I don't mean to sound offending or annoying man, but I still don't get it.

Basically what you're sort of saying if I get it right, is that say sucker when found as natural resource (as root or whatever) is different from (processed) sucker in a soda can or candy bar. Chemically it's not at all different, it's still the same sucker, although other things have been added to complement the product. That'll happen with all kinds of drugs, but it's still the same ingredient in there for it's unique effect (sucker->make stuff sweet).

If such an ingredient alone gives the same effect as the final drugs, then really where's the difference that prohibits one from calling the plant the actual drug?

You need the leaves or else there be no drugs, but it's the leaves that give the special effect. Besides, smoking weed is a chemical process too, even just chewing on leaves is.

yeah but everything is a chemical process, ie breathing

a 'drug' is usually one molecule, extracted, refined and processed (or more often these days, synthesized in a laboratory). a 'plant', however, will contain the active ingredient, as well as other balancing agents. if someone chews a coca leaf, they are slowly ingesting the active compound in a natural manner...quite different to snorting the refined powder.

a similar example to coca in South America is opium in Asia. through centuries of experience in Hong Kong, Thailand and Laos, conditions were created in which opium use was contained and controlled by custom and manners at very low social cost. Then opium becomes criminalised, and heroin (a semi-synthesized and much purer/more addictive form of opium) takes over and wreaks havoc.


with that said, the plant/drug dichotomy is a bit artificial. however, i think common sense should indicate the difference between ingesting a plant (such as marijuana, coca, opium, ephedra, khat) and ingesting a drug (heroin, cocaine, speed/meth)

obviously drugs are heavily stigmatized, and i can understand some people here having moral or cultural issues regarding them. i think the best way to refute their demonisation is to look at these forums; plenty of drug users holding down jobs, looking after families, studying, creating music, helping others with technical issues, etc etc

I actually agree with you and iG9 on that... it seems like there's a difference, but regardless of that common sense it's an artificial difference too when it comes to the effect of the drugs and what drugs is. You can OD and die just the same by eating too much coca or smoking/eating too much opium as you can by using too much pure heroin or coke or whatever.

Lab-fabricated pills and stuff are a tad different because they usually add something to cut it with, but those 'extra' things are either just complementary drugs or no drugs and the final pill still relies on the effect of the 'main' drug substance. Like with ecstasy. Generally, you won't get pure MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine). It's cut with something, maybe caffeine, amphetamine, ephedrine, MDA (3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine), MDE (Amphetamine Derivative), LSD or some other unknown ingredients that may not have any effect at all on the final product except making things less pure. It's still the MDMA there causing the 'main' Xtc influence....

It's true that the natural effect is less effective than the pure extract or the synthesized pill-version, but that's just common sense. If a plant would really be different, than why aren't weed plants legal in a lot of countries to possess ánd process into weed?

In my culture doing drugs isn't quite encouraged and by far most is illegal, but I'm not against drug-use per say... although I do think there is stuff one'd better not ever use (like meth).

man, I must be the only mpc/sp user ever, who haven't touched weed or other drugs...

i mostly puff sativas or hybrids cuz i like that creative high sativas give.. himalayan gold is one of my favorites although its mostly indica.. It makes me smack the pads,lol

Dank Nuggets!!!!!!!!! after a long day at work, smoking til i pass out!

I've had to quit while I look for work. Let's put it this way: I prefer to get smoked out than have to spend my own money on it. Because I'm gear addicted, and it just doesn't make any sense anymore to spend X amount on weed and watch it all go up in smoke, when I could have used that money on my studio and keep it at the end of the day. Good thing I have a friend that loves to share, but right now I don't even hit it until I've taken a UA for some cush job that may or may not be out there. I'm running out on my unemployment, so I'm just trying to be ready..

between 6-10 blunts a day, depending on how many women i sleep with. life's a gamble

I probly only smoke a couple bags a year..

I would smoke alot more, but my only weed connection is a stoner who usually smokes all his product before he sells any

Funnily enough I can get everything *except* weed..even the stuff most people have never heard of.. I'd much rather keep it to just weed, but I like bein high so I have found my lack of weed drive me to harsher things..

Painkillers, for example.. I eat them every day, can't function without them for more than ~24hours. It's fucked!

Nothing at all! Short answer. You should practice on that answer...

You are not alone! Be proud over your self!

I have smoked weed basically every day since I was 18 or 19...I smoked every once in a while from like 16-18 but once I got to college I started becoming a "pothead"...that said, I have 3 college degrees, a few US Patents, papers published in the journal Nature...and I quit doing postdoctoral research at U Penn b/c I was bored of it - so that I could pursue a futile career in music - the pot made me do it well I have ways of paying the bills on the side but the point is you can do whatever the fuck you want it's all in your mind...I met so many strait edge ivy league do gooders that I could run cerebral circles around and at the same time met many societal rejects that challenge my intellect.....but back to the weed...it's a fucking plant yo, cocaine is a drug...weed is a plant...you aren't living any more pure or winning any battles by not smoking..jus sayin...so many families ruined by alcoholism but you there are liquor stores everywhere....but weed isn't cool...right

Hey sinapse what's your field of interest?

I was headed down a similar path (both parents are lifelong academics, lots of pressure) but I chose to leave part way through uni... Alot of people don't take me seriously because of that but my close mates at least have stuck with me and respect my decision..

(chosen field was electrical engineering/electronics/programming which I dont need any special lab gear for so I can develop projects/ideas from home in my own time.. saw no use paying huge amounts of money for university.. also I think working in my field might kill my creativity... funnily enough I work at a supermarket.. hopefully that changes once I've got my prototypes finished and start the business!)

One day I might go back if they manage to get some quantum computers running in the physics labs!!

Anyway back on topic..

More power to you if bein clean makes you happy gis,

Me.. I couldn't imagine life without drugs.. drugs gave me the power to overcome my anxiety and throw myself into the world.. they brought me all my best friends, they opened my mind up to possibilities (was a pretty bland person before them, on the path straight to uni(lots of it)-job-house-kids-grave)

I basically have drugs to thank for my awakening into my full self.. my questioning of the nature of the universe, etc..

Sure I've had some bad experiences too because of them, but I think for some people they can really help overall.

Cut back alot on the painkillers these days, still take em often but nowhere near as many..

@ cartesia...my field was biomedical engineering but it was more on the bio side, not medical device engineering which would have been more related to EE...in grad school I did a lot of cool work designing 3D scaffolds to grow lung stem cells on and we showed we could make them develop into lung tubules but hey that's another story...anyway I finished my doctorate and everyone in my family got to share in the pride of that and me getting a position at a prestigious university...this was important to them but still it was a big let down when I quit doing research...I explained to my folks that I never went to college to get a certain job or money - I really just wanted to see how far I could take it and push myself intellectually, learn how to think outside the box and all that...I breezed thru school pretty fast so I felt like I was young enough that I still had time to evolve and reinvent...since then I realized I'll just keep doing that until I get too old or keel over. as far as peoples perceptions...over time the real loyal people in my life have accepted my choice and probably respect me more for it b/c I live my life how I want

back on topic...I have always felt like people are either weak or strong and that is somewhat predetermined...weak people are going to be broken by one thing or another - not just drugs that can ruin you...some people get addicted to their career and that kills their family and they never had a drink or did a drug...it's deeper than sobriety/non sobriety.

I've smoked weed twice and both times I've bugged out