venomai

I hope nobody is interpreting my posts as encouragement to use the drugs. :| I've said it before, these drugs are not "toys" and they have to be taken very seriously. If they are used, they should be used responsibly and in a proper environment. I'm more interested in changing the media and society's image on soft drugs than anything. I have a hard time believing that legality has anything to do with a drug's health risks. Morphine is far more addicting and harmful than marijuana, yet it's legal in hospitals. Surprisingly, morphine is almost identical to heroin.[1] Caffeine is extremely addicting and causes many psychological issues including substance-induced psychosis, yet it's completely legal.[2] Popular drugs like Viagra and Vioxx kill many times more people every year than marijuana, yet they are legal.[3] The government cares more about tax revenue and political images than our health. If alcohol and caffeine can be taxed there is no reason marijuana and others can't be. Legalization will destroy the black market -- I can assure you that most drug users, assuming the prices are reasonable, would prefer to buy from a trusted source (like the government) rather than a sketchy dude on the corner. For a minute, forget that recreational use ever existed, and focus purely on medical and industrial marijuana. Medical marijuana has, in some cases, shown to be more effective than current treatments. A simple question: are you pro or against the use of safer and less addicting medicine in hospitals? A lot of medical marijuana is designed not to "get you high" but rather to help you with your pain. It is not designed to be used recreationally and it often comes in pill form (eliminating the risks involved in smoked marijuana). Industrial hemp has hundreds of possibilities, and it would be an excellent alternative to many resources used today. See my original post for details on non-recreational use. I have a question -- what gain can be made from keeping soft drugs illegal? Other than the obvious gain of "doing nothing equals less work".

Blueberry yum yums. :P

It depends on the person and how high you are. For me, it's a very enjoyable experience. I begin to appreciate nature much more, and everything becomes very amusing. You know how little kids find bubbles to be the most fascinating thing in the world? It's similar to that, but it applies to almost everything. I feel very relaxed and laid-back and my senses are sharpened. I can hear sounds in a song that I would have never noticed sober. Music becomes a flowing river of beauty and food tastes absolutely amazing. Everything is very euphoric. When I'm really high, things can get a little more interesting. Time slows and reality ebbs away. My mind begins to wander and I enter a mini "trip". Everything around me stops -- it's as if I've stopped time -- and I get minor visual distortions (tracers, vividness). A second later I'm back in my normal self, laughing and talking with friends. My first experience was pretty scary. I didn't know much about the drug and I wasn't mentally prepared for the effects. It didn't help that I was at a Rocky Horror Picture Show performance, which is scary enough sober! The only effects I got was increased heartbeat, twitching and utter confusion/fear. (to this day I'm still not sure which of those was a result of the weed) If you want to try weed, be sure to be mentally and physically prepared, and most importantly, be responsible. Weed affects everyone differently. If you are scared or paranoid before taking it, you will most likely have a bad experience. Do it in a comfortable set and setting for the best high.

Use a bigger brush to smooth out those lines. :) What tablet? And did you enable pressure sensitivity (assuming you are using PS)?

Then you should know that a religious debate is more than just "atheists picking on believers". :| Who said it was a joke? :P The reason people use the FSM argument is because there is an equal amount of evidence (or lack thereof) regarding its existence as there is regarding the existence of, say, the Judeo-Christian God. People say "but a flying spaghetti monster, that's ridiculous!", and atheists will reply saying the same about the concept of a Judeo-Christian God.

You're just lacking inspiration. I feel it all the time when I program, but luckily I'm not committed to anything so I have no trouble switching to a new project. http://www.43folders.com/2004/11/18/hac ... ters-block The best tip I can give you is to just write. Just put down your thoughts and the BASICS -- nothing more. Things are a lot easier to edit than to write. Get some random crap down first, then you can edit it to perfection. It goes both ways in a debate. And flames are uncommon -- it sounds like you are a rookie who can't tell the difference between a flame war and a religious debate.

Ecstasy (MDMA) can be surprisingly physically safe, especially if taken responsibly. One of the biggest problems with it is high body temperature, usually from drinking excess water and/or alcohol along with taking MDMA. Here's some more info... http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/ecstasy/index.htm I consider MDMA to be risky simply because of the circumstances it's used in.

Great post necro. :) I have a few questions if you don't mind... - How are the prices? And do they tax it? - Do regular citizens ever buy directly from the black market (dealers) or do they mostly use coffee shops? - Has commercialism (brand names, logos, added ingredients/chemicals, whatever) badly affected the marijuana, or is it still good? - If your government legalized marijuana to the point that coffee shops needn't buy from the black market, would it help or hinder the situation? - Can you still find a variety of strains (white widow, etc) or do you just get mystery bud? I'm hoping to travel to the Netherlands this summer. :)

Anything made entirely with the pixel tool is "pixel art". It doesn't need to imitate realism or be cluttered with details to be called pixel art.

