it is a touchy subject around here, I know ... but here it goes:

it is said that the negative effects of smoking weed can include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear, a sense of helplessness and loss of self-control.

chronic marijuana users are said to develop an "amotivational syndrome" characterized by passivity, decreased motivation and preoccupation with drug taking.

I understand that weed is widely accepted & considered harmless. but truthfully, it is not harmless, is it?

with that being said, would it not be best if we stayed away from this drug?

being able to smoke it...the most harm comes to those who's lives depend on the sell and purchase of the product...

more upon the effects of actually smoking it.

but the effects you describe only occur after very frequent use over a longer period of time. Most of my friends like to smoke, some of them on a daily basis, but they seem to do just fine on a productive level.
Lazy people will find reasons to be lazy. If you don't want to do shit all day, smoking weed is a very easy way to kill time, but it's not gonna make you quit your job.

anyone who's gone crazy over chiefin a lil green.

I think if anything the cigar paper that green is usually
twisted in causes more damage than the "GREENS" itself!

and AMEN to comment posted underneath me

I definitley think beer, wine and alcohol, is more or a problem in our commmunity.....

What about alcohol?

post.

i started smokin when I was 12. I'll be 25 in Sept.
For at least five years I've been on a steady everyday diet.
I since then have moved up the ladder. Was in a good private sector job but now am public (gov)
My laziness has increased (all I do when I'm off is smoke and play video games until bedtime.) but I attribute that to getting older. Most of my friends are out doing they shit and some who went the same route I did, are actuall doing better than me. So there are no more house parties, excitement from no parents home(almost everyone I know is on theirown) is gone. Theres really no more partying in the traditional sense.

I do enjoy bars sometimes but 3 reasons to stay away 1) their too smokey (tobacco) 2) too crowded 3) too damn loud (age again comes to mind)

I barely drink alcohol, adverse affects.

PreOccupation with drug takig. Hmmmmmm
You may be on to somethin here, I LOVE SMOKIN WEED.

My memory isnt what it used to be, its actually better. I've since invented ways to help me remember, and boy does it come in handy.

I don't think theres 30 people in this country who could hang with my inner circle of friends cause were just weird.

put.

I gotta wonder tho:

would your life be different if you never smoked weed?

if so, how?

I dont intend for you to answer the question. I just wonder.

Is that sarcastic???

Either way I think I am better off from somokin.
Before it, I didn't care about anything. Nothing. After it I met my friends that I still talk to as much as I can. They helped me to learn about a lot of stuff. I did better in school cause I cared and I could pay more attention to the subject. These are the people who helped me become who I am today, and vice versa.

I may not be the best at expressing my words about this but, I do believe I am better off from doing this. And it's not just the social "benefits"

I co-sign with Kid. I love smoking weed as well, I do however take breaks from time to time because all I can get around here is Hydro, and it's usually laced with various growing chemicals. The red hairs are pretty, and the crystals excite me, but after 6 months of day to day use, my mind shut down, and my lungs collapsed. Hydro is just too harsh. When I was in Jamaica, I smoked the finest weed I have ever had. The high was between the upper of hydro, and the mellow of outdoor. I felt perfect.

I do not feel lazy when I am high, in fact, when I smoke, it's my que to stop being lazy and start working. I get a lot of work done while I am high. I work on my music, writing, art, etc. When I am high I am very relaxed (apart from the paranoida which hits me from time to time). As far as paranoia is concerned, it only occurs when you have issues you have not dealt with, that are attempting to channel out from your subconscious mind. Sometimes, the pranoia can be frightening, but it has helped me "cure my soul" so to speak, as I am always able to meditate upon what it is that is the source of my paranoia, and then, I proceed to face the issue. I co-sign with Kid, I love smoking weed and I don't see myself quitting. I don't like bars either, the tabacco smoke drives me insane, and I generally never drink. I don't like the stuff at all.

I think marijuana is capable of great good, and great bad pending on your reasons and use. If I have children, and they smoke marijuana, I would not be concerned, as I would like to sit down and smoke with them, share conversations, etc. It can be a great bonding experience. I also, love the feeling of marijuana smoke in my lungs, something about it, hits the spot just right.

