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More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

theatlantic.com

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Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#141

Post by stronglikedan »

insickness wrote: post #17

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'm glad you quit, because that's what you needed to do for you, and that's always the right thing to do. However, even though your comment is anecdotal, I do feel the need to point out that your concerns weren't because of the pot, but rather because of your decisions. If you smoke in moderation and learn your strains (sativa dominant for social situations, indica dominant for Netflix and chill), then it's a highly enjoyable plant with little to no downsides. From your comment, it looks like you overdid the indica, and you wouldn't enjoy sativa if you have anxiety to begin with. That being said, were I you, I certainly would stay quit, especially since sativa may be out of the equation for you.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#142

Post by lvspiff »

After legalizing it in Vegas I've noticed a constant lingering smell from a couple neighbors in my neighborhood. Its gotten to the point where its getting to be annoying cause most of them don't want to make their own house smell bad so they smoke outside. I'm for pot legalization and thought it was a fair idea, but like with regular smoking if your doing it within 20 ft of someone who's not and doesn't want to smell your acrid smoke your just being an asshole.Kids don't want to swim cause it smells gross outside all the time. I can't even grill in my backyard anymore cause the smoke from my bbq mixes with the pot smoke and just ruins it.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#143

Post by voidlogic »

insickness wrote: post #17

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…

>In the past I was addicted to pot.

Pretty much anything that lights up reward or adrenaline/reaction parts of the Brian can be addictive. I think its important to qualify if we are talking about innate physiological addiction (as seen in opioids or alcohol) or the kind we can get from anything. After all there are people with food addictions and yes, they need help, but that isn't about to change the legal status of food.

I respect people making their own choices to use or not use as they see fit and be warned of the experiences of others, but we need to be clear when the substance we are talking about causes innate physiological dependence, cannabis for example does not.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#144

Post by prolikewh0a »

dgzl wrote: post #93
magic_beans wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I had zero obligations or goals in life, I would smoke pot all day every day. But since, like OP, it makes me want to sit at home and do nothing (not inherently a bad thing), it impedes my goals of producing creative work. There is a fine line, I think, between people who can smoke pot responsibly (every few days or only once a week) and people who cannot go a single day (or even a few hours) without smoking.

As I've said in another post, I smoke about everyday, but I don't have any problem pursuing my goals, producing creative works, or excelling in my career. The fine line you're talking about does exist, but it doesn't have anything to do with the frequency of usage. Responsibility can be achieved with or without pot.

>I smoke about everyday, but I don't have any problem pursuing my goals, producing creative works, or excelling in my career.

Same, no issues. I have no issues with responsibility. I procrastinate more, but I don't feel like I'm missing or harming anything.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#145

Post by WhompingWindows »

peterwwillis wrote: post #11
sonnyblarney wrote: post #2

It's unconventional given the liberal/libertarian aspects of the current movement, but this is a problem. I know at least two people very well, and a few more less well who smoke - all - the - time. They vape it like tobacco. They are basically permanently 'kind of high' - completely functional, you'd never really know it to meet them ... but this is more than a little distressing. One is in finance, the other a heal…

One in six Americans takes psychiatric prescription drugs, mostly antidepressants. Weed is basically an antidepressant and pain killer. I think the bigger question is, why are Americans self-medicating so much?

Chemically, cannabinoids are not really antidepressants (which mostly affect the serotonin system) or pain killers (opioids affect the opioid receptors). Cannabinoids have a variety of effects due to the endocannabinoid system, which is naturally occurring in the human physiology and does affect mood, memory, etc. However, it's simply not chemically accurate to call them pain killers or antidepressants, cannabis lies in a separate category.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#146

Post by [deleted] »

slowandlow wrote: post #66
insickness wrote: post #17

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…

> The other downsides were that I wasn't as sharp mentally when I was sober. I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. On the balance that made pot a negative for me. This is exactly why I quit. I found myself not comprehending technical conversations as well as I used to while sober. Hanging out at home doing nothing when you REALLY…

[deleted]

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#147

Post by dgzl »

scarecrowbob wrote: post #118
dgzl wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I've said in another post, I smoke about everyday, but I don't have any problem pursuing my goals, producing creative works, or excelling in my career. The fine line you're talking about does exist, but it doesn't have anything to do with the frequency of usage. Responsibility can be achieved with or without pot.

I'm always glad to hear that people find a balance. One thing that is difficult for me, however, is to understand how things affect me without long periods of abstinence. Like, I'm an alcoholic, though I've become more and more functional. I pretty much only drink on the weekends and around other humans, now. But I went through about 6 months of total abstinence from drinking and I can say with a great deal of certai…

Thanks for the words, and I'm excited to have this conversation in such a productive lense.

I would agree with your statement about not being able to fully understand the situation if the observer is constantly under the influence, in fact I would think it's an understatement. I myself am guilty of assuming a situation to be all fine, when a sober and detoxified version of myself wouldn't agree.

With no offense to you, I'm glad my crutch is marijuana and not alcohol. I grew up with addicts as parents, one with alcohol and the other with pot, and I've witnessed first hand the dramatic and disastrous effects of long-term alcohol abuse. I'm very happy for your ability to keep the addiction at bay, and wish you the best of encouragement.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#148

Post by yesdocs »

lotophage wrote: post #81
yesdocs wrote: post #64

I have been smoking pot since I was 14 years old, I am 51 now. I would stop smoking from time to time, sometimes to prepare for football, sometimes because society wanted me too. I am not a lazy person, I smoke a sativa strain to get me motivated, it acts like a stimulant that can help me focus.. laser like focus to drown out daily distractions. I'll smoke an indica strain to sleep well at night. I have been a highly…

Out of curiosity, how much do you smoke?

1/4 to 1/2 oz per week, depending on what's going on and the strain of pot.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#149

Post by yesdocs »

Diederich wrote: post #106
yesdocs wrote: post #64

I have been smoking pot since I was 14 years old, I am 51 now. I would stop smoking from time to time, sometimes to prepare for football, sometimes because society wanted me too. I am not a lazy person, I smoke a sativa strain to get me motivated, it acts like a stimulant that can help me focus.. laser like focus to drown out daily distractions. I'll smoke an indica strain to sleep well at night. I have been a highly…

> I have been a highly successful software developer, approaching my later days of my career. Somewhat unrelated question, if I may: why? I'm not much younger than you, and I've been doing technology (primarily what people today call 'devops') since the early 1990s, and honestly I enjoy it more now than ever before.

I enjoy it as well, but I would rather work for fun as supposed to a paycheck. Retirement means doing what you want to do, not what you have to do. :-D

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#150

Post by dsfyu404ed »

MrStonedOne wrote: post #88
dfsegoat wrote: post #3

I know people that have kicked opiates and tobacco cold turkey - but who could not give up using cannabis if their lives depended on it. This is a legitimate concern in the current tide of de-criminalization / legalization.

Tell somebody on adhd medication to quit. or somebody on antipsychotics to quit. People on weed are generally happier about life the universe and everything. Ten hits a day and the answer suddenly makes sense, its not 42, its 420.

All it took was an increased copay when I switched healthcare providers for me to stop taking ADHD pills. Really wasn't a big deal. I'm allegedly slightly more irritable.
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