# Fucking potheads wasting their lives. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 15, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027 "2007-03-15T13:07:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/101 "2007-03-16T15:32:51Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] . . . But, the fact remains that not one single person in medical history has ever died as a direct result of smoking pot. People–many of them, in fact–_have_ died from water overdose, however. In that respect water IS more dangerous than weed. [/QUOTE] Not to hijack, but I’d like to be clear. You are 100% certain that not one person in world history has ever gotten lung cancer from pot, got stoned and crashed a car and died, or had any chemical reaction to pot and died? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/102 "2007-03-16T15:41:12Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] Not to hijack, but I’d like to be clear. You are 100% certain that not one person in world history has ever gotten lung cancer from pot, got stoned and crashed a car and died, or had any chemical reaction to pot and died? [/QUOTE] No. I said “medical history.” As in a medically documented case of death _directly_ caused by smoking pot. You find one, and we’ll talk. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/103 "2007-03-16T15:53:45Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] Not to hijack, but I’d like to be clear. You are 100% certain that not one person in world history has ever gotten lung cancer from pot, got stoned and crashed a car and died, or had any chemical reaction to pot and died? [/QUOTE] There is no documented case for anyone ever dying from a marijuana overdose or from adverse physiogical reactions to the pot itself. Whether it’s caused anyone to die from lung cancer would be difficult to prove and he carcinogenic effects are inconclusive. Whether it’s caused anybody to have a car accident? I don’t know. Do you have a cite that it has. The research on marijuana and driving suggests that people actually drive more cautiously when they’re stoned and that marijuana does not affect reflexes or judgement the way alcohol does. My own ancedotal, first hand “research” into baked driving would bear that out. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/104 "2007-03-16T16:09:58Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] No. I said “medical history.” As in a medically documented case of death _directly_ caused by smoking pot. You find one, and we’ll talk. [/QUOTE] Your statement may be technically correct, I don’t know so I’ll take your word on it. With an estimated 162 million pot users today, and with it being used for thousands of years, you’d think at least \*one \* person would have died medically from it. But perhaps it’s the only totally harmless substance on the planet. But my issue with that statement is that it’s such a red herring. Because by some comparison or standard pot is more healthy that some other drug, it’s therefore good. I hear how millions die of lung cancer from cigarettes, but zero from pot. As if cigarettes are a great benchmark for what is good and healthy in the world. Same thing for alcohol. The argument that drunks kill thousands on the roadways, and all pot heads do is sit at home, watch mystery science theatre and eat pizza. But people do die because of pot, lives are ruined or hurt from pot. It’s not an either or proposition. No one is going to put a gun to someone’s head and say either get drunk or get stoned. We can opt out of both. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/105 "2007-03-16T16:12:00Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] But people do die because of pot [/quote] Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/106 "2007-03-16T16:12:03Z")
I don’t think anyone here is suggesting that someone _must_ smoke pot. So, what’s your point again? ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/107 "2007-03-16T16:14:37Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Whether it’s caused anybody to have a car accident? I don’t know. Do you have a cite that it has. [/QUOTE] We are way off topic here, and it’s such an ancillary portion of the argument that it’s not worth much debate. But you’re a pretty sharp guy. Do you really need a cite to believe that just one person - one - in the last 90 years has gotten stoned and caused a fatal trafic accident? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/108 "2007-03-16T16:19:23Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] We are way off topic here, and it’s such an ancillary portion of the argument that it’s not worth much debate. But you’re a pretty sharp guy. Do you really need a cite to believe that just one person - one - in the last 90 years has gotten stoned and caused a fatal trafic accident? [/QUOTE] Someone taking too much cough medicine, or not getting enough sleep can cause an accident too. But we don’t lock people up for doing those things (at least when they are not driving or operating heavy machinery). ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/109 "2007-03-16T16:20:14Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] Your statement may be technically correct, I don’t know so I’ll take your word on it. With an estimated 162 million pot users today, and with it being used for thousands of years, you’d think at least \*one \* person would have died medically from it. But perhaps it’s the only totally harmless substance on the planet. [/QUOTE] Barring actual allergies (and it’s hardly the pot’s “fault” your immune system is whacky) or minor burns from a hot metal bowl, I think it’s entirely accurate. Is dill worthy of becoming a controlled substance capable of causing great harm with no redeeming value because some serf in 400 CE was allergic to it on his potatoes? Show me that more people have died as a direct result of marijuana consumption than dillweed. Gotta watch out for that veggie dip, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/110 "2007-03-16T16:24:55Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] We are way off topic here, and it’s such an ancillary portion of the argument that it’s not worth much debate. But you’re a pretty sharp guy. Do you really need a cite to believe that just one person - one - in the last 90 years has gotten stoned and caused a fatal trafic accident? [/QUOTE] I don’t know. I wouldn’t think it’s been very many, if any. I think driving while dead tired is probably more dangerous than driving on pot. I’ve done both and the first is harder. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/111 "2007-03-16T16:25:42Z")
