Marijuana... does it help you?

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I personally think smoking things is disgusting, and the purported effects of pot don't appeal to me much. I also don't want to become psychologically dependent on anything, since I've shown in the past that I easily fall into rituals and have a really hard time going back to normal. I support legalization and people choosing and all that, it's just not for me.

It makes me more paranoid, increases racing thoughts, makes me twitchy, and more antisocial. At the same time I feel like I don't care about anything so it's kind of cool. so I try and focus on the good aspects. But overall, It doesn't mix with me well

I actually enjoyed it a lot more when I was on antidepressants, as odd as that sounds.

I would like to further expand on my previous comment--

Marijuana, like any other medicine, affects different people in different ways. Just as Ritalin isn't the proper medication for every child with ADHD, marijuana isn't for everybody as each person's body (and brain) will respond differently. I know many "potheads" who vegetate after a couple hits and are worthless, incapable of functioning, for hours. In my case-- a couple of hits can help me pull out of an anxiety attack which I would otherwise have to take pharmaceutical chemicals which tend to cause more problems than they solve. My medical referral is actually for the fact that I have sciatica-- a result of being run over by a car in 2007. If I overexert myself too much I end up with painful muscle spasms which can often last for days. I can munch a brownie or cookie and within a matter of thirty minutes the spasms will subside almost completely. Again, the only alternative is taking chemicals which have far worse possible side effects than contracting a severe case of the munchies.

I won't deny that most of my "smokin buddies" back in college were not the most positive associations I could have had at the time, but given the alternative of not having friends at all-- I made the best of the situation I could. Actually, my influence on them was positive as I arranged "nature walks" for our "herbal refreshments". My college was out in the sticks of redneck West Texas (7 miles outside of city limits). Instead of hiding out in someones car or in a bathroom, we would all go out and explore the countryside while passing a joint (or three....) Lots of exercise and fresh air (negated by the smoking but it helped release the tension of being trapped on campus which made most of us who lived on-campus stir-crazy). By removing the use from campus we all avoided being caught and expelled, removed the chance of other unwilling students from exposure, and utilized time in a somewhat constructive manner that would have otherwise been wasted sitting in front of a television watching Spongebob Squarepants......... (I have kids-- I do enough of that now!)

What it all boils down to is personal responsibility, what works for you, and recognizing the differences in self-medication, recreational use, addiction, and dependence. There is a very fine line in that. Also-- A.S. is NOT the only condition that marijuana can have positive benefits on. My fiancee has epilepsy and her focal seizures are greatly reduced by periodic use. THAT is a PROVEN FACT. But again, it depends on the person. One thing I DO firmly believe is Marijuana being used as a medication should be decided by the person and not forcibly administered (not for children or teens). While I do not agree with the way I was introduced to "weed" (recreational use given by my mother at a very young age), I recognized it's effects and utilized them to my advantage. Call it a crutch, call it finding an excuse to use, but whatever YOU call it, I call it my way of dealing with my own personal issues in the least harmful way I know how. I can smoke or eat marijuana periodically.... or spend tons of money to see multiple doctors for multiple issues just to turn around and spend even MORE money (which I have very little of, by the way) on umpteen zillion pills which will more than likely cause my liver or pancreas to fail within ten years. I'll stick to the natural solution......

Cannabis is one of the most useful and versatile plants on the planet. I don't know of any other plant that has as many different uses, and for many of these it is the best compared to anything else. It has many legitimate medical applications, and has been used for such purposes by many cultures for thousands of years. It also has many legitimate industrial purposes, as food, fuel and paper. And as recreational substances go, it is by far the safest one out there.

It's not for everyone. If you don't like it or it doesn't help you in some way, don't do it. I think it is wrong to criminalize anyone for using it recreationally, and even more wrong to criminalize them if they are using it for medical purposes (and there are many different medical problems where cannabis use actually helps people).

