venomai

About 99.9% of them.[1][2]

Simply because a recreational drug occurs naturally doesn't mean that it's necessarily safer to consume. Take a look at datura and nicotiana (tobacco), for example. Two naturally occurring recreational drugs that can be extremely harmful to your psychological and/or physical health. I am not suggesting that heroin use is morally wrong. I'm simply showing that your earlier argument is flawed, and that we do not need to use a drug to show that it can be harmful to us.

We don't need to use heroin to know that it can be harmful to us. As demonstrated by Range's posts, mere personal experience will not lead to physical/psychological understanding. :lol:

Psychosis, the mental disorder that was triggered/exacerbated by smoking cannabis, certainly is what "messed them up." Thousands if not millions of pot smokers are psychologically dependent on the drug. Good for him. Different people have different reactions to drugs. Some people are more susceptible to the negative effects than others. The same can be said about harder drugs such as heroin, crack cocaine, meth, etc. I personally know of somebody who, for a few years, was able to keep a steady job and family under a cocaine addiction. Of course, this doesn't mean that everybody can do the same while using cocaine, and it shouldn't be seen as a point of support for cocaine use. Furthermore, DaN's post had nothing to do with pot affecting one's work! :roll: What [cabbage]. Here is what really happens: "THC acts on "cannabinoid" receptors which are found on neurons in many places in the brain. These brain areas are involved in memory (the hippocampus), concentration (cerebral cortex), perception (sensory portions of the cerebral cortex) and movement (the cerebellum, substantia nigra, globus pallidus)." Source: [1] "Anandamide is involved in regulating mood, memory, appetite, pain, cognition, and emotions. When cannabis is introduced into the body, its active ingredient, Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can therefore interfere with all of these functions. ... THC begins this process by binding to the CB1 receptors for anandamide." Source: [2] Dopamine is activated as a result of this process. Smoking marijuana has a wide range of physical and psychological effects, many of them potentially negative. For further reading: How Stuff Works - Marijuana in the Body AlterNet - How Does Pot Work? There are few physically addictive traits to pot. This does not mean that people do not get addicted. You may feel this way, but for others it can be extremely habit-forming and -- psychologically -- easily addicting. Cannabis is only "not unhealthy" in a relative sense: strictly moderate use will, for most individuals, not lead to any significant physical or psychological damage. The same can be said about an occasional tobacco cigarette. However, it would be misleading and foolish to claim that cannabis is absolutely "not unhealthy" given the wide range of negative effects that its use has been linked to. Your arguments show a complete lack of understanding and experience with soft drug use in general. Sure, you may have smoked pot, but you clearly have no experience with its pitfalls. Those well versed in the topic of soft drugs are well aware of their negative aspects.

It's a useless ego boost that has no real standing on your ability as an artist. Sigs are more or less a waste of time if your intention is to improve your graphic art skills.

Caught my eye. I like it. :) The typography could do with a bit of work. The placement looks fine, it's just a bit small and plain. Avoid making it focal, though. I'm not sure on size restrictions, but I think it may look better if the bottom was trimmed off a little.

Imagine if you attempted to avoid getting close to all those who played video games just because you don't agree with video games. This is unrealistic, to say the least. You might be able to avoid the obvious gamers -- those stereotypical geeks who socialize only by means of 'player chat' -- but for the rest of the population, some of which you may already be close with, it will be difficult to tell, let alone avoid all of them. :lol:

This is an incredibly diverse population of people, as you said. How do you expect to differentiate users from non-users? Most of them, especially without the anonymity of the internet, will not tell you upfront about what they do in their own time. Your prejudice is comparable to early homophobia; it's an unrealistic aversion to an entire population of people (very few of whom fit the stereotype) based on their different beliefs and their "immoral" actions behind closed doors.

He actually said smoking a gallon of gasoline. The flame would ignite the gallon of gasoline, and in seconds your face would be engulfed in fire. A slight misrepresentation, if I may say.

It has been suggested, but there aren't any studies to support such a claim. Both substances are low in physical addiction potential, and most of the addictions are psychological. Addiction potential for these substances (as with any other activities, from video games to sex) largely depends on the individual and their environment. In a world overrun with caffeine, it's easy to get hooked on it. (Although, for most, an addiction to coffee is far less damaging than an addiction to cannabis!) What rubbish. Psychological dependence on a drug is no more the user's fault than physical dependence. Some people have used heroin, crack cocaine, opium, etc. for years without negative side effects. This isn't to say that those drugs are safe to consume regularly, it simply shows that different people react in different ways. Smoked cannabis doesn't lead to lethal overdose, but neither does smoked tobacco.

No, I'm suggesting that, much like exercise, television, music or meditation, kicking back with a beer is yet another way for somebody to "relax." I see your distinction, and for this reason my original advice was not to "smoke weed instead," regardless of what pryo's edit implies.

