Reactionaries who oppose recreational marijuana rest their objections solely upon its ability to produce pleasure in its users. Cannabis advocates argue that pleasure is as much a legitimate medical treatment as a trip to a luxury health spa. The political and moral divide involving recreational drugs is bound up in antiquated philosophical debates regarding stoicism and Epicureanism. Beginning with early Christian leaders like the stoic Ambrose of Milan (339–397 CE) hedonism via chemicals was believed to be a source of decadence in people and particularly those in leadership positions. It was presumed that decadence and debauchery could trigger the destruction of empires. It was never that simple.
The culprit at the center of the dispute is a neurochemical called dopamine. Dopamine increases its concentration in the brain as THC interacts with cannabinoid receptors. It’s called the feel-good neurotransmitter because of the vital role it plays in brain chemistry with regard to motivation, pursuits of pleasure and mental and physical rewards.
Believing that THC is morally harmful because it increases dopamine makes little sense once it’s understood that dopamine blood levels will also increase with physical exercise, a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, meditation, listening to music, spending time outdoors in the sunlight, attending health spas, and pursuing positive social activities that include hobbies, achieving goals, and socializing. Foods rich in tyrosine such as almonds, avocados, bananas, eggs and beans also boost dopamine levels. None of these activities or foods are prohibited or criminalized in the manner of marijuana.
U.S. federal drug policies that currently criminalize marijuana consumers lag behind many cultures that accept its medical use, like modern Islam. American religions, sects, and cults rejecting marijuana use tend to be at the forefront of drug enforcement. Despite endless arguments condemning hedonism no evidence exists that cannabinoids ever destroyed empires and societies or killed people.
Confucianism is another religion that scapegoats drugs for the self-indulgences of leaders and other social disruptions. As Confucianism became a state ideology in the 6th century CE cannabis use in Japan, China, and Korea was suppressed. East Asian prohibition of cannabis was due largely to its use being associated with nomadic Central Asian invaders.
Early Egyptian, Greek, Carthaginian and Roman civilizations were kind enough to allow their citizens the use of cannabis during all the empires’ phases from rise to fall. Cannabis never hindered a great civilization’s empowerment or world dominance. Lazy stoner stereotypes didn’t exist. Instead, stoned Egyptian stonemasons and engineers built the pyramids and fit the large stones together with a precision unequaled for its time. Greek and Roman architecture, culture, science and intellectualism flourished along with the use of cannabis. Hannibal and his fellow Carthaginians consumed marijuana in the form of a tea. As for the fall of empires or city states, historians typically attribute the causes of decline to economic instabilities, corruption, military defeats, mega-droughts, famine, meteors, salinization of farm soil, isolationism and social upheavals—never marijuana.
Marijuana’s usefulness and its effect upon empires can be better understood by treating it as a dopamine booster or accelerator. Combining marijuana with music seems to make the music sound better. It gives its users an improved appetite—the munchies. Combining THC with meals can improve the taste of food, which is why it can be used medically to stimulate the failing appetites of cancer patients.
Public polling in the U.S. indicates marijuana’s role as the scapegoat for society’s ills is coming to an end. When its federal criminalization ceases it will mark a horribly traumatic defeat for prohibitionists. Rejecting the use of mind altering drugs the drug warriors will have no reliable way to treat their mental pain and anguish when they clock out from their jobs for the very last time.
On the other hand, stoic reactionaries who believe suffering is good for the soul, that life is nasty, brutish, and short, and that it should remain that way, may require public assistance and specialized attention that guarantees their continuing misery. Torture salons and pain spas might work. Packaged vacation trips to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp could become a big thing. Patrons of misery could relish the rack or the cat o’ nine tails. Christianity could revive and promote its practice of self-flagellation.
Whatever new or old services emerge, systemic wretchedness will always be available in stoic societies in the form of social stagnation, a lack of empathy and social bonding, suppressed emotions, inflexibility leading to a lack of adaptability, and detachments from external events or outcomes—a prohibitionist’s paradise.
Scientists in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered the brain circuitry implicated in cocaine addictions:
Addiction pathways in the brain are discovered to be critically influenced by astrocytic G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs):
Saint Barthwell was right; you maricocoswrs are a threat to decent cardigans, everywhere!
Scientists develop a molecule that mimics the pain relieving activity of cannabinoids without cannabis’ other mental side effects.
Nature publication repaired link:
Nature: A cryptic pocket in CB1 drives peripheral and functional selectivity
The local VA clinic in my small town supports Cannabis use over the standard meds they dish out for pain (including Asprin), sleep, anxiety, and RSIs. But they are much bigger on CBD than THC, even though the Doctor said that Cannabis and high blood pressure are not related.
Sadly I have to give cannabis up for now because of drug tests for a new job, though I’ll be requesting employment at a place that either doesn’t do it or doesn’t care about medical marijuana after the initial pre-employment drug test. And it takes 90 days to get approved to work at a Marijuana grow farm or a dispensary, so as long as the minimum wage is $12.50hr, I’ll bite the bullet on wages. I just hope there are some good factories that don’t really care. I cannot stand all this Made in China stuff because it represents slavery in Iraq (oil turned into Plastics/fuel Chinese Industry) and Afghanistan (tech minerals). At least I can still eat mushrooms. About to do it for the first time without cannabis . . . I’ve never done any hallucinogens without cannabis outside of nutmeg and that was nearly 28 years ago. Every Monday night from 10-midnight, my local radio stations plays all Hippi music, from King Crimson to Eric and the Animals, plus so many that were only one hit/album wonders from all over Europe and America . . . it is called “Stuck in the Psychedelic Era”. And if you Lemon Tek, your big mushroom trip (even up to 10 grams) will only last maybe–just maybe four hours in intensity before the near total come-down, unlike traditional tea or eating them, which can last six-eight hours.
Why on earth is “Workingman’s Dead” such a short record? It is way too short. New Law: all Grateful Dead albums must be at least 2hrs.
OT: has anybody experienced that their all-time favorite album doesn’t come from their favorite band?
What is your opinion on the effectiveness of the ONDCP’s current strategies?
A sizeable drop in opioid deaths is attributable to the ONDCP’s social and medical intervention programs or strategies. However, addiction is not curable. So far it is only treatable, and it continues to slowly rise in overall numbers. By curable I mean an addiction treatment or set of drugs that can quickly return a human brain to what it was before the addiction set in so that all desire for the drug ceases. Pathways for addiction are wired into the brain with an addictive drug’s continued use. There are other physical brain changes as well. Some people have a genetic component that makes them more prone to opioid addictions.
Scientific research is currently focused on identifying addiction pathways, with a number of recent successes involving cocaine and opioids. The aim is to find a quick way to affect, alter or deconstruct the brain’s addiction pathways using a medicine or procedure that hasn’t been developed yet. Until a cure for addiction is discovered I don’t think the ONDCP’s strategies are going to be effective much beyond what the agency has already achieved.
Female sex hormone protects against opioid misuse; male and female rats respond differently to fentanyl:
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