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More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

theatlantic.com

121–130 of 396 posts

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#121
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem isn't listed because it viewed as self evident to some people. I'd list the problem of having high functional people who use marijuana everyday as: A - MJ, while a mild drug, is still a drug, and it seems like people who use it everyday are addicts. B - On the one hand I'm OK with people making their own decisions as to how they want to live their life, but on the other hand if we are talking about the ty…

Small point, marijuana isn't a hallucinogen.

While it's generally true that it isn't, some strains may produce quite strong auditory and visual hallucinations for some users.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#123
post #63

In the past I was addicted to pot. I was addicted in the sense that pretty much everything felt better when I was high. I was more relaxed and had less anxiety. Sex was better. Food tasted better. I was more creative. I thought about much deeper things. I spent less time online and in front of screens. The biggest downside for me--and the reason I ended up quitting--was that my sober life just sucked in comparison. I…

I'll never stop being fascinated by how radically different the experiences of cannabis users are. The idea of weed reducing anxiety and making you feel "fine doing nothing" are the polar opposites of how it makes me feel. Overall it sounds like your experiences were much more positive than mine, though.

> I'll never stop being fascinated by how radically different the experiences of cannabis users are

Nothing to be fascinated about. The experience is different primarily from the type of strain they have inhaled or ingested.

Sativa only strain - High, euphoria, very social

Indica only strain - Sleepy, lethargic, somewhat anti-social

Sativa dominant Sativa-Indica hybrid - Not so high, still little euphoric, smooth come down after few hours.

Indica dominant Indica-Sativa hybrid - Not so sleepy / lethargic, little euphoric...

And then there's the CBD dominant ones which don't get you high, and supposedly cure you of various illnesses. Not FDA approved.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#124

Overdosing on marijuana was probably the worst thing I've ever experienced in my life. Certainly by far the worst experience I've ever had on a recreational drug. People always frame the discussion of drug overdoses around lethality, and on that scale marijuana compares very favorably to every other drug, and advocates tend to end the discussion there. But on the scale of how horrific the experience is as the person…

When taking a heroic dose of a psychoactive substance, you really need a guide to keep you from going off the rails.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#125
post #108

For those seeking the anti-anxiety benefits of a daily dose of high grade medicinal cannabis without the cognitive impairment associated with THC (notably impairment of short term memory, which is crucial for maintaining flow state while doing complex tasks like coding or chess) - may I recommend looking into high CBD, low THC flower. You want THC 10%. I recently switched over to a high CBD strain and it has been a g…

> Another nice benefit of minimizing daily THC intake is I have started dreaming and remembering dreams again. THC tends to suppress dreaming activity. I had the same experience with increased dreams but they were just all anxiety dreams for a month or so, it was very unpleasant.

I’ve also experienced anxiety dreams at various times going back to early childhood. If you can get over the unpleasantness, they’re nothing to be afraid of. In fact they’re usually useful indications from your subconscious about things that are happening in real life. The best way to reduce the frequency of these dreams is to figure out what they’re about and fix the underlying problem. Easier said than done, obviously, but still a better solution that trying to fight the dreams or suppress them.

In general it’s good practice to maintain a close and cordial relationship with your subconscious. Dreams are one of the best ways to access this part of your self. To improve dream recall and understanding, practice writing down dreams first thing in the morning upon waking. It’s hard at first, and definitely unpleasant for anxiety dreams. But power through it. As you get in the habit, your dream recall will improve, then you will be able to decode the messages from your dreams, and then make changes as necessary.

For example, I have noticed an increase in anxiety dreams after interactions with certain emotionally abusive people in my family. Noticing this pattern motivated me to minimize my contact with these people, at which point the anxiety dreams stopped.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#126
post #31

I have been smoking marijuana for just over a decade straight (about 2/5 of my life), withholding various times of abstinence due to lack of access or finances, looking for a new job, or trying to lower my tolerance. I grew up in a very poor and dysfunctional household, and narrowly managed to a) get into college, b) successfully pursue a STEM degree, and c) find a job that's well above anything the rest of my family…

Sure! Why smoke, with the known health impact? Why not edibles? They last a lot longer, and it doesn't harm your lungs.

> Why smoke, with the known health impact? Why not edibles? They last a lot longer, and it doesn't harm your lungs.

I'm aware of a handful of reasonable significant health impacts due to smoking, and as you say, the harm against the lungs is something I'm concerned about, along with the harm against my teeth/gums.

I've recently (last few weeks) decided to cut back on smoking flower, in favor of using an oil pen. It's still not ideal, but I believe it will help in this regard.

I actually don't really like edibles, to be honest. The potency is too unpredictable for me, and they last way too long. At the same time, the come-up takes longer than I like to wait for the effects. I'd appreciate an edible more if there was an extended period of time that I was intending on being high, but my life isn't usually that available. At the same time, edibles are much more difficult to come by, and also more expensive. Also, it's difficult finding an edible that isn't produced with something highly suggary/fatty, of which I don't usually eat.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#127

Slightly off topic: Do cannabis have any significant advantage to health?

Pain relief: Folks in legal states tend to use fewer opiods. Seizure relief. It also helps folks with MS deal with muscle spasticity - it makes folks feel like it is lessened, though from what I understand they aren't actually, physically better. In addition, it can help folks with low appetites and/or nausea (like folks getting chemo). It also appears to help somewhat with nerve pain specifically.

Some folks are able to get off other drugs by using cannabis - opiates and alcohol, for example.

There isn't as much research on migraines, but I've known a few folks that are helped by them. One person it is a risk: Sometimes inhaling it can trigger a migraine, but sometimes it helps with the pain.

Mental health is a mixed bag. For some folks pre-disposed to certain mental illnesses, it can bring them out. For others, specifically with anxiety or depression, some strains can affect folks badly or help, depending on the person.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320984.php https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-marijuana-201801... https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/under-counter-trea...

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