Aspergers and Marijuana

[alexa roper]

Don't feel like a criminal just consider that you are practicing calculated civil disobedience

Me likey.

 

[Max]

Like alcohol, marijuana's generally not good for Aspies, cos it dulls our fantastic super-powered brains.
A toke/drink now and then is fine, but be careful not to become dependent on it as a coping mechanism.

 

[Andy R]

That's really interesting research. I would not consider taking an illegal drug, but if it becomes available medically for Asperger's in this country I would certainly try it. Wonder how that would look on the random drug tests at work!

 

[bhuddapug]

Like alcohol, marijuana's generally not good for Aspies, cos it dulls our fantastic super-powered brains.
A toke/drink now and then is fine, but be careful not to become dependent on it as a coping mechanism.

Max if you are going to pretend you are a doctor get your facts straight - comparing cannabis to alcohol is simply ludicris. As far as mmj being bad for aspies please cite your facts and please something a bit more modern than Reefer Madness.

 

[alexa roper]

That's really interesting research. I would not consider taking an illegal drug, but if it becomes available medically for Asperger's in this country I would certainly try it. Wonder how that would look on the random drug tests at work!

If you do some research as to why it became illegal in the first place, you'll see that it has nothing to do with scientific facts or anything credible, for that matter. It's actually really hard to find a definite simple answer. But it has a lot to do with money, politics, lies and propaganda. My boyfriend and I are going to watch the 1936 propaganda movie "Reefer Madness" tonight. I have heard that it is quite comical, but back in the day when people didn't know any better, and they didn't have any scientific evidence to prove otherwise, I'm sure it would have scared the snot out of everyone into supporting the illegalization.

 

[Max]

Max if you are going to pretend you are a doctor get your facts straight - comparing cannabis to alcohol is simply ludicris. As far as mmj being bad for aspies please cite your facts and please something a bit more modern than Reefer Madness.

I wasn't pretending to be anything, I was speaking from experience.

 

[bhuddapug]

I wasn't pretending to be anything, I was speaking from experience.

First what works for one aspie may not work for another. Aspergers is a member of the Autism spectrum and its aspects- by definition - vary from individual to individual.
So what works for me is about 1 oz. a month of really good sativa dominant bud. Without this I do not interact at all with other people. This also allows my to stop thinking and seeing every little thing going on around me which enables me to focus on a task, a focus so deep I forget about everything else except the task on hand. So with about 40 years of work experience, all of it under the influence of marijuana, for me pot works. I will also say all of my employers knew I used pot and it was never an employment problem. As employment I was a lucky aspie and found a niche that lasted me over 10 years in labor and over 20 yrs in management. And for almost 10 yrs I got to work at home on salary. So I thumb my nose to all of you who think pot makes you stupid. Chess anyone???

So talk to your shrink doc or someone you trust maybe weed can help, it sure as hell isn't nearly as bad as anything man made that they want aspies to take for anti-anxiety.

 

[bhuddapug]

If you do some research as to why it became illegal in the first place, you'll see that it has nothing to do with scientific facts or anything credible, for that matter. It's actually really hard to find a definite simple answer. But it has a lot to do with money, politics, lies and propaganda. My boyfriend and I are going to watch the 1936 propaganda movie "Reefer Madness" tonight. I have heard that it is quite comical, but back in the day when people didn't know any better, and they didn't have any scientific evidence to prove otherwise, I'm sure it would have scared the snot out of everyone into supporting the illegalization.

Sadly Alexa the empirical data provided by simple anecdotal evidence from thousands of years of use, at the very least illustrates that of all the drugs concoctions and plants that humankind has used and abused for millenium marijuana is one of the least damaging. And all that modern science is doing is proving that even further. Where as Alcohol can only make the opposite claims. I guess what I am saying is that they knew the lies they filmed before they filmed them.

 

[Max]

First what works for one aspie may not work for another. Aspergers is a member of the Autism spectrum and its aspects- by definition - vary from individual to individual.
So what works for me is about 1 oz. a month of really good sativa dominant bud. Without this I do not interact at all with other people. This also allows my to stop thinking and seeing every little thing going on around me which enables me to focus on a task, a focus so deep I forget about everything else except the task on hand. So with about 40 years of work experience, all of it under the influence of marijuana, for me pot works. I will also say all of my employers knew I used pot and it was never an employment problem. As employment I was a lucky aspie and found a niche that lasted me over 10 years in labor and over 20 yrs in management. And for almost 10 yrs I got to work at home on salary. So I thumb my nose to all of you who think pot makes you stupid. Chess anyone???

So talk to your shrink doc or someone you trust maybe weed can help, it sure as hell isn't nearly as bad as anything man made that they want aspies to take for anti-anxiety.

If you don't agree, fine.
But in my experience based on multiple Aspies I know, (I help run a Young Adults with Asperger's group) abuse of MJ and alcohol did them more harm than good; it chilled them out but they ended up dependent on it to socialize.

