Guest deepValue Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 No respectable person past college age smokes pot. To answer one stereotype with another: You must not like many artists (writers, actors, filmmakers, musicians, painters, etc). nor high-level sports. Re pro sports: I said respectable. Creative types get a pass on eccentricities. But really, people need to grow up after college. None of my college friends who are in finance or oil & gas smoke anymore and I can't imagine anyone my parents' age (mid- to late-fifties) smoking weed -- at least not among the country club set. I guess it comes down to whom you consider respectable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberty Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Creative types get a pass on eccentricities. But really, people need to grow up after college. None of my college friends who are in finance or oil & gas smoke anymore and I can't imagine anyone my parents' age (mid- to late-fifties) smoking weed -- at least not among the country club set. I guess it comes down to whom you consider respectable. If done responsibly, what's the difference with drinking? If it was legal, you'd probably see a lot more "respectable" people do it. Right now we only see the eccentrics because they don't give a crap what others think. The peple who care what others think because they are respectable either don't do it even if they'd like to once in a while, or hide. I don't smoke, and I don't drink much, but I don't see why one should be illegal and not the other, and why addiction should be treated criminally first rather than as a public health issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest valueInv Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 None of my college friends who are in finance or oil & gas smoke anymore and I can't imagine anyone my parents' age (mid- to late-fifties) smoking weed -- at least not among the country club set. I guess it comes down to whom you consider respectable. For me, personally, certainly not the country club set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meiroy Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 No respectable person past college age smokes pot. Well, lots of people on the SHLD thread would disagree with you. Just sayin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yadayada Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Also think that it is not dangerous to try when your below 18. Unless you have some sort of mental illness, or other problems. Actually most people try drugs a few times, have fun with it, and then dont do it again. The risks are really overblown. Personally I had the most fun with it when i was 16-17. One time we got extremly baked to the point we could barely walk, and went to a movie, I ended sitting backwards in the chair, staring laughing and talking to the people behind us half the time. Never was this fun again with weed after that. Actually, it is quite the contrary. It is known to be much more damageable to the brain during your teenager years, when you are still growing up. It would be much less damageable if people started only when they are adults! Anyway, I think it could be comparable to alcohol, but what I have seen is that it more often leads to more damageable paths (tougher drugs) or higher frequency consumption (but I don't have any data about this, just empirical observation with my bad own sampling!). You would have to do it alot tho. I seriously doubt smoking weed every 2-3 weeks when your 16 is really hurting. Agree doing it twice a day is probably bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deepValue Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Creative types get a pass on eccentricities. But really, people need to grow up after college. None of my college friends who are in finance or oil & gas smoke anymore and I can't imagine anyone my parents' age (mid- to late-fifties) smoking weed -- at least not among the country club set. I guess it comes down to whom you consider respectable. If done responsibly, what's the difference with drinking? If it was legal, you'd probably see a lot more "respectable" people do it. Right now we only see the eccentrics because they don't give a crap what others think. The peple who care what others think because they are respectable either don't do it even if they'd like to once in a while, or hide. I don't smoke, and I don't drink much, but I don't see why one should be illegal and not the other, and why addiction should be treated criminally first rather than as a public health issue. I'm not arguing against legalization (even John McCain is starting to come around to legalization), just against its use. I wouldn't want the CEO of a company I owned to be a pot smoker and I think most people would say the same. Pot can make you lazy, but it cannot make you better at your job. I'd prefer it if the CEO didn't drink alcohol or eat processed/GMO food either, but those are socially-acceptable behaviors that have more to do with fitting in/being social than anything else (for alcohol, at least). What can I say? I guess I'm a traditionalist. I don't mind if the masses are allowed to smoke pot -- please clear the jails for more worthy inhabitants. But I wouldn't respect my father if he started smoking pot and I'd be hesitant to go into business with a pot smoker. It probably comes down to the values I grew up with and the values that people whom I admire share. Still, at least in my circle of friends and my parents' circle of friends, I'm not aware of any ambitious person who smokes pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticdrew Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 So.. beyond the philosophical debate, how can we invest and make money off this? Like many industries, I figure at some point a couple of players will start to grow,consolidate/roll up, and dominate the industry to the benefit of their owners/shareholders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deepValue Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I figure at some point a couple of players will start to...dominate the industry http://www.fictionews.com/images/stories/17.