31–40 of 66 posts
Ok then. If we take the hypothesis at face value, what is to be done about it? Prohibition obviously isn't a solution as that's the status quo - it's already illegal for teens to buy and consume cannabis.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You almost make it sound as if there are no solutions :) Education is an idea, let people know what the risks are and what symptons are to go see a doctor. This could be a mandatory magazine at shops. People at risk could get better treatment, just someone to talk to about their strugles in life can be very helpful.
You can make reading material mandatory to be handed out, but you can't make it be read. Even if you forced the person to read it then and there at time of purchase, it will just be glanced over similar to software EULA/TOS crap on apps/websites. Ignoring that these are teenagers that are going to do whatever they want because that's what a teenager does just means that you're going to waste your time.
They've started to put the above statement on top of cigarette cases at my local grocery store. It's not super prominent, nor is its color garish but I'm still surprised every time I read it and I've seen a few others surprised too. There are certainly ways to effectively use reading material to combat these things.
I’m noticing that these sorts of articles are always from the WSJ.
Given the much higher potency of a lot of the pot you find in the US these days, the more-relaxed culture around it, and people's tendency to overuse illegal things that have been recently legalized, this result is hardly surprising. THC is a psychoactive compound... what do we think it's gonna do if consumed in large concentrations?
I think it's fine and good that pot is legal in many places in the US now (and hope that only expands), but I don't think education is up to par. People seem to think "oh it's safer than tobacco/alcohol/whatever" and don't really think too much about their consumption levels or frequency. I've known people who consume so much pot, that if it were alcohol, we'd be super worried about them and want them to go to AA or something. And yet, with pot, it doesn't trigger any warning bells for most people.
“I see more psychotic people here than I did in Detroit. We’re just making this huge population of people who we can no longer fix.”
I believe this is true, but I expect that many people will refuse to accept it. Giving up on someone is super cruel, after all. But it certainly looks like some fellow citizens are beyond recovery. And then it's only prudent to make a plan on how we want to manage living in a society together with these people. Pure capitalism says that if they are too sick to work, they'll get no money and starve. But most people ar…
I've never touched marijuana (or any illegal drug) because I've been perpetually paranoid about the possibility of it being spiked with something horrible. Even as a teenager, when all my friends were smoking weed all the time, I never even tried it because I, as a rule, don't eat or drink anything if I cannot potentially sue the person who gave it to me.
I've had my share of alcohol [1], so it's not like I'm moralizing or anything, and I do wish weed would be legalized just so we could properly research potential side effects, because what really annoys me is how much of an over-correction people have made with weed. The logic appears to be "the claims about weed's harm were really exaggerated, so therefore there's no downsides to it ever at any point". I've known people who put THC in their vape and just puff on that all day, and when I've very lightly mentioned that it might a tiny bit unhealthy to need to consume a drug all day, they give me a lecture about all the positive features of weed.
I'm at least a little glad now that I never experimented with it when I was a teenager; I got enough mental issues as it is.
[1] Not in quite awhile, and I'm a full teetotaler now since I have sleep apnea.
Ok then. If we take the hypothesis at face value, what is to be done about it? Prohibition obviously isn't a solution as that's the status quo - it's already illegal for teens to buy and consume cannabis.
Otherwise, we don't have to completely deregulate sale and use. Legally limit THC concentration, and/or require a certain minimum for the CBD-to-THC ratio in products. As the article (and others here) have pointed out, THC concentration has only gone up over time, especially as pot has become legalized in many places.
Certainly some people will still find/make things with higher concentrations, but legally limiting the concentration will act as education of its own, and a lot of people will end up with safer products.
> The average THC content of cannabis seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration was 15% in 2021, up from 4% in 1995. Many products advertise THC concentrations of up to 90%. This is really the key here as it means that previous studies that showed health benefits are completely irrelevant now. This isn't like the image of smoking pot in the basement from the 70's anymore. I'm watching the descent of my BIL's ment…
> The average THC content of cannabis seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration was 15% in 2021, up from 4% in 1995. Many products advertise THC concentrations of up to 90%. This is really the key here as it means that previous studies that showed health benefits are completely irrelevant now. This isn't like the image of smoking pot in the basement from the 70's anymore. I'm watching the descent of my BIL's ment…
This line has been in use (with a different antecedent period) as a prohibitionist staple since at least the 1980s.
You know how we would not have this issue? If there was legalization and regulatory standadization.
Won’t have the space/time to respond fully, but the allusions to bipolar disease and, especially, schizophrenia need to be viewed quite cautiously. I do not believe these disorders are thought to originate from environmental factors present in late teenage years. Thus, we should expect a large increase in these diagnoses if cannabis is indeed a causative agent that is now more attainable than it used to be. Also, ind…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I believe this is true, but I expect that many people will refuse to accept it. Giving up on someone is super cruel, after all. But it certainly looks like some fellow citizens are beyond recovery. And then it's only prudent to make a plan on how we want to manage living in a society together with these people. Pure capitalism says that if they are too sick to work, they'll get no money and starve. But most people ar…
UBI. Stoners sitting in their apartments watching Netflix and ordering in pizza are good for the economy and good for the environment, compared to being starving and out stealing.