KingKahuuna said:
Last but not least, I highly recommend growing your own, at least you will know what your getting, and you don't run the risk of some fool spraying it with something like raid to kill his pests, never thinking that it would be absorbed by the plant and likely to poisen the smoker. Yikes.
Hey KK! Good to see you again!
Unfortunately (or, fortunately) the dangers of things like Raid products are highly overrated. I seriously doubt this could be the cause of these problems.
Raid is chemically active with very small percentages of pyrethroids, or pyrethrins or some other fancy word that just means derived (derivitive) from chrysanthimum flowers. As far as chemicals go, this one is fairly safe. *Please don't misconstrue my words as a means to rationalize usage* Check out the warning lable. It will state a "caution" warning. Chemicals will be classified in three basic catagories: 'Caution', 'warning' and 'danger'. 'Danger', of course, would signal the most dangerous chemicals and 'caution' the least caustic. Raid carries a 'caution' lable. Toothpaste carries a 'warning' lable and we put it in our mouths daily. How's that for nuts?
The truth is that pyrethrin oxydizes very quickly. That means it don't last long, i.e. you see a line of ants marching down a wall. You spray a line of Raid across their path and now they are 'cut off'. Come back in an hour and they are marching that same line like you never sprayed there to begin with. When pyrethrin hits oxygen it begins to oxydize and dry. Once this has happened the pyrethrin becomes completely inert. Completely.
Chemical companies try many tricks to fool consumers into thinking that their chemicals are much stronger than they are. This is a money making ploy. They might 'scent' the chemical (like propane) or put it in an oil base or a clay base. This does little more than help the chemical spread and stick. Sometimes you will run into a chemical that is advertised as "micro-incapsulated". This is slightly better in terms of staying power, but probably won't find that in any raid product. Raid and similar products claim they will be affective for 2 or more weeks. This is a complete lie. Products such as RID (what we would put on a childs head to fight lice) and bug bombs use this
exact same chemical. Pyrethrins. Could you imagine what a mess a bug bomb would be if the chemical lasted for weeks? Sheesh! Luckily, you set off a bug bomb, wait a few hours and all is safe. Sure it still smells a bit and sure there is a residue. This is due only to oils used for stickers and added scent, not the horrible chemical itself.
A good example and food for thought: Glyphosate and paraquat. Everyone knows paraquat, right? It's gramoxone or, better yet, agent orange. It carries a 'danger' warning. Guess what that means? Ok, it means if you took a mouthful you are toast, dead and done for, period. No coming back. Wouldn't wanna drink that, right?
How about glyphosate, more commonly known as 'round-up'? The systemic herbicide that works from the roots up and kills stuff dead? Would you drink that? Ok, for ten bucks I will
Shocked? Relax,
that's merely a chemical based social stigma (Hehehe, sound familiar??). You could drink round-up by the gallon and it will do little more to you than make you crap your pants. And only then because it is an oil base. By the way, it carries a 'caution' warning.
By the way.. Bleach? 'Danger'. Charcoal lighter fluid? 'Danger'. Pinesol? 'Warning'.
Cigarettes? 'Warning'. Raid? 'Caution'. Pledge furniture polish? 'Caution'. Cal-Mag? 'Caution'.
Ok, so I prefer to not use chemicals on my smoke or food. I am not preaching for Raid or anybody else, I prefer organics myself but I am also more than certain that Raid is not the cause of odd reactions to smoking weed. Thanks. Done.