<p>There are oils and tinctures and edibles, capsules and vaporizers. Whole new industries are popping up to support this growing industry. Nobody has to smoke a joint to gain the benefit of the medicinal quality of MM. </p>
<p>I am not suggesting teens try it just because, either. The teen brain is still maturing. </p>
<p>I do not think teens should try it just to try it either. However, I also don’t think it’s the end of the world if they do (full disclosure, I tried weed as a teenager… and then as an adult. I didn’t like it either time and that’s that for me.)</p>
<p>What I can’t stand though is when people act like a teen trying weed is a half feather push away from doing heroin, cocaine, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we’d all stop freaking out about weed in this country, maybe we could use that energy to actually address real issues (like the heroin use that is ACTUALLY killing kids). </p>
<p>I never tried it as a teen. I have tried it in recent years and it’s doesn’t have the same positive effect for me that it did for my H. I tried it for migraines. Not my thing. I very, very rarely drink alcohol, either. My biggest addiction seems to be internet discussion boards. </p>
<p>Teens try lots of things. They especially like to do things or wear things that are taboo and really piss off their parents. It kind of goes along with the territory. I agree with you, romani. </p>
<p>It’s even possible to grow up to be President of the USA, having been a user of weed as a teen. Lots of kids move on and whatever habits they had as a kid, lose as they get older. Not everyone becomes an addict.</p>
<p>In studying both acute and chronic pain patients, I learned that becoming addicted to prescription medicine as a result of a course of opioid pain medication happens far less often than people would have you believe. What was stressed to us was the misunderstanding of “dependence” vs. “addiction,” and all the implications thereof. Even many nurses either aren’t aware of the distinction or choose to reject it. I’ve seen patients with legitimate chronic pain issues treated like dirt because the nurses view their behavior as simply “drug seeking,” i.e., this patient is an addict. </p>
<p>I think it’s very unfortunate for these patients that chronic pain is so misunderstood (they may not show the same physical symptoms as people in acute pain, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure and even behavior such as anxiety or the appearance of behavioral cues such as body language or facial expression, etc.). They are often marginalized and treated with zero compassion. Often, their doctors basically give up on them because they are worried about getting in trouble for their prescription practices, which well may be very legitimate given the patient’s condition. </p>
<p>Here is a good article on it:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/coping-279488-5.html”>http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/coping-279488-5.html</a></p>
<p>As for how often pain medicine is cavalierly prescribed, I personally haven’t seen it in my practice (the opposite is usually the case), nor experienced it personally. I’ve had severe back and neck problems for decades. I’ve never once been offered (nor have I ever asked for) narcotic pain medicine, even in very painful, acute situations. Not even once. The only times I’ve ever received narcotics were after surgeries, and when I had shingles, and they were all very conservative doses with only one or no refills. I don’t know why my experiences are so at odds with the general perceptions of this issue. Maybe just chance.</p>
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@bevhills - thanks; he’s definitely got personality - some of it good, and some of it quite mischievous!</p>
<p>@nrdsb4 - completely agree with you regarding the under prescribing of narcotics for chronic pain sufferers. It’s quite sad… and cruel in many cases. Hopefully the use of MM will help some of them. </p>
<p>Agreed. I mentioned upthread that chronic pain was poorly managed and med under prescribed and got chastized for it.</p>
<p>^^^^jym626, I’ve been having severe connection problems with my computer the past 4 days, and so haven’t been on top of every post in my threads of interest. Had I seen that happen, I would have jumped in to give you kudos, because this is an issue that has bothered me for quite a while.</p>
<p>No worries, nrdsb4. Just nice to know I wasnt alone in my belief and observation that cronic pain is undermanaged.</p>
<p>I agree, jym and Nrdsb4, that adequate pain relief is an issue of major importance. Undeniably, many people in this country don’t get the help they need for chronic pain. It’s even worse in developing countries : <a href=“An Epidemic of Pain in India | The New Yorker”>An Epidemic of Pain in India | The New Yorker; This is a heartbreaking article about the lack of morphine-derived pain meds in India.
