Marijauna and the system - Addiction: Substance Abuse

by Geoff H., Mar 25, 2000 12:00AM

You ask some good questions! Here's my opinion:

1. Smoking one joint of Marijuana means that THC can be detected in your urine for up to 30 days. If you are a heavy or regular smoker of Marijuana, you should expect that THC will be detectable in your urine for a longer period of time. But remember, THC is a fat-seeking chemical that gets stored in the fat cells of your body (particularly concentrated in your brain cells and in your genital area) and it remains in your system exerting its effects (albeit, in subtle ways) for long periods of time- much longer than when it no longer becomes detectable in urine. It could take months or even years for a regular pot smoker to loose all traces of the substance from their body. This is an area that could use more research, but I believe Marijuana research is ongoing...

2. I haven't heard about prescription drugs affecting the length of time it takes the body to clear THC and/or other cannabinoids.
There is evidence that suggests that Marijuana use has negative effects on the immune system (that it can impact Leukocyte function), so probably not advised if you are suffering from an illness. It could take longer for you to recover. Also, remember that Marijuana contains over 400 different chemicals- most of them we don't know much about!

3. In terms of the ADD questions, I hear all the time from people who were "self-medicating" with Marijuana- they're usually my addicted patients. My patients, of course, have a terrible addiction and this approach didn't help them. But even if you weren't an addict and suffered from ADD or ADHD, I don't believe the Marijuana would help. It could possibly help slow down a hyperactive person (or could speed them up even more!), but I believe it would have disasterous effects on the ADD/ADHD person's cognitive abilities. We know that Marijuana negatively affects a person's perception, global concentration ability, and short-term memory. It can also affect a person's judgement. People suffering from ADD already have a challenge with concentration and memory ability, I can only believe that these areas of cognition would be further compromised by Marijuana use. Also, people with ADHD can be impulsive and make poor choices, so I don't think Marijuana use would help them relate to others and to the world any better. I do NOT believe that Marijuana use can help a person with ADD or ADHD in any way, be they non-addicted or addicted. Also, I have not read any research that suggests Marijuana to be beneficial to persons suffering from ADD or ADHD.

4. I don't think people with ADD or ADHD have a harder time with addiction. I believe they suffer as much as anyone who becomes addicted. However, rates of substance abuse are higher in the ADD/ADHD population than in the normal population. Therefore, if you suffer from ADD or ADHD you are more likely to become a substance abuser. Another question might be, "Do people with ADD or ADHD have a more difficult time with recovery?" I believe they do because of the existing symptoms of the ADD/ADHD - problems with cognition and memory will persist even after detox, that just goes with living with ADD or ADHD. People with ADHD will continue to have problems with impulsivity, also. Medications can help with this (I've seen Wellbutrin, for example, help a lot of ADD/ADHD addicts), but recovery will still be a challenge. Consider sitting down and reading the "Big Book" of AA or "Basic Text" of NA for periods of time, or remembering the details of the lecture with the CD Counselor that you just sat through, or being able to focus on writing out your Stepwork or other recovery assignments, or remembering the details of your Relapse Prevention plan. Yes, recovery can be more of a challenge for the ADD/ADHD alcoholic or addict, but proper medication and counseling can make it easier.

Hope this helps!
Best regards, Geoff.

by sue, Apr 18, 2000 12:00AM

I JUST FOUND OUT MY DAUGHTER SMOKED POT A FEW TIMES WHERE DO I GO FOR HELP FOR HER. AND WHAT DO I DO? PLEASE HELP.

by message to sue, Apr 20, 2000 12:00AM

listen sue, there is no need to get worked up over this. marijuana is okay. do some reading on it. i suggest "the emperor wears no clothes" by jack herer. it's a compilation of all things pro-hemp and pro-marijuana. it will lead you to realize that smoking pot isn't so bad. (unless your daughter is very young). just understand that teens go through phases and this may just be one. i understand why you would be concerned and to some extent you have a right to be. but you also should understand that this is your daughter's choice. tell her you don't like it or don't approve or whatever but don't "forbid" it or punish her for it. it's a rite of passage and who knows, maybe she'll grow out of it. but please don't be angry with her for it, she's just a kid.

by Mary, Apr 25, 2000 12:00AM

My boyfriend has been using marijuana for years. I did not know this when we 1st got together. After years of us arguing over this, he has finally said it is time for him to quit. I was just wondering what I can do to help him and what will be the withdrawl symptoms we should expect.

