I plan on becoming a surgeon, is it ok to smoke marijuana every once in awhile or should I not do it at all?

What does the first part of that sentence have to do with the second?

Yeah, it’s fine…

Just send me your name so I can avoid you.

jus saying what I plan on doing with my life and if smoking will mess it up cause if I can then I won’t do it..

@marina: what do you mean??

I think if you’re this worried about smoking pot and masturbating, maybe you should avoid both.

If you want to build a career in medicine you’d be foolish to smoke up. Ok, not foolish, how about really f!@#$ stupid. Now excuse me while I fire up the bong

How much weed affects you depends on things like the tolerance you build up to it, your own physiology, and the way that the drug affects you psychologically.

As far as being a surgeon and smoking weed goes, I know many doctors. About half of them – mostly younger docs – I know for sure have smoked. I myself rarely read or write anything, or play music, while sober, and I have not found the marijuana high to impede my thought process in any way. And I’ve been pretty successful academically. Smoking weed is not something that blocks one’s ability to learn or create, but just more changes the way you feel while you’re doing it.

@jonsblond When did younganny say anything about masturbation? Me confused.

If you’re always on your A-game at work, I don’t really care what you do in your private life, especially if it’s something harmless like you smoking up on occasion. If your work suffers because of it, that’s a different story, and if you came to work high, well, that raises a hell of a lot of ethical and moral issues.

If I knew that my surgeon was a pothead, he wouldn’t be my surgeon.

My advice is to consider the following two scenarios, and be careful to avoid one of them:

1. Someone goes to a party every couple of weeks where people are smoking dope, and takes a few hits, and enjoys the evening.

2. Someone wakes up in the morning and looks for the roaches from the night before. The first thing he or she does upon awakening is to get stoned, and he or she continues to smoke throughout the day.

If you are anywhere near #2, it’s time to seek assistance, whatever your profession.

Let’s say you get caught with the stuff and are arrested. Would that have an effect on your education and career? Just something you might want to think about.

Contrary to popular belief, lots of people smoke weed. People of all walks of life, including doctors.

Don’t think weed magically makes you incapable of becoming a surgeon.

I don’t have a problem with weed.

I wouldn’t care if my doctor smoked. But if my dentist or surgeon did I would care. Steady hands and all that jazz.

And it is cool. I doubt you will make it through med school if you smoke weed. Give it a go.

You are soon to discover just how many ‘potheads’ are on fluther, you may try asking a different audience after you get your responses here. That is being said without judgment flutheries ;)

No.

Sadly, a friends mother is dealing with the consequences of this (not a surgeon, but she is a doctor) They are forcing her to do multiple rehab programs each costing over five grand, just to be able to practice medicine again. All for a tiny bit of pot. It’s not worth the risks.

I have done Pot before, and I really don’t see what’s the big deal is. yes, you feel “happy” and dazed, but I’d rather not lose some braincells.

@wildpotato The other question that @younganny asked just before this. Thought I smelled a troll is all.

Whether lots of people smoke weed or not, consuming marijuana is illegal in this country. If you want to go into a profession as highly regarded as a surgeon’s, it may be a good idea to find a leisure activity that doesn’t carry a hefty fine or jail sentence. My advice: find something else that can get you more focused.

@Holden: good answer

I don’t know. I don’t smoke dope myself, but I was married for a long time to a woman who was a very senior executive at an international bank. Her pay was well into 7 figures per annum – a lot to lose, I think you would agree, but she smoked socially, with many other bankers.

Unless you live in Podunk, people are rather sophisticated about marijuana. I don’t think smoking it really endangers your job. Selling, providing, holding large amounts, well that’s stupid behavior for anyone, surgeon, banker or Wal*Mart clerk.

@holden Plenty of states allow small amounts for medical use. And anyway, OP doesn’t really say what country he/she lives in.

@Sarcasm OP I assumed that OP was asking about recreational, not medicinal, use, because why else would he feel the need to ask?

