The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Huh, interesting. Findings sound right at first blush, but of course you always want more then one set of results.
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Casual marijuana use causes brain abnormalities in the young: study
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They probably didn't regulate the amount of weed smoked by the participants in the study and just relied on self-reported usage.
Mengy
wishes it were bannable to say mean things about Marvel
You say that like it makes it okay to use it then? Are you trying to justify it to yourself?
The bigger question is: why do you feel the need to poison yourself regularly?
even suicide?
I had to stop, in hindsight i realize i was addicted. i always felt like like i needed to have a stash on deck, and i even simple things like going to a movie, concert, or eating certain foods required that i be baked. it was all fun and games for the longest time, but slowly but surely the frequency of anxiety attacks and paranoia increased to the point it became the norm. it fucked up my life, friendships and career. then again, my family has crazy on both sides. so really i just think with certain people, they definitely should not become regular smokers because it can bring out the worst in some people. i know other people who never have any problems and smoke as much or more than i did. and this post is not anti pot, i also feel many people should not become regular drinkers. hell some people cannot even handle porn without becoming obsessive and letting it fuck up their brain. there are lots of things that are just not good for every person.
I have spent thousands on this shit and quit for good recently. I will never touch it again.
It's a wonderful drug in terms of the highs you get, but people who say it isn't addictive to a certain extent are speaking nonsense.
It consumed my life for awhile, couldn't function through the day without a joint every few hours. It makes you feel like shit, knowing the money you are smoking away, so you buy more to make yourself feel better and to relive that delightful feeling of having no responsibilities.
But you also feel dulled and motivationless. I would just sit all day gaming/watching TV/messing around on the computer and the state of my flat deteriorated to shit because I was so high all the time I couldn't be bothered to clean it. I would forget what I said just ten seconds ago to my boyfriend sat right to me, and that was frightening.
Feel like a huge weight has been lifted since quitting and my life is now getting back on track. If you enjoy it, enjoy it in moderation and don't let it consume you like I did.
It's a wonderful drug in terms of the highs you get, but people who say it isn't addictive to a certain extent are speaking nonsense.
It consumed my life for awhile, couldn't function through the day without a joint every few hours. It makes you feel like shit, knowing the money you are smoking away, so you buy more to make yourself feel better and to relive that delightful feeling of having no responsibilities.
But you also feel dulled and motivationless. I would just sit all day gaming/watching TV/messing around on the computer and the state of my flat deteriorated to shit because I was so high all the time I couldn't be bothered to clean it. I would forget what I said just ten seconds ago to my boyfriend sat right to me, and that was frightening.
Feel like a huge weight has been lifted since quitting and my life is now getting back on track. If you enjoy it, enjoy it in moderation and don't let it consume you like I did.
Well, when high food tastes better, music sounds better, my body feels better. I feel happier, and am able to think in ways I cannot when sober. I am able to understand broader viewpoints and alter my regular cycle of thinking.
Just like you say "why do you feel the need to poison yourself?", things you can't understand. Altering your normal thought process would probably help you understand.
kurisu_1974
Member
But is weed the issue, or are you unable to handle it? I know, it's a subtle distinction, that will get you nowhere, but I've been smoking daily for 20 years, have a job, a wife, a clean house with garden... only smoke evenings/nights... it actually motivates me to do stuff, and I get less annoyed at the general stupidity of people around me.
I know, it's as anecdotal as your story, but you're presenting it as some sort of thruth.
I'd say that the bigger question is "how come teetotalers are ok with sobriety for an entire life", since that's, you know, the abnormality.
Most people feel the need to blow off steam every now and then. Whether that's with alcohol, weed or some other drug is just a matter of preference. It's also something you rarely feel the need to justify, since pretty much everyone else also does it.
Sorry but the problem there was you for the most part.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
You get a much better high is all I know but people that are really into it swear it's a 1000x healthier or whatever
"Good becomes great. Bad becomes worse"
This exactly. I find it to be like an amplifier, everything becomes more intense. If you're a lazy person, you're going to be a really lazy person, but that's you. If you're uncomfortable with your own thoughts, opinions or path in life, you're probably going to freak out.
On the other hand, if you're motivated you're probably going to go on an intense cleaning spree and it's going to feel great and be fun.
