I'll try to keep it to 1 or 2 posts, but I just needed to get something off of my chest.
On anti-psychotic medication, I had numerous side effects. Some were mostly just annoying (Chronic diarrhea) However, at least one was life threatening (uncontrolled muscle spasms, which inhibit free muscle movement) The last med that I was on was called Invega. My doctor told me that it was kind of experimental. Not all of the side effects were known. I had to sign a waiver and all of that. Invega was great.... at controlling psychosis. However, as side effects, it's caused panic attacks, paranoia and depression. And I didn't even realize the panic attacks or paranoia until after I stopped taking it. By definition, that meant the medication took an otherwise sane psychotic who knows he's psychotic and turned him into a paranoid person who became suicidal at the end of the month. And technically, since I didn't realize I had the paranoia, that means I was insane!!!!! The doctor prescribed anti-psychotic drove me literally insane!!!!!!!
Can you look me in the eye and tell me you think that would be better?
To anyone who is on the fence about the medical marijuana debate, let me call your faith into question. As a follower of God and a believer in The Lord Jesus Christ, can you HONESTLY tell me that drugs made by man are better than Medicine made by God?
I'm doing therapy. This is the rant. It used to be 24 posts, I'm going to try to keep it to 1 or 2.
A few of the meds I took weren't anti psychotics at all. They were meds designed to counter the side effects of the anti psychotic Read that a few times. A separate med that the insurance company had to pay for, To counter the side effects of the anti psychotic
The therapy is a permanent improvement of my psychosis, and the side effects make it quite pleasurable.
Are drugs made by man better than Medicine made by God????
While I agree with you on the medical marijuana thing - in fact, I'm one of those nuts who believes in full-scale marijuana legalization - I just want to throw a wrench in the works.
If you believe that God created everything, including Man, doesn't it stand to reason that God created intelligence? That, in fact, medicines made by Man are, in fact, medicines made by God by proxy? It is not the fact that these drugs are made by mortals that makes them bad. Penicillin, aspirin, and morphine were all "made" by men and I'm sure a great many soldiers, headache sufferers, and surgery patients are glad we have them. What makes drugs like your anti-psychotic medication bad is that they are made by irresponsible men who are more hung up on making money than on making medicine. As with so many things, greed has taken a good idea and turned it into something corrupt. In your belief structure, that's Satan making a mockery of God's good works. In my belief structure, that's people putting their own greed over the good of the community, and is considerably less forgivable.
Don't get me wrong. I am not advocating total withdraw from technology or medicine. What I AM saying is that when you've tried man's way so many times and failed, get back to the basics and find something natural that works.
And, while it IS true that, by proxy, God created everything, that would also mean that God created nerve gas, chemical and biological weapons, and any number of things we use to kill each other on a massive scale. (Zyclon B anyone?) Something pure made by God is trumping something impure made by man. And people are SURPRISED at that!!!!!!
Harry is right--God is behind things that men make; they only work because God created the world such that they work.
Two things need to be said in defense of your targets.
First, you're failing to recognize what we know about things. Arsenic and cyanide, both God-made substances, will permanently cure your psychosis; they have side effects that you would consider unacceptable. You were offered the opportunity to test an experimental medicine, and you took it on the recommendation of your doctor. There were many things we did not know about that medicine--that was the entire point of calling it "experimental". Your use of the medicine apparently demonstrated that there were side effects that were highly undesirable--but until someone tried the new medicine, it would not be possible to identify those side effects. (Face it, we can't really test the effectiveness of anti-psycnotic medicines on pigs.)
This is the second thing: in order to learn, we have to experiment. If you do not wish to be the guinea pig for some new medication, then don't volunteer. Tell your doctor that you would rather stay with the tried-and-true formulae that are not as effective as you might like but at least for which the likely side effects are known. You participated in advancing our knowledge of the unknown. You had bad luck with that. Yet every medicine we use today was once an unknown and had to be tested. Even your much-touted marijuana was once an unknown, and to some degree still is. We think we understand medicines, but we do not know how asprin works, and researchers only just determined how bleach kills germs. We do not understand the complex effects of marijuana; we do know that it has side effects, some of which are less than desirable. (I remember when I was in high school, research came out stating that high doses of marijuana stimulated the growth of mammary glands in men: men who used marijuana heavily developed breasts. One of the girls present asked if it worked for women also, but that wasn't part of the available information.)
