Opinions - If there was no marijuana just THC

[0ctavarium]

Picture this, SWIY. There is no such thing as marijuana (it never existed, not just suddenly dissapeared), however the drug THC is illegally available as a pill. Say 50 doses of the THC costs around $100. Would SWIY use this drug? Does SWIY think it would be as popular?

SWIM would probably use it occasionally but it would not be the same. A lot less people would use it, especially teenagers, because many people including SWIM seem to enjoy the ritual of smoking cannabis, not just the high. The flavor, the smoke, the passing of the piece/bong/joint/etc to your friends makes smoking cannabis an experience unlike many other drugs. It brings a sense of togetherness and swallowing pills certainly wouldn't have that.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Read SWIMS Mind
	Very insightful post.

[Pavelo]

So I guess it would be produced syntheticly like LSD, meth etc.
Then if we look at it from a market-view it wouldnt be probably very profitable because of nature of the drug (no big dependence like on other synthetic drugs eg meth). So I think it would slowly dimish from the market or would be very rare and extra difficult to obtain.

[nate81]

Yeah, ritual is a big deal with drug use. Setting up a shot of H or cleaning and rolling weed or chopping and lining the coke. Makes a drug more enjoyable

[ShroomShaman666]

Originally Posted by nate81

Yeah, ritual is a big deal with drug use. Setting up a shot of H or cleaning and rolling weed or chopping and lining the coke. Makes a drug more enjoyable

who cleans weed?

[helikophis]

Originally Posted by ShroomShaman666

who cleans weed?

People who get smokable material that is mixed with stems and seeds. Generally people remove the stems and seeds before smoking the flowers/leaf matter. This process is referred to as "cleaning."

[Nature Boy]

There's no way it would be as popular. THC is merely one cannabinoid out of hundreds. Other cannabinoids are necessary in order to enjoy the effects better. THC on its own is actually thought to be rather unpleasant with anxiety outweighing euphoria.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Quote sums it up well
	good point

[frederico02]

Originally Posted by Nature Boy

There's no way it would be as popular. THC is merely one cannabinoid out of hundreds. Other cannabinoids are necessary in order to enjoy the effects better. THC on its own is actually thought to be rather unpleasant with anxiety outweighing euphoria.

i cudnt agree more . taking THC alone is like taking a single vitamin alone , it will never be as good as the natural product with all its other benefits that are available . plus im sure you've seen that video of the woman who took a injection of pure THC and a injection of all the compounds that are in cannabis or close to it . the pure THC gaver her a huge headache and made he feel depressed , the more closer version made her very happy just like weed .

[Matt The Funk]

Originally Posted by Nature Boy

There's no way it would be as popular. THC is merely one cannabinoid out of hundreds. Other cannabinoids are necessary in order to enjoy the effects better. THC on its own is actually thought to be rather unpleasant with anxiety outweighing euphoria.

Exactly. Personally SWIM might use it as a psychedelic and dose pretty high. SWIM needs the other cannabinoids and also the ritual is in itself healing and relaxing for SWIM.

[Ellis D.]

Yea THC was isolated for medical use here in the states and they found that it does f*** you up but it's a little different than smoking a bowl, the high is more of a bad weed trip.

[Euthanatos93420]

PLus THC alone can cause seizures. Other cannaboids such as CBD act as anti-seizure compounds. It's like someone designed the plant just for the BENEFIT of humans...

[EscapeDummy]

Not to mention Marinol, synthetic THC, has an attainable lethal dose, unlike weed, which, as drugs go, has an absurd safety profile. No, maybe not in side effects, but in overdosing and deaths.
Can you think of any other drug/substance, cited as dangerous, which has (in america) had 100,000,000 users (according to pro-marijuana sites, may not be accurate), and ZERO overdose deaths? The ratio of fatalities:usages for marijuana is a statistical anomaly which isn't seen anywhere else, really.


Edit: Perhaps one could cite caffeine, which (in America) has 250,000,000+ users and only a small handful of deaths, but my general point still stands.

[Macee]

Originally Posted by EscapeDummy

Can you think of any other drug/substance, cited as dangerous, which has (in america) had 100,000,000 users

LSD might not have 100,000,000 users. But there has only been one reported death from overdose. The person mistook it for speed and injected 400,000ug (micrograms) and the standard dose is 80-250ug

400 000ug is 0.4g. So lets just say...thats ALOT of acid.

I cant find my source on this, I did read it somewhere, but other sources have said that there have been no overdoses on acid.

People have also ingested 40 000ug (40mg) and survived.

[greenhit]

Oh my god!!! You have read swims mind! I asked swims friends the same question but they said "ya I would still do it, its just for the high." But swim tottally disagreed and was left in the dark. Swim also loves the ritually of the cannabis smoking session. peace. One Love.

[Glory Days]

I think very few people would use it. There just wouldn't be the same atmosphere of chilling with your friends and smoking a bowl.

