To think that weed is NOT a soft drug?

[superstarheartbreaker]

One of my lovely old friends has got back in tough. He's a decent guy and we are going out for a drink but he won't be drinking booze apparently because he's into weed.

I don't know why people get this notion that weed is not as dangerous as alchohol. Ok; alchohol has it's downsides but weed causes psychosis and paranoia, not to mention lethargy. Especially now we have genetically engineered skunk weed. I have smoked weed in the past and it made me go completely loopy and paranoid....but it was seen as 'cool'. I really like this guy but I am going to have to point out that is he's a proper caner we will have to just be friends.

So whos with me on this one; weed IS more dangerous than booze no?

[ElliesWellies]

Everything in moderation? I haven't read extensively on the subject, but from what I have read, I gather that the odd joint has never done anyone any harm? Though please correct me if I'm wrong.

[WorraLiberty]

alchohol has it's downsides but weed causes psychosis and paranoia, not to mention lethargy

You mean it can cause those things...just as alcohol can.

Weed can't give you cirrhosis of the liver like alcohol can...and alcohol can't give you lung cancer like weed can.

It's all swings and roundabouts imo and really depends on what (if anything) the person is predisposed to.

[SirBoobAlot]

Actually everything I have read is to the contrary of your last statement. It's quite interesting to look into. This was linked to recently on a page I follow for discussion.

Have smoked weed a few times to see if it helped with my pain levels. It did, but isn't something I would like to get in to doing regularly, as just like any drug you build up an immunity.

[mummymeister]

they are both drugs in my book and they both have their upsides and their downsides. what is worse depends on your personal experience and personal point of view so both of you are right and neither of you are right.

[AKissIsNotAContract]

A&Es aren't packed at the weekends with people smoking weed and getting into fights/falling over.

[JeezyOrangePips]

It's difficult to compare, because alcohol is much more widely accessible.

But I agree, weed can be very very damaging. It's not the harmless substance that I once believed it to be. I used to be very firmly in the 'legalise it' camp. Now I am very firmly against its legalisation. I've seen the damage it can do, and it's not pretty.

[WorraLiberty]

so both of you are right and neither of you are right

What a wonderful phrase...and one I'm totally going to start using when my DS's start arguing. It's often the case that they are both right and yet neither of them are!

[Stonefield]

I haven't smoked weed for years but I like a drink as much as the next person but all things in moderation as they say. I honestly think that weed is no worse than alcohol. Nicotine is more damaging than cannabis and I'm certain alcohol wrecks more lives.
What is your issue with weed?

[OldLadyKnowsNothing]

Stronger weed can cause serious mental health issues in teenagers. I'm not convinced modern skunk is "genetically engineered" but it has been bred, and cross-bred, to have very high levels of THC. Specialist growers are working to resolve this issue, there's another chemical, the name of which I forget, which needs to be balanced with THC to prevent the MH problems.

However, skunk is not the only variety of weed available in Britain, and ime isn't actually all that common as a commercially-grown product, because it smells so strong and is therefore harder to hide when it's growing.

Have a look here to see the range available.

(NB, bizarrely, it is perfectly legal to buy/sell/own cannabis seeds and all the lights etc to grow them. It's just illegal to actually put them all together and let Nature take it's course.)

[WorraLiberty]

I've seen the damage alcohol can do (I'm sure we all have) and that's not pretty either.

Don't get me wrong, I'm neither for nor against weed but I don't think it has an adverse effect on everyone who smokes it.

The same as alcohol doesn't have an adverse effect on everyone who drinks it.

[mummymeister]

thanks worra but not sure your kids will agree

[notMarlene]

Skunk is potentially really quite dangerous / damaging if misused, I think. Weed and hash? Possibly but to a much lesser extent.

I think you mean he smokes a lot of skunk.

[WorraLiberty]

mummymeister they agree on nothing at the moment anyway

They've both had heavy colds for the last couple of days and have been a pair of right grumpy buggers!

[flowersfortea]

You are not being unreasonable. you can't judge people for choosing to smoke weed any more than if they smoke cigarettes, or eat ten bags of crisps a day, but I disagree with those who say a little now and again is ok because althoughfor some it might seem to be fine (not everyone who smokes dies of lung cancer or copd) there is overwhelming evidence for many adverse effects ranging from the drug induced psychosis, the social effects of using/obtaining/possessing illegal amounts, to the cardiovascular risks of smoking joints full of tar and goodness knows what else. And weed, quite literally, stinks too, really pungent in my opinion!

[flowersfortea]

Sorry posted too soon... The problem is, none of us know how we will each be affected by something, and in my professional experience have worked with people who are sectioned due to cannabis (or khat, or alcohol, our other drugs) inducing psychosis both from sporadic and from prolonged use.

[WorraLiberty]

flowers you said yourself although for some it might seem to be fine.

And honestly, for some it actually is fine.

I could list the problems alcohol causes people for whom drinking is not fine...and the list would no doubt be as long.

[Lostaway]

I wouldn't say weed is more dangerous than alcohol. It all depends on how much you do of it.

I've smoked weed - when I was young and stupid. But it never did anything to me, just relaxed me at the time.

Whereas my friend used to drink a ridiculous amount. She was so drunk she slipped and knocked herself out cold on the pavement and had to be rushed to hospital.

[maddening]

I think booze is worse than alcohol.

[WorraLiberty]

Also, I've yet to see a group of pot heads smash up a town centre/night club/pub just because someone bumped into them.

[Softlysoftly]

Weed and alcohol cause equal harm to the individual if abused but alcohol is more damaging to others (fighting, sexual abuse, criminal damageetc). I would say yabu weed is the lesser of the two evils.

Whether that would change if more widely available in not sure.

[MurderOfGoths]

From what I know, if you are vulnerable to things like mental health disorders then weed will make it far far worse. Problem is, the people I know who suffer from it, didn't know they were vulnerable to it until after they'd smoked the weed. So it strikes me to be a bit like Russian Roulette. The stakes are far too high IMO.

[OldLadyKnowsNothing]

Some mental health issues are made worse by weed. Some aren't; an friend of mine who has suffered from anorexia for decades uses it to stimulate her appetite when she's ill.

[MurderOfGoths]

That's interesting, can see how that works.

I know I wouldn't risk it, and am terrified of DS risking it in the future (lots of mental health issues in both sides of the family)

[OldLadyKnowsNothing]

The highest risk seems to be to teenage boys, in the early teen years, who have a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia in particular. No idea why that is, but it's while their brains are still developing. The risk to full adults seems smaller, if any at all.

[Charlezee]

Weed doesn't quite compare to alcohol when it comes to vandalism, starting fights, fuelling domestic abuse.

Weed can cause mental health problems or make existing ones worse- so can alcohol.