Prohibition, Prospective Profit Prompt Pothead to Post.

The BBQ Pit
1

I consider this thread an exorcism of some of my negative feelings. It’s unlikely that anything will be exorcised, but I might feel a little better.

Finally, my Bachelor of Arts should be coming in the mail. If I were a good American I would get a job and this is something I’m rather passively trying to accomplish. The most convenient possibility is working with the company that employs my father and supposedly that company is going to grant me an interview. The problem, as I’m sure you have already guessed, is that my father’s employer is a “drug-free workplace;” to be more accurate, this means that I’m not supposed to smoke marijuana on my own time either.

For better or worse, pot has become part of my identity. I’m completely disillusioned with life and smoking cannabis is one of my ways of giving the world my middle finger. More importantly, it helps me deal with the daily bullshit that is simply part of being alive. Sorry, but this requires a subsection.

Bullshit (the abridged version):

  1. The law. Marijuana prohibition is a senseless waste of resources and also causes a great deal of human tragedy (IMHO, this is true of all recreational drug prohibition). I find it utterly ridiculous that America continues to call itself a free country. We aren’t very fucking free, folks. I don’t know what else to say.

  2. The American Dream. This is ultimately a society founded on making money. I don’t want my job or “contribution to society” to define me; I can’t seem to reconcile myself with what is expected of me as an American.

  3. Getting a job. I guess I don’t see the point. Inevitably, I will have to put the bottom line before a deserving person’s needs if I want to keep a job working for someone else. Compromising my mores is not something I am keen on doing, neither am I keen on starting my own business. By the way: employers obviously have no business violating their potential employee’s privacy, but this is a pretty standard practice for jobs offering more than $20k/year.

  4. Gun control. This is what keeps me from moving to California (for easy access to medical marijuana) or another country. For whatever reason, target shooting and collecting firearms are two of the half dozen things I actually enjoy. Once again, even in Alaska or Vermont (the two states with the most liberal gun laws), American citizens aren’t all that fucking free.

  5. Religion. I tried Christianity for 17 years; I’m now a nihilist. There probably is no god and I really wish those with religious leanings would keep their faith out of politics and legislation. If your god does exist, that entity did give me choices and I think I deserve to keep them.

On a related note, I am in psychiatric treatment. Basically, my shrink and prescriber want me to consider to electroconvulsive therapy because 2+ years of other treatments haven’t proved successful. Of course, going through ECT would probably be very expensive and it would certainly prevent me from looking for a job for several months. I doubt that ECT would help anyway. In my opinion, my major recurrent depressive disorder, dysthymia or whatever else I’ve been diagnosed with is not a result of a chemical imbalance or something being otherwise wrong with my head. Honestly, I feel that my worldview is a result of seeing things a little too clearly.

In conclusion, I guess I’m just really fucking pissed that I have to jump through another idiotic hoop in order to “make something of myself.” To ensure that I would pass a drug screening, I would have to quit smoking pot for 30 days (note that methamphetamine only shows up on a piss test within three days of use). I would prefer a 30-day coma. Even when I’m able to use marijuana I don’t think that life is worth living, but smoking pot allows me to pass the time playing Xbox, watching DVDs or just screwing around on the internet without thinking so many unhappy thoughts. Since this thread might belong in IMHO anyway, feel free to leave any posts about what I might do in spare time instead of smoking pot, why you think life is worth living or whatever; flames are certainly a-okay, too. Thanks for reading.

And fuck you, jebert. Once again: demand for drugs existed long before prohibition, therefore the deaths you whine about are actually a direct result of laws imposed on drug users.

2

I agree that prohibition for weed is silly. I also think drug testing for hiring someone is entirely out of line, unless we’re talking about a job being an astronaut or something.

Sometimes I think that during an interview, if someone said they’ll need a drug test from me, I might say something to the tune of “Look, I’d be happy to take a drug test but I’ll tell you what’s going to be on it. I use cannabis on a regular basis because it regulates my mood, and because, unlike prescription antidepressants, no scientific study has ever proven that it has any health dangers whatsoever. I do it on my free time, never at work. It doesn’t interfere with my productivity. I don’t have to steal office equipment to pay for a $10 per month habit. If that makes me unfit to work here, I’ll be on my way.”

Since it doesnt seem like you’re too thrilled about getting a job anyway, it seems like it’s worth a shot.

