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Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

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Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#271

Post by HNJohnC »

WarDekar wrote: post #210
subpixel wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder: what's the relationship between marijuana 'strength' (measured in THC, I guess) and medical effectiveness? It seems to me the studies in the posted article are from a time when marijuana was dramatically 'weaker' than what you get today.

There are 3 main active ingredients in marijuana: THC, CBD, and CBN. The places I go get their strains and edibles/topicals/whatever lab tested so you know the %s of each. In general, higher CBD+CBN levels are better for pain relief and insomnia and will cause more grogginess/drowsiness than strains higher in THC which are more for appetite stimulation, euphoria, anxiety relief, etc. At least in SF the legitimate dis…

You are incorrect about the effects of CBD, in fact modern research has shown it's effect to be more stimulating and has been compared to ritalin by those with experience.

For more modern up to date science backed information on CBD see projectcbd.org

CBN is not a primary cannabinoid, it's a breakdown product of THC and simply indicates how old or stale the cannabis is. It's primary effect is grogginess and general unpleasantness so you want to avoid it as much as possible.

Any dispensary that says CBD is good for insomnia is simply repeating long disproven but widely spread information.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#272

Post by kin3tic »

jmharvey wrote: post #186

Does anyone have statistics on what percentage of "medical marijuana" is actually used for the treatment of medical conditions? The de facto medical marijuana regime in California seems to be that anyone who wants marijuana goes to a doctor, says they're anxious or have trouble sleeping, and gets a card. I'm sure some people with legitimate medical problems get relief from using marijuana, but it seems to be a distin…

Actually, "generalized anxiety" is a good way to get a doctor to not want to give you a recommendation.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#273

Post by new_test »

fnordfnordfnord wrote: post #202
new_test wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just the first few results from Google Scholar. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856709... http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/180/3/216.short http://www.bmj.com/content/325/7374/1195.1.short http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395607...

None of those demonstrate causality, just that cannabis use is associated with, or predicts depression / psychosis. Is cannabis use causal? If so, how does cannabis cause psychosis? Or, are depressed kids more likely to try drugs? Some psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists opine that some people's drug use is the person's attempt at self-medication.

Causality is a notoriously hard thing to prove. I challenge you to find a study or two that demonstrate a similar relationship proving causality beyond any doubt.

Working in psychiatry research myself, I definitely don't trust a single study out there that claims to have found a simple relationship between such incredibly complex things as moods, bioactive substances, person's environment, genetics, etc (same goes for nutritional science, environmental science, economics, and so on).

To me much more compelling evidence are anecdotal cases from my personal life. I know people who have smoked all the time since their teenage years and who lead happy lives, but I have also seen how people can get really messed up from pot and how it goes away when they stop (although occasional episodes and mood swings can persist long after stopping). Other huge factors no one seems to talk much about are interactions between everyday stress and smoking, between coffee consumption and smoking, alcohol and smoking. The list goes on forever.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#274

Post by mistercow »

scythe wrote: post #98
tptacek wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't a debate I think is worth having. I'm just saying that there's practically no reason to believe Gupta was an appropriate choice for CNN as an expert in radiological hazards, but there is some reason to believe he should know what he's talking about re medicine.

There is also the article, wherein he describes four pages worth of research he did, and in medical school they teach you a good bit about how to read scientific papers, because doctors have to do that sort of thing (eg. GSK releases lamotrigine, do you give it to your patients?). So, unless he's intentionally and maliciously lying (unlikely), he presents plenty of good and valuable information, and as a media corres…

>because doctors have to do that sort of thing (eg. GSK releases lamotrigine, do you give it to your patients?).

Ideally, that's how it would work. In practice, it appears that in many cases, doctors do little research beyond what pharmaceutical reps tell them[1].

This seems to have a lot to do with time constraints. Doctors report spending an average of 4.4 hours per week reading medical journals, and they only read the full text of about a third of the articles they read[2]. On average, the FDA approves about three new drugs each month. If new drugs were all a doctor needed to read about, 6 hours for each one might be enough to get a decent idea of safety and efficacy. But of course, that's not all a doctor needs to read up on.

