Weed Smoking and Comas from Jumping out Windows

Horserider · Mar 27, 2010

I swear these are related. Okay, they're not really except for the fact that I use them both in a novel.

My first question is: what are the visible side effects from smoking weed in one small room for months? Someone told me that it actually causes stains on the walls and then of course there's the smell. Also, what would the withdrawal systems be for someone that smokes a few times a day for about six months?

My second question is: is it possible for someone to die and/or go into a coma after jumping head-first out of a second-story window? If it's not, would a third-story window or the roof of a second- or third-story home work?

Fenika · Mar 27, 2010

All I can say is I know someone who jumped out a 2nd story window, landed on his feet, and broke his back. He still had full use of his legs, but he wasn't exactly walking around for awhile. He did this while drunk, so it likely did a ton to help him from breaking more than his back.

Maryn · Mar 27, 2010

Horserider said:
My first question is: what are the visible side effects from smoking weed in one small room for months? Someone told me that it actually causes stains on the walls and then of course there's the smell.

It takes years of heavy smoking to have 'tar' penetrate the walls, longer if they're real plaster rather than drywall. Of course, when you smoke weed, you're not smoking nearly as much as someone who smokes tobacco. You'd be adding far less smoke to the room than a person who smokes, say, two packs of cigarettes every day. If you need the stained walls, have your weed-smoker also smoke cigarettes fairly heavily.

A friend who bought a house with this problem learned the previous owners had it for more than 20 years, all three adults heavy smokers. She used various products to clean the walls, and to seal them before painting, but yellow-brown stains emerged after a few weeks. Eventually she had to replace much of the drywall; it was simply embedded.

Also, what would the withdrawal systems be for someone that smokes a few times a day for about six months?

The statute of limitations has expired for us hippies. Withdrawal is very like quitting smoking. It's not the getting high you miss. It's the smoking. You might find yourself more irritable, critical of others and of yourself, when you're no longer stoned, but that's about it for withdrawal symptoms. Cigarette smoking satisfies the I-gotta-smoke-something urge.

My second question is: is it possible for someone to die and/or go into a coma after jumping head-first out of a second-story window? If it's not, would a third-story window or the roof of a second- or third-story home work?

Easily. It's all about how you land. Land well, and you have no injuries at all. Land badly, and you're dead. Anything in between is possible.

A woman I know who used to be a nurse told me about two patients she had almost back to back, both paralyzed from the chest or neck down. One jumped down five stair steps inside his own house--and landed badly. The other lost his balance and fell off a bar stool. (He was on his first beer.)

So whatever medical condition you need for your story will be possible in a one-story fall.

Maryn, hoping this helps

Horserider · Mar 27, 2010

It takes years of heavy smoking to have 'tar' penetrate the walls, longer if they're real plaster rather than drywall. Of course, when you smoke weed, you're not smoking nearly as much as someone who smokes tobacco. You'd be adding far less smoke to the room than a person who smokes, say, two packs of cigarettes every day. If you need the stained walls, have your weed-smoker also smoke cigarettes fairly heavily.

Great, thanks! The problem I didn't want the walls to be stained. Someone told me that they would be. What about the smell? Would it be obvious?

That's perfect. Someone told me that the worst that could happen with her jumping out her second-story window was a broken leg. Maybe I should specify that the jump is head-first...

PeterL · Mar 27, 2010

Horserider said:
My first question is: what are the visible side effects from smoking weed in one small room for months? Someone told me that it actually causes stains on the walls and then of course there's the smell. Also, what would the withdrawal systems be for someone that smokes a few times a day for about six months?

After only six months there might not even be visible stains. Particles might be attracted by electrical devices, rather than going onto the walls. There would be no actual withdrawal symptoms, but the person might seem a little edgy. Short term use of pot doesn't much.

My second question is: is it possible for someone to die and/or go into a coma after jumping head-first out of a second-story window? If it's not, would a third-story window or the roof of a second- or third-story home work?

If someone landed headfirst on concrete from a second story window, it probably would not kill. Whether it would cause a coma would be an individual thing. Whether someone would die from a jump from a third story window is iffy. Ajump from the the roof of a three story building could kill most people, if they landed suitablly.

shaldna · Mar 27, 2010

Horserider said:
That's perfect. Someone told me that the worst that could happen with her jumping out her second-story window was a broken leg. Maybe I should specify that the jump is head-first...

it's all about the landing. i've seen people killed falling six feet off a horse. and you hear news reportsall the time of people falling great heights and surviving. there was one here over the summer who was sky diving and her chute didn't open but she was fine

Keyan · Mar 27, 2010

Horserider said:
Great, thanks! The problem I didn't want the walls to be stained. Someone told me that they would be. What about the smell? Would it be obvious?

That's perfect. Someone told me that the worst that could happen with her jumping out her second-story window was a broken leg. Maybe I should specify that the jump is head-first...

Was she smoking with the window open or closed? How good was the air-circulation? If circulation was good and the window open, I'd expect that the smell would dissipate within a few hours of the last smoke.

Horserider · Mar 27, 2010

Was she smoking with the window open or closed? How good was the air-circulation? If circulation was good and the window open, I'd expect that the smell would dissipate within a few hours of the last smoke.

Either. Open because she'd assume that would help.

