Smoked it for thirty years, no ill health, academic achievments, very intuitive, acutely aware, calm, non-violent, relaxed, good driver, good parent, enjoyable career. If hemp was legal it would have 20,000 different uses, make more paper than trees, clothes, oil, medicine. That's why it's been made illegal for seventy years, by the greedy corporate fun-busters.

i do, a lot.

Generally, i reckon it's a pretty good thing. It makes people a lot less aggressive (tho unfortunately there are still lost cases out there), i do think you take more time to consider/appreciate things. If I need to make an important decision i find smoking a spliff on my own(the only time i have it on my own, otherwise it becomes a bit ritualistic, and u end up being stoned too much around people that aren't) as i find it helps me remove excess emotion and see things as they are - i have never regretted a choice i have made like that.
It's also extremely pleasant (grin) and a nice little social catalyst (in small quantities).
However, I would *urge* everyone to *always* opt for plant over resin unless you are certain you know the quality (btw - u should never have to burn resin to use it) and even then plant matter is a less dense smoke so i imagine marginally easier on the lungs.
Just to explain myself there, i would point out that the University of Leeds bought 6 kilos of soap and found that less than 20% (cannot remeber exact figure) was actually hash, the rest being plastic, henna, chewing gum, floor polish, barbs, tranqs.. u name it,it was in there.

On the other hand however, there are downsides to frequent use. Like anything, be it peanuts, alcohol, cannabis or butter MODERATION is the key. It is very easy to get into the habit of smoking large amounts, and although i would not say this has an extremely negative effect on people, it is fair to say your quality of conversation declines, you become a bit more absent minded (disagree? watch memento whilst stoned and it'll wake u up to it a bit ;), undoubtedly it makes your speech a bit less eloquent and you vocabulary shrinks dramatically. However, i reckon every one of these symptoms is temporary, and i like to take short, intentional breaks of a week or so, sometimes more, just to refresh myself a bit.
I would also reccomend restricting your consumption to the evening as, again, you may find over a long period of time you appear to have a bit less of a personality (until you stop)
All the same though, I think most users are aware of all these things and do self-regulate themselves. The only times i have seen friends get carried away is on a constant diet of bongs, where they may not notice how boring their days are for many many months.

Smokings fine, just make sure you're smoking cannabis. Soap bar contains very little or no actual cannabis. According to tests soap bar (or rocky, standard hash etc) can contain tar residues used to make tarmac, ketamine, barbituates, henna, vinyl and much more. The Cannabis Community website and UKCIA have articles about Soap Bar on their websites. Beware!

Isn't it interesting, the two drugs that are legal, alcohol and cigarettes, two drugs that do absolutely NOTHING for you, but drugs that grow naturally on this planet, drugs which open your eyes up to make you realise that you are getting FUCKED every day of your life, those drugs are against the law. Wow! Coincidence? I don't know. I'm sure their motives are pure.
And don't forget to take mushrooms & squeegee that third eye clean!!!

Ok Cannibas can be ok after a hard day or at the end of the day to chill out before you go to bed. But - whats all this idea thats its some type of cool drug that rebels smoke it ( cops smoke it, middle class profesionals, fascists etc)-in my experience the un-critical approach to cannibus in the so called alternative movement, has played a part in destroying resistance - I know loads of people who after getting into dope dropped out, they still thought the same - but just ceased doing anything anymore - if anyone has been in prison - the screws love it, it maintains order - stops the inmates getting rouled up etc, and that is also true in mainstream radical society. Lets stop making out its some type of radical thing - thats a left over idea from middle class hippies in the 60s. Give the Anarchist some blow - and he/she'll be as happy as a pig in shit.
Seize the time
Dazza

I've got no moral problems with cannabis but I think it makes people really boring. Some people just get obsessed with it and spend all their time smoking - a bit like people who do nothing but drink lager. I've seen lots of mates become really lazy and sometimes paranoid and even violent because of it. But I guess it's like everything, in small doses it's fine. I don't smoke it because it makes me puke. So being among a group of people who smoke and either bullshit or giggle is really boring.

Why do you feel the need to rely on a drug to help you relax or make decisions? Emotional problems are created by the way the mind reacts to situations. So why not change the way your perceive things, rather than smoke dope. I'm not against cannabis, just against drug dependency. Can't you enjoy yourself in more productive ways, like painting, writing, etc, rather than puffing on a bit of burning grass?

All the research done so far mostly points to it being harmless/beneficial, there are some side effects - occaisionally - paranioa etc & the fact you're still taking smoke into the lungs - I don't reckon it can be worse than the effect of living in a big city with all the traffic & industrial pollution etc.

But it depends on what you're smoking/injesting - grass is a much better bet than resin unless it's good quality from a reliable source - look at the 'soap bar' link below

Grow your own is the answer - if poss.
You know what you're getting & don't support large crime syndicates dragging the stuff from half way across the world

This is where guerilla gardening comes into its own - it is possible to discreetly put a few plants in even near built up areas - & get a nice result - side of road/rail embankments is a good idea - no-one uses them - make sure you plant on the south facing slopes & spead them out - clusters of half a dozen shouldn't get noticed.


 http://www.idmu.co.uk/
The independent drugs monitering unit have done loads of independent research & surveys of users

 http://www.ukcia.org/activism/soapbar.htm
CIA (Cannabis in Avalon I think) has loads of links to research
& groups, as well as a huge library of their own - the link points to their page on the dodgy addidives in soap bar

www.whspliff.netAnother site with loads of useful info

Excuse me, 'happy without' I write, read, draw, paint, sculpt, swim, dance, sing, work and play on cannabis. I'm not a bit boring, lazy (although chilled) or paranoid. It helps me concentrate. And you can't O.D. because you can only smoke one spliff at a time. I'll probably give it up one day, no longer requiring the buzz, but not yet.

AFTER TOKING FOR 12 YEARS I DECIDED TO STOP AS IT SUDDENLY WAS'NT AGREEING WITH ME(SEVERE HEADACHES AFTER A FEW PUFFS) WHICH WAS PROBS DOWN THE STUFF I WAS SMOKING,BUT THATS BESIDE THE POINT AS IT GAVE ME THE INCENTIVE TO QUIT, BUT NOT BECAUSE I THINK ITS WRONG BECAUSE I DONT, I HAVE A CAREER AND A SON WHOM I BRING UP ALONE AND THERE WAS NOTHING BETTER THAN A BIG SPLIFF LAST THING AT NITE, SINCE QUITTING 5 MONTHS AGO AFTER NOT VERY NICE WITHDRAWAL SYMTOMS OF HEADACHES AND PARANOIA HAVE SINCE PAST AND HAVE TO BE HONEST I DO FEEL ALOT BETTER FOR IT. I FIND THAT MY MIND WORKS A LOT QUICKER THAN BEFORE AND PICKING THINGS UP A LOT QUICKER(MORE ON THE BALL). THIS DOESNT CHANGE MY VIEW ON THE SUBJECT, I STILL SAY LEGALISE IT THEN PEOPLE WOULDNT BE SMOKING THE BAD STUFF THAT GIVES YOU THE SIDE AFFECTS OF HEADACHES ETC, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE REAL AFFECTS OF HAVING A GOOD SMOKE!

TOKE ON EVERYONE!

Long term smoker of dope, had a break for two years with no problems! "Ex Toker" you should have had withdrawls man, sounds like you may have been going through withdrawls for other drugs in your hash!

Canabis was only made illegal last century! Despite the fact It has been in use since 3000bc!