I don't mean to offend but seeing as how you just completed your first pixel you don't have the experience required to say that you "know what you are doing". Art does not equal extreme detail. Take your sig, where you put a lot of effort into drawing each strand of hair. In time, you will realize that this effort is not always necessary to create an interesting piece of art. The best art is that which is original, fresh and well composed. Details are simply the icing on the cake, and often the cake is better with only a thin layer of icing, so to say! ;) Hotchick: wicked cool style you got going, I especially like the first. :) The character is perfect -- no amount of detail or body work could make him better. My suggestions would be to clean up the tree stump.. It seems out of place (too flat, lines are too thin). Also, a thick border outlining the sigs would be great. Your style is fresh and original and you've got a good sense of artistic composition. Keep it up, TIF needs more pixelers like you.

While I agree that certain teens make poor decisions and use certain substances irresponsibly, I feel that making these substances illegal is not the best option. I'm sure you are well aware that, illegal as it may be, teens feel no guilt in smoking marijuana (law-wise). Strangely enough, legalizing drugs and encouraging a better attitude towards responsible use has often shown to decrease substance abuse. Take France, for example, where young teens are often given alcohol at dinner and the drinking age is a mere 16 (it's barely enforced). Yet France has an extremely low rate of alcohol abuse among youth. Nevertheless, the actions of a few irresponsible teens is no reason to ban a substance for the entire public. Also, please keep in mind that the self-appointed "potheads" and drop-outs in your school only comprise a small fraction of marijuana users. If you make it to university/college, you may be surprised to find a large community of responsible marijuana users (none of which are high school drop-outs).

My fault. :P But I don't mind. I'd rather a thread that already has a lot of info and discussion rather than having to go through the same thing all over again (which seems to be happening regardless). Anyways, this thread is focused on all soft drugs rather than merely marijuana.

Yes, LSD is a very strong drug -- one of the most potent drugs out there. However, it's not a "hard drug". The terms "soft drug" and "hard drug" refer to bodily harm and addiction (heroin, for example, is a "hard drug"). I don't think I ever suggested MDMA to be a soft drug. MDMA, also known as ecstasy or XTC, is a psychoactive derivative of Amphetamine, and they are both very different drugs. Speed is street slang for Amphetamine.

You're very right, everyone reacts differently. I would say "responsible" smoking includes the user's current health conditions. In your case, it would be irresponsible to smoke marijuana because you are fully aware of your medical condition. Of course, don't forget that there are safer ways to consume cannabis. For example, you can cook cannabis in foods to eliminate the risk of lung damage. Hash brownies, anyone? :)

Could you elaborate on that? :?: While I agree that irresponsible use of marijuana (or any drug/activity) can "[bleep] you up", I have a hard time accepting that responsible and moderate use of the drug is as horrible as the media portrays it. I've said it a number of times. There are deaths, even if they are (a) indirect and (B) extremely rare. Between 1997 and 2005 there were around 280 cannabis-related deaths in the U.S.[1] With over 25.4 million U.S. marijuana users in 2005 [2] and an average of 35 deaths per year, that's around 0.0001% dying indirectly from cannabis. According to the same study, you are over 8 times more likely to die from Viagra than from marijuana. I strongly feel that most, if not all, of these marijuana-related deaths can be prevented through responsible use and legalization of the drug. What kind of pictures are these? Red-eyed people laughing with friends? :lol: If you don't know what you are talking about -- why are you making these blind claims? Do some research. I dare you. :P http://forum.tip.it/viewtopic.php?t=690 ... torder=asc

Mental damage is worse than death? :| At least it's possible to recover from substance-induced psychosis... And what about alcohol? Cigarettes? Caffeine? All three of those drugs have proven to be harmful and addicting, yet they are legal in most parts of the world, and they are also enjoyed responsibly by many healthy individuals. What about underage drinking laws? In countries like France a more relaxed attitude towards underage drinking has only shown to decrease drinking problems, yet much of North America is still very strict in that respect, which only ends up making matters worse. What about marijuana for medical and industrial purposes? If the government wanted us to benefit, they would at least introduce marijuana for non-recreational uses. Can you spot the difference between heroin and morphine? http://www.druglibrary.org/gh/what_is_t ... ween_h.htm Why is morphine legal, if the governments care so much about our health? Why are patients being injected with heroin-like substances at hospitals, when medical marijuana has often proved to be a safer alternative? I think it's more a matter of societal and religious values rather than health values. Also, the general public is extremely ignorant/blind when it comes to the topic of drugs. They only know what media/government hype tells them, since almost nobody bothers to do their own research.

What makes you think they can't tax marijuana? In North America, there is a huge black market on marijuana. As soon as weed is decriminalized, the black market will begin to fall apart. People would rather buy quality weed from a trusted source (ie: a coffee shop) rather than a sketchy guy on the corner. One study estimates that, in the US, $30 billion dollars in tax revenue is lost every year due to pot prohibition.[1] Even if only a small handful of marijuana users choose to buy their weed legally (ie: from coffee shops) then the government will still gain (economically). Many things in life are toxic. Hell, even caffeine is a "toxic drug" yet this does not mean we as a society should bash anyone who drinks coffee. If the substance is used responsibly, a healthy body will recover from minor toxicity (eg: aspirin, caffeine, LSD, psilocybin and marijuana are all relatively low in toxicity).