I agree with this. Once it becomes a habit, that's when you might need to slow down a bit. And you can tell yourself that you can stop any time, and I did whenever things were dry or had to travel for work etc, but it was always in the back of my mind. One thing is for certain, my wallet is a hell of a lot heavier these days. I had the money to blow through but I was blowing through way too much of it.
Nah, that's the same reason I won't ever touch the stuff again. I was a pretty moderate user in my early teens, ran out of money and supply for a while, then tried it again in my early twenties. It made me lethargic, sleepy, and stripped all my motivations for doing anything. Meh, what a boring drug.
That's the odd thing, I'm categorically not a lazy person. I'm always active doing something, but weed just stripped that activity right out of me.
I love the smell, but I don't smoke it either. I also enjoy the smell of cigars from time to time, but I don't smoke those either.
Yup, that's exactly me.
Weed turns me into a zombie. Since quitting I've been up and about every day, doing something every day to keep myself productive.
Fourth Storm
Member
Well, I think it smells good, almost citrus-y at times, but it definitely carries the potential to affect motivation, at least in some. I've also seen long term users develop anxiety issues who never had them before - one person was actually hospitalized because they couldn't eat without weed.
Since cleaning was brought up, I do know people who get motivated to clean when high, but maybe they actually enjoy cleaning like many of us enjoy gaming. *shrugs*
There's variation in body chemistry from person to person, so I don't think it's controversial to say it affects different people to different degrees. I'd like to see some more unbiased studies on the topic.
Since cleaning was brought up, I do know people who get motivated to clean when high, but maybe they actually enjoy cleaning like many of us enjoy gaming. *shrugs*
There's variation in body chemistry from person to person, so I don't think it's controversial to say it affects different people to different degrees. I'd like to see some more unbiased studies on the topic.
There's a huge difference between 1 and 7 joints a week.
To put it in drinking terms it's like saying drinking a 6-pack between 1 and 7 times a week. So as a basal matter there is a problem with their experimental design. I'm far more interested in seeing the long-term effects of actual casual marijuana smoking. What are the effects of smoking a bowl once a week or every other week? I think it would be a more interesting study.
To put it in drinking terms it's like saying drinking a 6-pack between 1 and 7 times a week. So as a basal matter there is a problem with their experimental design. I'm far more interested in seeing the long-term effects of actual casual marijuana smoking. What are the effects of smoking a bowl once a week or every other week? I think it would be a more interesting study.
kurisu_1974
Member
A single joint isn't anywhere near a 6-pack though. Drink a six-pack and you're (pleasantly) drunk for the rest of the evening. Drink a six pack every day and you'll soon be a wreck of a man (unless you're under 25, in which case you're fine.. for a few years more =)
I'd say it's more like a glass of whisky every time you get home from work.
Depends on how how much weed and what quality of weed is used.
So that's the problem. The dosing in the study needs to be standardized. We know (almost) exactly what's in a 6-pack, but we don't in a joint.
I (respectfully) disagree with your analogy to a degree. Unless you have no experience drinking alcohol a single glass of whiskey is likely to have no psychotropic effect. On the other hand, even if you have experience smoking marijuana, a joint is. Ultimately that's the difference between marijuana and alcohol - marijuana causes psychotropic effects in smaller doses than alcohol does. But again, the analogy is sensitive to what the actual dosages are.
edit:
The "standardized" dosage for a joint is 1g. For reference, a quarter is 7g. Personally, I'd be baked off of a 1g joint especially considering I get my weed from NYC pizza delivery. If that's the dosages they are talking about then someone smoking 7 joints a week is smoking a quarter a week.
It stands to reason that using any drug, especially one with the possibility of some sort of dependency (which is pretty much all of them, if we count the fact that you can get mildly addicted to even junk food), is going to cause problems.
While this is talking about pot, which would obviously be an issue with developing brains, it also raises the question of what unforseen harm all those ADD/ADHD and depression meds they're dosing kids with could cause, especially if/when they go off those medications.
I don't think weight helps you standardize a dose, because THC levels in modern marijuana is much higher than decades ago and that content will vary depending on the "quality" of what you buy and from where. Someone's anecdotal evidence could be entirely correct insofar as it relates to the only type of weed they smoke or use.
Fair enough. I'm a euro and smoke mine mixed with tobacco, and i expect that i use maybe half a gram in each joint. I'll be feeling the effects of that for an hour or so. I don't really disagree with your point in regards to the psychotropic effect, but i still feel that a single joint is closer to a glass of whisky than an entire sixpack of beer.
