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Hashishi

Everyone's cool with it, say dope smokers
12-26-`07 | The New Zealand Herald

People who smoke marijuana overwhelmingly believe their friends, siblings and co-workers would condone their drug use, a study has found.

A study of Gold Coast university students found marijuana users had a generally positive view of their drug-taking, and thought the benefits outweighed the potential dangers.

They believed cannabis would help them fit in with their friends, feel relaxed, forget their worries and enjoy themselves.

Griffith University psychology researcher Fran O'Callaghan said the most surprising result was the belief that close friends, partners, siblings and work mates would approve of their using cannabis.

"I think if you looked within their [social circle], there would be people who would strongly disapprove - but their perception is that, overall, most people are OK with it," Dr O'Callaghan said.

Such feelings of acceptance meant that users were unlikely to seek help.

"One of the things that often leads people to seek help is because their partner or someone else in their family are so concerned and so upset about the user's behaviour," she said.

In comparison, non-users generally responded that their social circle would be unlikely to approve.

Dr O'Callaghan said the people surveyed were generally mild users who did not have severe problems associated with their drug use.

The researchers asked almost 200 students aged 17 to 29 about their thoughts on cannabis, and followed up two weeks later to find out if they had used the drug over the past fortnight.

Overall, about six in 10 students had used cannabis in their lifetime, and two-thirds of these had used it in the past 12 months.

About one in five used cannabis in the two-week period between surveys, but Dr O'Callaghan said the result might underestimate the real use because regular users might be less likely to attend their university classes.

Users and non-users both recognised the possible costs of cannabis, such as addiction, health damage, financial cost and loss of self-control.

But users believed benefits such as fitting in with their friends, enjoying themselves and feeling relaxed were more likely.

The findings suggested that interventions and campaigns that highlighted negative aspects of cannabis use would have little affect in changing users' behaviour, Dr O'Callaghan said.

Instead, she said, positive programmes such as community and sporting activities that showed people it was possible to have fun without drugs were likely to have more effect.

Marijuana users also said that force of habit, feeling stressed and wanting to relax and being around other users would encourage their use.

Dr O'Callaghan said the finding highlighted the importance of intervention before people became compulsive users, and the need for people to learn other means of dealing with stress.

The study has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Applied Biobehavioural Research.

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SWP



"I'm not into this detail stuff. I'm more concepty." -- "If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't, I'll just respond, cleverly." -- "Secretary Powell and I agree on every single issue that has ever been before this administration except for those instances where Colin's still learning." -- "As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns: the ones we don't know we don't know."

 

Buzzby

If they aren't experiencing severe problems, why would they seek help?

It would appear, then, that these students are correct in thinking that their pot smoking is well accepted.

There tend to be smoker and boozer cliques, neither of which particularly approves of the other's behavior. If you're not part of the smoker clique, it's unlikely that your friends would approve of your smoking.

No wonder they weren't experiencing any "serious problems"! He talked to a bunch of lightweights. Considering that New Zealand has the highest percentage of smokers in the world, you'd think he could have found more serious smokers.

Uh... Doctor? If it isn't causing them any problems and improves the quality of their lives, why do you insist that their smoking is a problem?

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Madamayo

Here's a funny twist on this.

Since smokers think people approve of their smoking, most people who don't partake in smoking tend to join a specific clique.

These people are called, media controlled zombies. They're known to beleive everything the government says, does, and shits out, is completely, 100%, correct, as well as anybody with a Dr. in front of their last name. (Note, most of these people admit to smoking this other herb known as tobacco, but nobody cares about that, it only gives you cancer, and a life shortening habit, they're obviously worth it.)

Back onto the main note though, if you smoke marijuana, you are an addict who is dying for help, so please, put down that joint, and call 1-800-DEA-RIGHT.






EDIT: 200th post. w00t

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Buzzby

As opposed to credulous, cannabis-smoking zombies? The fact is, people who actually think for themselves are a tiny minority, whether they're cannabis users, alcohol users, or teetotalers. Making broad generalizations about non-smokers is just as ridiculous as making broad generalizations about smokers. I know Buddhist monks who smoke. I also know fascist, racist, antisemitic, rednecks who smoke. I'd much rather hang with intelligent drinkers than asshole smokers.

reggie_the_dog

"but Dr O'Callaghan said the result might underestimate the real use because regular users might be less likely to attend their university classes."

??? where did that come from???? how does smoking have a relation to the percentage of classes you cut at the university????

are they citing another study?

 

reggie_the_dog

"I'd much rather hang with intelligent drinkers than asshole smokers."


smoking does not make people nice to hang out with. Life is too short to have hangups that lead us to hang out with assholes because they are "like us", unless of course one is already an asshole.....

Buzzby

Nope. It's a speculation. That's why Dr. O'Callaghan qualified his statements with "might".

"There might be earth-like planets circling nearby stars."

"Winged monkeys might fly out of my ass."

"The horse might sing."

reggie_the_dog

have to read articles twice before I comment on them......

of course the government might legalize cannabis too.....