3

Well, if all you want out of life is to smoke pot and play video games all day, have at it. I’m just curious- do you support yourself somehow? Got your own place? If you can work just enough to take care of yourself and wanna live life the way you want to live it, that’s great. But if you are living on your parents or someone else’s dime, then I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of sympathy or respect for you.

I sincerely hope you get your head where it needs to be. From your OP, that ain’t no way I’d want to go through life.

4

Out of curiosity, what is your shrink’s opinion on your drug addiction? Medical cannabis can work wonders for depression, but if your team is suggesting ECT (which is typically a last-resort option for dysthemia these days, no matter what the Scientologists say) then perhaps your marijana use isn’t helping very much? Not to play Internet Shrink or anything, but perhaps you could try going w/o drugs for a month and see if you feel better – quitting pot is trivial, compared to any other drug addiction.

Also, it wasn’t clear from your post, but if you’re also hooked on crystal meth – quit. NOW. That drug will fuck up your life beyond all measure, if it doesn’t kill you first!!

5

I thought that they figured out that ECT doesn’t work a while ago? It used to be the “lets give it a shot” solution for anything. I can’t see how you can think a good solution to “I’m depressed” is “lets strap you to a table and electrocute you.”

Lobotomies are more logical, even.

6

No, I think ECT can work, but I thought they only did it when essentially there’s nothing left to try. At least one doper has had it, though I can’t remember who and don’t want to attempt to guess.

7

Precisely…which makes me :dubious: that it’s being seriously suggested when Mr. Krebbs is healthy enough to search of a job. Normally, ECT is indicated for patients who are too depressed to reach the bathroom for that box of razor blades, and all other invertention methods have failed.

Methinks we’re not hearing the full story here.

8

What does this paragraph mean? You don’t see the point in getting a job? Can you tell the difference between pressed dirtweed and kind bud? Can you tell the difference between target pistols? The minimal point of getting a job is to satisfy the material desires you’ve expressed in the thread. There is/can be a heck of a lot more to it, but that’s your baseline right there. Get a job to stay out of the rain, collect a few toys, and cover the necessities. No one said you need a fancy car, but with expressed hobbies, you’ll need cash. With expressed desire to leave well enough alone, you’ll need space–in an apartment or house.

Why do you have to compromise your mores to work for someone else? Who said you have to go work for a bio-weapons manufacturer? What, filling tubes of toothpaste or taking tourists’ money at a banana stand have some ethical implications? It means you’re not being “true” to yourself? So hold out and find a job doing something worthy. Lots of us work in the non-profit field. Check out idealist.org for a hint of the opportunities out there.

There are plenty of places that don’t require drug testing; I’d say the majority of employers don’t. Stay sober enough to put in 20 to 40 hours a week, whatever it takes to keep you secure and happy with your level of material possessions, and you’re good to go.

Oh, and don’t knock working for yourself.

9

I do live alone but no, I don’t support myself in any fashion anymore. I quit my last job in a grocery store in September of 2007; it was a reasonably good job that I held for two years. I have been living on my parents’ dime ever since (I probably couldn’t have graduated from college while holding a job, given my past performance).

I’m physically healthy enough to get a job. I’m not sure what you mean by “all other intervention methods” but I’ve consistently gone to therapy, been on more medications than I can remember and gone to two inpatient facilities. Admittedly, I haven’t been on MAOIs, but that is because I don’t think taking cheese out of my diet will make me any happier.

Basically, I haven’t done myself in because I can’t justify hurting my parents that badly (I’m an only child). If I’m not severely depressed, I guess I’m a damned good actor.

I guess I mean that I feel the cost-benefit analysis doesn’t pan out in my favor. The material satisfaction that I get from money and things isn’t often worth the irritation of getting up each morning. Materially, my goal is to get some property with a hill that I can shoot at. Unfortunately, I doubt that would make me happy; I’ve had it pretty good materially speaking most of my life.

At every job I have had (grocery, Army, private security), I have had to enforce rules that were either senseless or unfair. In my opinion, making even small decisions that I disagree with in order to hold a job makes a shitty world an even shittier place (not just for me, but for the person to whom I end up being unfair). It was simply a statement based on my personal experiences.

I appreciate the link to idealist.org.

10

That would count as “other intervention methods”, yes.

I can fully understand your desire to avoid the crappy side effects of old-school medications, but if they work for you, perhaps you’ll discover that being non-depressed w/o cheese is superior to depression + cheese? Also, check your PM.