Sure, it is OK with me.

If you think smoking pot is going to get in the way of you being a surgeon, you might want to abstain.

How many surgeons completely abstain from alcohol?

Don’t get high while you’re, you know, doing surgery. But if you think drinking is okay (after hours) if you’re a surgeon, smoking is also okay, unless you’re just worried about the legality.

I’d imagine many surgeons do abstain from drinking considering they see the affects of alcohol abuse from the inside of a human body.

Well you’ve gotta consider that marijuana stays in one’s system for much longer than alcohol (not that I’m saying alcohol is better than, just a point of information).

@The_Compassionate_Heretic, you really think “many” surgeons are teetotalers?

I could just as easily say that many surgeons drink because of the stress.

@Qingu You are right. Many firefighters and policemen drink because of the stress of having to deal with the horrors of alcohol abuse and drunk drivers.

Well, I wasn’t saying that exactly. My point was that it doesn’t seem logical to draw a conclusion about the number of surgeons who drink based only on such an inference.

gotcha

I wouldn’t want you performing any surgeries on me… I would hope my surgeon would choose to be in his full mental capacity.

@:bbsdtfamily: its not like I’m going to perform surgeries while I’m high..

If you have to ask….
I mean really. Stay as far away from me and mine with your surgeon fingers and weedy mind…

@:bbsdtfamily: its not like I’m going to perform surgeries while I’m high..

Did you go to med school at all???????????

Everyone knows the effect stays in your system and affects your performance, your reaction time, your thought process etc long after the initial ‘high’.

@pdworkin: DOPE IS NOT MARIJUANA.

girlofscience
Eh…been smokin’ lately?!

Marijuana is not dope perhaps?

And even that is highly questionable.

@johanna: I haven’t even finished high school I’m only 15

@younganny
Ok…well, regardless of age at least you seem to have your priorities straight…
Not.

What is the difference between a surgeon getting bombed on alcohol on their own time and their smoking a spliff on their own time? No one seems to be bothered by the fact that their surgeon may be drinking off duty. For one, the substances are rather different. Weed doesn’t cause visible physical detoxing effects like shaking hands. A weed hangover is nothing like an alcohol hangover.

@MissAnthrope Smoking pot is illegal. If they are caught, there are severe repurcussions to their career. Just like my father’s job, he has to drive in a company truck. If he gets in any sort of fender bender, even if it is not his fault, he gets drug tested. He could lose his job because it’s a liability, if he were to smoke pot. I wouldn’t want an alcoholic doctor, but no one regulates alcohol and usually you can’t tell if someone’s been drinking (or smoking pot) hours afterwards.

I understand the legal and professional repercussions, but that wasn’t what I was referring to.. it was all the people saying they wouldn’t want the OP as a surgeon, as if smoking weed were a personal flaw. I don’t think it is, it’s a recreational substance that is not damaging if used in moderation, just like alcohol.

Yes, it’s illegal, but I personally feel that marijuana is dramatically overhyped by anti-drug types. I don’t agree that it should be illegal, any more than alcohol should be, but that’s an entirely different thread.

@younganny Even if you don’t perform surgeries while you’re high, you’re still killing brain cells and not keeping yourself in a stable mindframe at all times… it speaks volumes about your maturity level and seriousness in the profession and they’re not what a surgeon’s should be. Obviously you don’t know this from your response to me- but if you are a surgeon you are on call a lot, and even when you’re not on call could be called for an emergency so getting high while away from the hospital would be devastating to your career.

@johanna, “Everyone knows the effect stays in your system and affects your performance, your reaction time, your thought process etc long after the initial ‘high’.”

Really? Please support this assertion.