I don't really think 7g/week is all that much, and ceirtanly not comparable to 42 cans of beer.
But i wouldn't personally smoke that much every day without longer periods of sobriety in between.
victreeb3l
Member
Anecdotes but all of my friends who smoke heavily are some of the laziest people I know. Its kind of sad at how they have very low expectations in life and just arent motivated to do anything these days.
I think theres definitely a difference in what pot does to you if you smoke often (and starting young) vs just trying it once in a while. I smoked when I was in college a few times a year and it did nothing to me besides make me super hungry in those occasions.
I dont think its a cause to ban it because cigarettes and alcohol are pretty awful for you as well. But lets not pretend its absolutely harmless like alot of pot champions make it out to be.
Sounds a lot like my ex GFs experience as well. When it becomes routine I think thats when trouble starts.
I think theres definitely a difference in what pot does to you if you smoke often (and starting young) vs just trying it once in a while. I smoked when I was in college a few times a year and it did nothing to me besides make me super hungry in those occasions.
I dont think its a cause to ban it because cigarettes and alcohol are pretty awful for you as well. But lets not pretend its absolutely harmless like alot of pot champions make it out to be.
Sounds a lot like my ex GFs experience as well. When it becomes routine I think thats when trouble starts.
Yeah, I totally agree, which is the point of my criticism of the study.
When I read "1 to 7 joints" I assume it means 1g of name brand dank. But it could mean something to someone else.
Fair enough. I'm a euro and smoke mine mixed with tobacco, and i expect that i use maybe half a gram in each joint. I'll be feeling the effects of that for an hour or so. I don't really disagree with your point in regards to the psychotropic effect, but i still feel that a single joint is closer to a glass of whisky than an entire sixpack of beer.
I don't really think 7g/week is all that much, and ceirtanly not comparable to 42 cans of beer.
But i wouldn't personally smoke that much every day without longer periods of sobriety in between.
That's a good point, and also a criticism of the study. Is it just weed or mixed with something? If it's mixed the authors can't be sure their results aren't a result of what was mixed with it. And if you are mixed (and European) I think it's likely to have less than a gram per joint. All the joints I've ever smoked in Europe seem to be tobacco with a bit of weed mixed in ;^P
Man, if I smoked 7g a week I'd be a bleeding wreck. I'd be worse with the drinking though - although overall, my tolerance for alcohol is higher than it is for weed. A 6-pack of lager cans over a reasonable amount of time would get me tipsy, but not drunk.
But you also have to wonder what causes the damage - the effect it has on your body, or just simply the amount you consume.
For instance - i had a friend who got absolutely shitfaced drinking one can of beer. I would need to drink a litre of vodka to get as drunk.
And i always wondered if that can of beer was as harmful to him as the bottle of vodka was to me, since the effects were so similar.
What? 1 gram?
Maybe it's because we roll joints with tobacco here, but I use 0.3/0.4 grams in 1 joint.
PhantomHound
Banned
Lol what, even murder!?
Especially murder.
The problem with moderation and weed is that you get so little acute side effects you do it all the fucking time. I couldn't even develop an alcohol addiction for example as the severe side effects from getting drunk are bad enough to not do it often, for me at least.
A a mathematical matter I'd think the quantity would matter because it's simply more exposure to a substance.
I got that from somewhere... I just looked for a link but couldn't find one. What you'd want to know is what is recommended for medical purposes and without tobacco.
Doing a casual perusal of the nets most people seem to say between about 0.3 and 1g per joint. But again, the lack of standardization is my criticism of the study. "Between 1 and 7 joints" seems awfully arbitrary to me. Simply because all of us made different joints.
Yeah, that's what everyone likes to tell themselves, and then before they know it they're going broke for it swearing they're not addicted.
PhantomHound
Banned
Wont anyone just think of the ants!?
PhantomHound
Banned
Hrm, reading that comment, all I can think about is how "Green Eggs & Ham" is actually a book about trying drugs.
I'm a daily smoker and am perfectly fine admitting I am 100% psychologically addicted to weed and I can assure you there are virtually no side effects that make you feel uncomfortable or bad etc.(If your mind can handle weed, e.g. not getting panic/anxiety attacks) Everyone is addicted to something. It's just that an addiction to a mind altering substance is usually not accepted in society, cigarette addiction is perfectly accepted in society for example (In my country at least).
