Smoking Weed Underground

[mikem]

mindat (radioactivity counts are about the same in both):

Whilst uranium ores had been found in other Cornish mines occurrence was sporadic. South Terras was unique in Cornwall in that a lode of some 250 fathoms length (457.2m) was found with uranium derivatives being the principal ores (taken from the Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall Vol. 1, 1993).

 

[2xw]

You'd never be able to seperate it from the potentially high radon in Derbyshire houses, 30% of which have too high radon anyways. I worked out the time in giants versus time in my house in terms of radon exposure and it's not /that/ unfavourable tbh. Maybe I should start smoking down there

 

[Paul Marvin]

Granite ge

Granite generally contains more radon than limestone (so avoid Edinburgh & Cornwall...)

nerally contains more radon than limestone (so avoid Edinburgh & Cornwall...)

We have both in Derbyshire dependent on which part, that is why (I been told that ) we have the The White Peak and The Dark Peak areas of the Peak District. Today's trivia is " why is it called the "Peak District" and its not the obvious ?

 

[pwhole]

I've theorised that the months/years spent digging at the high Radon bottom of Nettle Pot combined with his smoking is what caused Frank Brown's lung cancer.

The only time I went to the bottom of Nettle, the CO2 levels were so high we could barely breathe, and we had to prussik straight back up again - 50m just to the main bedding, where it was tolerable, but still very high. That was the worst climb I've ever done, and I had to leave my mate at the bottom slowly suffocating whilst I tried to go as quickly as I could, which wasn't very quick, and I was gasping for the entire pitch. We measured it a fortnight or so later and I think it was 2.6% - manageable on an easy stroll in Water Icicle, but definitely not SRT. I don't know how FB managed digging down there - I know it varies, but it's always obviously high - which just reminded me of the original topic.

And no comments on the alcohol report then? 

 

[mikem]

Smoking does increase your tolerance to CO2.

 

[Flotsam]

I've theorised that the months/years spent digging at the high Radon bottom of Nettle Pot combined with his smoking is what caused Frank Brown's lung cancer.

The only time I went to the bottom of Nettle, the CO2 levels were so high we could barely breathe, and we had to prussik straight back up again - 50m just to the main bedding, where it was tolerable, but still very high. That was the worst climb I've ever done, and I had to leave my mate at the bottom slowly suffocating whilst I tried to go as quickly as I could, which wasn't very quick, and I was gasping for the entire pitch. We measured it a fortnight or so later and I think it was 2.6% - manageable on an easy stroll in Water Icicle, but definitely not SRT. I don't know how FB managed digging down there - I know it varies, but it's always obviously high - which just reminded me of the original topic.

And no comments on the alcohol report then? 

The CO2 wouldn't have bothered Frank he had the essential spliff going. Mind you oxygen was needed to keep the joint going.

 

[Boy Engineer]

And this just in - ohohoh. I look forward to comments tomorrow evening, but it's past my bedtime

Here you go. Having spent much of today casking 1200 litres of beer and then cleaning a fermenter, it?s not the consumption that I?m worried about, but the knackering effect (on me) of brewing. I?m probably physically fitter than I?ve ever been, but mentally exhausted after the last year. Holding out for a peer-review from a cask ale fan.

 

[pwhole]

The CO2 wouldn't have bothered Frank he had the essential spliff going. Mind you oxygen was needed to keep the joint going.

He seems like the kind of guy to take an oxygen generator down, just for that purpose. He sounds like me, basically - wish I could have met him, but I wasn't caving then - well, at least not 'properly'

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Rusophycus and Pecs?tan -- Two things I've learned today from you folks at "Adit-ukcaving". But, will I still remember any of it tomorrow?

Wait a minute.. Googled some more, that's a sneaky trick Paul. A double bluff.
It *is* named after what I had assumed just indirectly because of what Pecs?tan means!

 

[EFRESHW]

This is an interesting topic and I wanted to add my 2 cents as a self-proclaimed 'connoisseur'.

On face value, (much like the rest of society who deems alcohol more acceptable), I find it interesting how being incredibly intoxicated the night before, and having a 'hang over' is decided as 'part of the fun of the sport', whilst perhaps a small micro-dose of cannabis would be considered innapropriate.

What hasn't been mentioned is the % of THC and CBD here. I believe that people with anxiety would actually BENEFIT from a few tokes (MICRODOSE, literally maybe even one puff) of a high CBD and low THC strain before caving. Obviously, this needs to come with prior experimentation on a very personal level. I would never suggest to dose something you havn't already tried out in the past. (AKA: find the right strain for you which you know will calm you down, and make you BETTER and more focused when caving, not something that will drain you out!) I'd also like to point out that you should know what you're taking, (TEST IT! is it laced? Where does it come from? Who grew it? What strain is it?) and TELL YOUR FRIENDS before going in. Also, is this a cave you're comfortable with? its best to pick somewhere you already feel comfortable with and you have done before. This is just what I'd do if I decided to smoke before going under. Legal or not, know what you're taking and the situation you're going into.

I have never done this, but I can see that with the right strain, it would be something excellent for me to do perhaps half an hour/ an hour before caving. It would probably make me a better communicator with my mates about my fears underground and make me feel genuinely better at being with the feeling of being scared.