[Nature Boy]

To whoever sent me that bad rep over mentioning that yes, there are hundreds of cannabinoids, here's your proof:

Originally Posted by Scientific American

The main difference between endogenous cannabinoids and opioids, Felder explains, is that cannabinoids are part of the fat family, which also distinguishes them from other neurotransmitters. As fats they cannot be stored, like other neurotransmitters, in packages called vesicles; they need "middlemen" to relay messages from one cell to another. So far, about half a dozen endogenous cannabinoids have been identified, but these molecules are not as useful to drug developers as the rigidly structured lipophilic (or fat-loving) forms in marijuana. The plant itself contains some 400 cannabinoids, each of which may have some therapeutic potential. How to use them in a way that allows the body to reap the greatest benefit, however, is up for debate.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...d=healing-haze

For future reference, don't wet yourself when you see something you don't believe. Ask for evidence before dishing out bad rep because that's why the system is there and it should not be available to those that abuse it.

[Shampoo]

To clarify-

Originally Posted by Nature Boy

yes, there are hundreds of cannabinoids, here's your proof:

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...d=healing-haze

Despite the reputability of Scientific America, the author of this article is mistaken and unfortunately fails to cite any primary sources of her own (though I imagine they can be acquired upon request).

While it is not true that "the plant itself contains some 400 Cannabinoids," it does contain upwards of 400 chemical constituents- however this broad category includes Cannabinoids, Nitrogenous compounds, Amino acids, Proteins, Enzymes, Sugars, Hydrocarbons, Alcohols, Aldehydes, Ketones, Simple Acids, Fatty Acids, Esters, Lactones, Steroids, Terpenes, Noncannabinoids Phenols, Flavonoids, Vitamins and Pigments.

On the other hand, here are several direct sources (in chronological order, the last being the most recent published analysis of the Cannabinoid constiteunts of Cannabis) which confirm that less than 100 known Cannabinoids exist:

A) Ross S, ElSohly MA. Constituents of Cannabis sativa L. XXVIII. A review of the natural constituents: 1994. Zagig Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 1995;4(2):1-10.

B) Institute of Medicine. Preface ix. In Joy JE, Benson JA, Watson SJ, eds., Marijuana and medicince: Assesing the science base. Washington, DC: Institute of Medicince, National Academy Press, 1999.

C) Grotenhermen, Franjo, M.d., and Ethan, M.d. Russo. Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential. New York, London, Oxford: The Hawthorn Integrative Healing Press, 2002.

D) Burns TL, Ineck JR. Cannabinoid analgesia as a potential new therapeutic option in the treatment of chronic pain. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 2006 Feb;40(2):251-60.

E) Safwat A. Ahmed, Samir A. Ross, Desmond Slade, Mohamed M. Radwan, Fazila Zulfiqar and Mahmoud A. ElSohly. Biologically Active Cannabinoids from High-Potency Cannabis sativa. Journal of Natural Products 4 (2009): 536-42.

All primary sources into the 21st century cited less than 70 known Cannabinoids (A, B, C, D) and a very recent (April, 2009) discovery of 11 new non-psychoactive THC and Cannabigerol esters (E) brought the total known Cannabinoids to 80- still not quite one hundred.

Reputation Comments on this post:

provides references, clarifies a potential misunderstanding

[RedBaron]

Swim would still use this drug but it would probably be more of an occasional thing.....Smoking is just a calming, time consuming thing that Swim likes as much as getting the high from THC....one of the reasons why he smokes cigarettes......Having it in a pill would take away from the social atmosphere of the stoner lifestyle.....sitting around a low table with joints ALWAYS to the left hand side and a bong being passed around on the right......ahhh yes time to meet the crew now as 4 20 strikes..

peace, an lets keep the green smoke flowing!

[Sameria]

SWIM discussed this with a few of his mates last night whilst he was partaking in a session. SWIM's friends all agreed the act of smoking played a very large part in why they smoke socially.

A few of SWIM's friends who have a higher tolerance than the others smoke just for the sake of it and joining in the group. SWIM says he wouldn't be anywhere near as attracted to cannabis if it was as simple as swallowing a pill, although at times only needing to swallow can be handy.

[Nature Boy]

Originally Posted by Shampoo

All primary sources into the 21st century cited less than 70 known Cannabinoids (A, B, C, D) and a very recent (April, 2009) discovery of 11 new non-psychoactive THC and Cannabigerol esters (E) brought the total known Cannabinoids to 80- still not quite one hundred.

Tomayto, tomato. But cheers for posting up those references regardless.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Haha. Great way of showing your aknowledgement of being wrong.

[drug-bot]

swim doubts pure THC would be very enjoyable, it would proberbly be more psychedelic but more fearful and manic (just swims opinion after seeing individuals being injected w/ pure THC at research facilities on youtube, and all of them freaking out, cant post youtube links forum wont allow it, would if swim could though). CBD kind of balances out THC and makes smoking weed an enjoyable experience, also dont forget the multitude of other cannanibinoids that have psychoactive properties which effects the 'high'.

[Shampoo]

Please upload such videos to the archive, easily accessed from the drop down menu atop your screen entitled "quick links."

[psychs]

swim has tried thc pills and would rather smoke weed anyday

[Greenport]

SwiM would bust open them pills and stick the powder in a vaporizer!

Yayyy pure vaporized THC!