Posted by JohnL on September 29, 2000, at 14:42:18
In reply to Re: the Evil Killer Weed, posted by SteveL on September 27, 2000, at 17:43:28
This underscores very well my perception of correcting chemical imbalance. If someone has a particular chemical imbalance that marijuana corrects, then they may indeed find it useful as a type of medication, taken in a very similar fashion as a medication, and not taken to excess for getting high or recreation. In a person without a pre-existing marijuana-responsive chemicial imbalance however, that person will instead experience the full euphoria or marijuana and likely abuse it. It's kind of like Ritalin...if someone truly has ADHD or ADD brain chemistry, Ritalin will not get them high. It will instead make them feel more normal, because it is correcting something deficient. For someone without ADD chemistry however, they could like get a high that is similar to cocaine instead.
My psychiatrist told me that marijuana increases dopamine 6-fold. That partially explains the euphoria; sometimes psychosis-like symptoms; sometimes paranoid feelings; and sometimes rapid heartbeat...all results of massive dopamine flow. The effect is short lived however. But for a chronic marijuana user, such elevated dopamine levels cause down regulation of the receptors, so they are less and less responsive over time, and thus the tolerance buildup experienced by chronic users, and the need for larger quantities and higher quality to get high. Where a tiny pinjoint of mediocre weed used to do the job, the chronic user now needs a premium grade joint the size of a finger to get the same buzz.
Any way you look at it, I personally think marijuana has its merits, even though my pot days are behind me (too darn expensive, and risky to grow). If it works like a medication for someone, cool. If it works like a crutch, not cool. If it fixes a chemical imbalance, cool. If it elevates chemical balance beyond normal, not cool. For someone truly using it as a medication, it would be needed either on-demand--like benzos and anxiety attacks for example--or used in regularly scheduled equal size dosing routines just like a medicine. And if the user is getting high, they have gone beyond the point of medication.
John
poster:JohnL
thread:1748
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000926/msgs/45470.html