Fentanyl

[Accidental Retiree]

I smoked weed twice in my 20's. (A couple of drags each time) Both times was related to "unofficial" law enforcement "training". To this day, I can still remember the smell like it was yesterday. No desire to smoke it again, legal or not...

I never smoked pot. It never occurred to me although kids all around me were doing it, apparently, and of course it was all around me at concerts.

I thought then and still think it stinks. The smell is nauseating. Ick.

My parents were both heavy smokers, and I smoked cigarettes for about a week in 7th grade and quit when I realized I was sitting in class thinking about having a cigarette.

I just thought then it was pretty stupid to be thinking about smoking when I was sitting in a 7th grade classroom, so I dumped the rest of the pack down the storm drain, told my co-conspirator I’d smoked them all, and I was done.

Today, I feel pretty lucky I didn’t get hooked on any of that stuff. I certainly was in the environment for it.

 

[lawman]

I never smoked pot. It never occurred to me although kids all around me were doing it, apparently, and of course it was all around me at concerts.

I thought then and still think it stinks. The smell is nauseating. Ick.

My parents were both heavy smokers, and I smoked cigarettes for about a week in 7th grade and quit when I realized I was sitting in class thinking about having a cigarette.

I just thought then it was pretty stupid to be thinking about smoking when I was sitting in a 7th grade classroom, so I dumped the rest of the pack down the storm drain, told my co-conspirator I’d smoked them all, and I was done.

Today, I feel pretty lucky I didn’t get hooked on any of that stuff. I certainly was in the environment for it.

I suspect you are a well adjusted, self confident and relatively happy person..I always tried to teach my kid and grandkids that choices matter.

 

[dmpi]

Weed today does not smell anything like it did in the 70's and 80's. It smells like rotten garlic today. I stopped smoking weed, hash, and Thai sticks after I started my career in my early 20's. Mandatory drug testing spoiled everything.

To me it smells like someone just ran over a skunk. After WA legalized pot you can often smell it driving around. When legalizing pot on was on the ballot the people that supported it said that legal pot wouldn't raise the number of smokers because they already smoke anyway. LOL. My nose tells otherwise.

 

[Freedom56]

This may shine some light onto why weed has that pungent odor.

"Great News, Scientists Finally Figured Out Why Cannabis Smells 'Skunky'"

https://www.sciencealert.com/we-fin...k-y-and-the-answer-could-hold-health-benefits

The odor alone will keep me away from ever smoking that stuff again. Even the weed I used to grow at home, never gave off that pungent odor.

 

[Alan]

To me it smells like someone just ran over a skunk.

Ah, is that why it is called skunk!! I learn something new every day.

 

[Gumby]

I have made it through my 64 years of life without smoking pot or trying any other recreational pharmaceuticals. I didn't think it was that hard to abstain, but I can appreciate that others are wired differently. I don't like the smell of pot when my neighbor smokes it.

 

[GenXguy]

I have made it through my 64 years of life without smoking pot or trying any other recreational pharmaceuticals. I didn't think it was that hard to abstain, but I can appreciate that others are wired differently. I don't like the smell of pot when my neighbor smokes it.

Same here through mid 50's, but finally took THC edible a few times in last year purchased from local dispensary. But it wasn't for recreational purposes - just one of the various things I tried to see if it would help with sleep - it didn't.

 

[JoeWras]

I appreciate that some people need these drugs.

I have read that Fentanyl, given properly, is sometimes the only thing that works for people end of life with serious cancers, and it can be given through a patch. This very helpful for those who cannot swallow.

I fear these beneficial impacts will be overrun by the idiots ruining it for everyone. It wouldn't surprise me if effectively gets banned, as has happened with other drugs for pain patients.

As for pot: I also appreciate it helps some people. My state is finally looking at approving medicinal use. Unfortunately, I also believe there is a bit of deception given by some people, claiming that smoking is the only way. Look, if it helps you, I say go for it, and I'm not saying smoking weed should be outlawed.