My memory has been stunted from time to time, but I can always recover when I take a break. My attention span can shorten, but that only occurs when I am deep in thought or in speculation. I have had conversations with people, and I would hear something in their words, and would completley tune out of the conversation and concentrate on my thoughts. There is so much to discover when being high, and all you have to do is, put on some Bitches Brew, smoke a blunt, and zone out into your mind/soul. You can learn a great deal about yourself and others doing this.

PEACE!

but i'm a chronic herb user (6 years) and i've yet to have any
problems...however I do know several people who have been hindered in their every day lives by their use of the drug.

For example my 2nd cousin is in a mental hospital because of his
intense paranoia brought on by constant marijuana use... but
even this probably won't stop me from smoking.

It all depends on the person and their tolerances

*****-*-***** - *****-*-***** - *****-*-*****

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
usually i don't do this but uuu... keep the S!G going
*****-*-***** - *****-*-***** - *****-*-*****

Illgalüminati™... is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now in this very message board ...

I'm the man you think you are.... If you want to know what I'll do, figure out what you'll do. I'll do the same thing--only more of it. - Malcolm X

"Yo Calvin it's a thin line between fry's and shakes...the leaaaaaaanest burger in the world could be the meaaaaaaaanest burger in the world if you cook it that way a,a,a... I need to stop smoking this shit here boy-- dude from Wacarnold's skit (Dave Chappelle)

"it's better to have fought for redemption than to just sit silently sulking over the past" theScholar3000

When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.

Its fine for me, but drinking turns me into an animal....

One toke wont make you go crazy or give you lung cancer. One bite of lettuce wont give you cyanide poisoning either. Buit eat enough lettuce or smoke enough pot....

>One toke wont make you go crazy or give you lung cancer. One
>bite of lettuce wont give you cyanide poisoning either. Buit
>eat enough lettuce or smoke enough pot....

I can get real laid back after some deep breathing and mindlessness.

If you meditated all the time then you would not have time for other important aspects of your life...

This statement rests on the assumption that a large percentage of black people smoke weed.

I smoked/sold everyday throughout high school but was also on NHS, Wrestling, Mathletes, and Yearbook. I was very athletic and mathletic untill I started drinking. I chilled out in junior college due to all my Physics and Calc classes but still smoke at night to "calm my nerves" and watch the 10PM Simpsons. My 3rd, 4th, and 5th years in college involved me smoking about 2-3 blunts a day and numerous joints and bowl, a lot of Pool, a lot of concerts, and no classes, thus leading to my 5th year in college, but damn did I get good at some 8-ball. Now, I work as a Network Engineer, but still toke every day. However, I can't ball at ALL, and my lungs are weak. I run 3.5 miles 2x a week and work out 2x a week, but am scared that I will die early cuz of lung cancer cuz of my dumbass smoking habits. But still, I love smoking weed, but can't do it all day like back in the day since i'm at work 7-3:30.
Also, I haven't smoked regular weed in a while, all I mess around with is "dro" cuz it's more potent, and I don't have to put that much smoke in my lungs. However, I never let myself get lazy and have got my BS in Computer Engineering, pay my mortgadge with my mom and dad, even if i can't spell it, and have had a healthy relationship with my 'warden' for 8 years. Enough rambling, gotta go, there's a server down


There is nothing in our book, the Quran, that teaches us to suffer peacefully. Our religion teaches us to be intelligent. Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. That's a good religion.
Malcolm X (1925-65), U.S. Muslim leader. "Message to the Grass Roots," speech, Nov. 1963, Detroit (published in Malcolm X Speaks, ch. 1, 1965).

Say I go to my doctor and ask him to take a look at my lungs cuz I smoke a lot. Would that violate any benefits that I would recieve from my insurance? Any insight would be helpful

There is nothing in our book, the Quran, that teaches us to suffer peacefully. Our religion teaches us to be intelligent. Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. That's a good religion.
Malcolm X (1925-65), U.S. Muslim leader. "Message to the Grass Roots," speech, Nov. 1963, Detroit (published in Malcolm X Speaks, ch. 1, 1965).

Most doctors have a confidentiality clause, however you sign a dislosure of information (or a form just like it) when you buy health insurance. Since they are the ones paying for it, they are allowed to know about your health. All depends on the company if they will cancel you for using an "illegal" drug.

