When I was in HS though the stores down in the projects in Covington were the easiest purchase places.

 

Yeah, but I still know some black folks that are afraid to go near the projects.

Yuck! I'm all against smoking pot...but if given the decision between having to drink a Natty Ice and toking one up...roll me a fatty, sir.:isurrender:

 

Natty Ice :isurrender: , how did I drink that stuff. I'll tell you what's worse that a buddy of mine had me try in my youth. Steele Reserve :puke:

Maybe I am just getting old but anymore pretty much any beer is fine with me.

Maybe I am just getting old but anymore pretty much any beer is fine with me.

 

I'm about the same. I just can't drink anything with "ice" or any "beast" product.

Natty Ice :isurrender: , how did I drink that stuff. I'll tell you what's worse that a buddy of mine had me try in my youth. Steele Reserve :puke:

 

Black Label. We could get that stuff for like $1.09 a sixpack when I was in high school. There was a reason for that.:puke:

Fast forward a few more years, my curiosity of Marijuana began to increase, overshadowing my fear of, and resistance towards it. I tried it. I loved it. I giggled a lot. Music was ever so groovier than it already was. I did not stagger like I would have being drunk, and while shooting hoops, I even became more focused, and my finesse blossomed. I was in the zone. I did not puke. I did not have a hangover or a pounding headache. Nothing about it seemed terribly wrong. Everything about it seemed wonderfully right. I really couldn't see why I was lead to believe while growing up that it was "bad" I knew not to drive on it, and made sure to exercise the responsibility not to. Sometimes I'd feel like taking a little nap as it wore off, and sometimes it just wore off, and that was that.

 

Thought about this paragraph some more and the part about "getting in the zone" really cried out to me. I will start with the notion that most people think consuming marijuana leaves you in a state of mind numbing stupidity when that's not at all the case. I have had plenty of experience on the golf course in which after 7-9 holes I realized it just wasn't going to be my day. After reaching a level of around a 10-11 handicap, my enjoyment of golf quickly turned into how well I was scoring on a given day and not as much about getting out and enjoying the day itself. I quickly found out days I was shooting/scoring bad I was miserable, not enjoying myself at all. As a solution to those days I finally turned to a little marijuana (most people drink a few beers to loosen them up) in order to just clear my mind and enjoy being outside playing golf on a beautiful day. To my surprise I would often come back after what I call the time out with an amazing back nine and just start playing out of my mind. I'm talking days I couldn't hit any kind of shot stone cold sober, but somehow after smoking a little bit I get into the zone as if I had "Tiger Vision" (Tiger Woods Golf reference). This has happened at least a dozen or so times and to the point I would joke with my friend (non smoker/drinker) that I had the advantage on him thanks to some performing enhancing drugs. He usually ends up more amazed than me (for I'm sure he still had that stigma it was bad for you and messed up your thinking). But no lie, some of the best golf I have ever played in my life had followed consuming marijuana. I couldn't help but to always think when this happened, "I can't believe people believe this has such a negative effect on cognitive abilities/mental challenges". I mean here you have one of the most mentally challenging sports on the planet, but you tell me I can often enhance my play by consuming something that is supposed to totally fry you out and scramble your thought process? I realize it effects everyone differently, but from my past experiences It often caused me to be more dialed in, in the zone, in tune, however you want to say it, than it ever did zonked out and not knowing what was going on. I just find it so ironic that so many people think it totally screws you mentally when I've had my own experiences and been around plenty of people who contend it can often help their concentration in a lot of aspects. Especially with musicians, guitarists, I've had plenty tell me they play a lot better after consuming. Just sad that the perception is it makes you flat out silly and scatter brained when I've seen so much evidence to the contrary. I guess you could get to that point (where your scatter brained), but you would have to want to get to that point and it would take a lot of work to get there (or if you are a very in experienced consumer).

 

 

Just thought that was interesting after reading that portion of your post again.

Thought about this paragraph some more and the part about "getting in the zone" really cried out to me. I will start with the notion that most people think consuming marijuana leaves you in a state of mind numbing stupidity when that's not at all the case. I have had plenty of experience on the golf course in which after 7-9 holes I realized it just wasn't going to be my day. After reaching a level of around a 10-11 handicap, my enjoyment of golf quickly turned into how well I was scoring on a given day and not as much about getting out and enjoying the day itself. I quickly found out days I was shooting/scoring bad I was miserable, not enjoying myself at all. As a solution to those days I finally turned to a little marijuana (most people drink a few beers to loosen them up) in order to just clear my mind and enjoy being outside playing golf on a beautiful day. To my surprise I would often come back after what I call the time out with an amazing back nine and just start playing out of my mind. I'm talking days I couldn't hit any kind of shot stone cold sober, but somehow after smoking a little bit I get into the zone as if I had "Tiger Vision" (Tiger Woods Golf reference). This has happened at least a dozen or so times and to the point I would joke with my friend (non smoker/drinker) that I had the advantage on him thanks to some performing enhancing drugs. He usually ends up more amazed than me (for I'm sure he still had that stigma it was bad for you and messed up your thinking). But no lie, some of the best golf I have ever played in my life had followed consuming marijuana. I couldn't help but to always think when this happened, "I can't believe people believe this has such a negative effect on cognitive abilities/mental challenges". I mean here you have one of the most mentally challenging sports on the planet, but you tell me I can often enhance my play by consuming something that is supposed to totally fry you out and scramble your thought process? I realize it effects everyone differently, but from my past experiences It often caused me to be more dialed in, in the zone, in tune, however you want to say it, than it ever did zonked out and not knowing what was going on. I just find it so ironic that so many people think it totally screws you mentally when I've had my own experiences and been around plenty of people who contend it can often help their concentration in a lot of aspects. Especially with musicians, guitarists, I've had plenty tell me they play a lot better after consuming. Just sad that the perception is it makes you flat out silly and scatter brained when I've seen so much evidence to the contrary. I guess you could get to that point (where your scatter brained), but you would have to want to get to that point and it would take a lot of work to get there (or if you are a very in experienced consumer).

