Why do you smoke?

[OldVet61]

it's not don't knock it until you try it, it's shut the fuck up and leave the potheads alone. It's their fucking body, they know what they're doing to it, and they obviously don't care. Same thing with drinkers. I don't smoke, and I don't drink often, but I don't feel as though it's my right to sit around and criticise those who do, leave them the fuck alone, ESPECIALLY since most people who have never smoked or drank don't know what the FUCK they're talking about.

FYI, pot is about as addictive as caffiene. Anyone here drink coffee or tea? Shut the fuck up then.

Again, it's not don't knock it until you try it, it's don't knock it cause you don't have a FUCKING CLUE what it's like, what its about, how it feels, how it impairs training, or ANYTHING unless you've done it. Leave the potheads alone, they don't have a problem with you, why do you have a problem with them?

Amen to that

 

[CANADIANFIGHTCLUB]

most of you guys are brainwashed fucks who believe whatever is drilled into your heads at an early age.
Do the research for yourself. stop believing what you have heard. Marijuana is a medicine period, SICK PEOPLE NEED it. And it should be legal to sick people all over the world like it is hear in Canada, I Don't smoke and I used to be a ANTI POT GURU, till I did some research, talked to people with MS and CANCER and saw that a prof at harvard is an advicate for Medical MJ.

It's just like anything in the world it can fuck you life up if your a fuck up, End of story.

 

[colinm]

it's not don't knock it until you try it, it's shut the fuck up and leave the potheads alone. It's their fucking body, they know what they're doing to it, and they obviously don't care. Same thing with drinkers. I don't smoke, and I don't drink often, but I don't feel as though it's my right to sit around and criticise those who do, leave them the fuck alone, ESPECIALLY since most people who have never smoked or drank don't know what the FUCK they're talking about.

FYI, pot is about as addictive as caffiene. Anyone here drink coffee or tea? Shut the fuck up then.

Again, it's not don't knock it until you try it, it's don't knock it cause you don't have a FUCKING CLUE what it's like, what its about, how it feels, how it impairs training, or ANYTHING unless you've done it. Leave the potheads alone, they don't have a problem with you, why do you have a problem with them?

a-fucking-men to that urban. with these pot threads its always the people who have never used MJ who seem to be sure it is teh evil.

 

[sanshou fighter]

Do not smoke pot if you plan to train especially compete. I used to smoke pot and I know it's a temptation. Smoking weed is awesome. But a joint will screw up your lungs 10 times worse than a cigarette. I can't keep up in my cardio muay thai class without gasping for air and I can't even run a lap without stopping. I've been called an "old man" though I'm 24. I literally feel my lungs are dying. Mike Tyson smokes weed too, that's why you see him lost all his recent fights because he got nothing left for the last few rounds. I just drink these days. Maybe smoke a J once in two months though I can get the best stuff for free anytime I want.

 

[Chad Hamilton]

I smoke pot. I smoked it up until the day of my first fight. I trained hard, cardio, olympic, BJJ, and Muay Thai. Everyday. Smoked at nite.
Totally gassed
Lost
Modified my smoking regimine and won my last 2.
I still smoke everyday.
And I love it so go preach elsewhere.

 

[sanshou fighter]

I smoke pot. I smoked it up until the day of my first fight. I trained hard, cardio, olympic, BJJ, and Muay Thai. Everyday. Smoked at nite.
Totally gassed
Lost
Modified my smoking regimine and won my last 2.
I still smoke everyday.
And I love it so go preach elsewhere.

Hey man, I know all you people that loves weed will never quit. I'm not trying to preach but to give my opinion. That is all. Potheads

 

[muerteverde]

it's not don't knock it until you try it, it's shut the fuck up and leave the potheads alone. It's their fucking body, they know what they're doing to it, and they obviously don't care. Same thing with drinkers. I don't smoke, and I don't drink often, but I don't feel as though it's my right to sit around and criticise those who do, leave them the fuck alone, ESPECIALLY since most people who have never smoked or drank don't know what the FUCK they're talking about.