by lisa, Apr 26, 2000 12:00AM

Mary,
My question is how you coped with your boyfriend smoking pot. My honey smokes infrequently but has smoked for over 30 years and used to smoke a lot more. I, on the other hand, used to smoke myself...a lot when I was younger...but slowed down a lot in the last 10 years (probably 10 times in as many years) and finally quit about a year ago. So, I knew when we first got together and in fact, we smoked together a couple times. Now that I've quit totally it bothers me when he gets high. I prefer how he is so much more when he's straight. I end up getting upset. That has caused him to try to hide it from me, etc. But I usually know. I really don't want to leave this relationship. He's a wonderful guy otherwise. I feel that it might be better if he just told me when he plans to smoke (He only does it about once or so a month, but once he gets his hands on some he has to smoke it all within a day or so). That way I could just not come over. I hate to make him feel secretive about it and end up not enjoying it, but I don't know what else to do.
Thanks
Lisa

by Mary, Apr 26, 2000 12:00AM

Lisa:

It has not been easy. It seems like all we do anymore is fight and the fights are always about the same thing. I had health problems when I was younger, so I never experimented with any drugs, I was always afraid that I would have a bad reaction to them. So, whenever we get into a fight over it, his reaction is always the same, "You will never be able to understand". I don't know for sure if he is really going to give it up this time or not, he tries to hide the addiction too. Like you said though you can tell. It has been hard, but I love him and I hope this time he is willing to give it up. We have talked about this subject alot. I have tried to made one thing very clear with him, this is a big problem between us and if something is not done about it, it could tear us apart. I have always felt no matter what you do make sure you tell him the truth and let him know how you feel. It does not help either one of you if you are not open and honest with each other.

I hope this has helped you.

Mary

by kind Bud, May 05, 2000 12:00AM

Pot smoker are the best deep thinkers

by Gram Mur, May 05, 2000 12:00AM

Isn't that supposed to be Pot smokers? Shouldn't it read: Pot smokers are the best deep thinkers? On the contrary... when put on the spot, they lose all train of thought. Most tend to hide away and think about nothing in particular, listening to music or watching the boob tube. Some are into the great wide open, while others worry about passing the stinking **** tests. This, this is where the deep thinking comes into play. Right? Give it up and be real. I did... and now it isn't difficult to convey my thoughts.

by Mary, May 09, 2000 12:00AM

how lone will THC stay in your system

by Gram Mur, May 09, 2000 12:00AM

It depends on how much you smoke. Anywhere from 7 days to months and months. I'm glad I quit. Stuff looks better to me now. Things have more rhyme and reason. Don't get me wrong! I loved smoke. Did it for years and years. Maybe that's why I didn't come all unglued when I came across a roach clip in one of my kids' rooms. We had a talk about smoke. They (I have 3 daughters) went through a phase and all 3 have since then quit. Two are in their late 20's and one in the early 20's. My youngest said, "It got to the point where I was regretting doing it because when I didn't, I had clarity." Makes sense when you think about it. But... as far as THC longevity, it depends on the light, medium and heavy-weight thing.

by Sheila, May 17, 2000 12:00AM

My husband and I have argued over the question of Marijuana and addiction. 1. Can a person get addicted? 2. If they can, is it mentally or can they physically get addicted as well? 3. Are there any withdrawll symptoms?

Thank you

Sheila

by Thomas Paine, Jul 23, 2000 12:00AM

Marijuana is completely safe.  It is safer than most drinking water.  As a matter of fact it is good for you.

THC the active substance in Marijuana is accepted into an enzyme receptor site in the brain and other areas.  What happens as a result is that you achieve an alpha wave response.  An alpha wave resonse is a brain wave pattern associated with meditating or listening to classical music.  Alpha wave patterns is one right wave brain signal followed by a left wave brain signal.  It is a highly associative brain state.  It is what America currenly needs most.

Enzyme receptor sites are very specific in what they accept.  The fact that we have these receptor sites tells you that it is most likely an essential part of our evolution.  Fetal mice that had these receptor sites block refused to feed and hence died.  THC is essential to humanity.

THC can be extracted from Marijuana in a variety of ways, the worst of which being smoke.  You can vaporize Marijuana which leaves the carbon intact therefore there are few carcinogens created.  You can also extract THC with alcohol and butter and again few if any carcinogens.

The proof that Marijuana is safe is that you cannot O.D. from it.  You can O.D. from alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, aspirin, vitamins, water, etc. . . but you CANNOT O.D. from THC.  It is impossible.  I would love to prove it to anyone that has any questions.  What does that tell you about THC it is 100% safe.

Would you rather have people on alcohol which is a gateway drug, (You can't make good decisions when you can't even think!) or Marijuana.  Alcohol is currently responsible for 100,000 deaths per year.  I bet that the people that quit smoking weed on this list find themselves still drinking and that sucks!  Nicotiene is killing 400,000 people per year.  Pharmaceuticals are killing 100,000 people per year.  Marijuana kills 0 people per year.