 

 

Just thought that was interesting after reading that portion of your post again.

 

I'm glad that you had those experiences and have shared them with us. I've no doubt that what you are saying is very true.

 

The next bit that I'm posting here, related to this matter, is a portion of a something that I posted in the Heroin thread along the same lines.

 

I casually smoked marijuana over a period of 30 years starting in my teens more frequently, and carried excellent marks in school with perfect attendance all 4 years of high school. In my computer programming course in tech school at the age of 18 the entire class was baffled for weeks of just what the instructor was getting at when introducing us to COBOL programming. Before class one day I smoked, and during that high, I had my breakthrough, and could see clearly what the teacher was saying which excited him immensely. I knew inside that my concentration had been enhanced. The rest of the class was frustrated because they still could not comprehend that which I finally could see. The teacher called me to stand in front of the class and try to explain it to them because he perhaps couldn't deliver it in a less technological fashion as I could. Little by little I began to reach the class. Some got it, those that didn't felt pressure and dropped the course since they now seriously felt that they had fallen behind.

 

After tech school, I worked in a tech field where many of the programmers were viewed as complete geniuses and were highly respected, and badly needed, and called upon to fix issues. Many of these programmers were users of marijuana and have stated to me personally that it helps them focus when attacking issues that required deep concentration.

I'm glad that you had those experiences and have shared them with us. I've no doubt that what you are saying is very true. The next bit that I'm posting here' date=' related to this matter, is a portion of a something that I posted in the Heroin thread along the same lines. I casually smoked marijuana over a period of 30 years starting in my teens more frequently, and carried excellent marks in school with perfect attendance all 4 years of high school. In my computer programming course in tech school at the age of 18 the entire class was baffled for weeks of just what the instructor was getting at when introducing us to COBOL programming. Before class one day I smoked, and during that high, I had my breakthrough, and could see clearly what the teacher was saying which excited him immensely. I knew inside that my concentration had been enhanced. The rest of the class was frustrated because they still could not comprehend that which I finally could see. The teacher called me to stand in front of the class and try to explain it to them because he perhaps couldn't deliver it in a less technological fashion as I could. Little by little I began to reach the class. Some got it, those that didn't felt pressure and dropped the course since they now seriously felt that they had fallen behind. After tech school, I worked in a tech field where many of the programmers were viewed as complete geniuses and were highly respected, and badly needed, and called upon to fix issues. Many of these programmers were users of marijuana and have stated to me personally that it helps them focus when attacking issues that required deep concentration.[/quote']

 

Interesting, I don't doubt it whatsoever.

 

 

Adding to that I will describe a study someone from one of my classes described they done at Virginia Tech. I shouldn't go there because it will be against what most people feel you should never do on marijuana, and that is drive a vehicle. However, the study they performed inadvertently showed some positive signs in that regard.....

 

 

The study was to test the dangers of texting and driving, dozens were brought in to use a super high tech driving simulator. Some would be sober, some a couple beers, some 7-8 beers, some a 12 pack and some close to a case (absolutely smashed), and some students had consumed marijuana. To the surprise of the study the marijuana consumers has results as good as the sober participants, those two categories were the safest drivers and made few if any driving errors. Then it gradually got worst the more alcohol you consumed, it was shown that the texters drove as bad as those who had at least consumed a 12 pack, sometimes worst. So moral of the study ended up showing that texting behind the wheel is usually just as bad as being hammered, but marijuana surprisingly had little effect if any.

 

 

I don't want to preach this as the gospel because there should be a legal limit on it much like the alcohol policy. However this is not the first I've heard of this, many experienced consumers suggest it has no negative effects on driving ability and in a lot of instances help improve concentration there as well. Thought the study was interesting.

I don't know about concentration. Haven't smoked it since college in the mid- 70's. I just laughed, ate junk food and was paranoid. i couldn't have functioned with much else. Cartoons cracked me up, I'd laugh so hard it hurt.

Hmmmmm does this sound familar?

 

Ryan Clark of Pittsburgh Steelers discusses marijuana use - ESPN

 

 

Ryan Clark says NFL players, including some of his teammates with the Pittsburgh Steelers, turn to smoking marijuana for a variety of reasons, especially as a means to relieve pain and manage stress.

Ah, the ol' "let me throw out some exceptions to try to disprove the rule" response.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the white athlete the exception in professional football and basketball?

Hmmmmm does this sound familar?

 

Ryan Clark of Pittsburgh Steelers discusses marijuana use - ESPN

 

That's why I used to smoke it. To manage pain and relieve stress.

If someone can tell me that legalizing it takes away the gateway to the other drugs (cocaine, heroine esp.), I will support legalization 100%.

If someone can tell me that legalizing it takes away the gateway to the other drugs (cocaine, heroine esp.), I will support legalization 100%.

 

 

I'll never believe that marijuana is a gateway to other drugs. I believe that the people a person surrounds themselves with defines their drug use more than anything else.

Ditto. As I've said, whether a person moves on to other drugs depends on other factors such as whether they have an addictive personality. I know plenty of people who have smoked pot and never done another drug in their life. I know people in that same crowd who can't stop until they've tried everything.