I'm just saying that I can't believe some things I've read about how people are out there on the internet trying to convince the world that smoking pot has zero ill effects on the lungs or body. Come on, man! Burning produces particulates and carbon monoxide. There will be impacts, and they are not good.

 

[aja8888]

I'm just saying that I can't believe some things I've read about how people are out there on the internet trying to convince the world that smoking pot has zero ill effects on the lungs or body. Come on, man! Burning produces particulates and carbon monoxide. There will be impacts, and they are not good.

Edibles are the way to go. They really helped my wife in her last few months of suffering with End Stage COPD. Unfortunately, they were not available legally in Texas so we made other arrangements.

 

[Car-Guy]

Edibles are the way to go. They really helped my wife in her last few months of suffering with End Stage COPD. Unfortunately, they were not available legally in Texas so we made other arrangements.

Interesting you say that, since a friend of mine "told me" that his cancer doctor told him he could be get marijuana (here in Texas) to help him relive his symptoms. His doctor said he would refer him to someone who would prescribe it since "he wasn't willing" to jump through all the legal paper work required by the state to get it... I assume (?) he is being truthful...

 

[youbet]

Weed today does not smell anything like it did in the 70's and 80's. It smells like rotten garlic today. I stopped smoking weed, hash, and Thai sticks after I started my career in my early 20's. Mandatory drug testing spoiled everything.

No......... Starting your career in your early 20's spoiled everything. Sequence of events matters.

 

[mpeirce]

I'm just saying that I can't believe some things I've read about how people are out there on the internet trying to convince the world that smoking pot has zero ill effects on the lungs or body. Come on, man! Burning produces particulates and carbon monoxide. There will be impacts, and they are not good.

Yeah really.

Some of these same people are now arguing that clean burning natural gas stoves cause illness. Which is it?

 

[Gumby]

The answer is obvious - pot fired stoves.

 

[aja8888]

Interesting you say that, since a friend of mine "told me" that his cancer doctor told him he could be get marijuana (here in Texas) to help him relive his symptoms. His doctor said he would refer him to someone who would prescribe it since "he wasn't willing" to jump through all the legal paper work required by the state to get it... I assume (?) he is being truthful...

Her pulmonolgist would not prescribe anything other than breathing drugs. Her PCP would not prescribe any additional opioids. One problem she had was not being able to sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time due to the steroids. Sleeping pills were useless. Edibles helped her sleep and manage the constant pain. I never asked any doc of hers if they could prescribe THC products. Where would you buy them in Texas anyway?

 

[Car-Guy]

Her pulmonolgist would not prescribe anything other than breathing drugs. Her PCP would not prescribe any additional opioids. One problem she had was not being able to sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time due to the steroids. Sleeping pills were useless. Edibles helped her sleep and manage the constant pain. I never asked any doc of hers if they could prescribe THC products. Where would you buy them in Texas anyway?

His doctor didn't say where he could get them, only that they could be prescribed for such conditions as his. Interesting question though. In my friends case, he hasn't felt the need to get a prescription, so he hasn't followed up. Maybe someday.

 

[GenXguy]

Edibles helped her sleep and manage the constant pain. I never asked any doc of hers if they could prescribe THC products. Where would you buy them in Texas anyway?

The THC edibles didn't work for me to sleep. I tried various times at different doses from 2.5 mg to 10 mg THC. It actually seemed like I had more anxiety as well. But for me, I was just trying to sleep, no pain issue.

Of course, results of sleeping pills vary. Those OTC ones don't seem to help me much, and they become less effective when used repeatedly. Ambien (zolpidem) does a better job for me, but it stops working as well if you take it all the time, so it's not a good answer. There are some newer ones like Dayvigo and Quviviq, but there are no generics for those. They are like $300+ and $500+ per month without insurance. And insurance might not cover, at least not without step therapy. I think Medicare won't cover those, either. I haven't tried those.