FYI, pot is about as addictive as caffiene. Anyone here drink coffee or tea? Shut the fuck up then.

Again, it's not don't knock it until you try it, it's don't knock it cause you don't have a FUCKING CLUE what it's like, what its about, how it feels, how it impairs training, or ANYTHING unless you've done it. Leave the potheads alone, they don't have a problem with you, why do you have a problem with them?

Some of that I agree with and some of it I don't. Leave them alone, yes. But when guys come on here saying how they smoke a ton and it has no effect on their training and stuff like that, it either means they don't know the effects, they are in denial, or they are just lying. Everyone that I have ever known who smokes has told me that they regret it and wish that they could quit or had never started (and I ahve seen many of them try off and on to quit). I have never smoked but I ahve been around some smokers before and it makes me sick. Literally, I am alergic to the cigerate smoke and became very sick. Maybe I should add that to ym personal list.

The list I provided is a personal list of my reasons. Of course those aren't reasons for others, as I will admit some of them are less than rational (

 

[sanshou fighter]

I smoke pot. I smoked it up until the day of my first fight. I trained hard, cardio, olympic, BJJ, and Muay Thai. Everyday. Smoked at nite.
Totally gassed
Lost
Modified my smoking regimine and won my last 2.
I still smoke everyday.
And I love it so go preach elsewhere.

Too bad it didn't work for former greatest boxer Mike Tyson, but worked for you. Maybe you should teach Tyson a lesson or two.

 

[colinm]

bringing up mike tyson is fucking retarted. do you honestly think he's where he is today because he started smoking weed? his heyday was in the late 80's and early 90's for fucks sake. try 1. being convicted of rape and spending your prime years in prison with no chance to really train 2. being surrounded by stealing scumbags who would rather take you money than provide you with guidance, motivation, good training, etc and 3. having the mental fortitude of a fucking child while dealing with worldwide fame - these are the real reason's iron mike is where he is now.

 

[sanshou fighter]

bringing up mike tyson is fucking retarted. do you honestly think he's where he is today because he started smoking weed? his heyday was in the late 80's and early 90's for fucks sake. try 1. being convicted of rape and spending your prime years in prison with no chance to really train 2. being surrounded by stealing scumbags who would rather take you money than provide you with guidance, motivation, good training, etc and 3. having the mental fortitude of a fucking child while dealing with worldwide fame - these are the real reason's iron mike is where he is now.

Mike Tyson himself said he wanted to quit smoking marijana because it's making him gas out early in fights. MoFo

 

[Madmick]

Too bad it didn't work for former greatest boxer Mike Tyson, but worked for you. Maybe you should teach Tyson a lesson or two.

I'm pretty sure there has never been a large-scale study done on the effect of marijuana usage on world-class athletes' performance level. So what has he got to present to you other than himself? The matter in question is, "Can you smoke pot and still succeed in fighting?", not, "Does everyone who smokes pot succeed in fighting?"

YOU don't KNOW who is on it and who isn't.

I'm the pothead, and you're the fucking idiot.

 

[Madmick]

That response of don't knock it till you try it is nonsense. It is adictive and harmful. If you try it, it may be hard to stop. It is proven that these things are unhealthy- smoking anything, drinking too much alcohol. I am perfectly capable of saying this without having ever tried any of them.

I don't smoke or drink for a few reasons:

1) They are unhealthy. You can debate how unhealthy, but we can all agree that they are unhealthy (alcohol in moderation isn't that bad I suppose).

2) They are addictive. I do not want as few dependencies (pot is a dependency and not an adiction I ahve heard) or addictions as possible. They control your life and can get expensive.

8) For a number eight, it is similar to number 4. I do not want to escape. I want to live my life and be here for every waking moment. If I want to escape sometime, I will do it permanantly and won't come back (swimming the atlantic, eating a bullet, slitting my wrists) but I cannot imagie a scenario right now in my life where I would want to do that. I don't want to escape.

This is the best post by a non-user, but if you'll listen to what I have to say, I'm pretty sure I can illuminate for you some of your own prejudices you have retained as well as some irrational outlooks (I can tell you're someone who does his best to make this decision by grounding it in REASON, and for us users, that is terribly refreshing). I understand I must unavoidably have some of my own prejudices and such, but this post isn't about me, it's about you.