**there is no such thing as a dumb ?uestion, just dumb answers.** LOL

I been chill with smokers for a bit, not always intensionally, I just do a lot of activities - and you'd be surprised how many successful people smoke. I'm not talking about just artists either. I'm an IT guy - I support the litigation department in my Co. and there are plenty of bud smoking engineers, lawyers, Nature resource management professionals, etc, who have finished college with 3.6s or greater and got ill jobs. I'd be willing to bet that it's not just the media or gov. that gives Buda a bad name, but also It is not in the best interest for successful smokers to come out publicly with there activity.

I haven't seen one consist tendency with smokers. Some are motivated, some are not. Some have bad lungs, some run 3 miles a day. Some love weed, others are social smokers. There's just not enough facts to me on the negative effect to believe it's going to cause the down fall of a people, especially when there's so many who don't fit the negative stereotype of bud smokers. But that's just my observation, I could be wrong...

that in order to successfully answer this question, I would need some serious study results, that is, comparing the progress of Blacks who DO smoke weed vs those who DONT.

I'm sure someone must have done the research by know, I just need to look it up.

weed is a tool.
weed is a sacrament to the most high.
through weed and reasoning you can come to a greater understanding of the universe and/or your imediate surroundings and your self at best.
smoke good weed. stay away from trash.


personally weed has helped me fight my brainwashing. i have developed a greater love for africa and her peoples. and although it has the ability to slow you down/get in the way of progress, that's really up to you.

as with all things you should be mindfull of what you put in your body. and observent to the unique reactions you may or may not have.

what about, pork - enemy of black progress....
or america - enemy of black progress...
or the church - enemy of black progress...
liquor (no thank you kweli) - enemy of black progress...
traffic - enemy of black progress...
guns - enemy of black progress...
jealousy - enemy of black progress...
money (as opposed to wealth) - enemy of black progress...
crack - enemy of black progress...
white people - enemy of black progress...
black people - enemy of black progress...

i think we have a lot out there to worry about that weed as a tool helps us deal with. knowing when to smoke and smoking responsibly and with ceremony is a must.

weed also brings people together. when i first started in the arena of mind altering substances the fact that people sat around together and smoked and listened to music and laughed and danced as opposed to fighting and raping and breaking shit was a fair indicator of it effects on people.

seems a lot of people have a lot to say on this. i guess me too.

all this said i haven't smoked weed for a couple of months. cause i have some serious business that must be attended to on the physical plane. timing and ceremony.

jah knows though, when it's all over i'm going to relax with a big fat splif.

i

and i think i'm progressing just fine.

It becomes a problem when you dont remember how to control yourself and become addicted/constanly use it as an escape.




____
Girl: 'Hey look! Its AFROGUY!'
Girl's Friend: 'No no. His name is ?uestlove.'
Girl: 'Oooh. Ok.'

- random white chick and friend @ Roots Show/Pomona College/2.13.04

as that needs to be known before an answer can be given.

I'm with you; is "progression" having a job, being able to function in certain situations? Is "progression" "LIBERATION" for Black people? What do you mean by progression?

I think there are many ways to answer that question. THC is a chemical which interacts with the brain. Depending on the influences of certain hormones and neurotransmitters plus environmental influences would determine how one reacts to it. Just to sample the people in college I know who smoked, some were unproductive others weren't. The productive smokers are no less productive than productive non-smokers. In terms of health, smoking anything isn't good for the lungs. Regarding your subject line, I think for those of us who are environmentally influenced to lead unproductive lives, those people would find a way to be unproductive one way or the other. Weed, alcohol, or anything else amplifies what the individual decides to do with their time. You know what I mean?

yes...i've always sensed that this is helpful in explaining why people react differently to different stimuli/substances...

it's not the weed, necessarily, that causes a lack of productivity, but the person him/herself...if a person is a go-getter, the herb may amplify this trait..if the person has a tendecy to be lazy, the herb may amplify the laziness...

too often we blame the ganja, or the gun, when it is the person's mindstate or characteristics that are responsible.

"weed also brings people together. when i first started in the arena of mind altering substances the fact that people sat around together and smoked and listened to music and laughed and danced as opposed to fighting and raping and breaking shit was a fair indicator of it effects on people."