 

[Montecfo]

No wonder I never smell that sweet smoke odor anymore.

Unfortunately if you travel you will smell weed often. And more and more just on people's clothes, just like tobacco.

 

[audreyh1]

Her pulmonolgist would not prescribe anything other than breathing drugs. Her PCP would not prescribe any additional opioids. One problem she had was not being able to sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time due to the steroids. Sleeping pills were useless. Edibles helped her sleep and manage the constant pain. I never asked any doc of hers if they could prescribe THC products. Where would you buy them in Texas anyway?

Decades ago DM was able to receive prescribed THC medication for her cancer treatment while in TX.

 

[aja8888]

Decades ago DM was able to receive prescribed THC medication for her cancer treatment while in TX.

That's good to know if I ever get cancer. DW didn't have that.

 

[audreyh1]

That's good to know if I ever get cancer. DW didn't have that.

As I recall it was prescribed in an attempt to increase her appetite. Really poor appetite is a common problem for cancer patients just when they need the best nutrition. I don’t think it really worked for her and she didn’t like that it made her fuzzy headed.

 

[MichaelB]

Nausea is a side effect of chemotherapy and marijuana helps relieve it.

 

[Walt34]

The opioids scared me enough with their side effects. I don't understand why anyone would want to use it recreationally and that goes double for fentanyl.

I wondered about that myself for decades and then had what I think might be a glimmer of understanding several years ago when I had a cardiac ablation. One of the possible side effects of that in about 5% of patients is a "pseudo aneurysm" which for me anyway was a new experience in pain.

After it was diagnosed I was given a good healthy shot of dilaudid, a strong opioid painkiller that the nurse described as about "eight times stronger than morphine". A few seconds after the injection my first thought was "thank God for whoever invented that stuff" because the pain was just gone. Wow!

It took about a day and a half to get me to another hospital that could and would treat it and during that time I was kept under heavy doses of opioid painkillers, which was fine by me because it was far better than being in that pain. But I also remember having conversations with some Roman soldiers (I'm a bit fuzzy about exactly what we were talking about) and my wife told me later that I'd said something about "paving the road with blue balloons". Soooo, I was pretty far "out there" in neverneverland.

It occurred to me much later that if someone's daily existence is so miserable/painful that taking the opioids, no matter how disconnected they get from reality, that would seem to be a better alternative to the daily life they otherwise lived. Which would explain a lot of behavior that seems strange to others. Or as I said to my wife about the dilaudid, "when the pain was that bad it was a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there". Clearly some people do want to live there.

 

[jimbee]

The horses sure are high here.

 

[Octogirl]

My 32 year old son (homeowner, CPA, good guy) died from a fentanyl OD in 2020. He died at home in front of his computer one evening. Coroner initially said it was an "enlarged heart" ??
We were SHOCKED when the tox screen came back positive for fentanyl (6 weeks after his death) because we had recently spent 3 nights in his home and there was no clue of any drug or alcohol use.
We knew he was in AA for his alcohol addiction, but was sober.
We believe a "friend" sold him some pills that were suppose to be benzo to help him sleep.
Tragic loss for our family and many others. .
Spent the next 12 months in grief counseling to deal with loss and shock.

 

[Time2]

To me it smells like someone just ran over a skunk. After WA legalized pot you can often smell it driving around. When legalizing pot on was on the ballot the people that supported it said that legal pot wouldn't raise the number of smokers because they already smoke anyway. LOL. My nose tells otherwise.

I live on a 5 lane road with sidewalks on each side, occasionally when I walk from my house to my shed I get the smell of Marijuana. I usually swivel my head around to the sidewalk, sometimes there are walkers so I suspect it's them, other times no one, so than a car that went by or my neighbors. We have two medical dispensaries 1/2 to 3/4 miles from my home. Recreational use is not legal here in Florida.