posted October 11, 2002 07:23 AM              

Yes, there are alot of stupid TV ads floating around, but be thankful they are there to keep the public informed!! Just think how we were victimized in the "dark ages" before all this advertising. How many innocent people took drugs that destroyed their lives because they were NOT INFORMED?
All drugs and herbs have side effects, but thank goodness that we have publications to read that tell us the truth!!! Alot has changed in the last 30 yrs....for the better.

As far as "kick-backs", the Fed Govt has put the BIG squeeze on gifts of any large monetary value to physicians....nothing larger than a dinner.....pharmacists get pens and notepads. Gone are the days of the free trips to Hawaii or colored TV's. Most drug companies have taken their expense accounts and cycled the monies toward educational grants. Very few spend the BIG bucks on pens, cups, notepads, etc. Bristol-Meyer-Squibb spends all their monies on Educational programs to further the education of pharmacists and doctors, so that we can be completely informed on the latest findings.Things have definitely changed for the better.

Of course, there are those health professionals that invest in the stock market and feel it is necessary to write prescriptions for "their" products, but they cannot write 100% of all their patient's needs from one company. Gone are the days where one company makes products to treat you from head to toe!!

Of course, you are always going to have a dishonest individual here and there that give all the professions a bad name. But how can you change all that?
Bright Blessings

posted October 23, 2002 11:11 PM              

I'm not really sure where addiction fits into this model. Using anything to an extreme is harmful, and people seem to be more susceptible to drugs than other things. I've often speculated that it's because we all want to reach an advanced state of spiritual awareness, though we realize it or not, and drugs seem to provide somewhat of a shortcut for that. Which is what makes them dangerous, to me. I don't think there is a true shortcut, and by taking drugs, people are entering a state of awareness that they might not have the training (through meditation, etc) or means to handle.

*shrugs*

posted November 08, 2002 12:24 PM              

it is especially a good topic because just a few weeks ago, i stopped smoking pot after being a daily smoker for over 5 years. why? because you have to teach your brain to use those otherwise unused parts on its own, because drugs are a limitation to what your brain can do on its own. what was hard about stopping was that it is a really great social centerpiece, but that, too, needed to be overcome.

i have several thoughts on this: first, i know first hand that, indeed, pot and some psychedelics (the only drugs i have experience with and would recommend experimenting with) have lifted some of the veils covering 'reality', at least, have showed the user that there is so much of a meaning to life beyond what most people seemed concerned about- education sex career families money prestige the RAT RACE; the type of stuff that, if as the only things filling a person's life, will leave them waking up midlife confused about how they got there and where they're going. i've seen it open the door of spirituality to many people, including myself. but this i say with ferver: POT CAN ONLY BE (BUT ONLY ONE OF) A KEY TO OPEN THIS DOOR, IT CANNOT WALK YOU THROUGH IT... i think using drugs beyond that point of this realization leaves the user spinning in the doorway, confusing the mundane and spiritual worlds, clouding their vision, unable to really walk through. i have read that certain substances can help the user get over future blockages and open future doors, especially in a ritualistic atmosphere, but this i cannot say from experience, because i didnt use originally for this spiritual pupose. i need a MAJOR amount of time detoxing, as being a habitual smoker leaves your body over saturated with its chemicals. its sad, because not only can pot not walk you thru that door, it will prevent you from doing so.

my second thought is this: DRUGS SHOULD NOT BE ILLEGAL! as linda's heathcliff conveyed about placing laws against pornography, the laws DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT prevent people from using drugs. If anything, by leaving the drug trade an illegal business, you put a lot of innocent good and especially young people at risk of being harmed by folks of lower morals. DRUG ADDICTION IS AN EPIDEMIC and should be TREATED not PUNISHED!! until we start viewing this very VERY big problem of drug addiction in this way, we will never stop the use. in addition, countries spend billions upon billions of money on the capture and incarceration of criminals and not-such criminals without making as much of a dent in the usage, let alone the supply line- and we all know how effective jail is in detering aberrant behavior. all of that money can go towards curing addicts and thereby lowering the demand for these drugs. King Bush says that drug users contribute to terrorism... and i have a solution for him TAKE THE BUSINESS AWAY FROM THE BAD GUYS and start lowering the demand.

Aside from all this, I think light use of MILD marijuana is about as harmful as light use of alcohol: it would be ideal if people didnt do it, or like to use it, but they should have the right to do so. I do know many folks you can use it casually without addiction. If it can be talked about openly, people can more readily talk about and get help for over use.

Also, hemp has soo many beneficial uses it could really help some of the ailing tobacco growers in american as cigarette use is taking a hit (thank god). i think marijuana intact and in parts have many medicinal uses, especailly very mild marijuana/ hemp used as other herbal remedies are- without any real intoxication. and i think if it would just be adequately researched, we'd find it has many components of worth (it probably already has, but as we know at the health store, it is unprofitable to research a plant because it cannot be patented. (thank you pharmaceudical industry)

posted November 09, 2002 04:53 PM              

Incidentally Kava Kava has marijuana type calming effects without the hallucinagenic properties. It apparantly comes from an island in the Caribbean where the people grind it down (it is a root) and eat it a lot. They are known as the sunshine people. I have used it in the past and found it beneficial but I don't know the effects of heavy use.

posted November 10, 2002 01:15 AM              

Chocoholic I am glad you got so many good responses with differing opinions. I probably came down harshly against marijuana, but I can't help it, sure not everyone is like me, but I just can't see anything spiritual or beneficial about fiending to smoke pot 10 times a day, always being too stoned to know what was going on, having a lowered immune system and coughing all the time. But- news flash fajita, not everyone smokes like I did

posted January 02, 2003 07:48 PM              

Welcome!

posted January 04, 2003 09:53 PM              

Trippy that is awesome you have stopped so long, yes please, THC is stored in fat cells and we women have more.

Have a great weekend!

posted January 04, 2003 09:56 PM              

when you want to put that aquarius sign just click on the smilies legend when you are posting and it will tell you the code

Keep us posted on how you are doing OK and never beat yourself up sometimes we all go back and forth
love fajita

posted January 05, 2003 06:16 PM              

I went through a brief period of taking other drugs (coke mostly), and hated the fiending and deep, huge bouts of depression that went along with it. So not worth it.

Anyway, my advice (the best I can give without sounding domineering) is to immerse yourself in something else. Or just make it impossible to incorporate drugs into your daily routine. That also means keeping your distance from the people and places that make it easy to smoke.

Good luck to you!

posted January 05, 2003 06:30 PM              

Orangeblossom my lungs cleared out for a while. It was a little weird. But that was exactly like it. I coughed alot more than when I was smoking (which was plenty)...but that will go away eventually.

Venera congrats that is AWESOME. I am so proud of you too.

All of you make my heart sing. Not that I think everyone should quit smoking because some people have balance with it I know. But I liked it a little too much, well, a lot too much and I am so glad to hear of other people realizing they too could quit.

Love you all
Fajita

posted January 05, 2003 11:11 PM              

We have so much in common
Yea I know me and other Aquarians can get drawn to stuff like that.

Well I am filled with for all of you!