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When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

npr.org

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Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#431

Post by tomcam »

darawk wrote: post #314
andai wrote: post #301

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who's been through many different addictions, I'm starting to appreciate freedom from craving (a specific form of inner peace) more than the pleasure of indulging in a craving. (As well as the subtle benefits to mind and mood that come with it!)

Ya. It's sort of hard to explain to people who haven't experienced it, right? They like to ask "does not cheesecake ever taste as good as cheesecake?" and of course the answer is no: Cheesecake always tastes better than not-cheesecake. But there are other dimensions to experience that aren't captured by the immediacy of taste in that sense.

I am not misenjoying your non-shallow depth of double negatives (JK, love your observations)

Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#432

Post by zchrykng »

simplify wrote: post #424
eternalban wrote: post #407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think prohibition is dramatically worse than any negatives from people smoking pot (similar to alcohol, etc). Alcohol has been an integral part of Western civilization for quite a while now. Prohibition on alcohol is in no way comparable to prohibition on pot [in terms of its impact]. Why do you think its prohibition is "dramatically" worse than making this mind altering substance generally available? [secret han…

It's dramatically worse becouse it imputes innocent people as criminals and puts them in jail.

People who break the law are by definition not "innocent". You might disagree with the laws/penalties, but anyone who knowingly violates the law is categorically not innocent.

Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#433

Post by justaaron »

I had the exact opposite experience. I only began to grok a lot of the STEM stuff once I took up regular weed smoking, around the age of 16-18. I did note an initial period in which it was disorienting and novel to be "high", but this subsided. It helps me focus, It helps me cognate by reducing the noise and allowing me to be interested in whatever I put in front of my face. There is a euphoric effect upon taking a puff off the pipe that never goes away (not in over 30 years so far...) This euphoria is associated with learning, focus, getting work done, and a generally positive work cycle of reward. I do not own a television. I have many hobbies, and managed to live from performing original music in over 50 countries for approximately a decade. I study API's and tutorials after dev work before sleeping... I've never been able to be a couch potato, although online social activity (what is this? expression? I'm not sure...useless for sure...) certainly robs a lot of my time and I wish I would have the self-discipline to get away more, so that's all for now lol :D

Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#434

Post by dubya23 »

joveian wrote: post #410
Balero wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

South Park put it quite well: "Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but… well, son, pot makes you feel fine with being bored. And it's when you're bored that you should be learning some new skill or discovering some new science or being creative. If you smoke pot you may grow up to find out that you aren't good at anything."

"most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism" This isn't true, unfortunately (at least in the US and I suspect much of the world) unless you are getting it legally or know the source. The US does grow quite a bit of illegal marijuana but there is also quite a bit imported by Mexican cartels and I have seen articles about how legalization is having a non-trivial financial impact on cartels, such as: https://www.washingtonp…

Good research, please go write a letter to the esteemed Journalists at South Park letting them know that they made an error.

Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#435

Post by dubya23 »

unethical_ban wrote: post #146
rv-de wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's wrong with "banal" activities?

You're right, it's a matter of values. Banal: Overeating/overdrinking/overconsuming, sitting around, reading reddit/HN for hours, playing video games or twitch. Not banal: Challenging yourself to new activities or hobbies that require skill. Seeing the world, interacting with other people IRL. Learning (new topics, reading, etc). Building things. Getting out of your comfort zone. Essentially, being passive/not learni…

Is this a bot or what? I find it hard to believe that people actually believe that if you smoke pots you will only engage in Banal activities. Unbelievable.

Don't all you nerds live in Cali anyway so wtf is HN's issue with pot?

Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#436

Post by Broken_Hippo »

LrnByTeach wrote: post #330
BurningFrog wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't think we can treat pot as totally harmless for people under 30 and teens in particular because it seems like it's very harmful for some. You're right, of course. But the same is true of peanuts.

Let us say there are 100 teens in your neighborhood, 65 of them tried eating peanuts and 20 of them liked very much and started eating multiple times a week on a regular basis. Now 5 of those 20 started developing health/mental problems which are noticeable by parents, teachers & doctors. What are the chances of the majority of those 5 stop eating peanuts, It is very high. Now, what are the chances of similar 5 teens…

Now, what are the chances of similar 5 teens stop using weed for health/mental problems?

Probably good with actual education that makes sure folks know the actual risks and what sorts of things to look out for. We should do this in a better manner than we do with alcohol now. We should be very careful not to lie to folks lest folks cast aside all that we try to teach.

A few folks won't listen, just like a few folks will eat peanuts nonetheless.

Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#437

Post by tomcam »

darawk wrote: post #299
jplayer01 wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Life would be empty without cheesecake though.

Then I really don't recommend you experiment with heroin :)

I am a very very fat guy trying to eat properly and it’s excruciating, even after 5 weeks away from most of my daily life. Damned if I haven’t toyed briefly and desperately with the idea of some kind of pharmaceutical intervention. But my lifelong policy with drugs has always been if I can’t even handle Mountain Dew Throwback, I won’t have a chance with speed or coke or pot

Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#438

Post by ocdtrekkie »

adventured wrote: post #388
zahrc wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know a lot of people who tried out marijuana as a medication for depression. (well, illegal / no prescription) It helped in the beginning, but most of them just became addicted, paranoid and incredible slow thinkers and figuratively numb. Depression is hell, but it's not worth giving up your sanity and intellect.

I'm a big supporter of legalization, because I think prohibition is dramatically worse than any negatives from people smoking pot (similar to alcohol, etc). That said, the two friends of mine that were the heaviest smokers, saw dramatic improvements in their lives in the few years immediately following giving up smoking pot. Both in terms of health and professional success. They were recreational smokers, rather than…

I am a huge opposer of legalization, because I've seen what pot has done to people I care about. I would point out that solution to the negatives of prohibition is not legalization, but decriminalization. The issue with legalization is that it removes the stigma with trying it, which means we get more users than otherwise.

We can maintain the very correct statements that drugs are bad and that all possible care should be made to remove it's availability and discourage it's use, but treat it as a social problem, not a crime. Let's continue to shut down drug dealers, who grow, import, and spread the crud around, but no longer penalize users. Offer them treatment, help them find better means, rather than throwing them in jail.

Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#439

Post by simplify »

zchrykng wrote: post #432
simplify wrote: post #424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's dramatically worse becouse it imputes innocent people as criminals and puts them in jail.

People who break the law are by definition not "innocent". You might disagree with the laws/penalties, but anyone who knowingly violates the law is categorically not innocent.

Of course, that's the entire point. Without prohibition they are innocent. With prohibition they are criminals. That is why prohibition is dramatically worse. People who are not a threat to society are imputed as criminals, losing their life to jailtime and a permanent criminal record.

Re: When Adolescents Give Up Pot, Their Cognition Quickly Improves

#440

Post by pdpi »

ghostly_s wrote: post #405
zahrc wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know a lot of people who tried out marijuana as a medication for depression. (well, illegal / no prescription) It helped in the beginning, but most of them just became addicted, paranoid and incredible slow thinkers and figuratively numb. Depression is hell, but it's not worth giving up your sanity and intellect.

There is no evidence that marijuana is addictive or has lasting deleterious effects on intelligence. Your anecdata is not evidence.

No evidence? You mean other than the study linked in the NPR article that's at the head of this discussion?
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