Arguments made for the decriminalization of marijuana do not impress me because I am already of the opinion that there are insufficient restrictions on alcohol. I know too many people who have destroyed their lives through various mind-affecting substances, and marijuana is not less to blame for such damages than alcohol or cocaine or herion or hydrocodone. I would not say that marijuana or its extracts should not be used for appropriate medical purposes, and it is not impossible that it would have benefits for some cases of psychosis. I would say that alcohol ought to be restricted, at least sufficiently that proven alcoholics cannot acquire it. (An indication on drivers licenses that this person can buy alcohol would be sufficient; already drinking and driving have been connected.) I realize that it is not so restricted, because it is the approved western drug--but it became so because of its use prophylactically, that in most of Europe for many centuries alcholic beverages were the only ones which were unlikely to carry disease organisms. Yet it has served its purpose. A friend who has been drinking heavily for more than half his life recently told me that (in his opinion) no one drinks alcoholic beverages because they taste good, but only because of the drug effects. Unregulated poison marketed as beverage is a real flaw in our society.
Given my feelings about alcohol, I'm sure you can understand that I would be hesitant to lessen the restrictions on other drugs. It may be that marijuana contains chemicals that will prove to have beneficial medicinal value, and I am not opposed to identifying and extracting these chemicals. I do not, however, think that the fact that some patients can benefit from these drugs is justification for complete legalization of the root substance--any more than I think that because morphine will reduce the pain of hospice and post-surgical patients that it ought to be available in injectable vials in the grocery store.
Many years ago in Omni there was a short story in which the author postulated the existence of pleasure stimulators--devices that could be connected to the brain to deliver stimulation directly to the pleasure centers. These were marketed with a built-in limiter so that you could not exceed recommended dosages, but it was relatively simple to override these limiters. The police regularly found people who were dead, hooked up to the machine and so addicted to the stimulation of their pleasure centers that they ignored all biological functions, including bothering to use bathroom facilities.
The analogy to drugs is obvious, and being even on the fringes of the drug rehabilitation world I have known people who cannot be trusted, because they will lie, cheat, steal, and do many other things just to get their drug. This is particularly true with cocaine, and the phrase "crack whore" describes the very real phenomenon by which a cocaine dealer is paid by men for sex with the women who are in turn paid by being given their "fix".
No, that is not marijuana, and yes it is not fair to generalize the effects of one drug to another. On the other hand, it does show that people who use a drug are frequently unable to determine what constitutes reasonable use, and so need someone to control it for them. Even when patients on morphine--and generally only terminal patients--are given control over the delivery of the drug, the amount the can control is still limited. They can control when the drug is given, and reduce the amount, but the maximums are still enforced. People who are using drugs that affect their judgment by definition cannot be trusted to exercise good judgment in using those drugs. Alcohol abuse proves this. Even cigarette addictions show this problem. Adding more uncontrolled drugs to retail shelves would be irresponsible for us as a society.
I rest my case.
--M. J. Young
I see your point MJ. However, I am doing therapy again today, and I would like to offer a rebuttal from personal experience and research.
Drunk driving is a leading cause of death. However, I have driven high many, many times in my younger days (You know you're getting old when you say that!!!) I found that I actually had a faster reaction time and paid more attention to driving. This was partially because of the fear of being pulled over, but I think the medicine's effects had something to do with it. For The Record, however, I do not believe that I should have been driving at all. When I do therapy, I don't go anywhere. I might walk down to the gas station for cigarettes or something, but I try not to even do that. It wouldn't matter if my mom called and told me her house was on fire. I Would Not Drive!!!!
It is nearly impossible to overdose on THC. (The intoxicant in marijuana) You would have to smoke a pound a minute for 30 minutes to consume enough to OD. You'd die of smoke inhalation first.
Speaking of smoke inhalation. There was a documentary video that I saw about one of the world's first medical marijuana patients. He was smoking doctor prescribed marijuana, I believe it was 3 very large joints a day for something like 10 years. It was something like an ounce and a half a week (I don't remember exactly, but these would be close estimates) His lung capacity was at 108% of normal. (That I remember clearly) By all the anti-drug propaganda that I've heard, that would be like smoking 30 cigarettes a day for 10 years. That's about how much I smoke. My lung capacity is nowhere near that....
There was another documentary video that I saw, called Super High Me. A stoner went 30 days without smoking or using marijuana at all. He then spent the next 30 days constantly stoned. He was tested by doctors and scientists of all types. The test that I remember the most clearly was the SAT test. He actually scored several hundred points higher on the SAT when he was high!!! There goes the "Marijuana impairs judgment" argument.
His short term memory skills were affected. However, that is a known side effect, and generally goes away after a few days (not more than 2 or 3) I have forgotten to pick up groceries that I just bagged myself 10 seconds beforehand. I get halfway out of the store and remember. That effect goes away pretty quickly.
All of the other undesirable side effects (which I cannot recall at the moment) generally go away after a few days of non-use.
Also, I figure that God put them here, He obviously wanted us to have them. God doesn't make mistakes. Arsenic, while it will cure my psychosis permanently, is also effective (in controlled amounts) as a pesticide. In fact, I've read that the glue on fly-paper is actually arsenic based. It would be harmless to humans at that level, but is lethal to insects very quickly.