That is the "beauty" of weed. I've never seen anybody fight or act all crazy when they are high. Marijuana opened me up to several different "clicks" throughout high school, college, and even my professional career, and I'm so glad that I met these people. If they were never inquisitive about my response to "do you smoke?", "No, I don't smoke cigarretes, they're bad for u." I would probably lose 50-60 % of my close circle.

Alcohol and other drugs though aren't the same way. I mean who's the bad guy/gal, the toker who is minding his own business and not hurting anyone, or George W. Bush and his cronies, who are INTENTIONALLY putting Blacks, Latinos, and even dumb, po white peeps in jail for smoking weed? Not to mention going to war and starting clashes amongst foreign countries?

There is nothing in our book, the Quran, that teaches us to suffer peacefully. Our religion teaches us to be intelligent. Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. That's a good religion.
Malcolm X (1925-65), U.S. Muslim leader. "Message to the Grass Roots," speech, Nov. 1963, Detroit (published in Malcolm X Speaks, ch. 1, 1965).

peace all...

first, i want to say that i appreciate everyone's posts on this topic because it is rare that you find herb smokers with the proper perspective on the herb...

okay.... i will answer the question at hand about progression, but I first wanted a little advice from my fellow herb smokers:

i have been getting pretty serious with my music production recently, and have landed some work with some serious artists here in DC. i have made a few good relationships within the underground that I think will put me in a position to create a nice buzz about what i am doing. okay with that said, i have been faced with the dilemma of being able to afford herb (especially good herb) because I have been trying to be extremely disciplined about digging for records, continually updating my studio, and following my music passion. i have absolutely no problem with handling my herb intake and have become so integrated with it that it truly has become part of my spirtual and mental growth. it seems that my problem lately has do with Babylon's societal structure that makes herb just another commodity to be bought and sold. i find myself asking myself: music or herb? why can't I enjoy both, as that combination singularly has defined who am today. since i work with kids as my main income source, there just isn't enough room to properly pay for everything, because buying herb (with the quality and quantity that I enjoy) has stunted my progress as a musician only in respect to buying records and equipment. my goal is to have a fully professional home studio by this time next year, and I am about half way there. okay i am rambling, but you get the point... anyone here have any similar issues? anyone considered growing their own?

so, i haven't smoked in a few weeks, and have completely taken herb out of the budget and put it towards music, but i am really not feelin it. i wish i could make a way. but i vowed that i wouldn't let anything stand in my way of makin my music pop off properly. i think that is enuff to answer your concerns about progress.

peace
apex

I had a similar situation with my pool game. It was either, spend money on weed, or play pool. So what did was to start serving again, but this time part time. Now I'm not recommending this for everyone, and I would hate to have somene locked up and ruin their life/career, but say u get an onion of dro... Not to get too specific, but serv just enough so u smoke for free. If u can't do that, then just stop, or be triflin and bum off of others, but don't stop ur music. U don't need weed to enjoy or master music, but it sure does help!
There is nothing in our book, the Quran, that teaches us to suffer peacefully. Our religion teaches us to be intelligent. Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. That's a good religion.
Malcolm X (1925-65), U.S. Muslim leader. "Message to the Grass Roots," speech, Nov. 1963, Detroit (published in Malcolm X Speaks, ch. 1, 1965).

I feel you. Unfortunately, distribution is really not my game. I think that even if i did do that, I wouldn't be too good at it, as my internal and introverted personality would prolly mess everything up. Thanks for the encouraging words, which I completely agree with because there is a difference between communion and dependency, and fortunately for me I have made an extra effort to make sure that music remains sacred in my life, with or without the herb. I can't front though, every time I hear about Madlib smoking while he makes beats, I get a little jealous. Not in the actual hatred sense, but in the sense that I completely can identify with reaching that nirvana-like zone where it seems like your soul and the music become one and detach from the physical plane. Its all good though... there is other ways to get there...

funny thing is, I say all that as I am preparing to DJ my friends birthday party tonight... a friend who always keeps at least an ounce of grade A lime green seedless herbs on him at all times... tonight will be pleasant.

pex

i feel you on this one... i'm just broke. trying to be responsible, make ends meet, etc. you just gotta prioritize shit. i need books, music, and smoke. without these things, life is ugly. what the hell are we living/working for if we're not able to make a few necessary purchases.