I wrote a song in 1990 called Legalize. That lyrics page has a hyperlink after the title to an optional free mp3 download of a 1994 recording by R Band. By all means, share this song with as many people as you want. I wrote it "for the cause."

Some of the instances where people have had bad experiences with it, with low life scum, or ruined families, etc. may not have been from cannabis itself but possibly in some cases result from the stupid immoral laws against cannabis use. Thankfully, more and more states are legalizing it for medical use, and some are even considering legalizing it for recreational use and taxing it to generate income for the state. Of course once that happens, my song will become obsolete. That would be okay with me.

Marijuana is great for a lot of things, but I have yet to see evidence it helps with Autism.

I haven't smoked pot for a while, but when I did, it relaxed me and helped take the edge off life so I could enjoy myself more. It also inspires musical creativity. From my teenage years and early twenties, I do know about the low lifes one sometimes has to associate with to obtain it, and how such low lifes can pretend to be friends as long as you have weed to share. I was taken advantage of more than once from my desperate attempts to have some type of social life.

Marijuana certainly affects brain chemistry, and there have been some studies of its effect on autism. Obviously more research is needed. Still in some cases, there is at least anecdotal evidence that cannabis use may help treat some of the symptoms of autism. HOWEVER, for now, there isn't any definite proof one way or the other, and if anyone hasn't tried it already I certainly do NOT recommend that they do.

If they have tried it and found it doesn't help, it is possible as other posters have INDICAted (note pun!) that a different strain or blend of cannabis may have different effects. I know it is one of the safest recreational substances out there, far safer than ones that are legal, and cannabis is the only recreational substance I ever tried that actually made me feel better, that life was even halfway worth living.

When I was in my early thirties, I stopped smoking because it stopped working for me. About fifteen years later I tried some again, and it worked again. I haven't had any very often the past few years, and none at all for quite a while, but I am seriously considering applying for a medical license so I can use it therapeutically, because in my particular case I think it DOES help me.

The one thing I'm surprised nobody has said, is that in many ways, it makes people more Autistic. My inability to think of what to say next in conversation that plagued me as a child is the same feeling I get from marijuana. Commotion becomes more stimulating than usual. Music sounds better. New smokers even adopt Autistic-like posture when they're really high. Since it changes the way your mind works, it gives you a new perspective. It makes you mellow and nice, two qualities Aspies already often exhibit. I'm not saying weed causes artificial autism in NTs, just that it creates some similar effects.

Here's the deal on whether it's "good or bad." It can be very therapeutic and calming, and for an organized person who uses it occasionally, it's not a bad thing. Aspies are prone to obsession, evidenced by the fact that those of us here who smoke seem to know a lot about it. I'm always shocked when a pot smoker doesn't know his/her indica and sativa. I could easily attribute my current life situation (living at home, community college, no job, few friends) to marijuana, but I might be in a similar situation--worse in some ways, better in others--had my videogame addiction not been replaced with music and weed. If you can control it and enjoy it, it's great.

As to how it makes you feel....when I first started smoking with my friends, I hated the social anxiety it caused. Sativa especially makes everything more intense and stimulating. Much like rollercoasters, I eventually grew to enjoy that feeling, if I was around good friends. If you're new to it and kind of insecure already, the social anxiety it causes can be extremely unpleasant.

Friends who smoke weed? If you bond over weed alone, it does feel kind of artificial...but then again, all relationships are based on some kind of commonality. It's not that you're not valued if you aren't holding some dank, it's just that smoking weed is a prerequisite for hanging out for stoners. It's a part of the culture I guess. If you think about it, you often need to have money to hang out with someone. If you're getting lunch, seeing a movie, etc. It's not that different, but it does kind of suck. The other thing is, when you and a friend smoke, you have a much more similar mindset. Subconsciously you're bonding over personality traits that only exist when you're both high.

On the two occasions that I have tried it I felt more able to talk to people, and far more relaxed about everything in general.

