434 2 #1 February 2, 2009 Phelps acknowledges photo of him smoking a bong! Olympic great Michael Phelps acknowledged "regrettable" behavior and "bad judgment" after a photo in a British newspaper Sunday showed him inhaling from a marijuana pipe. If he just had a Bud in his hand, he would still have been a hero! http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/9160136/Report:-Picture-shows-Phelps-using-bong?MSNHPHMA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
idrankwhat 0 #2 February 2, 2009 QuotePhelps acknowledges photo of him smoking a bong! If he just had a Bud in his hand he would stil have been a hero! I find this comment interesting from the viewpoint that hero-maker alcohol is a more hazardous drug than THC. Just an observation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #3 February 2, 2009 QuoteQuotePhelps acknowledges photo of him smoking a bong! If he just had a Bud in his hand he would stil have been a hero! I find this comment interesting from the viewpoint that hero-maker alcohol is a more hazardous drug than THC. Just an observation. The use of alcohol is far more widespread than marijuana. In that sense it could be said it is more hazardous. But if one looks at the personal health risk, the hazards of alcohol are well known, understood, and documented. We don't know nearly as much about the long term effects of smoking marijuana since it has far more chemical substances involved. Most people I know partake in 3-4 drinks a week, some more. Most of them I have a great deal of trust in. On the other hand, anybody I know who has been smoking pot for the last 20+ years has problems at work, in society, and/or at home. I wouldn't trust any of them to so much as watch my dog for an afternoon. No exceptions.HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #4 February 2, 2009 QuoteBut if one looks at the personal health risk, the hazards of alcohol are well known, understood, and documented. We don't know nearly as much about the long term effects of smoking marijuana since it has far more chemical substances involved. Some interesting reading: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/199734/study_finds_marijuana_lsd_and_ecstacy.html?cat=5Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 232 #5 February 2, 2009 I think that the person who snapped a picture and then made it public is the real jack-ass but that was stupid of him."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #6 February 2, 2009 Quote Most people I know partake in 3-4 drinks a week, some more. Most of them I have a great deal of trust in. On the other hand, anybody I know who has been smoking pot for the last 20+ years has problems at work, in society, and/or at home. I wouldn't trust any of them to so much as watch my dog for an afternoon. No exceptions. But due to that mentality, the functional potheads don't make it known that they have been smoking for the past 20 years. So maybe you trust those people every day and not know it. Only Jack Mormons hide the 3-4 drinks a week. Phelps probably lost 7 figures with this photo. But he should still have the cash for a hitman. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #7 February 2, 2009 It all depends on how much you use. People who drink too much screw up their lives too. On the other hand, people who use either drug in moderation seem to have no problems. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #8 February 2, 2009 QuoteQuoteBut if one looks at the personal health risk, the hazards of alcohol are well known, understood, and documented. We don't know nearly as much about the long term effects of smoking marijuana since it has far more chemical substances involved. Some interesting reading: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/199734/study_finds_marijuana_lsd_and_ecstacy.html?cat=5 QuoteThe researchers then asked numerous experts in: Law enforcement, psychologists (specializing in addiction), and legal officials to assign scores to twenty different drugs. Using that method the entire survey is nothing more than a tabulation of opinions, not facts. Don't put too much faith in it.HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #9 February 2, 2009 QuoteBut due to that mentality, the functional potheads don't make it known that they have been smoking for the past 20 years. So maybe you trust those people every day and not know it. You do know that argument is almost as old as it is baseless, right?HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #10 February 2, 2009 why is it baseless? If someone smokes weed, but in moderation, then how would you even know they smoke it? Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #11 February 2, 2009 Quote If someone smokes weed, but in moderation, then how would you even know they smoke it? They're happy? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #12 February 2, 2009 Shot himself in the ass, huh? Dang! All those endorsements... up in smoke! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #13 February 2, 2009 Quotewhy is it baseless? If someone smokes weed, but in moderation, then how would you even know they smoke it? Well, most of my friends i have known for 20-30 years. I can tell them anything, and they know they can tell me anything. They all know I smoked a bit when i was in high school, as did most of them. But we all grew up.HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #14 February 2, 2009 Quote The use of alcohol is far more widespread than marijuana. In that sense it could be said it is more hazardous. But if one looks at the personal health risk, the hazards of alcohol are well known, understood, and documented. We don't know nearly as much about the long term effects of smoking marijuana since it has far more chemical substances involved. Most people I know partake in 3-4 drinks a week, some more. Most of them I have a great deal of trust in. On the other hand, anybody I know who has been smoking pot for the last 20+ years has problems at work, in society, and/or at home. I wouldn't trust any of them to so much as watch my dog for