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How drugs work...

furie

furie

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Time to try and get some conversations going.

I don't know if anyone watched this documentary on the BBC in the last two weeks (was repeated on BBC3 last night)?

I also don't know if it's part of a complete series doing lots of drugs (as it were)?

Anyway, the first one (that I watched) was all about cannabis. It was supposed to show real people/users and their lives, how they used it and mixed in with "the science bits" and research.

There wasn't a great deal I didn't know, and the narration was very much "don't listen to the straight A student we have on and the professional holding down a full time job, it's VERY DANGEROUS! M'Kay?"

Even the people doing scientific research were very much "well, you may be unlucky enough to be susceptible to the negative effects, but it's roughly a 1 in 10 chance, and even then, it might just be a small chance of it being a single trigger.

Though they did keep pushing "smoke dope and spend your life working in McDonalds with a mildly deformed girlfriend".

Erm, but it was interesting and well worth the watch overall. I didn't know that holding in a drag didn't increase your high, but simply increased the amount of tar your lungs got coated in by about 50 times.

That skunk was female plants kept in a constant state of sexual frustration [/daily mail narration] but, that while it is designed to have maximum THC, it's this that can cause psychosis, whereas normal weed has a secondary high inducing chemical (not as potent as THC) which seems to counteract the negative effects of the THC.

The advice was - don't smoke skunk if you get paranoid and have hallucinations (like seeing old women in the woods in the dark ;) ).

I also didn't know why you got ill (blood pressure lowering too much) and why things are so difficult (the way the short term memory is affected stops you from processing details like depth perception.

Research also showed that possibly the deadening of the short term memory system allows other functions to work much better, such as the creative and connectivity sections. Smoking dope increases vocabulary memory and the ability to connect abstract ideas (making it great for creative writing, producing music, etc, etc).

Then the "medical" use in California made me LOL big time! :)

So all in all, a very interesting program if a little heavy on the "don't" front. Very much in contrast to Channel 4's "Pot Night" in 1995 which was very much the antithesis of this show ;)

I hope it is an entire series, and if it's something that has ever interested you then it's well worth tuning in to (or digging out on iPlayer). Take the heavy hand narration with a pinch of salt and enjoy the solid anecdotal and scientific evidence presented.

So, anyone else watch it or interested?
 
I watched the one last week and I do have to admit it was very interesting and from experience true.

Yes at uni I did smoke you know what and I stopped for the reasons covered in the programme.

Mainly for me it was the getting paranoid and feeling really down. But it did get me smoking normal ciggs :( as at 1st I tried it in coffee but just found this made me not be able to move to the point mates had to carry me to the loo.

The last time I ever tried it I was so ill and could not stop being sick, I eneded up in a bad place for a few weeks after so never had it again.

So yeah thats my take on it.

I am glad it was not just one sided and did cover the benefits etc.
 
The first time I tried it I was sick into a McDonald's bag on the floor in the middle of the street in Amsterdam. Since then, recreationally, I really like it and though it's not for everyone, I like it and it should be legal cause I say so.

I didn't watch it though, nice to hear it was good.
 
Watch it on iPlayer Ben, it explains why you were sick, and kind of how to avoid it in the future :)

It was so funny seeing the dope stores in California, fantastic.

Also, none of the experts researching the effects were entirely 100% anti either. They were very much kind of "well, actually it seems pretty harmless if you avoid skunk".

They had a big bag of smoke though which was pretty much pure THC and cooled so it didn't do any lung damage. Now, there's a product that could go far. I'm sure the Canadians could easily come up with dope in a bag for supermarket shelves :)
 
I know why I was sick - I hadn't eaten all day, had been up 24 hours and took 4 grams during my first night :p
 
I do believe in legalising drugs, I think it would be such a great way the government could earn extra tax money and also reduce crime massively in months. Obviously tough measures would have to be in place, i.e. can't smoke/take drugs in public places.

I've only really done weed and I enjoy the feeling, but I've only ever done it when the offer is there. Will go home and watch this program now! Will post more later.
 
Legalising drugs is for a different topic.

But yeah I did watch this and I found it very interesting. I smoke weed but only very occasionally, once a month max. I always wondered why it made your heart race and what actually happened to your brain I knew very little about it to be honest and now I know alot, it was very educational in that respect.
 