The reason that Marijuana is illegal and people "quit" is directly related to racism.  William Randolph Hearst who owned pulp mills and a bunch of Newspaper used yellow jounalism to create fear and hysteria in the general public.  Headline such as "white woman raped by black man, joint found" where used to both propogate racism and create fear for weed.  See the Movie Grass www.grassthemovie.com for a more thorough understanding of prohibition.  Try not to cry when the Vietnam Soldier uses a Shotgun to smoke Marijuana and he becomes emotional, it is okay though you know he got shot.

The reason we have a war on drugs is because alcohol and tobacco companies have a monopoly on the way politicians think.  That is why they are exempt from the DEA's drug scheduling.  Exempt!  What kind of B.S. is that.

Another reason Marijuana is illegal is that oil companies fear that Hemp will replace fossil fuels as a source of fuel.  Oil companies destroy our environment in ways that are indescribable here.  They are a demon.  People could grow there on fuel in there back yard and stimulate the greening process.  Also the lumber industry, which is a monopoly could be replaced by hemp.  On acre of hemp yields four times the paper per year than an acre of trees does in twenty year.  You can regrow a tree but you can't regrow a forest.

Here is a list of real videos to help you educate yourselves.  Of special interest is a car made out of hemp that you can hit with a sledge hammer and it won't dent.  There is very interesting facts about drugs in America and the benefits of hemp.

http://www.crrh.org/hemptv

Please educate yourselves.  Please don't turn you back on Marijuana.  The substance that helped you all deal with the depression associated with dealing with corperate globalism.  Your Karma will find you.

Encourage your children to use Marijuana.  That way they won't go on to harder drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.  Alcohol and tobacco are primer drugs for drugs of addiction such as cocaine and heroin.

Heal the Earth.  It is your mother.  Say no to pharmaceuticals that destroy your body in ways that cannot be repaired.  Say no to alcohol which is the only drug that you are more likely to die from the withdrawal once you have D.T.'s.  The Earth is being scarred by lumber companies, oil companies.  If someone took a razor blade to your moms face would you ask them to stop or would you let them do it because they had done it before?  Respect your mother.

strider_zulunation***@****

by Thomas Paine, Jul 23, 2000 12:00AM

Marijuana is completely safe.  It is safer than most drinking water.  As a matter of fact it is good for you.

THC the active substance in Marijuana is accepted into an enzyme receptor site in the brain and other areas.  What happens as a result is that you achieve an alpha wave response.  An alpha wave resonse is a brain wave pattern associated with meditating or listening to classical music.  Alpha wave patterns is one right wave brain signal followed by a left wave brain signal.  It is a highly associative brain state.  It is what America currenly needs most.

Enzyme receptor sites are very specific in what they accept.  The fact that we have these receptor sites tells you that it is most likely an essential part of our evolution.  Fetal mice that had these receptor sites block refused to feed and hence died.  THC is essential to humanity.

THC can be extracted from Marijuana in a variety of ways, the worst of which being smoke.  You can vaporize Marijuana which leaves the carbon intact therefore there are few carcinogens created.  You can also extract THC with alcohol and butter and again few if any carcinogens.

The proof that Marijuana is safe is that you cannot O.D. from it.  You can O.D. from alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, aspirin, vitamins, water, etc. . . but you CANNOT O.D. from THC.  It is impossible.  I would love to prove it to anyone that has any questions.  What does that tell you about THC it is 100% safe.

Would you rather have people on alcohol which is a gateway drug, (You can't make good decisions when you can't even think!) or Marijuana.  Alcohol is currently responsible for 100,000 deaths per year.  I bet that the people that quit smoking weed on this list find themselves still drinking and that sucks!  Nicotiene is killing 400,000 people per year.  Pharmaceuticals are killing 100,000 people per year.  Marijuana kills 0 people per year.

The reason that Marijuana is illegal and people "quit" is directly related to racism.  William Randolph Hearst who owned pulp mills and a bunch of Newspaper used yellow jounalism to create fear and hysteria in the general public.  Headline such as "white woman raped by black man, joint found" where used to both propogate racism and create fear for weed.  See the Movie Grass www.grassthemovie.com for a more thorough understanding of prohibition.  Try not to cry when the Vietnam Soldier uses a Shotgun to smoke Marijuana and he becomes emotional, it is okay though you know he got shot.

The reason we have a war on drugs is because alcohol and tobacco companies have a monopoly on the way politicians think.  That is why they are exempt from the DEA's drug scheduling.  Exempt!  What kind of B.S. is that.