Pain medication is a very complex issue. It’s hard to think about anyone suffering with pain that could be relieved or at least diminished.</p>
<p>I remember going through high school and slowly seeing more and more of my friends doing drugs. </p>
<p>The only thing I have against marijuana is when people smoke it. Why damage your lungs?</p>
<p>So I guess you don’t have any issues associated with ingesting marijuana? The drug issues are so complex and from where I’m at unsolvable. Even though, I have been devasted by tragedy with regards to addiction and have struggled to fathom the addict’s mindset, I can’t say that I understand it any better or see any solutions.</p>
<p>My DH and I were talking about PSH’s tragic death and heroin in general and I remember thinking that while it’s fairly easy to get prescription painkillers from just about any doctor at least for a while, I wouldn’t know how to obtain heroin if my life depended on it (I haven’t checked, but I can’t imagine an internet search would be very effective). It did occur to me that a regular pot smoker would have to know someone who deals pot and that person would almost certainly be able to hook up a regular customer with “harder” drugs including heroin. If the pot dealer didn’t sell other things directly, they’d be very likely to know someone who does.</p>
<p>I guess my point is that while it’s possible that smoking pot doesn’t directly lead to heroin addiction, it’s pretty certain that it makes it a lot easier to move on to harder stuff if someone is so inclined. If one associates with regular users of illegal drugs, chances are that some of them are doing more than pot smoking.</p>
<p>I dont have any problem with adults using marijuana, especially if it is grown locally.
You can also use it topically, in tinctures, edibles and in a vaporizer, you dont have to smoke it.
Smoking is also the most wasteful & expensive way to use it.
( although Steve Martin & Meryl Streep in Its Complicated, make smoking look pretty hilarious)
;)</p>
<p>I agree with some points of your post, Joblue. Someone is more likely to get into those hard illegal drugs if those around them are participating in them. </p>
<p>I could have never predicted i would be such a weed fan even five yrs ago, but since my chronic pain issues were barely touched with synthetic opiates, I am very grateful that pot not only seems to reduce inflammation, but relaxes me enough so that the pain is not at the front of my consciousness.
Before I started using pot, my hands for instance hurt so bad I was unconsciously constantly wringing them, but now I don’t do that at all.
I have a medical prescription & all my drs know what supplements and substances Im taking.
Its very important that you dont hide anything from your medical providers.</p>
<p>Oh, weed fan, you are! Puff puff pass. :)) </p>
<p>Jo, I can guarantee you know someone who buys (or even sells) weed.
Really, I can find and buy heroin very easily and I don’t smoke weed at all. </p>
<p>In my social circle, I know some of the buy weed and such, but I have no clue where I would find heroin and I have no need to know where to find heroin. Sure, I could walk down Nebraska Ave. and wait for someone to walk up to me, but I’m sure I’d get a lot more than heroin. </p>
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<p>I’m not disputing yours or anyone else’s reality, but I would really have to go very far out of my way to find someone to supply me with Heroin. I wouldn’t know where to even start. I don’t know a fringe contact who could direct me closer to a source. For that matter, I wouldn’t even know where to find weed, not to say I don’t have acquaintances who use unbeknownst to me. Most people in my close circle just drink, and in the last several years, I’ve noticed that MANY of them have even given up alcohol; some entirely, and others have limited it to a very extreme degree. Friends my age seem to have just gotten over the whole drinking/smoking/drugging thing they might have indulged in back in the day. I don’t know the reason, but it’s been very noticeable. Obviously, YMMV.</p>
<p>How many students on CC have been injured or killed by alcohol?
How many from marijuana?
Until you have been afflicted with chronic pain that keeps you from working or even sleeping, don’t disparge what you don’t understand.
My pain was so bad that I seriously considered heroin, although I wasn’t interested in injections. ( spent too much time picking up used needles from the elementary school playground before the school day for that)
Pain relief gave my life back, because I certainly could have not gone on much longer without it.
Not all pain is physical.</p>