worth checking out.
There are some cases that are much more extreme. I know of two specific cases where professional therapists have been wise enough to suggest postponing the “challenge”: one of them, who was addicted to both cannabis and alcohol, was advised to not cut it off suddenly to protect those close to him from violent outbursts. The other case is my therapist recommending to postpone the idea of quitting tobacco for a while: adding the abstinence to the issues we are already dealing with could easily cause more damage than a few more months of smoking. As I said, this are extreme cases, but even them there is hope if you are willing to change things.
This is already getting quite long, but I said quite above that I would dig deeper on something about the first question.
An attempt to evade problems is what pulls people into all sort of addictions on the overwhelming majority of cases. This is bad, of course, but the fact that we are aware of it is actually good. It’s good because it allows us to deal something even more important than identifying addicts or helping them quit. Knowing the primary cause is the key to prevention.
Just telling someone how bad or evil smoking can be doesn’t work: when the problems are so dire that one cannot see an exit, anything that can even just mask them for a while is welcome. Whichever are the problems that are pulling someone towards an addiction, those are what we need to focus at to help that person. Had I been able to get appropriate therapy when I was undergoing that depression; hadn’t I been under the stress of several jobs and college; and/or had I been (geographically) closer to the person I love, things would have been so different.
If you ever see someone you care about at risk of engaging into an addiction, don’t waste your efforts telling them about how bad that is. Instead, give that person the support they may need to overcome whatever the problem that is pushing them into this temptation. Help them finding the power and will to deal with the actual problems, and the risk of the addiction will fade out. Focus on “warning” them about the danger, however, and you will only be adding up to the pressure.
Even a well-known atheist was wise enough to admit: God doesn’t play dice. I have gone through many challenges during my life (despite I’m just 25 years old!) and, while I can’t be sure of why have I been put through them, I know there is a reason for all of them. If sharing my experience can help even a sinlge person to defeat an addiction, then everything I had to struggle with will have paid off.
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7:28 pm
the billings articles always get the best responses. dude, seriously funny. your ad revenue must be through the roof.
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6:56 pm
Everyone on this site is a fucking idiot
fuck jesus
and
fuck god
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3:54 am
haha yea right
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9:55 am
I don’t smoke to escape my problems as I really don’t have any problems in my life.
I don’t suffer from depression whether I’m smoking or not.
I work out every day and stay fit.
I’ve never had acne before.
I’ve only had sex with people I’ve been in love with.
I would never turn down a joint.
I laugh when something funny happens.
I’ve been a huge fan of music since I was 12 years old. I started smoking when I was 18 and it’s only made my appreciation for music even stronger. Get over it.
I don’t have children and I would never think of hurting anyone whether I’m high or not.
I have all of these, I wear contacts and need eye drops to keep them moist. Get over it.
I always have cash on me and yes I do pay cash for weed. Get over it.
I have friends of all walks of life. Smokers, non smokers, drinkers, non drinkers, etc. Not everyone is as closed minded as you.
Never. You can’t be hospitalized from smoking marijuana. Do some research.
I never put myself in a dangerous situation whether I’m high or not. If anything, I’m more cautious when I’m high.
Never. I’ve never missed a day of work that I truly didn’t need to. Doctor appointment, dentist, eye-doctor, etc.
Yes I am. Get over it.
Never had hallucinations from smoking weed. Tell me where I can find it if you know.
Nope. Hands are always clean and fresh looking.
I’m not a pompous person in any way.
I would never give up marijuana to something that doesn’t exist. You can’t explain that. Get over it. Pwned.
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7:51 pm
The most addictive drugs would actually be prescription drugs. As in the governments drugs. And weed doesn’t make me pompous. It makes me more generous and light hearted. :/ Just saying.
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