Smoking cannabis every day

[Delby]

Hi All

It's been a while since i've posted. I'm keeping ok and still check in to the forums every week. Thanks to all those that keep this forum alive..it's still so important to us all, even if we don't post as much. Thanks to Jim in particular and all the others.

So I wanted to discuss the use of cannabis. I've used cannabis since the age of 14 and quite frankly...I love it! I've had many breaks and especially when I was diagnosed as +. My head couldn't deal with it at the time. However, I am now smoking circa 1-2 spliffs a night and with tobacco. Why? Because I suffer from terrible insomnia and it's the only thing that helps. Plus it helps ease the symptoms of colitis which are extremely hard to live with. I also feels it helps with my mood.

I am not concerned about consuming cannabis, but rather the use of tobacco. I can't smoke it pure and nor do i like vaping it. My question is this: Whilst I appreciate no one has a crystal ball, how terrible is it to have 1-2 spliffs a day with regards to the dangers of smoking. We are told continually that smoking is the worst thing you can do when HIV +. But does that mean 10/15/20 per day, rather than 1 spliff that doesn't even use the equivalent of 1 cigarettes worth of tobacco. Plus the studies that indicate that HIV smokers lose 12 yrs of life by smoking, it may be other enviromental factors that feed into that data such as drugs, poor diet choices etc.

I go to the gym 4 times a week and keep active.

What are your thoughts?

Delby x 

[skeebo1969]

  If you are worrying about what weed will do to you then you are not smoking enough.

[anniebc]

Hi Delby

My daughter smokes about 2 a day, and has done since she was 16, she is now 48, she works full time, has brought up two great boys, and has never been in hospital, except as a child when she had her tonsils remove. The worst illness she has ever suffered is a sore throat, a bout of flu and a bad head cold..seriously that girl is as health as a Mally bull. I have no worries about her smoking at all. Don't sweat it just enjoy life. This is just my take on it others may of course differ.

Hugs
Jan

[MadDog125]

Crazy thought.  Given the inflammatory effects of smoking anything, would it be better to make edibles?  Same effect easier on the lungs?

[harleymc]

What do you hope to gain by seeking external validation for habitual drug taking?

[Delby]

What do you hope to gain by seeking external validation for habitual drug taking?

I'm sorry, but you have misread my original post. I am not seeking validation for consuming cannabis. I do not require external validation as I am more than comfortable consuming a plant which has many medicinal benefits. I can conclude this statement as a long term user of cannabis, rather than someone or an organisation whom may have a commercial agenda.

Back to my OP. I wasn't asking for yours or anyone else's validation of cannabis consumption, but rather I was asking for people's opinion on the use of tobacco when consuming via spliffs. I apologise if that wasn't clear in my OP, although it clearly is. My concern is not around the consumption of cannabis as I can testify unequivocally that it improves the quality of my life. I am extremely active, run my own successful business and have a family to look after. However, I wanted to know if the intake of one-two cigarrettes worth of tobacco per day will have a serious detrimental impact to ones health. I appreciate it won't benefit my health, but are the studies on tobacco use amongst HIV + patients, relating to heavy tobacco users or does it also include those such as myself?

Delby

[Jim Allen]

  If you are worrying about what weed will do to you then you are not smoking enough.

I would agree with the above comment, if you're concerned prehaps try consuming the weed differently see how that works.

Smoking tobacco is bad, regardless of HIV status or other factors it's a killer. Prehaps smoking only a little bit is less bad but I honestly don't think any levels of smoking tobacco can be classed as safe or healthy