I tried it when I was 24. Since last year I've been a daily user (28) and I've been fine as far as motivation goes. If I'm on my day off and I have to clean up or give my dog a wash for example, I like getting high and doing those things. They don't feel like chores, I'm just doing those things and enjoying my time. I mostly vaporize now which feels much different from a bong rip. I definitely feel high as fuck but with mental clarity. I've worked out after taking a hit or a session and it feels fucking great. I can push a bit harder than sober and it just feels great. Food tastes amazing though I can eat without being high and enjoy the food although I would much prefer to eat baked.
That's just my experience. I know quite a few people that are daily users that are motivated, young professionals in different fields of work that lead perfectly normal lives and you wouldn't know they use. On the other hand, I also know quite a few people that fit in the stereotypical stoner category, lazy and unmotivated.
It's fascinating to me how it affects people in different ways. I feel a little skeptical trusting this study because of the source that is funding it. But I can agree that pot use can have effects on the brain. Are those changes negative? I don't know and my experience is very limited as like I said I've only been using daily for a year. But there are people in this thread saying they've been using for years and they are fine. Also knowing so many people in powerful positions or positions of prestige use is reassuring that, even though there might be some negative effects, it is fine to use. I mean, look at Carl Sagan. I remember reading that he was a daily user and look at the brilliance of that man's brain. It might depend on the type of person you are and how it affects your body.
Glad I didn't start sooner, I would say an age restriction would be best for everyone and just treat it like alcohol and cigarettes. One thing I can be glad about is that I rarely drink anymore. The hang overs were too much for me. Also, I used to suffer from headaches that now I rarely get. It's been great.
That's just my experience. I know quite a few people that are daily users that are motivated, young professionals in different fields of work that lead perfectly normal lives and you wouldn't know they use. On the other hand, I also know quite a few people that fit in the stereotypical stoner category, lazy and unmotivated.
It's fascinating to me how it affects people in different ways. I feel a little skeptical trusting this study because of the source that is funding it. But I can agree that pot use can have effects on the brain. Are those changes negative? I don't know and my experience is very limited as like I said I've only been using daily for a year. But there are people in this thread saying they've been using for years and they are fine. Also knowing so many people in powerful positions or positions of prestige use is reassuring that, even though there might be some negative effects, it is fine to use. I mean, look at Carl Sagan. I remember reading that he was a daily user and look at the brilliance of that man's brain. It might depend on the type of person you are and how it affects your body.
Glad I didn't start sooner, I would say an age restriction would be best for everyone and just treat it like alcohol and cigarettes. One thing I can be glad about is that I rarely drink anymore. The hang overs were too much for me. Also, I used to suffer from headaches that now I rarely get. It's been great.
I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. I find it to be enjoyable and relaxing, and I still feel motivated to do things rather than lay around and eat food all day. But there are people out there where it just amplifies that bad behavior -- i've seen it myself.
We know jack shit about our brains, really. I mean, just NOW the knowledge is becoming mainstream that getting your head hit really hard might be bad in the long run. If you follow concussion research and treatment, you'll understand the difficulties in pinpointing anything in the brain.
So that said, I never really trusted anyone who said that Weed (or various other drugs or medications) doesn't have long term consequences. Just because neurologists don't have enough evidence for undeniable proof, doesn't mean it's not there.
And I use to love smoking weed too.
So that said, I never really trusted anyone who said that Weed (or various other drugs or medications) doesn't have long term consequences. Just because neurologists don't have enough evidence for undeniable proof, doesn't mean it's not there.
And I use to love smoking weed too.
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
Do you work for the Daily Mail?
PhantomHound
Banned
Destined to disagree until the ends of the universe it seems.
You can say the exact same thing in reverse by your logic.. The thing is, I'm 27, life is flying by. No one is getting younger. I find people are living their lives based too much on what the new miracle food/exercise/sitting vs standing etc the list goes on and on. Weed has been around long enough to know it's not going to make me brain dead. I'm going to enjoy what little time I have here actually living instead of worrying.
When all is said and done your entire life is going to be meaningless, unless you make a very significant contribution society, which is highly unlikely. The fear mongering needs to stop.
Zeus Molecules
illegal immigrants are stealing our air
Yeah I agree 7 joints is a lot, shit the fact they used an imprecise measurement tool like that to me makes me think this is a reefer madness type study. The whole article comes off like a bad runor
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