1) Unhealthy.
No. The Kaiser study is the only large-scale, long-term study that was not only peer-reviewed but cross-indexed each subject's marijuana usage against other habits (you would be amazed to learn that nearly every study that concluded marijuana has negative effects on the respiratory system-and there aren't many- did not cross-index for cigarette usage That's unbelievably corrupt).
What was the only difference after 29 years between the group that used marijuana and the group that didn't? Those using marijuana were substantially less likely to have cancer. This property of marijuana has been suggested by other studies involving cannibanoids: believed to be the anti-cancer agent in marijuana. But the Kaiser study was a huge associative study- not a theoretical lab approach- that confirmed this.

I'm not saying I think it's good for your training. People who smoke five times a day, it's not difficult to notice they have a cough. I'm sure there are short-term conditions, like pneumonia and colds, that marijuana users are at a higher risk of contracting. Mainly, in my opinion, it adversely affects the immune system, but I have no evidence to support that assertion that isn't anecdotal. I wouldn't include it as part of my regime, but obviously there are pro athletes out there who do and still dominate. NBA Player after NBA player has rumored that anywhere from 1/3-2/3 of the league is using. You scoff? People scoffed when David Wells said 75% of the MLB was juicing ten years ago.

My point is there has never been a study that proved marijuana was even bad for your health. I think there are negative effects of marijuana that haven't yet been proven, but until they are, you can't say, "It's unhealthy" as if it were known. It isn't.

You'll learn that studies that issue negative results are (much more frequently than those that don't) engineered to realize those results. I remember I once saw a study that was funded by a Christian Group. Gimme a break, there's no conflict of interest there. More often that that, though, it's how they PRESENT the results to you. The classic example of what I'm talking about is the study that came out a couple years ago that reported (EGADS!) that marijuana contains four times as many carcinogens as cigarettes. That's true. There's over 400 in marijuana and something like 101 in cigarettes. What they DIDN'T tell you is that there are several key types of carcinogens in cigarettes that are far more lethal and, most importantly, in much greater quantity. Think of it this way: you give me a 1mL vial of 4 different wasp killers, and I give you a 1/2 gallon jug of just one kind of rat poison. Who's going to die?

Furthermore, the stress on one's respiratory system can be reduced/negated with the use of a vaporizer. Vaportech makes the best one. They've won at Cannabis Cup (the product cup) several times. That's the best route for athletes, IMO, besides total abstinence.

Alcohol: 1-2 glasses of either red wine or unfiltered microbrewed ale with your dinner has been proven to have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. Once again, I think volume is essential to consider. Obviously, unlike marijuana, alcohol has been proven to be unhealthy with heavy usage, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been proven to be healthy with moderate use. If you aren't drinking a glass of red wine with your dinner, you should start. The only difficulty is accounting for the empty calories.

Tobacco: cigarettes are the worst thing in the world for you. The absolute worst. You're right on this one. But pure tobacco actually isn't that bad.

2) Addictive.
Absolutely not. "Dependency" is an empty word invented by the hardline-right to maintain a negative stigma of the drug because they know they can't truthfully call it addictive. Only two major federally subsidized studies have been done on marijuana, one during Nixon's presidency (confiscated tapes reveal he basically told the scientists on the project to come back with a negative report, or not come back at all) and one during Clinton's presidency. Both concluded that marijuana cannot be termed (according to the medical definition) either physically or psychologically addictive. Furthmore, the study done during Clinton's reign also investigated the claim/fear that marijuana is a "gateway" drug, and concluded decisively that it is not.

Marijuana definitely gets expensive, though, bro, you're doing yourself a favor there. But I'm kind of pissed about that. Why is it expensive in the first place? You've stumbled into another reason it's so pointless that marijuana is illegal.