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orange Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 But really, people need to grow up after college. None of my college friends who are in finance or oil & gas smoke anymore and I can't imagine anyone my parents' age (mid- to late-fifties) smoking weed -- at least not among the country club set. I guess it comes down to whom you consider respectable. ;D Some people really live in a bubble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAL9000 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 What can I say? I guess I'm a traditionalist. I don't mind if the masses are allowed to smoke pot -- please clear the jails for more worthy inhabitants. But I wouldn't respect my father if he started smoking pot and I'd be hesitant to go into business with a pot smoker. It probably comes down to the values I grew up with and the values that people whom I admire share. Still, at least in my circle of friends and my parents' circle of friends, I'm not aware of any ambitious person who smokes pot. I think you're overlooking the possibility that people who smoke pot simply don't flaunt it. There is a social stigma associated with marijuana use - mainly that the majority of people believe that smoking pot makes you stupid/lazy/etc. Plus it's illegal substance. For what benefit would I share my recreational use with you, someone who clearly has a severe view point on marijuana use? I smoke pot on occasion. So does my business partner. We built a company from nothing into a multi-million dollar business - in our mid 20s through early 30s. Now you can stop believing that people who smoke pot aren't ambitious. Maybe they are just cautious. You did get one thing right - I wouldn't be caught dead in a country club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yadayada Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Creative types get a pass on eccentricities. But really, people need to grow up after college. None of my college friends who are in finance or oil & gas smoke anymore and I can't imagine anyone my parents' age (mid- to late-fifties) smoking weed -- at least not among the country club set. I guess it comes down to whom you consider respectable. If done responsibly, what's the difference with drinking? If it was legal, you'd probably see a lot more "respectable" people do it. Right now we only see the eccentrics because they don't give a crap what others think. The peple who care what others think because they are respectable either don't do it even if they'd like to once in a while, or hide. I don't smoke, and I don't drink much, but I don't see why one should be illegal and not the other, and why addiction should be treated criminally first rather than as a public health issue. I'm not arguing against legalization (even John McCain is starting to come around to legalization), just against its use. I wouldn't want the CEO of a company I owned to be a pot smoker and I think most people would say the same. Pot can make you lazy, but it cannot make you better at your job. I'd prefer it if the CEO didn't drink alcohol or eat processed/GMO food either, but those are socially-acceptable behaviors that have more to do with fitting in/being social than anything else (for alcohol, at least). What can I say? I guess I'm a traditionalist. I don't mind if the masses are allowed to smoke pot -- please clear the jails for more worthy inhabitants. But I wouldn't respect my father if he started smoking pot and I'd be hesitant to go into business with a pot smoker. It probably comes down to the values I grew up with and the values that people whom I admire share. Still, at least in my circle of friends and my parents' circle of friends, I'm not aware of any ambitious person who smokes pot. I would prefer my CEO to not eat and sleep as well. And then drop dead from exhaustion at age 40, right after I sold the skyrocketed stock. But I guess you cant have it all. Didn't steve jobs smoke pot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orange Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 If you legalized weed full stop - allowed people to possess and grow as much as they wanted - large scale production (like that of cigs) would not be very profitable. Neither would the tax revenues. This is the pragmatic problem for legalization, there's not as much money in it. Even if you are a heavy user, you can grow all the weed you need quite easily, the same cannot be said about alcohol/tobacco. For example, one properly cultivated outdoor marijuana plant will take between 2-4 months to grow and dry (depending on the strain grown), and most plants yield over a pound of finished product. How much is a pound? To put it into perspective, a joint usually has about a gram of weed in it. There are 448 grams in a pound. Heavy users of alcohol and tobacco spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on the habit each year. If someone wanted to smoke 10 joints a day, all they would have to do is grow around 8 outdoor plants in the summer. 