Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

edition.cnn.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

331–340 of 381 posts

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#331

Post by mscarborough »

gclaramunt wrote: post #317
dkarl wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm just curious as to why it took him this long. He's a media-savvy guy who was considered for surgeon general and has a career appearing on mainstream TV, including Oprah and Larry King Live. Someone like that can't afford to be too far ahead of the curve. I'd say this about-face means the marijuana legalization debate is ready to go national.

Or donning my tin foil hat, Monsanto is preparing the PR for its GM Cannabis

You don't have to put on a tin foil hat, as soon as marijuana is federally legal, Monsanto, Philip Morris, Camel cigarettes will be all ready to grow their own.

It's kind of obvious that these folks have the farm land, distribution networks, and a lack of morals (not that MJ is immoral, but it would require a huge about-face), so they could just as easily do weed as tobacco. Replant fields and create some new packaging and you're ready to go.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#332

Post by kevincrane »

kyro wrote: post #262
kevincrane wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For what it's worth, there is relatively recent research showing that marijuana can be harmful to brains as they're still developing ([1] is the first one I remember reading), so his recommendation that his kids avoid it until they're older is probably sound. That being said, yes, I'm glad there's a higher profile scientist speaking out in favor of marijuana legalization, or at least more even-handed research of it.…

But legalizing it for recreational and medicinal use are two completely different issues. This piece is about how he didn't believe in the therapeutic efficacy of marijuana as medical treatment and weighed too heavily the research outlining its side-effects. This is not about letting kids and adults smoke bowls and bowls of weed on their leisure time.

I'd actually argue that he was referring to recreational use when he was discussing his kids smoking it, based off this quote:

"Much in the same way I wouldn't let my own children drink alcohol, I wouldn't permit marijuana until they are adults. If they are adamant about trying marijuana, I will urge them to wait until they're in their mid-20s when their brains are fully developed."

I'm assuming he's not referring to them medically smoking marijuana because he talks about a more appropriate age to start, implying that they'd be smoking it voluntarily rather than under necessity from chronic pain.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#333

Post by codezero »

deadfall wrote: post #258
codezero wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a friend who grows and unless you are re-selling it to shops, you're unlikely to break even growing your own. The equipment is relatively costly and the care and attention required to consistently grow is very time consuming.

Yes, if you grow indoors you are spending a lot on electricity , but if you grow outdoors during the summer then the cost will be significantly lower. Grow enough to last through the winter. Weed grows in afghanistan in the harshest of climates.

Yeah, you are right. My friend grows indoors, I am sure this is part of the reason I hear of his difficulty, among other things, he keeps a busy full time job and had no previous experience growing anything before diving in to it all.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#335

Post by michaelwww »

rhizome wrote: post #319
michaelwww wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think being borderline unprincipled and very self-promoting comes with the territory of being a TV personality, so if we factor that out, he's actually doing marijuana advocates a huge favor by speaking to the older generation of voters who have endured decades of propaganda against marijuana and who now, by listening to the most credible TV doctor in America, might vote to legalize.

"Sure, he's a tool...but now he's our tool."

has Gupta let you down some how? You sound bitter. I'm not that much interested in him or the issue. He's getting on the marijauna train or to quote some Dylan: The times, they are a changin'... You don't need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows... Gotta serve somebody ;-)

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#337

Post by vacri »

foobarbazqux wrote: post #245
duaneb wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not clear whether the schizophrenia induced is stimulated or just aggravated—i.e., was the person already a schizophrenic with a high threshold for psychosis that the weed lowered? I don't think we'll know for a long time.

You can't "already have" schizophrenia without having the symptoms of schizophrenia (assuming you aren't on medication that completely controls the symptoms). The reason is that schizophrenia and almost all other mental illnesses are diagnosed on the basis of behavior. The current thinking is that there's a genetic predisposition, and then certain environmental factors like child abuse (linked to mental illness in ge…

Psychosis is not required for a definition of Schizophrenia, or at least, it wasn't in the late 90s when we looked at it in the DSM. The most frequent symptom of Schizophrenia at the time was 'hearing voices', and that struck 69% of diagnoses. Have a look at the DSM-IV criteria.

And certainly, it's possible to have a lighter form of schizophrenia that is worsened by whatever factor.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#338

Post by snowwrestler »

tptacek wrote: post #267
JPKab wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a person who had a roommate whose schizophrenia was likely induced by heavy marijuana use (along with his tripping on multiple bottles of Robitussin), the fact of the matter is that the harm done to this small percentage of people is vastly outweighed by the damage done to people who can't get access to it for their medical needs. And that's ignoring the huge harm caused by prosecuting recreational users due to an…

The problem is that there are two simultaneous arguments happening. The first is whether cannabis should be legalized and available as a business opportunity. You'll find very few people here to disagree with about this; there's a practically universal belief that cannabis should be legalized. The second is whether cannabis is benign. There is a valid discussion to be had about how safe cannabis is. Having it does no…

I think a big reason these arguments get tied up together is that people who want to legalize recreational usage have seized upon medicinal usage as a convenient wedge to open the legalization debate.

But if we are talking about medicine, then there are much higher levels of scrutiny on topics like side effects, interactions, dosage control, quality control, etc.

I really wish the debates were better separated. I think the legalizers have harmed their cause by exposing it to FDA levels of critical scrutiny, and I think the medicinal uses are tainted by association with a bunch of long hair hippies who just want to get high. (Hyperboly intentional.)

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#339

Post by foobarbazqux »

vacri wrote: post #337
foobarbazqux wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't "already have" schizophrenia without having the symptoms of schizophrenia (assuming you aren't on medication that completely controls the symptoms). The reason is that schizophrenia and almost all other mental illnesses are diagnosed on the basis of behavior. The current thinking is that there's a genetic predisposition, and then certain environmental factors like child abuse (linked to mental illness in ge…

Psychosis is not required for a definition of Schizophrenia, or at least, it wasn't in the late 90s when we looked at it in the DSM. The most frequent symptom of Schizophrenia at the time was 'hearing voices', and that struck 69% of diagnoses. Have a look at the DSM-IV criteria. And certainly, it's possible to have a lighter form of schizophrenia that is worsened by whatever factor.

Auditory hallucinations indicate psychosis; psychosis itself is not a symptom but a catch-all state of mind that refers to many different symptoms, including auditory hallucinations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia#Criteria

Agreed that schizophrenia could be aggravated by pot; I was just disputing that you could "have" schizophrenia without having ever presented any of the symptoms. I may have incorrectly inferred this claim from the original post.

Re: Why I Changed My Mind On Weed

#340

Post by deadfall »

codezero wrote: post #333
deadfall wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, if you grow indoors you are spending a lot on electricity , but if you grow outdoors during the summer then the cost will be significantly lower. Grow enough to last through the winter. Weed grows in afghanistan in the harshest of climates.

Yeah, you are right. My friend grows indoors, I am sure this is part of the reason I hear of his difficulty, among other things, he keeps a busy full time job and had no previous experience growing anything before diving in to it all.

If you live in a city, you really have no choice but to grow inside.
Post reply on HN