I find it to be quite benificial, it decreases my depression so I can function a bit better...helps slow my thought process down so I can concentrate rather then get distracted by the hundreds of other thoughts running through my mind. It makes social interaction less stressful and generally makes me calmer and less anxious. So I think it works good for me, but not for everyone else.

But its the same with any drugs....I mean anti-depressants help a lot of people with depression, but when I tried them for depression they made my anxiety worse, caused my emotions to get out of control and made me paranoid. But I am not going to go around saying anti-depressants do that to everyone and can never help. My personal experiance does not overrule the benifits some people get from anti-depressnats.

I'm really still on the fence about this one. It's such a heated topic--marijuana is an illegal drug and that adds a lot of baggage to both sides of the fence. It's becoming impossible to tell if there's therapeutic value because both sides have ulterior motives.

If it were up to me, I would give the problem to some researchers--hopefully people who could be funded by a relatively disinterested third party--to figure out. The best way to turn marijuana into a medication would probably be to change the format--put it into pills or an inhaler, maybe. It's kind of stupid that medicinal users are still smoking the stuff; inhaling hot gases isn't good for your lungs, and it IS still smoke, whatever useful ingredients it may have.

I don't think it's a good idea to go experimenting with it on your own. There just isn't enough data to tell whether it will be useful. Sure, as far as drugs go, it's very safe. I wouldn't mind having it legal, because the consequences of having it illegal far outweigh the problems that come from smoking it; and I'm really pretty sick of people getting sent to jail or even prison because of something that's neither more dangerous than alcohol or nicotine, nor addictive enough (beyond the psychological) to pose a problem that way.

But the fact remains that marijuana is a psychotropic substance, and if you're trying to use it as medication for a neurological thing like AS, it's every bit as serious a decision as deciding to try Risperdal or Zoloft or any other psych med. Just because it's "natural" doesn't make it good. Cyanide is natural, too. It can have bad effects. It can be completely useless. You might merely get a placebo effect and keep smoking it, and have to put up with the side effects for nothing. Oh, and yes, of course it has side effects--like any other medication.

So what I would want is to have it properly researched, so that its effects are known, and have it tried out for various issues under doctor supervision--not this hit-or-miss stuff we have today.

As much as I love taking all sorts of drugs, I never felt that weed had any positive effect on me. The first time I tried it, my IQ basically dropped by 40 points throughout the trip. My reaction times were slower, my memory went to hell and stayed there (for the duration of the trip), and it REEKED.

After having done lots more drugs, I found that there are two good effects from it. One is that it does help with pain, which I've plenty of, but I have a very high tolerance, too. The other is that I get nice closed-eye visuals from it, which is entertaining, if I've nothing better to do.

So, as to whether it helps me...it doesn't. At least not in any way it might help another NT or drug-addled person. As to whether it might help an Aspie...I wouldn't know. There are many strains and some work better on certain people than others. I won't pretend to understand anything in the said realm.

Also, while we're on the topic of drugs, as to the things that HAVE helped me AS AN ASPIE, I think LSD and MDMA are easily on top. Both have left me feeling more connected to the world, to my friends, and with an understanding that I can impart to others, if necessary, that I lacked before I took them. The former was the prime catalyst of my (great) interest in music; the latter let me connect with people on a level that I was previously unable to achieve due to lack of empathy and gods know what else.. Of course, though, one must always take great precautions with all drugs and (ab)use them in moderation.

Like any drug, marijuana can help some people, others it will hurt, and some it will have no noticeable effect. Some people here may get help from it but others may not. I might be willing to try it (for help with anxiety too) but not off the street. It may be decriminalized here 9for personal use it is just a fine) but I would rather do the research and use the type that may help me the most. Not something easy to do when it is all underground.