The mere fact that you would phrase it so bluntly strongly suggests you’re not an actor. However, you’re aware of your condition, you’re under the care of professionals, and you’re actively seeking advice to improve your situation. That’s far, far better than many depressives I’ve met, so keep walking that path and good luck to you.

ETA: Once again, if you’re taking methamphetamine…STOP.

11

I think I’ve read that THC can counteract some SSRI or dopamineRI antidepressants. Do the people prescribing your meds know you’re a frequent cannabis user? That could be affecting the effect of the meds.

That aside, from your description of yourself it sounds like you grew up wealthy and privileged, are now living on your own without financial obligations, and are miserable and hate your life. I can sympathize with that, but a lot of people would probably be annoyed at the premise.

It seems like you’ve got some problems, and it may actually be that the pot smokery could be making things worse in the long run. If your doctor(s) don’t know about it, they should (they’re not going to call the police or your parents). Perhaps a trial period off the weed might be in order, just to see if it helps.

12

Society by its own free choice has determined that it is better off overall with drugs being illegal. But no, we’re not very fucking free, are we? You sound like a goddam five year whining in the candy aisle at the grocery store because mommy said no.

Pot is part of your identity? Jesus Fucking Christ. Only one word describes this:

LOSER

As you might have guessed, you get no sympathy from me. Drug addicts are nothing but a shitstain in the underwear of society. If that is all you want to be, what a waste.

13

I hope your parents are wealthy enough to leave you money to support yourself when they die. If they are, life is golden and enjoy yourself. If they aren’t, you are going to need to grow up.

Pot may not impact your ability to do a job. In my experience, people who have pot as a significant part of their lives make lousy employees. Employers can use whatever means they want to to screen employees. Don’t like it - decide that working for yourself doesn’t look that bad.

14

Clearly you’ve never suffered from mental illness pervasive enough to require any kind of medicating. I’m happy for you. Now run along and go fuck yourself.

By the way, Señor Krebbs, we’re in a very similar boat; I can offer a bit of solidarity if you’d like it.

15

I’d like to see a referendum on this. I suspect that many, perhaps most, Americans would support legalization or at least decriminalization of marijuana.

Nobody ever get sympathy/empathy from holier than thou assbags like you.

16

I have all the empathy in the world for the mentally ill. However, where does “mentally ill” leave off, and “would rather smoke pot all day and be supported by others” begin?

I’ll point out that the OP himself doesn’t believe he’s mentally ill. Of course, he could simply be wrong. Lots of folks who are genuinely mentally ill don’t believe that they are.

Myself, I used to smoke a fair amount of pot; I haven’t done it in a while. I had some friends who basically ended up like the OP. I concluded that one of the risks of heavy and chronic pot smoking is that it can, in certain people, impact the ambition to do things - badly.

Pot isn’t a totally harmless drug, just less harmful than most others, including the most legal recreational drugs. This result is perhaps one of the unfortunate examples of the sort of harm it can do.

17

The same thing can happen with food, though, or model trains or video games or sex or exercise. You get so much pleasure out of it that you can’t find a reason to do anything else in the world.

Psychological addictions are nothing like physical addictions, and just because marijuana use is party to it like any other enjoyable activity, it needn’t be lumped in along with the other drugs that can seriously destroy your brain and make you need it.

If surgeons could install a trigger into your brain that released a serotonin rush whenever you push a button, many people would never leave their houses again. Weed is, essentially, that.

18

I agree that pot isn’t physically addictive like some drugs, and that people can fixate on practically anything.

I just say that in my experience, a reasonably high purportion (certainly not all) of heavy pot smokers end up in situations like the OP.

I am also of the opinion that pot prohibition is silly, immoral and counterproductive.

19

Cannabis is already decriminalized in 13 states, and is available by prescription in several others. Independent studies have proven marijuana’s efficacy in treating depression, but it does come with side effects (esp. “demotivation” syndrome) and is contraindicated for severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

THIS +1 +1 +1 +1 +1

Remember Mr. Krebbs, your doctor is bound by privacy laws to keep confidential anything you tell him, including recreational drug use. Your doctor is your friend. If you’re not being honest with your doctor, you’re not being honest with yourself. Don’t rely solely on your own brain to tell you what’s right and how to fix your problems, because your brain is where the problem itself lies.

20

If you’re a daily user of marijuana I would suggest abstaining for more than 30 days before the drug test. Depending on the cutoffs used by the lab, you could test positive for up to 60 days. The longest my toxicologist has ever seen, with a really heavy chronic user, is 72 days.