15 thoughts on “Do You Know Marijuana?”

  1. sure you may be California focused, but from where?!

    I post this comment as of 6:00 PM 6/20/15, yet after hitting “POST” the time, reflects this being posted at midnight… This suggests to me, that your ‘focus-group’ (of hatred!) is located somewhere outside (East) of the USA!

    Seems quite a far way, away from California…

  2. I hope the reader has not become bored with my ‘ranting’! But here’s the latest hypothesis:
    As mentioned earlier, there is an astonishing correlation with the cannabinoids and senseless, violent mayhem all about the world, from all the M/E terrorist groups (hashish), very likely the Mexican drug cartels, most certainly all our drug gangs, most if not all of our assassins, or would-be assassins, many if not most of our serial killers and mass murderers, most if not all of those who shoot cops, and just about any homicide in the news today. The commonality in all of them: marijuana (hashish)

    That being said, here’s my simplest explanation. Most who indulge in the cannabinoids are well safe-guarded either genetically or environmentally (good health, nutrition for instance). So most are duped into the “Marijuana is harmless” myth.

    However a minority of marijuana or hashish abusers do not have those safe-guards. It’s not a terrible leap of faith, considering we all have some genetic predispositions. Some of us are more vulnerable to UV light and potential skin cancer, for instance, Other’s more vulnerable to alcoholism. Nothing to be ashamed of, there should be no stigma, as it is currently scientifically proven our genetic make-up can render some of us more vulnerable to whatever comes along.

    In a nutshell, the brains of a sizable subset of Middle Easterners are very vulnerable to the adverse affects of the cannabinoids on the brain. They smoke, or eat hashish, and become vulnerable to radicalization. They have unhealthy lifestyles generally, suffer from malnutrition, etc, and may have genetic vulnerability. The dope depletes their brains of empathy for life, so much so they do not care about the lives of others, or even their own.

    Hashish in the M/E is at the core, while in the US, marijuana is used to the same effect with ALL the domestic, radical Islamic terrorists. Read up on them, they ALL are druggies with mental health issues.

    The same process was used by Charles Manson and his assassin followers, while many others, become more or less, inadvertent ‘hashish assassins”- McVeigh, Holmes, Loughner, Tsarnaev, Rudolf, etc,, many of the school shooters, cop shooters, etc.

    Certain groups are genetically vulnerable, they may have underlying aggressive traits that would normally be subdued by the mind’s natural inhibitions.

    A reasonable analogy might be the drinker who gets in an occasional fight, because of the influence of alcohol. Some drinkers fight, some don;t, all depends on the personality, or the underlying genetic make-up of the individual. Well understood and agreed.

    Now with the abuser of the cannabinoids the same affects occur, but with a huge distinction. Marijuana or hashish affects the brain in some susceptible individuals with permanent alterations. So, they are not simply under the influence, like with alcohol, but instead their brains have been depleted of all natural empathy for life or inhibition. When opportunities arise, if they already have an innate proclivity for aggression, or if they have been brainwashed into thinking cops are their enemy, or if they have received radical propaganda, etc, in their warped minds, nothing (inhibitions of the brain) is restraining them from violent outbursts under certain conditions.

    Make sense, anyone?

    1. Parts of all of your comments are shared by me. It’s quite scary. I am enough in touch with my reactions to my life forces to know that there is a lot of truth in what you are saying. That is why after smoking pot for a short time, I definitely quit. I prefer what I call my academic brain, and mind. This is my ability to focus clearly on an issue, or for example, the art that I am involved in doing, and weighing multiple issues about quality of materials, size of the work, just the whole fabric, which cannot under any circumstances be seen with either pot or alcohol.

  3. To update and re-phrase my thoughts a bit:

    The brain has millions of neurons and neural circuits. The pleasure/ reward pathway is very important because it regulates our feelings and mood and maintains our general good feelings, and pleasures in life. Drugs overwhelm the reward pathway and overload feelings with sudden surges of euphoria in users via stimulation of dopamine. In essence, drugs hijack those neural pathways, as the brain adapts, and the mind continues to seek those rewards.

    I think what might be unique about marijuana is that the feelings of euphoria under intoxication are not completely incapacitating as the ‘harder’ drugs are. That is, those who are high under marijuana (or hashish), continue to communicate and think and behave certain ways that are not completely limited.

    That being the case, I think maybe while under the influence, individuals can fuse into their thought processes any kind of stimuli as the brain’s neurons re-structure. So relationships with others can be strengthened, or individuals can be made to believe many things, like perhaps marijuana is their wonder medicine.

    I suspect the terrorists have perfected this state of mind. So, as the brain seeks new reward pathways from marijuana, abusers are deeply indoctrinated with radical ideology as well as devious notions.

    As applied to the 9/11 terrorists, who did use marijuana, it might be they ‘learned’ under the influence a need to destroy what they deemed contrary to their warped thinking. Their reward, they think, is martyrdom for Allah. Under the influence of marijuana, they transposed this reward circuitry. Their minds’ satisfaction can now be rewarded with deeds of destruction.