As for it being bad because it is illegal- that is nonsense. Make paracetamol illegal and say it is bad because it hurts the liver in certain circumstances doesn't suddenly make it bad. As an example-

There is this drug used by many people, in most countries around the world.
Effects include increased confidence, heightening emotional states, for good or bad, it can make you happier or more depressed, more anxious, more carefree. Gives a false sense of security and a loss of social awareness. With excessive use it can greatly impair reasoning and motor skills.
This drug is one of the major causes of traffic accidents, if not the top cause. It is also related to some drowning accidents, involved in many fights, involved in many other accidents.
Large doses can be fatal, and people do die from this. Extended, heavy use can lead to brain damage, liver damage and failure, kidney damage and failure.
Abuse can lead to neglecting social obligations and responsibilities, which can have severe long term consequences. Using it can degrade performance in school or on job, particularly on the recovery phase after heavy use. Extended, heavy use can destroy one's life, destroy families, lead to neglecting life and to social withdrawal and neglect. In worst cases it can lead to homelessness.
This drug also has one of the highest dependencies of any drug, although the addictiveness is mild. Dependency can take a long time to develop but when it has taken hold can be incredibly difficult to wean off the addiction. In this state going "cold turkey" can be fatal, recovery is very slow and difficult.
This drug can be used as a preservative as well as a disinfectant. It can also be used as a make-shift anaesthetic. It can also be used as an alternative, eco-friendly fuel source.

There is another drug. It is used much less that the first one though still used around the world.
Effects include easing anxiety, general calming, increases appetite, is a mild sedative, it can help people get to sleep but also impairs motor skills. People tend to want to avoid exerting physical effort while in the effects of this drug.
This drug has very few, if any at all, related deaths due to overdose, accident, etc directly from use of this drug. Long term, frequent use can possibly cause schizophrenia, though the link is not in consensus with the medical community.
Abuse can lead to neglecting social obligations and responsibilities, which can have severe long term consequences. Using it can degrade performance in school or on the job, due to the sedative effect. Extended, heavy use can destroy one's life, destroy families, lead to neglecting life and to social neglect.
This drug has a extremely low dependency and very low addictiveness, possibly not being chemically addictive at all. Recovery from heavy use is usually focused on weaning off the habitual addiction. Going cold turkey is easily possible after use for any period of time.
This drug can be used as a relaxant, anxiety relief, a medium pain reliever for certain conditions. Can possibly inhibit some cancers. For some medical conditions this drug can have marked beneficial effect, especially for multiple sclerosis. Can help induce natural sleep for some people with sleep problems. Can help improve appetite for some people with eating problems due to other medical conditions.

Both drugs have bad long term effects with heavy use. However one could consume excessive amounts of milk and suffer medically for it. Too much of a good thing right? However the biggest points of difference are the uses for the drug (medical or otherwise) and the social cost. The top drug costs a lot of money to the community through the various and many ways abuse of this drug can cause problems. The bottom drug costs very little in that. If you put a value on life then the top drug costs much, much more than the bottom.

If you haven't figured it out the top is alcohol (ethanol) and the bottom is marijuana (THC and other chemicals).

Sorry for the long post but it just annoys me when people use the label "illegal" as the reason for something being bad. I am not saying that marijuana is good either, just it has a lot of really good medical uses that can't be used because it has the silly label of being an illegal drug. Any drug can be abused. I also see it as sad that alcohol has such a massively greater social cost than marijuana ever will, yet alcohol is unregulated besides age and marijuana is seen as something the devil conjured to lure people to hell. I guess my country is quite progressive, in that marijuana is mostly decriminalized, unless you grow large quantities, deal or import.

I meant to click "depends on the person" as opposed to "yes." For me, it helps, as long as I get the proper type. If I can't sleep, there's a type to put me to sleep. If I'm tired, there is something to wake me up. Depressed? Anti-social? Yep, that too. I live in California where there is an abundance of marijuana shops(dispensaries). I have a doctor's note that allows me into these places. Think of it as walking into a pharmacy. Marijuana has been genetically engineered over the years to treat specific ailments. Is it for everyone? Not at all. If someone can use it safely to their benefit and well being, should they, if they want to? I think so. I wrote an article on how it helps me http://cannabisnowmagazine.com/cannabis ... s-syndrome