marijuana and diving

[mirage]

ok doc wondering if you know of any studies that have been done on diving while high on marijuana. reason i ask is few months back DAN had a nice lil report about marijuana, mostly lies and false facts (shame on DAN, so much for being honest and legit)

please dont post about reduced reaction times, cause 1 its sorta a 1/2 truth cause that is only true for new users to marijuana and those who are "use" to the high learn to control the high and reaction times. ill admit there can be some reduction but not as bad as every one is told.

im sure ill get flamed for this, but at least im not hiding the fact that scuba has drug use in it. use and abuse are 2 diff things mind you. but the scuba community likes its drugs, mainly boose. im just tryin to find out LEGIT non baised info.

 

[Dr Deco]

Dear mirage:

I am not aware of any studies done concerning marijuana and diving or decompression. There would need to be a reason to perform such a study and a suitable good reason does not exist. While people do dive when drinking alcohol, that is not a good practice and has nothing to recommend it. :boom:

Don’t drink and dive -- and always remember to buckle up.

Dr Deco

 

[mirage]

ahh ok

my intrest lays in the cross studies effects of diving high vs narcosis.

 

[Dr Deco]

I have heard of studies on diving deep and high altitude diving but I have never heard of studies on diving high.

Narcosis and marijuana make bad dive buddies.

Dr Deco

 

[Green_Manelishi]

with tongue planted firmly in cheek ...

Doc,

you really should get out more. Most dope smokers will
tell you they do EVERYTHING better when stoned: it relaxes
them and "enhances their personality". Fortunately empirical
evidence disproves their claims of non-impairment.

A similar effect is observed regarding narcosis. The "victim" claims very little impairment until you present
the evidence of just how impaired they were under narcosis.

G_M

 

[mirage]

define impairment green?

yes new smokers are impaired more cause they are not use to it, HOWEVER those who are used to being high have been proven to drive safer then those on most perscribation drugs.

while i dont wanna see anyone dive while high, i would like studies done as a comparison of narcosis.

hell we all know divers who drink and dive yes its frowned on but boose is a back bone of the scuba ind, and no one seems to critize those who drink and dive comapred to those who dive stoned, it shows you how hippercraital some are and how some are uneducated on TRUE drug fact.

ahh well ill just do my nacosis thieses for my masters then.

 

[Rick Murchison]

What a great way to cleanse the gene pool...
Go for it!
Rick

 

[bradymsu]

Mirage,

I'm with Rick on this one. Why smoke pot at all? Even forgetting the artificial chemical affects it has on your brain (it is an unnecessary drug) the tar from it lowers your breathing efficiency as much as an unfiltered cigarette. Pot isn't a cheap drug and you'd be better off spending the money on diving equipment. You can't expect any serious diver to defend the use of marijuana anymore than they'd defend smoking tobacco.

By the way, I've never been encouraged to drink by the dive industry. If anything, my instructors have always told me not to drink the night before an important dive if at all. Also, except for limited areas, pot is illegal in most regions of the world. I particularly wouldn't advise bringing it along on a dive trip to Saudi Arabia.

 

[Dr Deco]

Dear Readers:
One can argue this till the cows come home.

The plain truth is that stuff (all of it) is just bad for you. eace:
___________
Dr Deco

 

[detroit diver]

ANYTHING that impaires your judgement, even slightly, can be harmful to you while diving. That includes doobies, narcosis, antihistamines, alcohol, etc.

If you don't think you're impaired because you're a pro pot smoker, you're a fool. Why would you even chance it?

There's so much discussion about nitrox and trimix, in part because of the realization that narcosis exists even at the shallower depths. To add a narcotic substance to the mix is just absurd. Just when you need your judgement the most (as in an emergency situation), that's when you'd have it the least. Recipe for trouble....