personally, i know i don't need to smoke every day. every 2-3 days is good for me. i also don't smoke a lot. a few tokes and move on. this keeps the tolerance low and the stash lasts longer.

get yourself a savings account (or a jar) everytime you get paid, put 5, 10, 20 bucks in the jar (this depends on your income and needs of course). don't buy less than a half ounce. when you get enough money in your savings, hook yourself up... but then you have to ration it!! freeze it. hide it whatever. eventually, you save and smoke at the same rate.

works for me, but it does take some discipline.
hit me up for more frugal living tips.

sly1lboogie

"The world is before you
and you need not take it or
leave is as it was when you
came in." --James Baldwin,
1961

its one of the most harmless, theraputic substances. ask
our very own DEA. not too mention all the medicinal
purposes trees can serve (calms muscle spasms,
glaucoma, aids, etc.).

hundreds of thousands of folks die every year from smoking
cigarettes and drinking alcohol. and you blame herb?

i know mad productive folks who blaze everyday. they
support full time jobs, music careers, and like to put it in
the air.

word life.
-a.op

>its one of the most harmless, theraputic substances. ask
>our very own DEA. not too mention all the medicinal
>purposes trees can serve (calms muscle spasms,
>glaucoma, aids, etc.).
>hundreds of thousands of folks die every year from smoking
>cigarettes and drinking alcohol. and you blame herb?
>i know mad productive folks who blaze everyday. they
>support full time jobs, music careers, and like to put it in
>the air.

as I mentioned earlier in this discussion, I am sure there is enough room on the board to discuss all of the things that you have mentioned above; however, I was hoping to focus this particular post on marijuana and Black progression.

Please feel free to create another post addressing the issues that you are most concerned with.

Just one more thing to consider:

My wife is reading this book called Hottentot Venus (warning: what i am about to describe is very disturbing). It is a historical novel based on a very true and historically accurate event about the Khoikhoi (there are many spellings) peoples of what is now called South Africa. The story is set in the 18th century, and is about a Khoikhoi girl who was taken from her homeland by the first Dutch "visitors" (this is before they "settled" and established a "colony") and placed in the custody of the government as a "specimen" of the so-called savages that they found in Africa. She was placed in museums, freak shows, and circuses inside a glass cage as a display for rich white people to observe and talk about at tea parties and such. They had her chained up, and she basically lived her whole life like this. Her bones were recently returned to South Africa just a few years ago. whew!!! okay onto my point:

In the very first chapter there is detailed account of the Khoikhoi's use of weed. The name they use is "daga." They used it the context of spiritual ritual, and as means of gaining closer contact with divine forces. I say all this to say that we, as black folks, completely have forgotten a few things:

1) herb grows natural on our homeland
2) it has been historically proven that it has been used for thousands of years by our people, and has shown up in the historical record of most of our major civilizations, including the great kingdoms of Egypt, Mali, and Songhay.
3) we also have seen it used under many contexts including spiritually, medicinally, and recreationally (our defintion of recreation doesn't completely capture this use, however.)

so the question is: has herb contributed to our downfall? or has it been a long series of tumultuous events that have lead us into misunderstanding of our own cultural past, hence the improper usage of herb? for example, where did we learn to put herb into chemically saturated cigar paper? why does the paper have so many chemicals to begin with? who keeps cigar companies in business? why do they make choclate flavored phillies nowadays?

just some food for thought...

pex

........

some people can smoke weed and be fine and productive
some people can't

a person considers him/herself an instrument in the struggle for progression, then shouldnt he/she ensure that he/she is in optimal condition at all times?

my pops lights up a J (or 2) every day, been that way since i was a kid...some psychiatrist told me that 2nd hand weed smoke makes people lazy etc., interesting concept, but i think id still be lazy without the weed smoke...

...keeping many Black folks pacified:

- weed
- crack
- alcohol
- sex (gratuitous)
- religion
- Christmas

Some are more extreme or addictive than others but once someone becomes dependent therein lies the danger.

>it is said that the negative effects of smoking weed can
>include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks,
>fear, a sense of helplessness and loss of self-control.
>
>chronic marijuana users are said to develop an
>"amotivational syndrome" characterized by passivity,
>decreased motivation and preoccupation with drug taking.