@Qingu In college I was in a class titled exactly “Marijuana”. The teacher allowed everyone to have their beliefs about how harmful, or not it was. Despite that it was and is quite clear that marijuana stays in your fat cells after the initial high. This is why you can be tested for marijuana days later and get a positive test result. Now there is still debates about whether the slow release from fat cells can cause effects at a later date but no matter what you believe (effects or not) the fact remains that this drug does release from your fat cells much slower than any other drug.

And since you asked for proof, here is what one source says about marijuana detox:
Tetrahydro cannabinol or THC is a known active toxin in marijuana. THC is a neuro-toxin. Neuro- means ‘nerve’ and toxin means ‘poison’. THC can damage the nerve cells of the body. THC can act like a virus by changing the nerve and other cells it invades. This is called cell mutation. If this wasn’t bad enough, THC detox is made difficult because cannabinols are fat soluble and store in fat cells and other cells. The fat cells eventually break down and leak the toxin back into the blood system. This causes cravings and also attention problems.

Saying THC remains in your system is not a controversial claim.

Saying the EFFECTS of marijuana consumption remain in your system post-high is a controversial claim. I don’t know how on earth you think your anecdote from your college class supports this.

The paragraph you cited sounds silly to me, as it’s basically engaging in semantics, doesn’t appear to argue that THC’s effects remain post-high.

Also, you didn’t provide a source. I googled it, though, and it’s from Yahoo Answers. The person appears to cite this website, which is a detox organization, not a scientific or medical organization; I could not find the exact text on their website though.

But most hilariously, the site says this in their about page: Narconon International is licensed by the Association for Better Living and Education to use the research discoveries of L. Ron Hubbard® in the fields of education and drug rehabilitation for secular and social betterment pursuits.

Do you have any sources that are not based on the wonderful for-profit ravings of the lunatic founder of Scientology?

@Qingu It certainly is not from Yahoo Answers. ROFL (although it is quite amusing that you found the information on YA). There are quite a few sites that address the information of detoxing from marijuana and how difficult it can be. These same sites also address the fact that THC is considered a nuerotoxin, which means poison to the nerves (how is that not a long-term affect?). Yes most of these sites are about drug rehabilitation. Of course most of the sites supporting marijuana are from marijuana support sites. Although I found many many more sites stating this information I am looking for one that does not come from the background of chemical dependence. I found this: http://cannabisnews.com/news/21/thread21343.shtml Anyhow I’m not about to get into a “citing” debate here as I don’t see you citing reputable sources either and I think it is a way for flutherites to deflect opposing viewpoints at times. Of course in college I had many resources available to me that I do not have at my fingertips now. And, of course, you know as well as I do that there is no irrefutable evidence on either side of the board when it comes to marijuana use. There are well-conducted studies on both sides of the fence.

My point initially is that marijuana does stay in your system for a long time. That is not arguable as you have said. This fact alone should deter some professionals from using the drug.

Anyhow I try and stay away from these ‘drug debates’. I did think it was relevant to point out that picking at sources for this topic will get no one anywhere and that the drug absolutely does stay in our systems for a long time meaning it may not be smart for a professional to use it. The extent of my argument.

I really do think that if you realistically research the topic you find that it does have affects after the initial high. As I said I’m not about to go back and research again to find “proof” for anyone. Go take your own class on the issue because the internet certainly does not prove a responsible source of information for this topic. Having said that, I did spend an entire semester debating this topic and although I do believe marijuana is a less offensive drug than most others (maybe all others) there is still information supporting the idea that marijuana has the capacity to create long-lasting effects (at minimal longer lasting than the initial high).

Calling THC a neurotoxin is semantics. The word “toxin” carries negative weight.

I’m not citing sources because I’m not the one making unsupported claims.

The fact that THC stays in your system a long time in no way means the effects of marijuana use stay in your system. If you want to make that claim, back it up with a scientific study. It is certainly not true in my personal experience and many others.

@Qingu
I highly doubt that the word nuerotoxin is semantics. It is not called a toxin for fun. It carries negative weight because it is a negative thing.

It is certainly not true in my personal experience and many others.

