Marijuana - Consequences from Use and Diving

[DrownedRat]

Worth repeating

I've never understood a person's need to be mind altered on a daily basis, regardless of what their alterant of choice is. I have nothing against smoking pot or drinking alcohol on a moderate basis.

However, I would not (knowingly) dive with a person who I knew was mind altered by anything other than the joy of being underwater!

 

[Bismark]

Tonka97, I agree with you 100% (except for the solo diving part). I took a previously certified student who did there first 15 dives in warm water on their first cold water dive and later found out they were taking a pretty serious regimen of hard-core painkillers! Kind of would have liked to have known that earlier! I sponsored several employees to get their certification and made sure I personally gave them the drugs and alchohol lecture before they started their course. Just my 4 cents.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'm surprised that any captain would let anyone toke up on a boat. The stuff is illegal. If there were any kind of accident on that vessel or in the water with people who were on it I'd think that the police and coast guard would be very interested in taking a close look at the boat, captain, and crew. Perhaps to the point of tearing it apart to be sure there was nothing else on board. How long would that take? If they want to dive from the beach and kill themselves that's one thing. But to subject others to possible legal issues that could at the least inconvenience and at most ruin someone else is irresponsible and just plain stupid. I also di my share of "having fun" in high school and for a year or two after but there comes a time to grow up. Personally the smell of it nauseates me now and I have no desire to partake. If someone else wants to fine. But do not do it around me or my family. Bring it into my house and you will leave in handcuffs. To me it's the same as drunk driving if you undertake something that if you are impaired raises the risk of harm to others. My mother was killed by a drunk driver who was also under the influence of other substances. The accident nearly killed my dad, brother and sister. To this day if I see someone drinking while behind the wheel I'm on the cell to 911. If I were on a boat and someone pulled out a joint the captain would be notified and I would hope they would be banned from diving at least with me and have a little reception committee waiting back at the dock.

 

[Ice9]

I'm surprised that any captain would let anyone toke up on a boat. The stuff is illegal.

Two things I learned almost immediately about life in the Carribean:

1. Life is cheap(er).
2. Laws and rules are more like suggestions, or guidelines.

I'm not surprised by anything that happens in the Carribean anymore... I guess you just gotta expect something odd everytime you go there. Don't get me wrong, I love that region, but its not like back in the ole' U.S.

 

[MSilvia]

I've never understood a person's need to be mind altered on a daily basis, regardless of what their alterant of choice is.

I'd guess it's a combination of addiction/habit and state-specific learning. After a prolonged period of frequent use, NOT being under the influence of a given substance is what seems unusual to the individual, and is more difficult for them to deal with.

Despite the common perception of stoners as lazy, sloooooooow, and unmotivated, I personally know quite a few friends from "back in the day" that never gave it up. Despite this, they aren't vegetative couch potatos, but successful professionals who are active and productive members of their communities. While the sample size I draw from is unusually large by virtue of my knowing a large number of people, off the top of my head, I know of an attorney, a senior software programmer, a surgeon, a nurse, a fisherman, the head of a well-regarded non-profit organization, an accountant, a publisher, and a real-estate inspector who all are frequent, if not daily marijuana users. They seem to be able to function just fine, and aside from having what must be godawfully blackened lungs, bear little resemblance to what you might expect after having watched a Cheech and Chong movie. These are not "Dude, pass the munchies" folks.

I believe almost all of them to have the good sense not to get stoned before doing something that requires them to be on the ball, and in most cases, I wouldn't hesitate to trust their expertise while sober. That said, if any of them were divers (they are not), I wouldn't dive with them while they were under the influence. Even if someone is an experienced and functional recreational drug user on land, there isn't any assurance that the effects they are so accustomed to will be the same in a high pressure environment. If oxygen and nitrogen can become psychoactive 100' under water, I wouldn't want to take a chance on what the effect of pressure on already mind-altering molecules dissolved in my buddy's blood stream might be.

Freshwater tuna chasers I don't need.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

I'm surprised that any captain would let anyone toke up on a boat. The stuff is illegal. If there were any kind of accident on that vessel or in the water with people who were on it I'd think that the police and coast guard would be very interested in taking a close look at the boat, captain, and crew. Perhaps to the point of tearing it apart to be sure there was nothing else on board. How long would that take? If they want to dive from the beach and kill themselves that's one thing. But to subject others to possible legal issues that could at the least inconvenience and at most ruin someone else is irresponsible and just plain stupid. I also di my share of "having fun" in high school and for a year or two after but there comes a time to grow up. Personally the smell of it nauseates me now and I have no desire to partake. If someone else wants to fine. But do not do it around me or my family. Bring it into my house and you will leave in handcuffs. To me it's the same as drunk driving if you undertake something that if you are impaired raises the risk of harm to others. My mother was killed by a drunk driver who was also under the influence of other substances. The accident nearly killed my dad, brother and sister. To this day if I see someone drinking while behind the wheel I'm on the cell to 911. If I were on a boat and someone pulled out a joint the captain would be notified and I would hope they would be banned from diving at least with me and have a little reception committee waiting back at the dock.

All of this for one diver on the boat, who happened to have a joint? :11: Yeesh....

 

[Rick Murchison]

P.S. - oh, yeah, and it's illegal with no quality control, too - could be laced with anything.
That's another interesting conversation... these idiots trust their pusher - and an entire supply chain of crooks - with their lives and don't even realize it.

, oh sorry. Ya those shifty growers lacing cheap drugs with more expensive drugs. Hahahahahah, reefer madness much? I hate to break it to ya but there is no need for that kind of thing and is strictly a myth, much like the silly gateway theory etc.
I have to agree about any type of intoxicant and dangerous activities do not mix and rightly so. However I can't believe the ignorance being displayed in this thread.

See what I mean? Peein' in the wind.
FWIW, I had a friend at UT in '66 who ended up in the state mental institution when the local suppliers got into a little turf war to capture market share by having the "best *****" - they were lacing with all kinds of stuff and a lot of kids had interesting, some nauseaus, and some downright bad "trips." We never did figure out what happened to our buddy, but he just never came down.
Business is business, and market share is market share. A seller who wants to move in, or one who sees his sales tanking is liable to invest in a little "loss leader" - but don't believe me, I don't do dope, and so I must not know anything about it.
---
That brings up another matter. If someone wants to conduct illegal activities like posessing or using illegal drugs, they'd best choose a boat I'm not on. I don't take putting me at risk of even being suspected of participating in such activities kindly.
Rick

 

[Wayward Son]

Back in the 70's it was not that uncommon to have weed laced with other stuff. I saw it with qualudes & cocain, just to name 2. No idea what they're doing now though.

FWIW, I would not knowingly dive with a person who had been smoking pot prior to the dive.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

I guess if I were on the boat and saw someone light up a joint, I would move upwind and ignore them, and mind my own business. By the same token (tokin'? LOL) I wouldn't want that individual as a dive buddy.

 

[Bismark]

Again, Like Rick said. Do what you want, but stay the hell away from me with it.