    Thus, instead of seeking more drugs as ‘rewards’ for the brain, their mind’s sought the ‘reward’ of vengeance and martyrdom.

    My crazy idea, anyway.

  4. Yes on the comment about the hash assassins – You’re right… it was only a matter of time before the Hippies turned into blood rage fueled killing machines and Nixon knew it… unfortunately, their strains weren’t potent enough to inspire mass-killings at woodstock or other music festivals, but we’ve been working on it ever since. Making the strains stronger, more potent, to fuel the berserker rage that will make us all invincible in battle.

    Any day now – yep, we’ll get off that couch, and … start assassinating people… we’ll start with the funyuns… we’ll assassinate all the funyuns first – then, maybe, if we’re not too relaxed, we’ll grab our assault gear and hope we remember who the target was.

    You totally have it. Also, yeah drugs are linked to terrorists and criminals… booze was was heavily involved in the formation of the mob, you know, because the profit margins were huge due to it being a black market commodity? Yeah, any time you ban -anything- criminals are going to deal in it – because it’s huge money once you make it illegal.

    Seriously, make cheese illegal, you’ll see the cartels smuggling gouda.

  5. Imp, I just noticed your reply and am grateful that you at least read my original post and took the time to reply, despite the “Reefer Madness” sarcasm.

    I don’t know if you will ever return, but let me just say not everyone who engages in drugs will lose their minds, just like not every one who indulges in alcohol with become alcoholic or get in a drunk driving accident. Similarly not everyone who runs a red light will get in an accident. And even in the game of Russian roulette, five of the participants will walk away just fine, maybe shaken a little, but not physically harmed.

    Likewise, the majority who engage in pot smoking, especially mild varieties of cannabis, most likely will not become schizophrenic. But some will as dictated by chance and circumstance. I think you get the point.

  6. Thank you Suzanne for your kind reply. That does bring up a very important point too, and that is many are lured into the world of drugs, especially when they’re young, under the false impression the drugs will bring out their creative and artistic side.

    Such is not the case in my opinion. It’s an illusion, a nasty trap actually. The brain will be different and the outcomes in say, artistic expression may take a twist, but that does not mean the work, and all the intellectual and mental effort it takes to create will be at the highest level.

    Psychologists did tests years ago with artists under the influence of alcohol. Those who were intoxicated really did feel they were being creative of really nice work. But when sobriety set in, they reviewed their work and were quite disappointed.

    I think this basic concept may be applied to mind altering drugs as well. The abuser dupes him or herself, but in the final analysis, at least by their own evaluation (it’s all subjective) their creation is not most often they feel anything to be proud of.

    Personally, I think artistic creation is best when totally sober, best when daily distractions are at a minimum and when the mind is simply free to roam and contemplate. Substance abuse obstructs, limits and stifles the creative ability of the mind’s natural and infinite imagination. It’s best to explore our God given talents within rather than tinkering with the brain. As I see it, anyway.

  7. Regarding the “artistic creativity” comments above, I have just read an interview with one of the KISS rock and roll band members, Gene Simmons, who has always admirably abstained from drugs and alcohol, and who echoes my sentiments that substance abuse may be an actual detriment to creativity. (Not to mention illegal drugs are just that, ILLEGAL.)

    Nice interview, of which we can only wish more across society would listen and heed his philosophy:
    http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-gene-simmons-20160829-snap-story.html

  8. For anyone out there that might be interested, here are some thoughts on John Hernandez Felix who allegedly murdered by ambush two police officers in Palm Springs, California recently. The story is all about the news, and is described as tragic as it can get.

    Witnesses describe Felix as having mental health issues, and described him as “using drugs”. First of all, “drugs” almost invariably implies marijuana use at some point, since pot is the fundamental drug of use with any recreational drug abuse problem. Plus he was a verified gang member with a known criminal history. Though this is not proof by any means, gang members who commit violent crimes test around 55% positive for marijuana. And note that the positive test implies they use marijuana regularly, which in of itself can be the catalyst toward the mental illness, or which aggravates a mental illness toward violent and erratic aspects.
    Still, none of the above are smoking gun yet, but there is one bit of evidence that lends credibility to the argument that marijuana was indeed a potential factor, or the factor for his mental derangement, And that is he was caught by police in years past with an “opium pipe”. Now in all likelihood, this pipe was used for hashish. Which further substantiates his use of marijuana in the past.
    Nothing perfect in this, but how often do all the details line up anyway?
    All in all, I’d say there is a very high degree of probability Felix had a marijuana abuse history, among other illegal recreational drugs, and his mental illness was either aggravated or induced by abuse.

  9. FWIW: It’s probably already documented here, but just in case not, I just noticed by accident this morning a bit about the serial killer John Wayne Gacy, and linked him ALSO to marijuana use. So here it is for the record for interested parties, Just one excerpt:

    “Upon leaving his lawyers’ office, Gacy drove to a Shell gas station where, in the course of filling his rental car, he handed a small bag of cannabis to the attendant, …”

    Delusional despite marijuana abuse, or delusional because of marijuana abuse? It’s got to be one or the other, but first, society needs to at least wonder and ask the question. Instead of ignoring it, like the country is doing.

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