I've seen this first-hand.

>with that being said, would it not be best if we stayed away
>from this drug?

Everything in moderation. I am addicted to junk food...and okayplayer!

It' interesting that you focus on blacks smoking because I know just as many people from other backgrounds/cultures who smoke just as much or more.

In terms of how harmful weed actually is, the question is more so with HOW you smokeit? Is it better in a pipe or bong (no chemical papers) or tea ,brownies, cookies, etc. It seems like the harmful health side effects come from the paper used and the smoke you inhale.

Any ABUSE of anything can also be harmful. To each their own.

Let's just say I had an experience once with a brownie and I know what the effects are. I don't smoke weed as a rule but I know plenty of people who do, including my parents. As far as who smokes or ingests it does not matter except for the fact that it IS pacifying in many ways. THC affects perception/awareness among other things...the more you smoke the more removed from reality you can become. I think that is the point of smoking weed but being active often requires being alert and clear.

Well I'm sure thats why many people smoke. To experience those relaxing effects. My comment has more to do with harmful health issues such as lung cancer. If it were possible to get those relaxing effects without wondering if you were going to get lung cancer 15 years down the road, it would be cool.

If you choose to be an inactive pothead, that's on you.
But seriously I see no ill results from weed except the diseases
that could result from how its ingested.

>Well I'm sure thats why many people smoke. To experience
>those relaxing effects.

-i hear people use this excuse all the time and its bullshit...its like sam jacksons character in pulp fiction said: "sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie but i wouldnt know because even if it did i wouldnt eat it"...how do folks who have never smoked know that it relieves stress or relaxes you...mofoes start smoking because they see other people smoking. (followers)

>Well I'm sure thats why many people smoke. To experience
>those relaxing effects.

The original post addressed whether or not this led to passivity. IMHO it can but it depends. I don't care about how "successful" someone is...what are they doing to make a difference. I know a few folks who smoke weed and are active in their communities.

>My comment has more to do with
>harmful health issues such as lung cancer.

Got ya.

>If it were
>possible to get those relaxing effects without wondering if
>you were going to get lung cancer 15 years down the road, it
>would be cool.

THC does not cause cancer.

>If you choose to be an inactive pothead, that's on you.

I never was active, just naive and someone slipped me a brownie when my guard was down. It was my ol' high school teacher's party!

The THC may not cause cancer but maybe the toxins in the smoke that fill your lungs or the chemicals in the paper might. They say weed smoke is more harmful than cigarette smoke. Of course it depends on how often you smoke.

I come from two weed smoking parents, who are both in their fifties, succesful, and still doing their thing. I have to agree with the post that of you're gonna be lazy, it ain't the weed that is making one that way. Weed is only as bad as the person who smokes it, if you think that weed is making you lazy, then chances are, you were fucking lazy to begin with, and so on and so forth....I started smoking when I was 21, now I'm 25 and a goal-oriented, successful woman, and have no intentions of stopping anytime soon, I just know when is a good time to smoke, and when I shouldn't. I have no regrets about the decisions I've made, especially my love for indulging in "Herbal Essence"

clear is:

would we be MORE successful/progressive if we did not smoke weed?

now, that I think about it tho, perhaps there is no realistic way to prove or disprove this thought of mine.

>clear is:
>
>would we be MORE successful/progressive if we did not smoke
>weed?
>
>now, that I think about it tho, perhaps there is no
>realistic way to prove or disprove this thought of mine.

it is kind off hard to show proof for or against it because this is not an issue that is just among black people, but with most cultures. something like this you must deal with on a individual basis.

the power lies within the individual
there are plenty of people (regardless of color) that smoke
...yet still manage 2 be successful
I mean, if you wanna buy in2 the stereotype
(that all black folks are lazy becuz they're born inferior)
then go right ahead
but I refuse 2 place the blame onna drug...
when the power of making decisions starts with 1's self

I don't need a ticket, though I never got one
If he pulls me over...
He gon' feel my, "peace sign"

-Pharrell 4.11.04 @ 9:30

next as with all drugs the hippie lettuce affects everyone differently...some cats should prolly avoid it, then again who are we to say that they should...man has free will and will always do what is in their best interest wether others agree that it is or not...Many productive individuals smoke marijuana on the daily basis (self included)...I suspect that some of the folks who become lazy and shiftless as a result of smoking pot at the very least chose to remain that way...but I'm a pothead though so who cares what I think
3...2...1...sig