8 (plants) X 448 (grams yield per plant) = 3584 grams/joints or 9.82 joints a day. All expenses considered (including rolling paper), this wouldn't run more than 100$ a year. So the profitability is not there for mass producers like it is for alcohol/tobacco. The only lucrative area for big business would be the dank market - extremely potent marijuana that is too difficult for most people to grow - which usually must be grown indoors and yields A LOT less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkbabang Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 So the profitability is not there for mass producers like it is for alcohol/tobacco. The only lucrative area for big business would be the dank market - extremely potent marijuana that is too difficult for most people to grow - which usually must be grown indoors and yields A LOT less. This is an argument for investing in the picks and shovels rather than the weed itself. Growlife (PHOT) maybe? The stocks seems quite a bit overvalued to me at the moment though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwericb Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 I don’t smoke pot, but I strongly support its inevitable legalization. In the 1920's we had the prohibition on the sale of alcohol which lead to an era of violence not seen since the days of the “wild west”. Once alcohol was legalized and controlled it was generally realized that you cannot refuse to give the public what the public wants. After all we do live in a democracy. Yes, pot can lead to hard drugs. But that is because it is illegal. Therefore pot must be procured from the same people supplying hard drugs. It is in their best interest to upgrade pot smokers to addictive, and more profitable drugs. This is not rocket science. We tie up our courts, our law enforcement and our jails wasting billions of dollars punishing people involved in its growth and sale. But the worst waste is the waste of lives by incarcerating the many young people involved in its growth and sale and leaving them with criminal records. In many cases might not these people be future entrepreneurs? Alcohol is addictive and there are few among us who do not know good people who are alcoholics. Contrarily, pot is not addictive and there is good evidence that it has medicinal value. Vested interest groups such as law enforcement and distillers are wasting millions lobbying against it but they are fighting a losing battle because you cannot refuse to give the people what they want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benhacker Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 I don’t smoke pot, but I strongly support its inevitable legalization. In the 1920's we had the prohibition on the sale of alcohol which lead to an era of violence not seen since the days of the “wild west”. Once alcohol was legalized and controlled it was generally realized that you cannot refuse to give the public what the public wants. After all we do live in a democracy. Yes, pot can lead to hard drugs. But that is because it is illegal. Therefore pot must be procured from the same people supplying hard drugs. It is in their best interest to upgrade pot smokers to addictive, and more profitable drugs. This is not rocket science. We tie up our courts, our law enforcement and our jails wasting billions of dollars punishing people involved in its growth and sale. But the worst waste is the waste of lives by incarcerating the many young people involved in its growth and sale and leaving them with criminal records. In many cases might not these people be future entrepreneurs? Alcohol is addictive and there are few among us who do not know good people who are alcoholics. Contrarily, pot is not addictive and there is good evidence that it has medicinal value. Vested interest groups such as law enforcement and distillers are wasting millions lobbying against it but they are fighting a losing battle because you cannot refuse to give the people what they want. +1, well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookie71 Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 ditto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberhound Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 No respectable person past college age smokes pot. Read this patent and you might start thinking that older people should be demanding access to pot. Not only are the damage due to aging diminished you get significant protection to the brain from stroke, parkinsons, dementia and alzheimers. The Canadian patent office does not allow claims in patent filings which are not proven. Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants CA 2329626 A1 Abstract Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes the cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deepValue Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 No respectable person past college age smokes pot. Read this patent and you might start thinking that older people should be demanding access to pot. Not only are the damage due to aging diminished you get significant protection to the brain from stroke, parkinsons, dementia and alzheimers. The Canadian patent office does not allow claims in patent filings which are not proven. Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants CA 2329626 A1 Abstract Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes the cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia. I'm not intent on starting a big debate on pot, but I really doubt that it is net beneficial to smoke regularly. The regular consumption of anything that is unnatural (and smoking is unnatural) is bound to have negative consequences on a healthy person, even if it has some benefits too. We'll know more about the benefits and drawbacks in the coming decades after millions of people have smoked for a long time. Until then, I'll avoid and encourage others to avoid smoking pot based on what we already know: Inhaling smoke regularly is never a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwericb Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Nor do I wish to engage in a pot debate. But who among us does not regularly engage in things that are “bad” for us. In fact I sometimes think that if I like it, its not good for me. Sugar, alcohol, red meat, and well, just about anything most of us like. I would not see pot as being much different. However, I have to agree that the idea of smoking anything is probably not a good idea. Brownies anyone? Sugarless of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ERICOPOLY Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Until then, I'll avoid and encourage others to avoid smoking pot based on what we already know: Inhaling smoke regularly is never a good idea. Then make it illegal to smoke pot then. It's illegal to travel by car without a seatbelt, because it is dangerous to ride in one without a seatbelt. When there is a safety device readily available, you can make it the law that people make use of it. Keep the cars, lose the needless injuries. There are other ways to inhale it than smoking it -- technology has moved on. There are vaporizers now that many chronic potheads utilize -- they do this for health reasons because they are afraid of the health risks associated with smoking. All you have to do is Google for "weed vaporizers": http://weedvaporizers420.com/ The guy selling the vaporizers is probably going to make a lot of money. It's not even illegal to sell them under Federal law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deepValue Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Until then, I'll avoid and encourage others to avoid smoking pot based on what we already know: Inhaling smoke regularly is never a good idea. Then make it illegal to smoke pot then. It's illegal to travel by car without a seatbelt, because it is dangerous to ride in one without a seatbelt. When there is a safety device readily available, you can make it the law that people make use of it. Keep the cars, lose the needless injuries. There are other ways to inhale it than smoking it -- technology has moved on. There are vaporizers now that many chronic potheads utilize -- they do this for health reasons because they are afraid of the health risks associated with smoking. All you have to do is Google for "weed vaporizers": http://weedvaporizers420.com/ I've smoked and I've vaped and smoking is better. I'm not arguing against legalization. My original post ("No respectable person past college age smokes pot.") was merely a comment that it is not socially acceptable to smoke weed. I also don't think it's a good idea to ingest THC, especially if you get paranoid afterwards (it can lead to psychosis). At least in my social circle, pot is something you do when you're a bored/immature student, not when you're (supposed to be) maturing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orange Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 We'll know more about the benefits and drawbacks in the coming decades after millions of people have smoked for a long time. Pot has been used by millions of people pretty much ever since the 1960's. Thats 50 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAL9000 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I've smoked and I've vaped and smoking is better. I'm not arguing against legalization. My original post ("No respectable person past college age smokes pot.") was merely a comment that it is not socially acceptable to smoke weed. I also don't think it's a good idea to ingest THC, especially if you get paranoid afterwards (it can lead to psychosis). At least in my social circle, pot is something you do when you're a bored/immature student, not when you're (supposed to be) maturing. Well what you said was "No respectable person past college age smokes pot." I think what you meant was "I don't respect any person past college age who smokes pot." Making blanket statements and offering personal opinions will get two completely different reactions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCG Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 DeepValue, you're making statements regarding your small social circle, and not a broader view of the country/world. I'm not quire sure where you live - maybe there's a bit of a different stigma about week in your area. I live in Vermont, and weed is quite commonplace around here in a wide variety of social circles. I really don't view it any differently than drinking alcohol. Your statements are like saying 'not respectable person out of college drinks alcohol'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deepValue Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 I've smoked and I've vaped and smoking is better. I'm not arguing against legalization. My original post ("No respectable person past college age smokes pot.") was merely a comment that it is not socially acceptable to smoke weed. I also don't think it's a good idea to ingest THC, especially if you get paranoid afterwards (it can lead to psychosis). At least in my social circle, pot is something you do when you're a bored/immature student, not when you're (supposed to be) maturing. Well what you said was "No respectable person past college age smokes pot." I think what you meant was "I don't respect any person past college age who smokes pot." Making blanket statements and offering personal opinions will get two completely different reactions. Really what I meant was "Polite society does not welcome pot smokers." That is my impression, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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