a sad day for my best friend

[Darthness]

weed will never be legalized because of the damage it'll do to the pharmaceuticals industry. They no doubt lobby to make sure they'll keep making profit.

[Ryan from Ohio]

What gets me with this whole weed thing. California.

They openly and freely violate Federal law. They legalized it so ya the people under the State wont do anything to you, but if its Federal you are in trouble.

Now what bothers me is the Feds do nothing.

Then you see this:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?secti ... id=5980341

A college which undoubtedly get Federal support has a how to grow weed class?

WTF

[JeremyC]

Anyways enough with opiates, how about anti-depressants? There are hundreds of commercials on that I see EVERYDAY:
Do you feel tired?
Do you not enjoy things you used to?
Are you having trouble sleeping?
The major pharmaceutical companies controlling America are just throwing out vague symptoms to get any of the SHEEPLE of the US get addicted to their drugs. Anti-depressants are the biggest bunch of bullshit. They deprive people of their real power to help themselves, and give people a false sense of what the situation in their brain is. "depression is a chemical imbalance, its genetic...blah blah". Gives you the impression its something you cant control without a pill, and that is complete BS. Your body is an amazing system and can be controlled and influenced by intent and conciousness. You can help yourself, you just need the right tool.

Oh this is going to be a fun discussion.

I agree the pharmaceutical companies are crap, but anti depressants do help. My mom, and one of my best friends both take anti depressants. And they work. You said it yourself. Sometimes severe depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. SSRIs help to cure that imbalance, helping people live a normal life.

Now I also agree a person can fight depression them selfs. Exercise, meditation, self hypnosis have all been proven to help fight depression, but sometimes, people need more.

[lotas]

Oh this is going to be a fun discussion.
I agree the pharmaceutical companies are crap, but anti depressants do help. My mom, and one of my best friends both take anti depressants. And they work. You said it yourself. Sometimes severe depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. SSRIs help to cure that imbalance, helping people live a normal life.
Now I also agree a person can fight depression them selfs. Exercise, meditation, self hypnosis have all been proven to help fight depression, but sometimes, people need more.

I completely agree, my mom has used SSRI's and tricyclics since I can remember, and it is even true in studies that those taking anti-depressants show improvement and it helps them ultimately.

But you can't take any study's information to be honest or even accurate, you have to look at it closer. The anti-depressant research that I've looked at does in fact show those taking the anti-depressant to have improved symptoms.

BUT the kicker is, that those taking the placebo (or the sugar pill, the control) show the same improvements. Now that is saying a lot. It's saying that the mind is just as powerful, and a much healthier solution. There's really no way anti-depressants can benefit you when you aren't taking them. You have to continue use as long as you want symptoms to be relieved. If you help yourself, you are changing your brain, literally, and not relying on a "band-aid".

That being said, the latter is 20x's harder, and takes much more conscious effort, and a lot of people (my mom included) don't want to put in that effort, even if they know how it can help them. I'm sure if I had depression I'd rather pop some pills everyday that made me feel better vs. working and working with conscious intent to change my brain.


I guess I would have to say I judge anti-depressants most when they are prescribed to 12-30 year olds, who really, in my opinion, don't need them, they just don't realize it. They are told everyday on the TV and Radio that depression is common and there is help, not by learning about the mind-body relationship and helping yourself, but by popping a pill made by a huge pharmaceutical company turning millions of dollars.

[lotas]

You pop in anytime there is a weed thread lol.

Lol its not that its just I'm always skimming the Off Topic section cause I'm too poor to work on my stereo right now, just bought a house, but I love debating and hearing people's opinions, so I like the political and controversial stuff! If we had a thread on abortion or history, I'd be there too!

[colemanyoungerinalaska]

i think anti depressants are bad its all about mind over matter and learning self control. everyone suffers and those who trumpet there sufferings are usually the ones most deserving of them.
some people i guess are not equipped with the facilities to cope a part of me feels sorry for them but another part of me thinks of them as useless. i think a lot of people feel worthless because they are.

[smoker]

i dont smoke weed but i used to, its been about 20 years and i know if it was legal i wouldnt get a damn thing done, i mean lets face it, its way the hell better than alcohol......

[colemanyoungerinalaska]

true. i stopped smoking so i could get better jobs

[smoker]

im self employed and its difficult sometimes to turn it down. i get it offered to me all the time by customers....and much more higher end stuff too but i turn it down.

[colemanyoungerinalaska]

i get offered it all the time by my friends and we have some diggity dank up here but i just think get high or lose out on 2-3 grand a week. i did eat some brownies last summer but i was off work for a while. im off now but they could call me any time and say come back we need you but first pee into this cup and i cant take the risk