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Marijuana and Bass
- Thread starter antwon deserter
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Having to play Brown Eyed Girl a thousand times, is precisely why I started in the first place
Many years ago I played in a band that drank & smoked too much. One night I ran a tape off the sound board. I thought we had played a hot gig but when I listened the next day reality set in. Some of it blew me away as to how good it was and then it all would go far, far away. When no one felt there was a problem I quit.
When I joined my next band the leader was extremely wary of me due to the party reputation of the previous band and made it clear he expected total professionalism on stage. He didn't care what your "poison" was, you got one warning, next time you're fired. He seemed quite surprised when I said thank you, works for me.
I can't smoke or drink during the day when I am at work and I prefer to treat music the same way. I am being paid to play and I need to respect the music and the people the same as I respect my job.
I'm not being judgmental or pious, I enjoy a drink & smoke the herb occasionally but never when I'm playing. I prefer get my "high" from the music being created.
When I joined my next band the leader was extremely wary of me due to the party reputation of the previous band and made it clear he expected total professionalism on stage. He didn't care what your "poison" was, you got one warning, next time you're fired. He seemed quite surprised when I said thank you, works for me.
I can't smoke or drink during the day when I am at work and I prefer to treat music the same way. I am being paid to play and I need to respect the music and the people the same as I respect my job.
I'm not being judgmental or pious, I enjoy a drink & smoke the herb occasionally but never when I'm playing. I prefer get my "high" from the music being created.
there are plently of successful doctors, lawyers, judges, ANY PROFESSION that smoke. just the successful people who do smoke have to hide it lest it ruin their reputation because of people like this 'sactobass' dude who will judge them. thus only the losers get the attention - but it's more like losers are attracted to weed, not that the weed ruins otherwise successful people.
who goes on a MUSIC FORUM and says that there aren't any successful people who smoke weed?
****ing seriously....
who goes on a MUSIC FORUM and says that there aren't any successful people who smoke weed?
****ing seriously....
+1 and fixed it a bit. I know people from all kinds of professions that smoke and have very successful careers.
In my experience, I've noticed that alcohol seems to attract the most losers.
Just my .02$. I've seen guys play stoned and good, and stoned and bad. Same with alcohol and other drugs. Also, I've seen them play completely straight, good and bad. Same goes for me, though beer is my choice. My job is to entertain, and since most of my gigs are at bars, drinking seems to be prevalent.
I am surprised this thread has lasted this long. It's been a good read. My US$.02 is that it really depends on the person. There are plenty of people who can use "drugs" but not abuse them. I use quotes there because, in reality, people can get addicted to just about anything. Some people have self-destructive addictive personalities, some people don't. Sugar, internet, alcohol, sex, food...ANYTHING.
Anything that you put into your body will affect your brain in some way or another. Depending what systems that said substance acts on, the likelihood of getting addicted can be different. The cannabinoid system of your brain is a fairly poorly understood aspect of neuroscience. Partly because it's legally difficult to study. Your body produces endogenous cannabinoids (this means that your body CREATES chemicals that are functionally IDENTICAL to delta-9 THC, CBD1 and CBD2). This stuff helps regulate, among other things, appetite and sleep patterns. Of course, bringing in an outside source of those chemicals will change the way those circuits behave, but it's not like instantly frying your brain or anything.
The main clinical definition of addiction is that the removal of the substance produces withdrawal symptoms. In this sense, marijuana IS addictive. There is no wiggle room there. It's just that the withdrawal symptoms are not all that extreme: loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, irritability (which are all kinda related anyway). It is substantially less harmful than many other drugs. It still damages your lungs (although it is also a bronchodilator) and constant use, particularly early in life, does lead to burnout syndrome. No one jumps up to defend heroin or cocaine etc because their negative aspects so far outweigh the positives. The balance is different with marijuana.
The fact that it is still a Schedule I drug in the USA is plain stupid. The drug was victimized in the early half of the 20th century as a flagrant act of political scapegoating. It's not just users that for decriminalization too: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
If you don't want to use, that's fine too. Everyone is entitled to make their own decisions. But please don't make blanket statements about how marijuana instantly makes you a failure at life, because odds are, there are completely competent people in your lives that light up occasionally too.
Personally, I have to be pretty sober (like a beer tops) before I go on stage for my professional gigs. But, before playing some noise, doom, or dub...well, that's a different story isn't it?
Anything that you put into your body will affect your brain in some way or another. Depending what systems that said substance acts on, the likelihood of getting addicted can be different. The cannabinoid system of your brain is a fairly poorly understood aspect of neuroscience. Partly because it's legally difficult to study. Your body produces endogenous cannabinoids (this means that your body CREATES chemicals that are functionally IDENTICAL to delta-9 THC, CBD1 and CBD2). This stuff helps regulate, among other things, appetite and sleep patterns. Of course, bringing in an outside source of those chemicals will change the way those circuits behave, but it's not like instantly frying your brain or anything.
The main clinical definition of addiction is that the removal of the substance produces withdrawal symptoms. In this sense, marijuana IS addictive. There is no wiggle room there. It's just that the withdrawal symptoms are not all that extreme: loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, irritability (which are all kinda related anyway). It is substantially less harmful than many other drugs. It still damages your lungs (although it is also a bronchodilator) and constant use, particularly early in life, does lead to burnout syndrome. No one jumps up to defend heroin or cocaine etc because their negative aspects so far outweigh the positives. The balance is different with marijuana.
The fact that it is still a Schedule I drug in the USA is plain stupid. The drug was victimized in the early half of the 20th century as a flagrant act of political scapegoating. It's not just users that for decriminalization too: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
If you don't want to use, that's fine too. Everyone is entitled to make their own decisions. But please don't make blanket statements about how marijuana instantly makes you a failure at life, because odds are, there are completely competent people in your lives that light up occasionally too.
Personally, I have to be pretty sober (like a beer tops) before I go on stage for my professional gigs. But, before playing some noise, doom, or dub...well, that's a different story isn't it?
Pot does heighten the moment for good and bad. Now hoping it'll always be good is kind of fooling yourself that everyday you wake up everything will go your way and you won't have any problems. ..... And we know that don't work. ... We can't tell people what to do. Just like other people should not try to tell us what to do. ....... It's up to every body to arrive at their reality at the time should arrive there and not a moment before. .....
I enjoy playing and singing either way. I think if you are somewhat talented and conscientious about what you do, you aren't going to allow yourself to play in a severely debilitated state. That's how you lose your audience. 
There is a time and place for everything.
There is a time and place for everything.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Another excuse for addiction and substance abuse ... "I am not the only one doing it" or "Others do it and they still function just fine"
There is a reason it is called substance abuse!
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
There are many 'substances' you can mess up on if it takes you, I consider MJ as one of the fairer, ymmv ; )
C'mon man a little weed to help relax isn't a bad thing when it comes to playing music. If you're saying across the board ANY use is abuse you're just plain wrong. That's like looking at someone who abuses food and telling me I shouldn't eat anymore. You have to give a person credit for common sense until they prove otherwise. You can have a safe vanilla world or an interesting one that has some risk....I'll take the risk.
Weed smells ****ing awful. Besides that I don't have a particular issue with it. I don't care if people smoke it, but do it next to me and there will be a problem.
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