8) If you've never done it, how do you know people take it "to escape?" Some describe it that way, but most of my friends don't. Besides, it seems to be your opinion of drugs in general. You have to understand this is humorour to someone like me who has done a lot of drugs: to hear non-users make assumptions as to why we do it. I find weed to be numbing, but it doesn't actually make my problems go away, so I don't see how I could escape anywhere with it.

But have you ever tried LSD? What people don't understand is with most drugs you HAVE TO BE A MENTAL WARRIOR. People who are mentally weak freak, I've seen it time and time again. LSD is an odyssey inward: into your fears, into your ability to deal with the fact you don't control your own consciousness. It's not a pill you pop on a Friday night to make the time pass. You have to gear up for an LSD trip. You have to mentally prepare for it the way you would a fight. If you're not ready, you will break, and someone will have to babysit/restrain you. And it's funny, because it's so easy to see beforehand who has the solipsistic stamina to endure the watershed of heaven and hell the drug will throw at you. But if you think it's weakness that drives someone to do a hardcore hallucinogen, you have really no understanding of the subject of your criticism.

Also, your comments on suicide are insensitive. I appreciate your candor, but you obviously don't understand the nature of a serious suicidal struggle.

 

[Sinister]

8) If you've never done it, how do you know people take it "to escape?" Some describe it that way, but most of my friends don't. Besides, it seems to be your opinion of drugs in general. You have to understand this is humorour to someone like me who has done a lot of drugs: to hear non-users make assumptions as to why we do it. I find weed to be numbing, but it doesn't actually make my problems go away, so I don't see how I could escape anywhere with it.

I've done everything I can to stay away from this thread because of the response chronic weed smokers have to slight disagreement, which is alarmingly critical and judgmental from my experience, of course the reason stated is because they feel society is that way towards them, but last I checked two wrongs still don't make a right.

However, it is my experience that chronic, and I'm sure any weed smoker knows what I mean by chronic wether you'll admit it or not, that you might smoke a J or hit a bowl every now and again, but you got some buddies who you'll openly admit smoke way too much weed, smokers do indeed use it as a form of escapism. It's not based on them being delusional or thinking that their problems will actually go away, deep down everyone knows that's nonsense...however that's still part of a pattern of sickness when you know this and you still purposefully choose to get high as opposed to doing anything to solve said problems. And I've seen this happen with a much higher percentage of weed smokers than one would think. Now, I'm sure there's a HUGE difference between people like that and people who are reading this or posting in this thread, why? Look where we are. We're in a forum about sports, athletics, so the people coming here are already going to have a mind that there's nothing wrong with them because they are indeed putting effort into their persons, and are thus entitled to whatever recreation they see fit, be it smoking weed or partying on weekends and getting drunk.

So needless to say there's already a difference in the mind-set of the person posting in this thread regarding their weed habit, but you know what? Most of the people I've ever met who habitually smoke do not fall into this category. Rather they fall into the category of having very similar views and lack of answers that can truly rationalize their smoking habit that any other drug-user has. The only difference I've ever seen is that most chronic weed smokers, if that's all they do is smoke weed, will deny tooth-and-nail that they are at all suffering. And when questioned as to why they smoke as opposed to something more constructive, they either get completely defensive or draw a blank, or question the nature of constructive recreation.

I guess the bottom-line is this. If there IS a class of drugs in which there are levels where the use of them are both purely medicinal, and purely recreational and thus, not destructive to the user's person then I could see the attempt to prove that marijuana is a legitimate candidate to be placed in this class. However, 95% of the reasons I've ever heard for it are more along the lines of denial and the whole "you don't know anything unless you've done it" argument...which personally I addressed in the other thread about smoking that got a bit out-of-hand. People fail to see that the problem weed smokers have in stating their case is that for people who habitually do something that's supposed to be so great for their calm and their nerves, they sure do lose it when questioned at-length. And that's what it's about. Behavior patterns. You're not going to win anyone's opinion over with rhetoric and shouting, and you're not going to convince a person not to be judgmental by being judgmental over them. That's just my experience.

 

[sanshou fighter]

I'm pretty sure there has never been a large-scale study done on the effect of marijuana usage on world-class athletes' performance level. So what has he got to present to you other than himself? The matter in question is, "Can you smoke pot and still succeed in fighting?", not, "Does everyone who smokes pot succeed in fighting?"