But of course that has no bearing on whether doctors know how to read scientific papers.

[1] http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-013-2411-7

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1495716/

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#276

Post by danbmil99 »

If MJ is so useful medically, wouldn't it be healthier (and easier to control dosage) to injest it, rather than expose your lungs to all that smoke? Hot smoke can't be good for your airways.

And eventually, can't the active substances be put into pill form?

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#277

Post by kin3tic »

mason240 wrote: post #48
rickdale wrote: post #5

One of the biggest issues with marijuana in this country is the lack of research behind it. Here in Michigan where over 60% of the people voted for medical marijuana, they just outlawed medibles. Meaning no pot brownies for patients. Which makes no sense when applying medical marijuana. Caregivers and patients are outraged because they feel like they know more than the judges or politician do, and I have to agree. On…

"I am so tired of the US lagging behind the rest of the world" Can you give a list of countries that are "ahead" of the US in regards to marijuana decriminalization? Lets see, there is North Korea, the Netherlands, and Uraguagy might decriminalize this year. I am so tired of the "the US lagging behind the rest of the world" trope. It's the same thing with same sex marriage. The US has been and is ahead of curve when…

What!?

>I am so tired of the "the US lagging behind the rest of the world" trope. It's the same thing with same sex marriage. The US has been and is ahead of curve when it come to sex marriage rights.

That statement is true of almost everything except cannabis legalization. It's certainly true for decriminalization. And the "country", the US, is no better than it was 5 years ago. The only thing that's changed is individual states making more reasonable laws.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#278

Post by mistercow »

apalmer wrote: post #260
mistercow wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but unfortunately, most doctors don't seem to be able to distinguish the patient who's been reading alt med forums and maybe skimming some cherry-picked articles (perusing would actually be the correct thing to do with a study), from the patient who is scientifically literate and has a reasonable knowledge of pharmacology and the evidence regarding their own condition. When your doctor is giving you opiates and…

actually thats not frustrating, thats what doctors are supposed to do in general

They're supposed to ignore their patients, dismiss scientific evidence without reading it, and keep their patients on dangerous, addictive, and tolerance building drugs indefinitely?

No, I don't think so.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#279

Post by asdfadfasdf »

tptacek wrote: post #16
dave_sullivan wrote: post #11

Better late than never I guess, but what changed his mind really? "I actually did more research and was shocked, shocked by what I found!" or "I'm making a documentary and the tides of public opinion continue to shift, writing's on the wall, time to change my tune..." Maybe (probably) I'm being overly cynical, but people like him have lent support and legitimacy to a machine that literally destroys people's lives for…

He wrote that he's "shocked, shocked" at what he found as a device to get more people to read the piece. I'm sure that editorial decision was commercial and not public-spirited, but still. Yes, you are being overly cynical. My guess is that you agree with virtually everything in the article, and, instead of being pleased that someone has not only come around to your position in the most public fashion possible, but a…

It is ok if you like him so much but seriously, can you stop giving him a blowJob. You don't really look objective at all. It is quite shameful.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#280

Post by angersock »

canvia wrote: post #206
gee_totes wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I share the same fear about legalization: Phillip Morris will swoop in and start mass-producing packs of joints or find crafty ways to put small grow-ops out of business. I think the "medical" route is the best way to go. Yes, it is a bit of hassle to go and get a green card, but I hope it will help slow the corporate industrialization of marijuana. Furthermore, I think that marijuana's proper position in society sho…

It would be the same as the beer industry. There will be a couple Budweiser type brands that are mass produced, mass marketed, cheap, and consumed by 90% of the population. Then there will be craft brands that produce high quality small quantity products at high prices for the connoisseurs. There will also be hobbyists that want to produce their own. Bring on full legalization, regulation and taxation. It is overdue.

Bring on full legalization, regulation and taxation. It is overdue.

Again, that's the trick here. Legalization and regulation could still end up banning production at home or anywhere but crazy high-grade pharma labs and greenhouses--especially if, for example, you are now suddenly on the hook for tax stamps or whatnot.

Be careful what you wish for.

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