Cannabis and diving

[lulubelle]

DAN should do a study on this...I'm sure they wouldn't have too hard of a time finding volunteers!

I've always theorized that individuals who are regular users are used to operating 'impaired' and therefore would manage the narcosis a bit better.

It has been my experience that regular users tend to drink more water (fear of getting too fat from other munchies) and would be less likely to be dehydrated and less likely to experience DCS!

I can wish, right?

Impaired is impaired, so I will have to disagree with you here.

I have NO desire to dive with someone who is high, none, zilch, nada. But I'd be interested to know what the effects are on diving and how long they last.

I mostly got on the bandwagon because there are legitimate medical uses and for some of those uses, use would be safer than the options which are legal.

 

[Sauerkraut]

I have NO desire to dive with someone who is high, none, zilch, nada.

speak for yourself. haha XD

no, much respect, i see where you are coming from completely. But, if impaired is impaired, does that include divers taking prescription medicine that may or may not dilute their decision making abilities?

 

[AquaExplorer]

It has been some time since I've smoked, and I never did it in close proximity to a dive. I certainly would never dive under the influence of any mind altering substance other than necessary prescription meds. I don't drink the night before I dive. However, that is because I'm an old geezer and my body has seen its better days, and do dives that involve some risk already... I don't want to totally push the limits.

Agree that the OP is a reasonable one since not all cultures are as hypocritical as ours regarding their allowed mind alterants (I say legalize and tax it like everything else here in California). Unfortunately I can't comment medically on the issue, since I only play a "doctor" on TV. However, in the days I used I would never consider diving, driving or even working when using it.

The problem is more than hypocrisy. Cannabis and other "drugs" simply act/affect the body a LOT differently than alcohol.

 

[paddler3d]

Impaired is impaired, so I will have to disagree with you here.

I just want to be clear...I'm not advocating sparking up a bowl, strapping on the gear and down you go.

I'm saying the regular user of weed tend to do things while high. They are used to operating impaired. I'm just saying that a non-smoker who is narcd may not be as functional as a smoker who is narcd.

That is all I'm saying.

 

[AquaExplorer]

For the record, I haven't smoked or drank for over 25 years. But I find it fascinating that the op got hammered for the question. How many divers do a fair amount of drinking the night prior to a dive? To pound cannabis users is hypocritical to me.

What is "hammered"? While he number of drinks consumed is a poor measure of BAC, largely because of variations in weight, sex, and body fat. However, it is generally accepted that the consumption from sober of one standard drink of alcohol (e.g. 14 grams (17.74 ml) ethanol content by U.S. standard) will increase the average person's BAC roughly 0.02% to 0.05% and would return to 0% about 1.5 to 3 hours later (at a dissipation rate of around 0.015% per hour). [Wikipedia]

We have very very little understanding of Cannabis or other drugs, and what we do know about them is that their metabolism rates are a LOT longer.

I am not defending heavy drinking at all (hell I am a pilot and do not drink before I fly....) but the truth is that alcohol is vastly different and it gets tiring hearing the "they are the same" line.

 

[Sauerkraut]

I think they meant hammered as in, the OP got drilled for supporting marijuana. But still. Im sick of they are the same line as well.

 

[lulubelle]

speak for yourself. haha XD

no, much respect, i see where you are coming from completely. But, if impaired is impaired, does that include divers taking prescription medicine that may or may not dilute their decision making abilities?

Sure it does. But not everyone taking a prescription drug will have side effects, and it is the responsibility of the individual and their doctor to determine their fitness to dive while taking them.

On the other hand, pretty much everyone who tokes does so because it impairs them. Until the affects of doing so in context of diving are understood, I'd say that the two should remain mutually exclusive. But I'd still rather have a dive buddy who smoked last night than one who downed a 12 pack.

 

[Gene_Hobbs]

I'm a great believer in information being freely available mate. I'v no idea about the legalities of posting here though.

It is a USN Technical Report and copyright free. The reports on this and other drugs have been in our "suggested reading list" for quite some time.

 

[Sauerkraut]

bookmarked

 

[diverdorr68]

I smoked tropical sativas while in the Philippines for some years. After building a reasonable tolerance to this type of cannabis I dove the following day or even a few hours after smoking and no negative physiological effects many times. When having used the more psychedelic varieties it wasn't uncommon to see the ultra violet from soft corals. I had found this out after pointing out the 'new' coral growing on a part of the house reef to my buddy and him being clueless. After the dive we checked it out and sure enough the coral was putting off UV.
I would not advocate that anyone smoke cannabis just before diving. Just like alcohol, good decisions have to be made in advance. Though, unlike alcohol, good decisions are typically still possible to make when having smoked as opposed to drinking alcohol.
Be a responsible diver no matter what drug or medicine you choose to use, whether it be beer, liquor, cannabis, or pharmaceuticals.

To daily MMJ users:
There are some strains that I am perfectly fine to drive my car even moments after smoking, and others that I wouldn't dare. It is no different with diving. If it suits you and doesn't leave you unable to concentrate or focus when driving a car on a busy road then maybe...
Keywords being focus and concentrate.
To non-smokers, an important thing to remember is that smoking cannabis will not cause you to lose your fears like is commonplace with alcohol. As such, divers who also use cannabis normally don't choose to do stupid things, like diving high.
Before you trash the plant, I've been on boats where the beers are cracked open as the sun came up and few complaints, so keep your ignorance and misinformation to yourself if you've ever sipped a beer the day of your dive(or between them). I'm off 7 different prescriptions since beginning cannabis medically in 2010 and this is an important topic. Please treat this seriously, and respect those who choose nature over chemicals in their bodies for treating themselves.