I do not mean to "show off" my knowledge, I'm simply trying to share it. Alcohol, when used in moderation, can be extremely benefitial to one's health and longevity.[1] Kicking back with a beer is, for many, a great way to relax. You say cannabis as a stress-reliever is "seriously bad advice." When used in moderation, how is this so? Of course, tobacco is a drug, and so is alcohol, and so is caffeine. We talk about drugs all the time here at TIF. Legality is no reason to discourage discussion. Piracy is also illegal, yet we have had many good debates on the topic here at TIF. In the past three or so years that I've been debating here, that rule has never been enforced. Had it been, there would be absolutely no debates at all to be had at TIF. This isn't about legality -- suggesting salvia, a legal drug, would be met with the same harsh reaction -- it's simply about discouraging and censoring potentially controversial discussion, depending on the given staff's definition of "controversial."

I'm obsessed with altered states of consciousness (dreams, meditation, drug use, etc). It's a subject that fascinates me to no end.

Morality is by no means restricted to the flawed drug laws of the United States. :lol: Yet we are welcome to discuss and even preach of the effects of smoking cigarettes (as others already have done in this thread), simply because it is a legal commodity? :roll:

What a piece of irony! This whole thread is about tobacco, a drug many times more harmful and addicting than cannabis. How is this immoral?

It's quite likely that habitual cigarette use will lead to an addiction. Commercial cigarettes are manufactured with the intent of getting the user addicted. Smoking cigarettes will not help your financial situation, it will only make it worse. If you absolutely must smoke tobacco, perhaps hand-rolled cigarettes would be a better idea. Removed, no drugs discussion ~pryomancer It's also worth recognizing the wide range of non-drug related activities that can help reduce daily stress. Naps, reading, meditation, visual art and music are common examples. Learning to play an instrument, like the guitar or harmonica (or both!), is also a great way to relax. The best bet would be a combination of many activities. Variety is the spice of life. ;)

Nice vectors, but you are overusing the blur/glow! Why would you expect it to be in SVG format? Only a limited number of browsers will show the graphic, and I doubt it would work with the tags.

I wonder if he has tried adapted devices? Nimble fingers should not make him completely incapable of using a computer. There are many less able-bodied individuals who have overcome such challenges, and who are able to use computers without assistance.

Oh my god... I laughed for like five minutes... I don't think irony can get any better than that. : Ironic, but, of course... not true. ;) http://www.un-documents.net/a55r282.htm

Like the Grinch who stole Christmas? ;) There will always be a small percentage of people who like to rebel against certain holidays. There would be no change if every year was a "Peace Year." Imagine if every hour was "Earth Hour." :lol: It's an idealistic thought.

Sounds like any other day. Love & Peace :thumbsup:

People of all intellectual ability have fallen into addiction. It isn't a matter of smart or stupid. Drug addiction is a sickness, a health issue, that requires attention. No. Definitely a myth. Usually alcohol or water is used as the solvent in the blotter paper. The solvent is then evaporated, leaving the LSD behind. It's desirable that the liquid solvent evaporates. The more likely issue is that the dealer will use a RC (Research Chemical) as a substitute to LSD-25. Most RCs have not been thoroughly tested and often their LD50 (lethal dose for 50% of population) is not well known. Back to the topic at hand... Sudden legalization would be a bad idea. :lol:

Although there appears to be no link to lung cancer[1], marijuana has been linked with increased risks of heart attack and stroke, changes in the structure of the brain[2], head and neck cancer[3], early gum disease[4], as well as a variety of cognitive and psychological issues (not to mention the short term risks). Although I feel that many of these apparent risks require more investigation before we can say for sure, it would be misleading to give the impression that lung damage is the only long-term risk in smoking cannabis. Also, it's worth noting that waterpipes have not shown to be very effective at reducing harmful tars: Source: http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v06n3/06359mj1.html They already have. It's called acid (LSD-25) and numerous studies have shown it to be a physically 'safe' chemical to consume. The psychological risks at higher doses can be minimized through responsible use and proper set and setting. Other psychoactives, such as DMT, psilocybin (mushrooms) and mescaline (cactii), have also shown to be low in physical harm when consumed by healthy adults.

That was probably a lucid dream. Sounds more like sleep paralysis and/or hypnagogia. Scratches and bruises are usually self-inflicted (which may indicate a sleeping disorder) or inflicted by some other person in the household (e.g. abusive father). There's no reason to assume it would be ghosts leaving these marks.

I disagree. Gun violence in America stems from its pro-gun culture. With a high abundance of easily accessible firearms comes a much higher rate of gun-related homicides and suicides. This is total bull. The world "criminal" does not mean "somebody who steals and kills to make a living." Thousands upon thousands of "criminals" in your jails are extremely intelligent and rational individuals, many of whom having done nothing worse than smoke some weed. The vast majority of "criminals" would benefit greatly from public health care and proper education. Of course, since these are rights that your citizens are not even given, I wouldn't expect to see much rehabilitation efforts anytime soon.