 

[ghoulbler]

My husband is undiagnosed Aspergers and now retired. He is now addicted to pot. He smokes it every night. It does make him talk. But also makes him want to argue when he is finally talking. I've wondered if the AS like the pot better than the NT?

His white blood cell count was up. The doctors did further testing and said "you have spots on you lungs - not good" the beginnning of the end. They said quit smoking or you will get cancer fast. The doctors told him pot is worse for your lungs than ciggarettes. He smokes a pack or more a day.

My conclusion - pot causes cancer to the lungs.

Correction - pot does not cause cancer to the lungs, pot SMOKE causes cancer to the lungs. Switch to consuming the pot rather than smoking it and you're good to go.

Anyway, personally, I find that it helps a lot. I become funnier and more laid-back, and it helps me sleep. It also helps my endurance when it comes to exercise or finishing any task, really. It helps me do my job better.

 

[Brent]

If you don't agree, fine.
But in my experience based on multiple Aspies I know, (I help run a Young Adults with Asperger's group) abuse of MJ and alcohol did them more harm than good; it chilled them out but they ended up dependent on it to socialize.

Anyone that abuses a substance is going to do more harm than good.

 

[theduckrabbit]

I love it, personally. I have very severe depression and anxiety. In small doses it lifts my mood and gives me a break from my morbid obsessions. I have nothing to lose from it. I need enjoyment in my life. It is unavailable to me at this point because I have no friends.

 

[Max]

Anyone that abuses a substance is going to do more harm than good.

Agreed, which is why I pointed out that a toke now and then is not an issue.

 

[Spinning Compass]

Why, if marijuana has all these benefits, aren't the pharmaceutical companies jumping on it? Look at all the money that could be made, right? The truth is, "Big Pharma" isn't interested in marijuana because it isn't all that effective compared to other things they are working on. They consider it a folk drug like the herbal medicines you get at the health food store. This is the answer I got from someone in the industry when I asked about medical marijuana research. The properties of cannabis are well-known and there just isn't anything magical or special about them to justify companies spending millions of dollars on testing. I think that attitude says something right there, because if the industry as a whole doesn't consider a particular plant worth investigating or developing drugs based on it, then maybe it really isn't what it's hyped to be. But each to his or her own choice.

 

[GallacticGorilla]

Why, if marijuana has all these benefits, aren't the pharmaceutical companies jumping on it? Look at all the money that could be made, right? The truth is, "Big Pharma" isn't interested in marijuana because it isn't all that effective compared to other things they are working on. They consider it a folk drug like the herbal medicines you get at the health food store. This is the answer I got from someone in the industry when I asked about medical marijuana research. The properties of cannabis are well-known and there just isn't anything magical or special about them to justify companies spending millions of dollars on testing. I think that attitude says something right there, because if the industry as a whole doesn't consider a particular plant worth investigating or developing drugs based on it, then maybe it really isn't what it's hyped to be. But each to his or her own choice.

Im trying unsuccessfully to bite my tongue. I don't want to get sucked into this same debate that has been going on for as long as i can remember.

THAT said, i am going to put my 2 cents in... The first person that comes to mind is Dr. Sanjay Gupta a very well respected chief neurosurgeon and regular contributor to CNN did a whole special on its benefits. I'm no brain surgeon, but he actually is, and may know more than i do. The pharmaceutical companies are chomping at the bit to get in on this. Its just there has been this horrible stigma around marijuana for years and yeas, so no one wanted to touch it with a ten foot pole. but now it is becoming accepted and not demonized, you will see more and more of it in real medical situations.

THC pills have existed for decades but they are isolating the CBD compound as well as THC as anti-psychotic , pain killer, and much more. I personally have met people with serious illness, like MS, and cancer that swear it has been life changing. But i also live in Colorado, the Amsterdam of the midwest.

 

[Easter]

Do what ever makes you feel better, nothing is more important in this short life.
All drugs are a medicine until they are abused and its pretty obvious to me that marijuana is the least harmless out of just about every imaginable substance known to man... even water can kill you.
There has never been a recorded death from it and that just about sums up any argument against it, if it helps in any way there is nothing wrong with it.
The only issue I have seen with it is that it seems to take at least 20 years for people to get bored of it and if you have addictive or obsessive tendencies, then it could take over your time, but thats the same with anything we enjoy,take interest in or find relief in.
It is a fact that due to it being illegal, research into its medical benefits have been stalled and I believe the greatest problem with all illegal drugs is the social stigma created by them being illegal, this is what destroys so many
(most people use 'drugs' to self medicate for undiagnosed problems, they are not bad people).
The reasons for marijuana being illegal are best explained (IMO) by Noam Chomsky on youtube.... if you really want to know.