Another reason Marijuana is illegal is that oil companies fear that Hemp will replace fossil fuels as a source of fuel.  Oil companies destroy our environment in ways that are indescribable here.  They are a demon.  People could grow there on fuel in there back yard and stimulate the greening process.  Also the lumber industry, which is a monopoly could be replaced by hemp.  On acre of hemp yields four times the paper per year than an acre of trees does in twenty year.  You can regrow a tree but you can't regrow a forest.

Here is a list of real videos to help you educate yourselves.  Of special interest is a car made out of hemp that you can hit with a sledge hammer and it won't dent.  There is very interesting facts about drugs in America and the benefits of hemp.

http://www.crrh.org/hemptv

Please educate yourselves.  Please don't turn you back on Marijuana.  The substance that helped you all deal with the depression associated with dealing with corperate globalism.  Your Karma will find you.

Encourage your children to use Marijuana.  That way they won't go on to harder drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.  Alcohol and tobacco are primer drugs for drugs of addiction such as cocaine and heroin.

Heal the Earth.  It is your mother.  Say no to pharmaceuticals that destroy your body in ways that cannot be repaired.  Say no to alcohol which is the only drug that you are more likely to die from the withdrawal once you have D.T.'s.  The Earth is being scarred by lumber companies, oil companies.  If someone took a razor blade to your moms face would you ask them to stop or would you let them do it because they had done it before?  Respect your mother.

strider_zulunation***@****

by holly, Aug 03, 2000 12:00AM

MY COMMENT IS THAT POT IS NOT THAT HORRIBLE AT ALL. I'VE SMOKED POT FOR 6 YEARS AND I'M STILL DOING OKAY. ALSO PEOPLE SAY WEED IS A GATEWAY DRUG WRONG ALL IT LEADS TO IS JUNKFOOD NOTHING MORE.WEED DOES NOT CHANGE A PERSON IN ANYWAY OTHER THAN THEY ARE MORE DOWN TO EARTH WITH THINGS. MANY PEOPLE I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH SMOKED WEED AND MOST OF THEM WERE THE SPORTY SMART RICH KIDS. THAT ARE ALL IN COLLEGE NOW. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD MAKE THAT BIG OF A DEAL ABOUT SMOKING WEED IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES AND IS HERE TO STAY FOR A FEW MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by anthony, Aug 14, 2000 12:00AM

what is the differince bettween sativa and indica

by Austin Clark, Aug 30, 2000 12:00AM

Weed Is Good for your system

by Jess, Oct 20, 2000 12:00AM

Hello, I'v been smoking for about 4 to 5 years now, non stop everyday, from the time I wake up to the time I pass out. Many people say that you can't really get addicted to pot, but unfortunatuly you can. I'm a walking example. I need it to get to sleep and need it first thing in the morning to start my day. Sometimes I even found myself smoking befor work and school. Anyways I was just dropping this line to ask if there is any help out there for marijauna addiction, except N.A. I want to quit, but I know I need help. I have been trying for the past year or so and just can't kick it. What can I do?

by Jess, Oct 20, 2000 12:00AM

Hello, I'v been smoking for about 4 to 5 years now, non stop everyday, from the time I wake up to the time I pass out. Many people say that you can't really get addicted to pot, but unfortunatuly you can. I'm a walking example. I need it to get to sleep and need it first thing in the morning to start my day. Sometimes I even found myself smoking befor work and school. Anyways I was just dropping this line to ask if there is any help out there for marijauna addiction, except N.A. I want to quit, but I know I need help. I have been trying for the past year or so and just can't kick it. What can I do?

by Jack Tripper, Mar 07, 2001 12:00AM

To: Jaimee

How long will mary j stay in your system

by John, Apr 18, 2001 12:00AM

To: Jaimee

THC will stay in your system up to 30 days for regular to constent use. Know this can be changed by they amount of water and healthy food you consome. If you need to pass a U.A. go to your local GNC and they have the most infective products for de-tox.

by fishless, Oct 14, 2001 12:00AM

To: Jaimee

i recently started useing marijauna again i used to smoke it alot when i was between the ages of 18-23. but now iam 28 and every time i smoke even just a couple of hits i get a little uncomfortable kinda nervouse feeling . i miss the relaxation i used to feel on it . i also found out about two years ago that i have a small heart problem called atrial fib. i was takeing toporal xl for it in small doses only about 13 mg a day but my doctor said i could stop taking the toporal xl because i havent had a  noticeable eposode for quite a while.(about 9 months).

my questions are these:

1. will the marijuana relaxe me like it did or not.

2. can the marijauna cause my heart to start afibing again.

             PLEASE EMAIL ME ASAP AT ***@****

                                       THANKYOU.

by Beth, Oct 22, 2001 12:00AM

To: test

by Beth, Oct 22, 2001 12:00AM

To: test2



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