I think this is the crux of the argument. You are relying on personal experience. And those who enjoy the drug tend not to do reliable research on the topic. I prefer to believe the detox clinics, those who work with people who do have problems with marijuana, vs. personal experience.

Apparently we will have to agree to disagree, which as I recall is not abnormal.

@RedPowerLady, it is not clear whether THC is a “negative thing.” Many chemicals affect the brain without being poisonous.

Which my point—calling it a neuro toxin assumes it is a negative thing.

I’m not relying on personal experience; you made the claim. I haven’t seen any evidence to back up what you’re saying. You say you “believe detox clinics”—well, cite one that actually supports your claim. Preferably one that isn’t related to the bizarre cult of scientology.

We can disagree; you are entitled to your opinions, but you’re not entitled to your own facts.

On several occasions, I have gone from being a heavy smoker to not smoking at all for a year or two. At no point in my detox experiences did I ever get high or have any residual effect from the THC stored in my fat cells. I have plenty of adipose cells, therefore there must be a lot of THC stored in my body when I smoke heavily. I’ve even lost 20+ pounds during detox periods and the burning of that fat had no affect on me either.

Now, I will agree that if you are a heavy smoker and you quit, it can take a week or two for the fog to lift entirely. Note that I said heavy smoker, not ‘casual smoker’. But to claim that you can get high off adipose-released THC or there are residual affects is ludicrous. However, the OP doesn’t sound like she is even talking about heavy use, so that’s an entirely different story.

Lastly, a lot of things are neurotoxins, including alcohol, which is commonly ingested and which causes all sorts of inane, disruptive, and violent behavior, and yet has far less of a social stigma.

@Qingu
First of all you did say ‘It is certainly not true in my personal experience and many others.’
Maybe that was a result of the scientifically proven short term memory loss one gets from smoking?

As to prove my earlier claims that the effects remain in the body; just check any serious study on the effect on smoking. An easy way to start is webmd.com. Skeptoid is also a good way to check for quackery and general stupidity.

The original question was a 15 year old asking if it is ok to smoke and work as a surgeon. Not only do I find it extremely disconcerting that someone would ask such an inane question at such a young age and that he or she would even find it at all relevant to a career choice but also I find most answers here completely selfish and with no regard for what a surgeon actually does. Personal beliefs are really not relevant when you are dealing with other peoples life and health. Yhere are certain laws and rules for people in such professions for a reason. No surgeon should drink, smoke pot or do any mind- or performance altering drugs when they are on duty or could be called on duty. Just like no one should drink or do drugs and drive because they are risking others lives. What people chose to do with their bodies when it only affects them is their own business, but no one has the right to risk other peoples safety for ones own pleasure. Also, smoke, drink or shoot what the xxx you want but don’t go around spreading propaganda making kids think it is either cool or safe when it is not. enjoy it as much as you want but don’t make false claims and don’t be an as.

Have you seen Little Shop of Horrors?

@johanna – Where in this thread is anyone encouraging drugs while on duty or on call? If you look back, I know I specifically said ”on your own time”.

@johanna, very cute joke, re: memory loss.

Cite where webmd says the “effects” remain in the body. I could find no such statement, and I’ve researched this topic before. (I think it’s funny that you accused me of “spreading propaganda” and “making false claims)

The original poster was not asking if it’s okay to be high while performing surgery.

If you think no surgeon should drink, ever, then at least you are being consistent since smoking is no more dangerous than drinking. But I doubt many surgeons would agree that they should be teetotalers.

And I think dishonestly exaggerating the negative effects of drugs to kids is more harmful than being honest with him. This kid, like most kids, is probably going to smoke a bowl someday, and when he realizes that it’s not this terrible poison that keeps you high for your entire life, he’s not going to trust anything else people like you have to tell him either. Your attitude is why DARE is such a disaster. I hope you improve it if you actually hope to have a positive effect on “the children.”