YOU don't KNOW who is on it and who isn't.

I'm the pothead, and you're the fucking idiot.

Poor Madmick, your brain is so full of garbage that you can't even get a college degree. You need to chill on that shit, you dumb ass.

 

[sanshou fighter]

Just to let you know, Madmick. I made good profits selling bomb pounds after pounds. You don't know shit about me. But I rarely smoke. It's people like you that keep my business growing. I'm a hustla not a junkie. I just love drinking. And crystal meth is fucking addicting made me lose a lot of weight and sleep. I dont fuck with that shit no more.

 

[Foolkiller]

I've got a live in girlfriend, on/off ankle (motherfucking thing sprung up on me as I was walking to the fucking store and I was limping like a maimed pup, fun for all) and messed up knee due to hereditary Osgood Schlatter's disease. You would to if you were me. Moderation is key though. The second you start thinking what you can make a bong out of, step away from the greenery.

 

[Golddoor]

what causes the intoxication in weed?

isn't it the depravation of oxygen to the brain? Don't get me wrong driniking does the same thing, but i would like to limit my loss of brain cells.

aslo being cool or anxiety is hardly an excusse to take drugs in my opinion, it's just weakness. It says to me "I can't handle life straight up!"

Are you a fucking idiot? Deprives oxygen to the brain? No it doesnt. it has a natural chemical called THC that causes the effect!

 

[STILL LIFE]

woh... no, drinking and smoking do not limit oxygen to the brain any more than a multivitamin. Sure the smoke itself isn't good for lung function, but the asphixiation isn't enough to really be felt at all. THC is a psychoactive chemical present in cannibis and alchohol is another beast altogether. See? this is why people criticise this shit, they don't have the first fucking clue as to how any of it works. Bunch of Junior college geniuses in here.

On a side note, recent evidence suggests that THC may not actually kill brian cells but instead makes them dormant. They may actually become active and fully functional again during periods of extended sobriety.

Yeah one of my college teacher's was a activist on this and she was the one to submit evidence to the government to get those "this is your brain on pot" advertisements banned. That's why they don't have those commercials and such any more. Alcohol on the other hand does kill brain cells. But is fine to drink occasionally. I use to blaze all the time, do to my job i can't any more. Basically, IT IS A PART OF LIFE YOU DEFINETLY SHOULDN'T MISS OUT ON, BE A STONER FOR A WHILE IT'S FUN AND WILL NOT CHANGE YOU. And is not addicting on any level. I went cold turkey with it after 4 fun years of blazin :icon_surp

 

[Sinister]

Are you a fucking idiot? Deprives oxygen to the brain? No it doesnt. it has a natural chemical called THC that causes the effect!

Actually according to some information he's pretty close to correct:

Marijuana is fat soluble and, unlike alcohol which is metabolized in a matter of hours, can remain in the fat stores of the body for extended periods of time. Practically speaking, one joint can be detected in the body as long as month after its use. What this means is that your brain, ovaries and testes are the main repository for this substance. Regular use produces decreases in blood flow and oxygen transport to the brain and can result in decreased cortical function. Over time marijuana can result in chromosomal damage and sterility. Heavy use also suppresses the immune system making it more difficult to fight disease.

Which goes to show that reading up before you blurt out insults is a good thing.

 

[MTJJ_PuMpED]

Some of that I agree with and some of it I don't. Leave them alone, yes. But when guys come on here saying how they smoke a ton and it has no effect on their training and stuff like that, it either means they don't know the effects, they are in denial, or they are just lying. Everyone that I have ever known who smokes has told me that they regret it and wish that they could quit or had never started (and I ahve seen many of them try off and on to quit). I have never smoked but I ahve been around some smokers before and it makes me sick. Literally, I am alergic to the cigerate smoke and became very sick. Maybe I should add that to ym personal list.

The list I provided is a personal list of my reasons. Of course those aren't reasons for others, as I will admit some of them are less than rational (