- Fat gun-totting idiots who don't know where Canada is on the map. - War is the only option - All Middle Easterns are terrorists - Homophobia is a good thing Just to name a few. Anyone got any bad stereotypes for Canada? :)

No offense, but your friend sounds pretty stupid to (a) waste so much money on a substance instead of doing something nice for his girl, and (B) break his own fingers out of anger. I wouldn't say your buddy projects the best image of what responsible marijuana use can do to you.

That's a lot of money to spend on weed. But you can blow that kind of money on anything. I know a friend who's spent far more than that purely on video games. Personally, 20 dollars worth of weed can last me up to a month. If I want to be a mooch, I can get high every weekend without paying a dime for weed. I've found that marijuana users are always very generous with their joints. :) Yep, there is a whole community of marijuana smokers -- it is in no way limited to "gangstas" and street thugs.

Welcome to life, my friend. It seems like you're starting to realize that the government doesn't actually give a fine [bleep] about your health. what does the government have to gain from making marijuana illegal though? it appears to just be costing them money at no gains... There is still widespread belief that marijuana is addicting and harmful. Many citizens would be outraged to hear that "such a dangerous drug" is being produced legally for the general public. People claim that a lack of roadside tests regarding cannabis use is another reason. However, any sane police officer will be able to tell when somebody is high -- the smell is a dead giveaway. In my opinion one of the problems is that the U.S. spent so long advertising their "War on Drugs". It would be embarrassing for them to admit that they were wrong. Same problem with the current "War on Terror" sentiments. Another problem is that widespread marijuana use could change the attitude of the public. Many people who use marijuana begin to question certain laws, freedoms and the media itself. I also feel that there is a strong link between marijuana use and peace/anti-war sentiments -- which is exactly what America does not want. A final reason I can think of is religion. Many religions prohibit the use of external mind-altering substances. If you ask me, there is nothing to gain from keeping it illegal.

Canadians: - "Eh" - Hockey fans - Poutine eaters - Peacemakers and pacifists - Marijuana users In my experience, most of the Canadian stereotypes are pretty accurate. :)

I agree. People tend to jump to conclusions when they see somebody breaking into their house. A lot of home owners will grab their guns for "protection", which often increases the intensity of the situation and, in turn, the chances of injury/death. And what kind of force do you suggest? :lol: Fists and feet are also lethal weapons, depending on the person using them. Same with knives, ballpoint pens, metal wire, etc.

I had a soft drugs thread a while back. It has some details on marijuana that you might find interesting. http://forum.tip.it/viewtopic.php?t=690812 It's true that no human has fatally overdosed on marijuana (ie: direct death from usage). However, marijuana-related deaths do occur. Between 1997 and 2005 in the U.S. around 280 deaths were linked to marijuana usage. http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/p ... eports.htm Considering the number of marijuana smokers in the U.S., the number is so extremely low it would be silly to worry about it. In my opinion, most of these deaths can be prevented with responsible use (eg. don't drive high) and government regulation (eg. providing cannabis that hasn't been laced). Correct. Although much of North America would argue otherwise, alcohol and nicotine are "hard drugs" in terms of bodily harm and dependence. They are right up there along with heroin and crack cocaine. This is an exaggeration by the media. Welcome to life, my friend. It seems like you're starting to realize that the government doesn't actually give a fine [bleep] about your health. Here's a good article on the legality of it: http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2 ... marijuana/ I use it moderately and I enjoy it. :)

GFX: Photoshop is a all-around 2D graphics program used by professionals. The newest version costs over $1,000 US. You can easily find older versions for a lot less, though. I wouldn't use anything under Photoshop 7. Photoshop Elements is also good, but a new version will probably cost you more than a used Photoshop 7, and Elements has way less features. If you are a student, you may be able to get some student deals on Photoshop. Some schools have Photoshop on disk. If you have a yearbook office, there's a good chance they will have Photoshop. You don't need Photoshop to be a good sigmaker or photo editor, though. There are lots of free editing tools on the net. Just a note, many "graphic programs" (like Gimp, PaintShop Pro, ULead, Photoshop) serve as both graphic-making programs (eg: sigs) and graphic-editing programs (eg: photo manips). Also, there is always the option of downloading commercial programs via P2P, although it is illegal in many countries. :P PHOTO: If you're in a photography class, a digital SLR will work wonders. :) I would suggest you just stick with a simple camera and a basic zoom lens for now. It usually does the job for novice photographers (like myself). I use a Nikon D40 and I'm very happy with it. Of course, if you strongly aspire to be a professional photographer, you may wish to lay aside a larger budget for these sort of things. PS: more money =/= better art