What I liked about the programme is they are not saying do not do them they are just showing what they do, which I think is needed then people can make up their own mind.
 
I haven't seen the programme yet but from what I hear it sounds very interesting. Lots of similar shows tend to be all negative about drugs but from your descriptions, it seems that they're giving a fair view.

Look forward to watching it
 
furie said:
Research also showed that possibly the deadening of the short term memory system allows other functions to work much better, such as the creative and connectivity sections. Smoking dope increases vocabulary memory and the ability to connect abstract ideas (making it great for creative writing, producing music, etc, etc).
Click to expand...

I've just finished reading a biography on Kate Bush, including loads of interviews with people who worked with her in the recording studio, and apparently she was stoned throughout recording (at least) her first 4 albums, spliffing up constantly between takes.

Not that that should come as any great shock if you've heard her music, but it does make complete sense.
 
Though they did keep pushing "smoke dope and spend your life working in McDonalds with a mildly deformed girlfriend".
Click to expand...

Haaaa, McDonalds is always picked on </3

But yah I guess it's interesting, I don't really like to watch drug shows though because they always make them seem worse than they are. I smoke weed recreationally, and I'm not concerned about the tar or whatever in my lungs.. People smoke cigarettes on a daily basis, I'm sure they're much worse off.

But yah, t'is interesting.
 
LiveForTheLaunch said:
Though they did keep pushing "smoke dope and spend your life working in McDonalds with a mildly deformed girlfriend".
Click to expand...

Haaaa, McDonalds is always picked on </3
Click to expand...

So we have the McDonald's and the mildly deformed girl, now where's the drug taking boyfriend? :wink:
 
^ PMSL! Genius.

I missed this programme and I doubt I'll be bothered to watch it, so I'll make some general comments.

If something is going to affect the way I act or think, then I like to understand it. A clearer understanding and appreciation of how it's created and it's effects on the body are vital to me. It makes me respect the drug.

My main two drug intakes are weed (not as much as I used, three nights a month perhaps?) and alcohol.

Guess what? I've turned out pretty normal! No, in fact, no, I've turned out better than most people. I put that down to understanding the cause and effects of the crap I put my body through.

Even though I've had a few bad turns through booze and pot (usually combining them!), the vast, vast majority of experiences have been ****ing brilliant.

And lol, yes, I did see a ghost in the woods when I was walking home from my mates one night after smoking dope and drinking lots of beer! I wish I wasn't pissed and stoned because it makes the story unbelievable, but hey, it's life enhancing. :lol:
 
^You made one big mistake, it was not a ghost in the woods it was yes you have worked it out "Ghost of the Sea" :)
 
^ Ghost of the Woods, Ghost of the Woods, Ghost of the ****ing Woods!

Besides, a couple of other people I know have seen her in the woods near my house as well. Maybe she only makes herself known to those under the influence?
 
I cannot understand why anyone would want to smoke weed... But I also don't really understand why it's illegal. I'd rather it remained illegal because quite frankly I don't want another legal drug along with alcohol making people behave like retards in public.

I watched it on iPlayer when I was looking for a good documentary to watch. It was meh. There have been some awesome documentaries on recently, this was not one of them.
 
Kinda have a similar view to Joey. Except drugs simply do not interest me :|

Meh?

I also have deja vu... :S
 
Joey said:
I cannot understand why anyone would want to smoke weed... But I also don't really understand why it's illegal. I'd rather it remained illegal because quite frankly I don't want another legal drug along with alcohol making people behave like retards in public.

I watched it on iPlayer when I was looking for a good documentary to watch. It was meh. There have been some awesome documentaries on recently, this was not one of them.
Click to expand...

You need to watch this program Joey:
http://documentaryheaven.com/do-i-drink-too-much/
(it's split into six parts)

It explains (to a degree) why some people become alcoholics, while others simply enjoy it and others just really don't get on with it at all.

It's much better than the "How drugs work..." documentary - which I never said was good, just interesting... I guess how interesting depends on how interested you really are on the subject and "How drugs work..." is almost certainly aimed at users.

But yeah, people like to enjoy themselves with mind altering drugs, tough :p
 
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