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U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

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Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#161

Post by thermonot »

lm28469 wrote: post #28
numakerg wrote: post #5

> Edible marijuana takes time to absorb and to produce its effects, increasing the risk of unintentional overdose No citation for this. Do they mean a larger than intended dose or a dose that results in a serious toxic reaction or death? Better source: Median lethal THC dose for a 70kg human estimated to be 4g [0], which is slightly over 1300 full joints (at 3mg per joint) [0]. I won't link them here, but a cursory w…

You can't OD as in heroin/cocain OD but you can definitely take doses that will make you sick, trigger paranoias, &c. It's virtually impossible for an adult/teenager to die due to the direct effects of cannabis.

Does suicide count?

> The terrifying timeline of how a Colorado teen ate a pot cookie and then jumped to his death

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/0...

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#162

Post by nostrademons »

wyclif wrote: post #130
nostrademons wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a division of the NIH and the article cites a peer-reviewed paper in Biological Psychiatry , so yes, I do think that this is a reliable source of unbiased information. The original study carefully describes its methodology (which is as sound as any neuroscience paper I've read), and was done in London, so you can't argue that the researchers are biased by American government attitudes toward drugs: http://www.my…

Every country, city, and government has a bias and an attitude toward drugs, including London. I hope you're not suggesting (perhaps you improperly worded your comment) that the US government is biased toward drugs but English government is not biased at all and is completely neutral scientifically. If that's what you meant, I think it's specious.

Every person has a bias towards or against anything they choose to take a position on.

I'm saying that the biases of the U.S. government, UK NIH, King's College London, and Palermo University, Italy (the other sponsor of the researchers) are likely to be largely uncorrelated when it comes to drugs. The U.K. does not have the U.S's history of criminalizing specific drugs (marijuana, heroin) simply because they are used by marginalized groups while legalizing others (nicotine, alcohol, caffeine) because they have powerful corporate interests backing them. They undoubtedly have other biases, but in a study of the genetic effects of THC on psychosis those are less likely to be relevant.

One way to minimize the effects of bias, despite its ubiquity, is to seek out multiple independent POVs. Each one of them is individually biased, but when you average them together you get something approximating the truth.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#163

Post by yodsanklai »

I have a very close friends who has been smoking cannabis daily since he was 15 years old. We are both in our 40s now. I have the feeling he is quite fast thinking and that he has better memory than me. That being said, he isn't a happy person, his whole life revolves around cannabis and it seems he missed so many things in his life because of that. It's pretty sad actually. He's aware of it, but it's such a central part of his life that he just can't stop.

It's always difficult to say if the substance ruined his life, or if he uses it because he has other problems. Probably both.

I'm all for legalization, as long as people are well informed of the negative effects of chronic use.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#164

Post by qzx_pierri »

mrlala wrote: post #131
graphememes wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being in the bay area, I have witnessed what you expressed happen to many engineers since the legalization. They burn out quickly as well. They swear it's not weed since everyone else tells them that's all tinfoil hat stuff. It's very unfortunate.

Are the engineers you are referring to in developing brain stages? You are replying to OP who said from 16-18.. that is still fairly prime development.. your bay area engineers are probably mid 20's? That is quite different when we are talking about brain development.

They're probably referring to someone who starts getting high everyday, and quickly becomes "smoked out" - We all know someone like this. I used to get high a lot (when I was 21-23), and I stopped because I noticed myself becoming a shell of who I once was. When I wasn't high, nothing was fun anymore. It started off as saying things like "Bro this would be so much more fun if I was stoned", or "Dude, imagine getting high and then doing X' - This soon turned into "I'm so bored. This would be more interesting if I was high".

Soon, I wasn't happy until I picked up an eighth and rolled up a blunt or packed my bowl. When I would stop, I would feel so numb. I soon got depressed, but luckily found a counselor and worked through that dark time with exercise and meditation. People really downplay how damaging getting high all the time can be.

It's strange though, because this doesn't happen to everyone. Some people can get stoned all day everyday and live a very happy, productive life. I wish I was in this category, but nothing good lasts forever.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#165

Post by [deleted] »

sohex wrote: post #136
weberc2 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm for decriminalization and legalization but at the core we need funding for long term studies to better understand marijuana's effects. This is sort of the inverse of the anti-GMO position: "we should ban GMOs until we understand them". I wonder if there are many legalize-weed / ban-GMO folks, and how they would defend their position?

That combination of positions is incredibly common. Their argument generally stems from a belief that natural things are inherently good and artificial things are inherently bad.

[deleted]

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#166

Post by apl002 »

Ive smoked for about 15 years now. Started heavy through highschool and college and after college usually just a rip before bedtime. I cant say I've experienced anything negative. No issues focusing or memory problems, or dealing with stress/anxiety. I've quit for months at a time cold turkey with no issues. I'll probably never fully quit but I am doing it less just cause I worry about the effects on my lungs more than anything.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#167

Post by [deleted] »

DaniloDias wrote: post #122

As a teenager- I decided I would wait till I was 22 before I tried Marijuana. All of my friends were heavy users- and while that made me feel like a bit of an outsider, I had come to the conclusion that it was better to wait and see how using turned out for them before I joined in. That decision was profoundly informative. My high school friends personal and professional trajectories have been severely hobbled. I don…

[deleted]

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#168

Post by mpalczewski »

weberc2 wrote: post #56
40acres wrote: post #3

My brother smoked heavily during his teens and as a result developed schizophrenia / substance induced psychosis. It was generally terrifying to see him unable to complete thoughts and lose his train of thought. He's fine now but I definitely wouldn't be surprised if you told me those years knocked a couple of points off his IQ. I'm for decriminalization and legalization but at the core we need funding for long term…

> I'm for decriminalization and legalization but at the core we need funding for long term studies to better understand marijuana's effects. This is sort of the inverse of the anti-GMO position: "we should ban GMOs until we understand them". I wonder if there are many legalize-weed / ban-GMO folks, and how they would defend their position?

GMO's are potentially dangerous to introduce into the environment. Lot's of shoddy science by Monsanto around them. They don't stand the test of time and aren't necessary. When introducing new potentially dangerous things into the world, the burden of proof is to prove them safe. This is hard to do.

Weed has been around forever. Your use doesn't affect me(unless you are driving).

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#169

Post by bduerst »

weberc2 wrote: post #56
40acres wrote: post #3

My brother smoked heavily during his teens and as a result developed schizophrenia / substance induced psychosis. It was generally terrifying to see him unable to complete thoughts and lose his train of thought. He's fine now but I definitely wouldn't be surprised if you told me those years knocked a couple of points off his IQ. I'm for decriminalization and legalization but at the core we need funding for long term…

> I'm for decriminalization and legalization but at the core we need funding for long term studies to better understand marijuana's effects. This is sort of the inverse of the anti-GMO position: "we should ban GMOs until we understand them". I wonder if there are many legalize-weed / ban-GMO folks, and how they would defend their position?

We do understand GMOs though, after decades of broad testing in both the lab and the field where they were proven safe, with anti-GMO proponents choosing to ignore it.

There hasn't been the same degree of controlled scientific testing performed with marijuana as of yet, so calling for it should be welcomed.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#170

Post by mpalczewski »

acchow wrote: post #29
dexterdog wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never had a problem getting it in the 80s. Sometimes it was easier to get than booze.

Exactly. Illicit drugs are easier to acquire than legal drugs when you're underage.

Where I went to highschool this had more to do with packaging and volume. Much easier to hide an eight than a fifth.
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