an afternoon. No exceptions. Over 95% of my highschool class went on to post-secondary education an a lot of my friends graduated with more than the 27 college credit hours that I had. The people who smoked pot weren't headed for college and I figured the pot and beer were the reason. After I got out into the world, the people I knew smoking pot had careers with six figure salaries, nice houses, and sometimes families. There's no connection between success and pot smoking, although successful people have more to loose if it's found out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #15 February 2, 2009 QuoteQuoteBut due to that mentality, the functional potheads don't make it known that they have been smoking for the past 20 years. So maybe you trust those people every day and not know it. You do know that argument is almost as old as it is baseless, right? Your claim is the baseless one, as you've done nothing to address the fact that you have no idea who is smoking. A rather high percentage of the Bay Area (no, I'm not one of them) smokes pot and still manages to pay the ($2000) rent and this region is one of the most substantial contributors to the American economy. Which leads me to think it's not nearly as big a concern as you suggest. I think smoking weed is stupid, not because of the potential health effects, but the legal consequences are rather severe, from employment to driver's licenses to potential jail. Don't see the value in it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
funjumper101 15 #16 February 2, 2009 What a fucked up world we live in. What if the photo were taken at an Amsterdam smoke bar? How do we know that it wasn't? Phelps would have been doing something that is 100% legal, in the context in which it occured. Why is it of ANY importance at all that he may have smoked marijuana recreationally? What he does on his own time is his business. I am going to go out of my way to buy products from the companies that DON'T drop him as a spokesperson. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #17 February 2, 2009 QuoteUsing that method the entire survey is nothing more than a tabulation of opinions, not facts. Don't put too much faith in it. I posted this because you posted your own opinion: QuoteMost people I know partake in 3-4 drinks a week, some more. Most of them I have a great deal of trust in. On the other hand, anybody I know who has been smoking pot for the last 20+ years has problems at work, in society, and/or at home. I wouldn't trust any of them to so much as watch my dog for an afternoon. No exceptions. I don't know what you do for a living, but I prefer the opinion of thousands of people that work with alcohol and drug abusers every day.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #18 February 2, 2009 QuoteYour claim is the baseless one, as you've done nothing to address the fact that you have no idea who is smoking. Depends entirely upon the nature of the interaction bewtween a given person and myself. If it is somebody I just met, of course I have no idea unless they just burned one and the smell is lingering around them. But if it is someone i have known and hung around with for a quarter century, yer darn right i know whether they use or not. And those are the people I was speaking of, not strangers met on the street. Personally, I have no problem at all with people smokin pot. I just think it is stupid for them to try to justify it by saying it doesn't hurt them. Marajuana smoke contains more than 400 different chemicals. Unless you know exactley what the effects of each of those are, or at least know which ones are harmful in what ways, then you can't say it doesn't harm you. It is well established that THC acts on the hippocampus. This is a component of the brain’s limbic system that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations. Regular use of marajuana causes irreversible deteriation of the hippocampus. Like i said, I have no problem with people using it. I just have a problem with people who spread bullshit logic to justify it.HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,121 #19 February 2, 2009 QuoteMarajuana smoke contains more than 400 different chemicals. Unless you know exactley what the effects of each of those are, or at least know which ones are harmful in what ways, then you can't say it doesn't harm you.So does most food we eat, cigarettes, and campfires, From stason.org, a response to that statement about chemicals:QuoteTrue, but so what? There are also over 400 chemicals in many foods, (including coffee, which contains over 800 chemicals and many rat carcinogens) and we don't see police arresting people in McDonald's, or giving Driving while Eating citations. Only THC is very psycho-active; a few other chemicals also have very small degrees of psycho-activity. People who use marijuana do not get sick more, or die earlier, or lose their jobs (except to drug tests), or have mutant kids... so what's your point? The fact that there are over 60 unique chemicals in cannabis, called `cannabinoids,' is something that scientists find very interesting. Many of these cannabinoids may have valuable effects as medicine. For example, `cannabinol' is a cannabinoid which can help people with insomnia. Doctors think that this chemical is why most patients prefer to use marijuana rather than pure Delta-9-THC pills (called dronabinol) -- the cannabinol takes the edge off being `high' and calms the nerves. Another cannabinoid, `cannabidiolic acid', is a very effective anti-biotic, like pennicillin. Many of these chemicals can be extracted from marijuana without any fancy laboratory equipment. The fact that it's psychoactive and that some people do seem to turn into motivationless folks because of it, and because many jobs will fire you for using are plenty of real reasons. Don't make up reasons. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vortexring 0 #20 February 2, 2009 "The principle of a free society is that people should be able to do whatever they like as long as they cause no harm to other people." Does that statement; in regards to the use of the drug, take into account the numbers of users who go on to suffer serious mental issues? Arguably it could be said certain users will go on to harm others directly through the use of the drug - if we use people who suffered paranoid schizophrenia or psychosis as examples. (Who then went on to harm people.) From a page on schizophrenia: "Use of street drugs (marijuana/hash - cannabis, etc.) have been linked with significantly increased probability of developing schizophrenia. Psychiatrists in inner-city areas speak of cannabis being a factor in up to 80 per cent of schizophrenia cases. Researchers in New Zealand found that those who used cannabis by the age of 15 were more than three times (300%) more likely to develop illnesses such as schizophrenia. Other research has backed this up, showing that cannabis use increases the likelihood of psychosis by up to 700 per cent, and that the risk increases in proportion to the amount of canabis used (smoked or consumed). Research also suggests that there is an increased risk of relapse (i.e. risk of significant worsening of the psychosis) associated with marijuana and other street drugs. The more relapses a person has, the worse the prognosis for people with schizophrenia. Today, there are over 30 published papers linking marijuana to schizophrenia or other mental disorders. The increase in evidence could be tied to the increased potency of marijuana. A review by the British Lung Association says that the cannabis available on the streets today is 15 times more powerful than the joints being smoked three decades ago" http://www.schizophrenia.com/...newpages/family.html Still, if we consider the issues surrounding alcohol? Everything in moderation, I reckon. Man.I suppose the main concern really is young teenagers using the stuff. It might not have caused any mental issues with any particular individual reading this but I'll bet you know someone where it did. Are youngsters more likely to develop mental issues through the use than adults? I think it more than likely. Which then leads us to the problem of protecting our youngsters from the drug, whilst avoiding the criminalisation of teachers and MP's who regularly use the waccy baccy. 'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #21 February 3, 2009 If saying that smoking pot has adverse effects on a person's brain, a fact that is well supported, is "making up reasons" then I am guilty as charged. Sure most of the foods we eat have as many or more chems as pot, but most of these foods have been proven over several thousand years to be good for us, not turning people into lethargic slugs. I never claimed they get sick more, etc. The only claims i have made are... -THC deteriates the brain. Proven fact. -Smoking pot on a regular basis causes problems with a persons ability to interact normally with society. Also proven. -Smoking pot is an immature act. Personal opinion.HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #22 February 3, 2009 I've always been of the opinion that pot should be legalized and taxed at the same rate as cigarettes and test should be devloped that can be administered along the highway much the same way a breath test can detect alcohol. I just hate it when those who favor legalization spout off about how it doesn't hurt anybody, blah blah blah. It reminds me of those who want to eliminate motorcycle helmet laws claim helmets cause more deaths than they prevent. HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #23 February 3, 2009 Quote" "Use of street drugs (marijuana/hash - cannabis, etc.) have been linked with significantly increased probability of developing schizophrenia. Schizophrenia affects 1.3% of the US adult population. As of 2002, 28.7% of adult male Americans and 34.5% of adult female Americans were obese with obesity leading to 112,000 excess deaths each year some of whom were parents of minor children. If it's reasonable for the government to control everyone's behavior to help 1% of the population, it would be criminal for them not to address what's happening to nearly a third of us. They should be banning big macs, or at least have a sign like the have on roller coaters "You may weigh no more than this much to eat this food" Quote I suppose the main concern really is young teenagers using the stuff. It might not have caused any mental issues with any particular individual reading this but I'll bet you know someone where it did. Right. And right now teen agers have an easier time getting marijuana (the local dealer does not check IDs) than alchohol (he does and the local police run sting operations). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #24 February 3, 2009 QuoteI've always been of the opinion that pot should be legalized and taxed at the same rate as cigarettes and test should be devloped that can be administered along the highway much the same way a breath test can detect alcohol. In most states it's illegal to drive under the influence of ANY substances. If you do poorly enough on the road side sobriety tests they'll take you back to the station for a blood test which will detect marijuanna, opiates, etc. and provide more evidence for a criminal conviction. If your coordination and reaction times are good enough it doesn't matter. I've had friends convicted for driving whilst under the influence of prescribed medications. If you refuse, in most states (the feds and our highway taxes) it's an automatic license suspension. Either way, they're already looking for and busting stoned drivers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #25 February 3, 2009 Yeah, I know. But if it legalized we should have a way for the cops to quickly check whether a driver is over a predetermined level, if that is even possible. It may come down to relying on the roadside sobriety tests in front of a video camera. You know, put your arms straight out, tip your head back, stand on one foot, balance these spinning plates on these poles, and 1-2-3-KICK! 1-2-3-KICK! Drop a plate and yer toast.HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
