Reply #225: Well...

[JohnLocke]

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/narcolep_doc.htm?format=printable">describes narcolepsy as "a disabling neurological disorder of sleep regulation that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. It may be described as an intrusion of the dreaming state of sleep (called REM or rapid eye movement sleep) into the waking state. Symptoms generally begin between the ages of 15 and 30. The four classic symptoms of the disorder are excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations." In other words, narcolepsy causes abnormal sleep patterns, which are treated with stimulants. The opposite of stimulants are depressants. Since pot is a depressant, it seems that taking pot would cause narcoleptics to have their symptoms exacerbated to a dangerous, life-threatening level. I'm not a doctor, that's just what it seems like to me.