...but I've found that smoking marijuana has helped me more than any pre>

Hey, whatever works for you ok? Don't apologize for "confessing" that a plant helps you. Rather, it is the U.S. Federal Government that should apologize to the American people for acting contrary to the popular wishes of the people that it claims to represent.

But, in reference to the notion that you suggested, that being that your "need" something to help you feel better, on what basis do you say this? Do you REALLY need some foreign substance in your body to feel ok? Artificial or natural? How about, instead, changing the circumstances in your life that is currently making you unhappy? What is it about your current status that you don't like?

I don't know you or your history, but I for one have come to believe that, for instance, depression, is more attributable to current circumstances in one's life, rather than some "chemical imbalance" or whatever euphemistic spin one wants to label it with.

If you're in an unhappy/co-dependent/ relationship, GET OUT OF IT, don't just take a pill. If you're unhappy with being overwieght, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, don't just take a pill, if you're unhappy with your current job, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, don't just take a pill. See what I'm saying?

Corbin327
If you are having some anxiety issues with the recovery process and you find that rare, and I would consider twice a month rare, use of this plant helps you then I would think you could do the same with something legal. I would not advocate doing anything illegal and I would certainly be careful here as this could lead to some serious legal complications and if you think you hve anxiety now...... well.

Personally I would stick to the legal stuff and see if I could make some head way there. Are you seing a therapist? That can definately help. I am certainly not offened at all but I would caution you to be very careful here as this could have some unintened consequences. Thanks for the post. Would be nice if the govenment would allow its use for this.

I am not currently seeing a therapist, which I guess is half of my problem. I have no health insurance and the one free mental health clinic I've been to was not a good experience. My friends are my therapists, which I realize is not the best idea but I feel like my back is against the wall at the moment. I'll be moving back into NYC over the summer and hope to find a good support group.

As long as you realise you are putting a band aid on a cancer when you use illegal drugs for relief. Thousands of survivors are in AA, and NA as we speak. I suggest you read some self help books. The first book that I suggest is " Legacy of the Heart" The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood, by Wayne Muller. This book saved my life. The second book " Wounded Boys, Heroic Men" a Man's Guide to Recovering from Child Abuse, by Daniel Jay Sonkin, Ph.D. Because of our abuse we have been trained to think in dysfunctional patterns, and you need to break those patterns if you want relief.

I'll look for those books this weekend. Thanks for the advice and support.

Hi Corbin

The pharmaceutical companies have looked at the active agents in a lot of natural stimulants like pot to see if they can
synthesize, apply it to a medical condition & profit

I think that if ganja helps you blaze on mon
Don't take on any new guilt from anything posted here ok?

You mentioned it is casual & you are taking other steps
Once you get into therapy & moving forward you might find you toke because you like to

as for the nay sayers, go get yerself a triple espresso WTF? for a "little pick me up"

nuff said

I smoked pot for over 20 years. Most of that time was everyday use. I started right after the Kent State riots. It got me through my toughest period before I started into therapy my first time. Over time I noticed that it took away my energy and subtracted from my drive and desire. It contributed to my isolation. There were only certain people that I could be with. It contributed to my lack of trust of normal people and my distrust of society as a whole.

A little pot might not be a totally bad thing. But it goes from once every couple of weeks to smoking it on the way to work. Then smoking it at lunch. And smoking it on the way home too. Pretty soon it's use completely occupies your life. Some people seem to be able to control it better than others. But those suffering from abuse issues tend towards lack of good control.

I would be very careful with a little pot habit, myself. I had a buddy who got fired from his job at the age of 40 because him and his girlfriend got busted smoking some in his car at the company Christmas party. I guess that his boss didn't think that a civil engineer should be smoking pot even away from work. It was a very costly evening for him, and eventully it cost him his living situation.

Hope that you are doing OK my man.

Trucker Mark

Rasta boy here...so...yeah. Enough said.

I'm with Corbin. I've gotten a lot more from pot than any pre>