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Comment by Ajay-p | Hacker News Reader

I used marijuana for a short time at university as a means of relieving stress. It made me feel wonderful; relaxed, less anxious in social settings, able to focus without stressful thinking, etc. No paranoia, no drawbacks at all.. except one. Stopping was like suddenly ending a really good conversation with a friend.

I stopped because I realized that I was enjoying this too much, and to continue could have harmful ramifications for myself. Something that felt that good, something I don't really know everything in it (chemicals, pesticides, etc.,) did not feel like a good thing in the long run.

It will be fascinating to see what pharmaceutical companies will do with it, which could be good or really awful for humans. Nothing is quite as addicting as happiness, especially in a pill.

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I took the other route and figured it would be a good idea to be high all the time.

It's worked out pretty well over many years and now I see it much the same as coffee or sugar for mood modulation.

If anything, I wish we were allowed small amounts of cocaine/morphine like the old days, because I think those too would be useful modulators, but you can't use them all the time.

Also, happy holiday to everyone :)

Do you realise coffe has no positive effect on mood, in long term use? You have to keep drinking it, just to feel the same as non addict. Any positive effect it may have, are balanced out by negative (anxiety, sleep disturbance and stomache damage).

There is a lot of nonsense and false advertising surrounding coffe (daily dose that is officially considered safe is like 6 cups of coffe a day).

You can stay away from junk, and be naturally high. That is the normal state for an organism to be in.

As for cocaine/morphine/weed. Most world does not share your opinion, and is not ruled by pharma industry.

Are you kidding? Most of the world is high. Allmost all my Indian or Arab or African or European friends smoke weed where they come from and especially outside Europe it is very Common

Sorry but you are wrong. Only a small percentage of the population smokes weed in the places you’ve mentioned.

Now do khat.

Most of the world has huge sanctions on weed, so I wouldn't say that. Maybe you just hang out with lots of people who enjoy some nice MJ.

You sir, are wrong in every single sentence. No point breaking it down though

I thought he is right in that coffee only provides an up when you are not used to it. Once you are, you need it to hit your normal baseline. So still an up, but not a net gain anymore.

Is that not true?

As a person who had to hit 2L/day to be able to work at some point in my life, I can definitely can say that coffee tolerance and addiction is real.

The only good part is it resets in ~10 days.

That depends on how you metabolise it, which can be very different. (genetic variation of neuro-receptors, liver, whatever) For most people about a week of abstinence would do, for me it needs two. Call it 'caffeeine fasting'.

Similar with nicotine btw.(especially sense of smell!)

I think there is a strong point for you to break down your stance, if you want to be heard.

It's not like people would believe you but not someone else just because you say so; you both are strangers to me, so only facts matter really.

I used to smoke weed quite regularly in college (had a well-supplied friend), but had to stop for two reasons. First, I felt it was making me dumb and less ambitious, and second, my body slowly stopped tolerating it. The high was still pleasant, but I'd feel like shit the next day. Then I started getting nauseous and at the end it was just two pleasant hours and then straight to the bathroom to vomit.

I haven't had any weed for 10 years now and I'm not very interested in it. Maybe an edible here and there when I'm retired, that could be nice.

A very similar thing happened to me, except it was ever intensifying stomach cramps. This is a known syndrome called Cannabinoid Hyper Emesis Syndrome. Something happens in the stomach where smoking weed chronically eventually creates some kind of chemical imbalance. The act of smoking begins to cause stomach aches that worsen with each dose. Eventually if cessation is not achieved, the cramps turn to nausea into vomiting that can become life threatening if you cannot stop smoking.

It's extremely terrible and the only known cure is to just stop smoking weed. I'm thankful for that now though because I've just been admitted to a PhD physics program and id've never made it this far while still smoking weed like i used to.

I've had something similar, but without pain, just super annoying hick-ups, during my 16tienth bday, where I've been introduced to it for the 1st time.

Later on I've known that vomiting thing, but that could be compensated by popping some glucose (half or whole 'chip' of 'Dextro Energy', or similar) right before. No problems whatsoever then, not even slighest feelings of unwellness around the stomach.

Imo Pharmas are interested to keep it illegal as long as possible, same as alco producers. Pharmas like something they can patent and charge money for. Alco producers like to keep their "monopoly" on "recreational high", without any bad feelings that they kill their customers. Marijuana is none of that.

I strongly believe THC/CBD are more like medicine, that allows you to boost / condition your nervous system, that has been "legal" for many thousands years and now thanks to idiots in US government and theyr racist outlook we all have to suffer.

Don't believe it's for everyone, but for some of us, it works and makes us more conscious, relaxed and allows us to enjoy life more. Most of the bad effects to me are because of the "illegal" status of it, not the herb itself.

> I strongly believe THC/CBD are more like medicine

> Don't believe it's for everyone

A prescription drug then. Pharmas and the rest of the for-profit medical world will love this. And so will the street drug market for the off-medical use.

Pharmas love things they can patent. You can't patent THC or CBD. That was the parent posters point.

They actually can. Not the molecules themselves, but a specific formulation of it, that according to their studies, is somehow better that what existed before.

Adderall is just Amphetamine, that it has been known for decades didn't stop the patent. That's because it is a specific formulation.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals managed to find a way to get a patent on ketamine with Spravato. I'm sure a clever scientist will find a way to patent some aspect of Cannabis once it's rescheduled.

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