Nicotine is ALSO a natural pesticide. Harmless to humans, except in very large amounts, however it is one of the most lethal pesticides in the world, natural or otherwise.
So you see, even things which are harmful can have their uses. And quite honestly, I'm surprised at your attitude MJ. I assumed that you probably were for its legalization. It is something made my God, with numerous positive uses, and very few negative side effects.
Now, for a while, the side effect for me was that it caused psychotic episodes. However, this was how I would test the effectiveness of my medication. If I could smoke marijuana and NOT HAVE a psychotic episode, then the medicine was continued, until the side effects became too bothersome.
I learned however, (In what I honestly believe to be God-given inspiration) how to use it for the therapy. It still gives me psychotic episodes, however, they are MUCH MUCH milder than they were even 6 months ago. Six months ago was when I almost got evicted from my neighbor's noise complaints. I haven't have had anything even remotely close to that in 2 months. Like I had to be forced in Pearl Harbor in order to learn, so my mind has to be forced psychotic in order to learn.
Another thing, marijuana actually limits the user The most high I have ever been in my life was at a friend's house. I got passed a mostly full bowl. When I went to pass it, no one else took it. (Proper etiquette in social situations is "Puff, Puff, Pass") However, if no one takes it, you are then free to "Bogart" the bowl. (Smoke it by yourself) I don't know how much was in this thing, only that I blew smoke out every time. (I figure that's a good hit) That, on top of being more high than I had ever been in my life, got to the point where I could barely move. Then, I took a hit, and all of a sudden, I was completely sober. It was like turning off a light, how fast it happened. I could move, I could talk, I had a little bit of a head buzz, but otherwise, I was completely sober!!. Also, no matter how much I smoked the rest of the night, I could not get Any Kind of buzz back!! My older brother and a friend told me of similar experiences that they have had. It limits itself.
You've been reading too much propaganda MJ.
Two Posts
Also, I know I am advertising the fact that I use an illegal substance to potentially the entire world, I don't care. I'm already on the FBI's watch list for quite a few things. If I got arrested, I'd do everything in my power to make a national case out of it. A case the entire nation was following. The more publicity the better. If I can help even one other psychotic, it would be worth it.
Three posts. It's not the last. This is the Rant thread. I can post as many times as I want, (Within reason, of course)
I just realized why God made marijuana. Think about it. It has been medically linked to probably dozens of different, yet very common, ailments, both physical and mental. It is ALSO the single most commonly used illegal drug in the world. Think about it for a second. How many people start smoking it "Just to piss off my parents Maaaan" That just increases its popularity thousandfold. God gave us the way to medicate ourselves with something that He created!!!!!!! He disguised it as an illegal drug, made it mostly harmless, and set it up to be extremely popular!!!!! God designed Marijuana EXACTLY the way it was supposed to be made!!!! HE PUT HIS MEDICINE OUT THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Knew What He Was Doing Alright!!!!!!
Even the male Marijuana plant is also very useful!!! It does not intoxicate at all, as far as I know. It is otherwise known as Hemp!!!! It is ALSO The Single Most Commonly Used Fiber in the world!!! Everything from rope to sunscreen can be made from the male version of the plant. You can't tell me as a Christian who believes in "What If?" Can't tell me that isn't POSSIBLE MJ!!!!!!!!!
Multiple Posts (I said "Within Reason" Within Reason used to mean 24 posts in a row. This HAS to be an improvement!!!!!
You know what you were saying about the incredible pool shot? Is it unreasonable that God would disguise the single most potent medicine as the single most popular recreational drug??????
Did you know that nutmeg (Yes, Nutmeg!!) is capable of producing a high very similar to marijuana? In large doses, it's a very similar high. (I've tried it) It's also available in every grocery store in the country!!!! Why isn't Nutmeg illegal????? Maybe because it ALSO has almost no medicinal value????????? God set up an incredible pool shot, alright. The single most effective medicine, disguised as the single most popular recreational drug..... It makes my head spin!!!!!!!
MJ, take off the anti-drug hat, and think about this purely from a standpoint of theology and science. IS IT POSSIBLE!!!!! Yes, it is!!!!!!! "With God, ALL THINGS are possible!!!"
In the Old Testament, it records the Israelites eating Manna for 40 years. Show me where it records anyone complaining about that fact!!!!!! Manna was food given to them by God Himself!!!! Everyone loved it, they never got tired of it, and it kept them alive for 40 years!!!!!!! Isn't it possible that Manna, in the form of a recreational drug, could be given to the Masses, and they would NEVER get tired of it!!!!!!!
Come on MJ!!! Take off the "Anti-Drug Hat" Look at it through the eyes of a believer in God!!!!!!!!!
(PS, I had a computer malfunction. I've made a post very similar to this. I cannot seem to find it. If this is a repeat, that's why. Maybe I just never hit "send" or maybe the site is malfunctioning. Anyway, if it's a repeat post, there is a reason for it)