JulieHowe · Mar 27, 2010

I had friends who smoked marijuana constantly. The walls of their house weren't yellow and the place didn't smell funny - no yellowed curtains either, even though they kept the doors and windows closed. The one thing they did have to replace every three months were computer keyboards because the ash (or whatever you call it) kept falling in between the keys.

Maryn · Mar 27, 2010

Okay, if you don't want stained walls, have them smoke weed, no tobacco. Have them use a forced-air furnace (which is what's in most US homes) and either window fans or air conditioning in summer, to move air.

Hard surfaces like walls and wood furniture will not pick up enough crud from six months of smoking. Upholstered furniture, rugs, and draperies might have a slight lingering odor for a time, but a thorough airing out (or a cleaning) would eliminate it completely.

Remember, on the fall, that many houses have various plantings or architectural details which can break or redirect a fall. Maybe he starts out feet-down, but hits a tree branch which pitches him forward or backward, hitting his head on the trunk or making him land on it.

Maryn, afraid of heights

Kathie Freeman · Mar 28, 2010

From my experience as a non-smoker, no amount of "airing out" is going to remove the odor from upholstery and drapes. They will have to be cleaned. I can walk into a (tobacco) smoker's house with the windows wide open and still smell it. Don't know that much about pot but would guess it's about the same. In the supermarket I can smell a heavy smoker 10 feet away. It gets in your hair, skin, and clothes.

Jumping out a window head first is more likely to result in a broken neck than a coma. Skull bones are pretty strong, though mild concussion is a possibility.

Chasing the Horizon · Mar 28, 2010

Smoking pot isn't going to discolor anything. When I was a teenager my friends and I smoked tons of pot and even more cigarettes in my room and the walls looked just fine when I moved out. I'm still a heavy cigarette smoker and the only thing stained in my house now are the fake plastic 'crystals' on my floor lamp. Those stains would come off if I ever bothered to wash it. Smoking can also leave a film on windows and computer/tv screens, but again this washes off with a good cleaner.

The smell of pot, while potent and instantly recognizable, doesn't really linger IME. Most heavy pot smokers also smoke cigarettes, and it's the cigarettes you smell. You only smell pot if they've smoked recently (like, within hours).

jclarkdawe · Mar 29, 2010

With falls, there is no absolute. Although you are very likely to survive a fall from tripping (0' fall), people have died. And although you are very likely to die from a fall from one mile up, people have survived.

The only statistic I know of is that a fall from from three times your height (if you're 6' tall, a fall from 18') has a 50% fatality rate or a 50% survivability rate. Falls from less than three times your height increase the survivability rate above 50%. Falls from more than three times your height increase the fatality rate above 50%.

This figure is from the Center for Disease Control. I don't know of anyone who has broken this down any further.

So a fall from a one story window has a better than 50% survivability rate, but no guarantees you won't die.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

shaldna · Mar 29, 2010

I know that the optimum height for a cat to jump out of a window is 7 stories. they can reach terminal velocity and they land safely. Anything above 3 stories and below seven and they usually die because they can't get ready for landing. Above 7 and they die.

Not that this is relevant at all. I just through i'd drop it in there.

CheyElizabeth · Mar 29, 2010

I'd say the main withdrawl of quitting smoking pot is getting extremely pissed off when you start sucking at xbox..

It is nothing like quitting smoking tobacco, most people I know have done it just fine, you'll miss the high but you won't go crazy without it, unless you're someone who just HAS to be addicted to something. Most people survive. Life just gets a bit more boring.

Also, no stains on the walls like everyone else has said, as for the smell, if you fabreeze the place or leave the windows open for a few hours, the smell should go away. I've been in small apartments with five people smoking pot all day and if you light a candle, the next day you can't smell it.

WMcQuaig · Mar 29, 2010

With my experience with weed, Does it stain? No, Or at least not like cigarettes do. In fact, I actually smoked cigarettes in my home office just to leave that "cigarette stain" smell just in case someone came in shortly after (within a couple of hours) of a bowl. The people I had who might have come in, wouldn't know the smell of weed if it smacked them in the face.

What about the withdraw symptoms? Again there are none, or at least not like cigarettes. Yes, it is arguable that weed is addictive but that is solely on a personal level. Is it chemically addictive? Absolutely not. There is nothing in it that takes over forcing people to smoke if they don't want too. Is it mentally addictive? I would say yes. That depends on the person though, since it does effect everyone differently. Most people I know, including myself, say that stopping makes them physically feel better (Not tired 24/7, able to pay attention, Can converse with people normally without going into hysterical fits of laughter) the only thing that sucks is that they aren't high anymore.

Depending on the character though, I would suggest watching "Super High Me" starring Doug Benson. First off all, hysterical. Secondly, It paints a pretty good portrait of a fairly normal person just trying to get stoned and not get arrested.

As for the falling thing, I have absolutely no idea.

Weed Smoking and Comas from Jumping out Windows

Horserider

Ever onward

Fenika

Maryn

At Sea

Horserider

Ever onward

PeterL

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

Keyan

ubiquitous

Horserider

Ever onward

JulieHowe

Spent the night with Jack Daniels

Maryn

At Sea

Kathie Freeman

That Crazy Cat Lady

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind

jclarkdawe

Feeling lucky, Query?

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

CheyElizabeth

My horn can pierce the sky!

WMcQuaig

insert something original or whitty