Aqua Teen Hunger Force, number one in the hood...G

"...Weight on my shoulder fluctuates like Oprah's
My refrigerator poetry's magnetic like ultra..."
-Common-

DROkayplayer™: "Now isn't that the pot calling the cannabis weed"
-Me-

Dont care about how many other people do this, I will probably never smoke a joint in my lifetime. A lot of people i know smoke weed (and a lot of em be acting messed up when they do), and try to put me on it too. Im not religous or anything, just dont really care for drugs or drinking.

As for the topic, I dunno if you can really put the blame on a substance as a reason for the lack of progress of our race as a whole. Mean its been said over and over again, but you cant blame one drug for such a thing. Cause in the end, the person who smokes it made the choice of smoking it and sufferes whatever consquenses it had. I wish more black people would stop with stuff like and all cause i dont think its cool for a race that isnt totally met with equality in a country like this to be all laid back when theres more work to be done and a struggle going on.

It might not even have such effects, might just bring out the worse of a person who was already messed up or had certain issues. As for it being totally harmless or near harmless, i always be hearing from some people that weed is in some ways worse then a cigarette in terms of effect and chemical makeup. I havent seen someone who just totally flipped out after a joint, but it seems believable.

how many black americans are there? and how many smoke weed? do YOU smoke weed? in all honesty, i dont think weed smoking has anything to do with the situation black americans find themselves in

PS
just for the record, this seems like a topic a weed head would come up with

I am 23 and having smoking weed since about october to now almost everyday. Im also depressed. That was one of the reasons why I actually started smoking becuase it made me feel really good. When I first started, smoking weed put my life into perspective. Example: If I had some problems, normal me would sit and think to death about what the hell I am going to do. Now when I got high, I was thinking to myself that these problems arent really big I can deal with it. Thats what I mean about different perspective. There is nothing wrong with smoking weed, recreationally. But your message about what it does. That struck a cord, paranoia, anxiety...I'm feeling it now. Thats after every day use. BUT THERES A CATCH.....I dont know about other people who might be able to relate to my experiences, but the thing is that a lot of the time when people feel those "symptoms", they think that it might be the weed, but it really might be depression, cause depression has similar sypmptoms. However, it could be the cause of smoking to much weed. ANYTHING that anyone is addicted to, is a bad thing. It becomes a cycle of abuse. I was reading someones post that his cousin is in a mental hospital cause he smoked to much weed which led to severe paranoia. I'm scared cause I dont want to get there. I am trying to cut it down, but its hard. Because in my mind I know that I can live without weed, but I'm addicted to it, because for the longest time I havent gone a day without it. When shit was bad....as hypocritical as this might seem, I prayed and got high. Getting high enabled me to cope with shit, because your not thinking about it that much, or you are thinking about it in a different perspective. If I got nervous stomachs, weed would get rid of them. I dont enjoy weed no more though really, when I first started, it was enlightening, it was amazing, wonderful, but now its just blah....like I need a better drug...stronger than weed. I do feel paranoid, I am afraid and uncertain about my life in some respects, but uncertainty has become fear. My biggest fear...fear of failing. NOw its a constant thought in my mind. However, I cant distinguish if thats a result of smoking weed or because I am depressed. I am gonna get help....a psychiatrist might just push me over the edge....whatever. People need to understand one thing though, sometimes people are quick to blame weed, but the sife effects of weed are similar to the side effects of other mental illnesses such as depression...depending on the severity, bi-polar disorder etc. No one should just assume that if people suffer from those symptoms and are smoking weed as well then automatically assume that weed is the problem. That is not always the case.
Anything used recreationally is fine, but when people become addicted then theres a problem.

"When truth is offered for sale in the market it finds no buyer, but lies are bought with cash in hand" - Yoruban proverb

i like to get to the point. it depends on who you are, and thats the truth, some people can leave alone some think they need it. its just like cigarettes except its more rewarding, i mean you do get high. we all know its bad but its every persons own decision on whether or not they wanna light it up. the only thing stopping us is us, if you dont like it dont do it.