[QUOTE=Blalron] Someone taking too much cough medicine, or not getting enough sleep can cause an accident too. But we don’t lock people up for doing those things (at least when they are not driving or operating heavy machinery). [/QUOTE] I didn’t say that we should lock them up. I’m not even sure if I think pot should be illegal. But when I go home once a year, and go hiking with some of my high school buds and we sit around, with them getting high, the one defense I hear from them over and over, year after year is that “pot hasn’t ever killed anyone, never.” My point is that it’s a red herring, and that it just isn’t true. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/112 "2007-03-16T16:27:39Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] I didn’t say that we should lock them up. I’m not even sure if I think pot should be illegal. But when I go home once a year, and go hiking with some of my high school buds and we sit around, with them getting high, the one defense I hear from them over and over, year after year is that “pot hasn’t ever killed anyone, never.” My point is that it’s a red herring, and that it just isn’t true. [/QUOTE] So…um…prove it. You keep on asserting this but you haven’t proved it yet, and two people who do know they’re talking about have contradicted you. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/113 "2007-03-16T16:27:56Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] I didn’t say that we should lock them up. I’m not even sure if I think pot should be illegal. But when I go home once a year, and go hiking with some of my high school buds and we sit around, with them getting high, the one defense I hear from them over and over, year after year is that “pot hasn’t ever killed anyone, never.” My point is that it’s a red herring, and that it just isn’t true. [/QUOTE] Well, I’m sure a bale of marijuana has fallen on somebody’s head… ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/114 "2007-03-16T16:28:31Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I don’t know. I wouldn’t think it’s been very many, if any. I think driving while dead tired is probably more dangerous than driving on pot. I’ve done both and the first is harder. [/QUOTE] I’ll let it go. Clearly not one person ever, in the last 2,000+ years has died due to pot use. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/115 "2007-03-16T16:36:37Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] I’ll let it go. Clearly not one person ever, in the last 2,000+ years has died due to pot use. [/QUOTE] You’re trying to use a ridiculously general and unfalsifiable definition of “died from.” People die from shovelling snow, does that mean snow shovels kill? 200 people die every year _directly_ from eating peanuts. That makes your average PB&J sammy more dangerous than the average blunt. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/116 "2007-03-16T16:38:31Z")
[QUOTE=Blalron] Well, I’m sure a bale of marijuana has fallen on somebody’s head… [/QUOTE] Does [Tom Crosslin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Crosslin) count? I’m sure it’s safe to say that he’d not have been shot by an FBI sharpshooter if he’d not been actively running a marijuana farm. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/117 "2007-03-16T16:38:59Z")
[QUOTE=spifflog] I’ll let it go. Clearly not one person ever, in the last 2,000+ years has died due to pot use. [/QUOTE] Somebody, sometime, somewhere has died from breathing regular old air. I don’t care if I have zero evidence to back me up, don’t you think that out of the billions of people that have ever breathed, at least a couple have died from it? On this board, you can’t really make assertions without anything to back it up and expect to get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/118 "2007-03-16T16:43:47Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] There is no documented case for anyone ever dying from a marijuana overdose or from adverse physiogical reactions to the pot itself. Whether it’s caused anyone to die from lung cancer would be difficult to prove and he carcinogenic effects are inconclusive. Whether it’s caused anybody to have a car accident? I don’t know. Do you have a cite that it has. The research on marijuana and driving suggests that people actually drive more cautiously when they’re stoned and that marijuana does not affect reflexes or judgement the way alcohol does. My own ancedotal, first hand “research” into baked driving would bear that out. [/QUOTE] I would almost certainly have an accident if I drove after pot. It screws up my muscle control. (which is why I only did it a couple times) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/119 "2007-03-16T16:56:33Z")
[QUOTE=BMalion] That’s a post I can completely agree with. Thank you for saying what I was thinking, more clearly than I’d have been able to. I’m, as always, reminded of a line from _The Big Lebowski_, " Your revolution is over, Mr. Lebowski. Condolences. The bums lost. " [/QUOTE] Next time you think of it, you might want to keep in mind that the character speaking the line is a bigger bum than the stoner to whom it’s addressed. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027/120 "2007-03-16T17:16:16Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] I would almost certainly have an accident if I drove after pot. It screws up my muscle control. (which is why I only did it a couple times) [/QUOTE] But that’s just it, you see. You were aware of your impairment and acted accordingly; pot doesn’t suppress your impulse control nor totally screw up your judgment the way alcohol does. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-potheads-wasting-their-lives/396027.md?page=7)