 

[Spinning Compass]

Im trying unsuccessfully to bite my tongue. I don't want to get sucked into this same debate that has been going on for as long as i can remember.

THAT said, i am going to put my 2 cents in... The first person that comes to mind is Dr. Sanjay Gupta a very well respected chief neurosurgeon and regular contributor to CNN did a whole special on its benefits. I'm no brain surgeon, but he actually is, and may know more than i do. The pharmaceutical companies are chomping at the bit to get in on this. Its just there has been this horrible stigma around marijuana for years and yeas, so no one wanted to touch it with a ten foot pole. but now it is becoming accepted and not demonized, you will see more and more of it in real medical situations.

THC pills have existed for decades but they are isolating the CBD compound as well as THC as anti-psychotic , pain killer, and much more. I personally have met people with serious illness, like MS, and cancer that swear it has been life changing. But i also live in Colorado, the Amsterdam of the midwest.

Well, of course I don't know anything about the pharmaceutical research industry since I have only worked in that field three and a half decades. So I wouldn't know who the major players are or what they are working on, not at all. Not like someone who has never worked a day in preclinical pharmaceutical research and knows everything there is to know about it. Especially since they are not bound by confidentiality agreements not to discuss what is being worked on by whom.

It's very frustrating when you have spent the better part of your life working in an industry that is little understood by the general public and you hear misconceptions that you cannot address because you are not free to talk about your work in any detail, not even here. Let's just say I am in a pretty good position to know what is being worked on and by whom, and cannabis research does not seem to be a big priority by any of the pharmaceutical companies I am familiar with, big or little. If they are indeed chomping at the bit, as you say, then who are they? Why don't you name them?

I'm serious. I'd really like to know what pharmaceutical companies are interested in medical marijuana research since this is information our marketing department could use.

 

[GallacticGorilla]

Sure, I didnt know you worked for pharmaceutical company. Are you a sales rep?

I gave you one huge reference. A famous neurosurgeon. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who did a well documented special on national television, about the politics vs the actual patients. Beyond that, Im not going t spend the time to give you citations, like i am trying this is going to be professionally published.

Im not just talking out of me @ss . This came up after a minute or two google searching..
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Why I changed my mind on weed - CNN.com
GWPharma - Cannabinoid Compounds
10 Pharmaceutical Drugs Based on Cannabis - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org
Buy It Now, It’s Legal - Medical Marijuana Cannabidiol (CBD from Industrial Hemp) | Dr. Sircus


Im in a Master's program right now, I understand the importance of proper citation, but I thought this was a more relaxed forum, where people could talk openly and express their opinions.


My Brother in Law has M S. I do some volunteer work for the MS society, He is SOOOO grateful for medical marijuana. I can personally see it helping him. I also have many close personal friends and professional ties to some of the dispensary here in Colorado, that I have spent a bit of time in them, doing photography and some other odd jobs. MMJ has become a big part of Colorado economy. I have personally witnessed cancer patients and the terminally ill,coming into dispensaries and be so geratful for medical cannabis . I have heard countless stories from my brother in law, and dispensary owners about genuinely sick people being helped by this. Just because some pharmaceutical behemoth isn't growing fields of pot to synthesize into pills, doesn't mean that it doesn't work.

Now that it has been legalized, everyone thinks its just a big party in Colorado, but I assure you that Marijuana absolutely helps people. Sure there are people that abuse it, and use it recreationally, so what. Its still better than booze and cigarettes .

Ok, maybe "chomping on the bit" was a bit hyperbolic. Maybe they are not chomping on the bit, but it absolutely helps people. And that is all i was saying.

But WOW. I have already stopped talking about politics and religion in here. Can i not disagree with anyone in here, without a cited bibliography. Are people really this sensitive to having their views challenged? This is twice today that I was just trying to have a thoughtful conversation and people get offended over what seemed to me, to be nothing. I know we all have thin skin in here, I can respect that, but I think it feels like twice today people have used a very confrontational tone with me in here, and i dont think i deserve that. WHy are you the only one that is allowed to be offended? I was really liking talking to yall, but if I have to walk on eggshells in here. I really dont need a forum to feel akward and offensive to people. I can do that on my own just fine. Maybe i should take a break from this place. Sorry, i didnt realize i was such a grade A, jerk , thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Brent]

Sarcastic and snide remarks to others will not be tolerated nor will we let them result in useful threads being closed. If you can't respond to others in a somewhat respectful manner then don't. If you do you risk moderator action. These types of threads are going to be watched closely. Don't let your account have restrictions put on it due to being unable to take part in these types of discussions.

 

[GallacticGorilla]

I apologize - I REALLY REALLY REALLY don't like it when people talk down to me like I'm an idiot. It happened twice in one day, and i kinda snapped. Im sorry, I'm going to take a break from this forum for a bit.

Its unfortunate that it is difficult to talk about delicate topics in a forum.