Bringing it back to alcohol, I've found it VERY uncomfortable in the past how this is seen as 'fine'. Many cavers I've known have gone caving with less than 4 hrs of sleep and a hangover. That completely throws me and I find a sleep-deprived, hungover caver, a dangerous one.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

We have to avoid arguments based on:  doing X is OK because look at those people they do something worse
Or the other issue is arguments based on, someone does X but they feel fine so it's OK.
We need objective data and the only way we can get any sort of meaningful data is from standardised testing

I propose we take a large group of cavers and mine explorers and randomly allocate them into 3 groups
1) Massively hungover (sponsorship opportunity)
2) Heavy "smoking"
3) Control group. But to counteract https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect, the control group needs to feel like they're truly participating, perhaps sponsorship opportunity with Volvic/Evian to provide them "Alcohol free Vodka" so they don't realise they've been placed in the control group

A suitable through trip venue found involving sections of SRT etc, carbon dioxide pockets, "Jenga" (crawling between rotten stemples) and "minefield" (ancient blasting caps on floor). A team of beaters drive subjects in one end of the trip and using chip times we can see how quickly each breaks cover at the other end and in what condition.

I'm sure Sheffield Hallam University has found funding for far less worthy and obscure studies in the past and let's face "Deep Time" got funding for some French people to sit round a large folding table underground for 40 days. So I'd be pretty confident that this could attract funding, sponsorship if correctly exploited and probably run at a profit.

This is the only objective way to settle this thread and I'd expect the BCA to jump on this one as a priority.

 

[sinker]

We have to avoid arguments based on:  doing X is OK because look at those people they do something worse

This thread is going a long way towards confirming that there is nothing more boring in life than a "pro-weed" advocate. All the science and pseudo-science and the endless comparisons with alcohol....yawn.

I'm sure alcohol is much more widely used and therefore abused and therefore wrecks many more lives than weed but trying to pass weed off as the clever, intelligent, mis-understood alternative is just na?ve. It just messes your head up in a different way.

 

[JoshW]

This thread is going a long way towards confirming that there is nothing more boring in life than a "pro-weed" advocate.

My biggest argument for legalising weed for a long time (got better things to argue about now) was that it would shut up the pro-weed advocates, which has to be seen as a benefit for all!

 

[pwhole]

This is the only objective way to settle this thread and I'd expect the BCA to jump on this one as a priority.

Fabulous - put me on the list

 

[pwhole]

It just messes your head up in a different way.

Yes, but it's a way that you can still do useful things on it, unlike alcohol. I accept that alcohol's pretty good to 'get the party started', but it tends to be all downhill from there, and you definitely have to go to sleep to wipe it out. You can't get pissed in the afternoon and expect to have a productive evening. I'm a pretty busy chap, and it's never stopped me doing anything, nor degraded my performance either. Or if it has, I'd only be better than I am now, but I'm quite happy 'as is'.

EFRESHW's comments about THC/CBD are also extremely relevant, but I'm not going to post any science links, don't worry

 

[Paul Marvin]

Well guys I never expected to open a can of worms to this extent, BUT lets face it with all the comparisons about whats right or wrong would anybody go caving ( proper caving, not walking about underground ) or especially cave diving where you REALLY have to be 110% switched on? the tiniest of errors will cost you your life, especially with anybody that was under the influence of any drink ( yes we know its legal ) or " recreational " drugs . As for being switched on I remember doing a deep technical dive course and thinking I could do a task at 50m about the same time, or thereabouts ( it felt the same ) the instructor timed me and it took over three times longer than on the surface ! I couldn't believe it , it wasn't even difficult or complicated. You can after all be to laid back and that is also dangerous and will lead to complacency, a healthy sense of fear keeps your feet firmly on the ground.
Lets end it here guys as the last thing I wanted is to create a bun fight , I am certainly not that type of guy as anybody that knows me personally will confirm .  :halo:

 

[2xw]

I don't think you've started a bun fight. It's an interesting discussion. I don't think anybody could ever claim cannabis isn't damaging - especially so to young people and especially the act of setting something on fire and inhaling it, especially given that cannabis has only been getting stronger due to its black market status. I'm personally only interested in legalisation because I have a botany degree and access to a warehouse...

Not sure it's comparable to deep technical dives tho. I know divers who partake in various substances and they look way more f'd after diving than when they've been imbibing various entheogens. And some of the people who've made a career deep diving always seem a bit messed up in the head.

Anyways, I'm not keen on people smoking anything underground principally because of the antisocial side effects and the potential effects on flora and fauna

 

[sinker]

It just messes your head up in a different way.

Yes, but it's a way that you can still do useful things on it, unlike alcohol. I accept that alcohol's pretty good to 'get the party started', but it tends to be all downhill from there, and you definitely have to go to sleep to wipe it out. You can't get pissed in the afternoon and expect to have a productive evening. I'm a pretty busy chap, and it's never stopped me doing anything, nor degraded my performance either. Or if it has, I'd only be better than I am now, but I'm quite happy 'as is'.

EFRESHW's comments about THC/CBD are also extremely relevant, but I'm not going to post any science links, don't worry

As I said.... "yawn"....

 

[tomferry]

I remember one certain good thing it did many years ago when a large certain stone mine was open and are guide had got us lost , he said down had a fat one and then remembered the way 

 

[Cantclimbtom]

... when a large certain stone mine was open ...

  Stop right there. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are we to trigger the mine/quarry debate. If anyone needs anything more boring than technical THC discussions, it has to be that