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Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

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Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#41

Post by PlzSnow »

jMyles wrote: post #34
guelo wrote: post #13

As a programmer I'm very protective of my higher level brain functions. Marijuana's effects on short term memory are especially concerning to me. Do any of you long term smokers feels like it has affected your programming skills for the worse or better?

Everyone's mileage varies - you'll find no shortage of people who lament the long term effects (although abstinence for even a month or so seems to cause complete reversal). For my part, smoking cannabis is great for me, especially for programming. I find both that I feel more focused and that I am more capable of juggling multiple tasks. The "listener" in me comes alive, and I'm better able to empathize with the aut…

"After smoking fairly consistently for 13 years, I seem to be blessed by having no negative effects of which I am aware."

Your prose suggests otherwise.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#42

Post by dethstar »

Someone1234 wrote: post #23

I've never been a user, but I do support legalisation. The reason I support it even though I myself wouldn't benefit is: - It is at least as safe as tobacco and alcohol. So even if we leave the question of what is safer on the table, I think most people would agree based on available evidence that it isn't LESS safe than those two, and they're legal. - The "war on drugs" has been a disaster. It has actually hurt econ…

>We gain tax money from it being legal AND drug users aren't funding pretty horrifying criminality in countries like Mexico and Columbia.

As a note, I remember an article somewhere about how it was meth the drug that gave more profit to drug mafias. So it'd still be a problem. The question is, bigger or smaller? I'm pretty sure there's data of the translation from marijuana users->hard drugs users.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#43

Post by Zelphyr »

guelo wrote: post #13

As a programmer I'm very protective of my higher level brain functions. Marijuana's effects on short term memory are especially concerning to me. Do any of you long term smokers feels like it has affected your programming skills for the worse or better?

One of the most brilliant programmers I know is a regular smoker and he has an amazing short-term memory. Though now I have to wonder what his memory would be like if he didn't smoke?

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#44

Post by lotsofmangos »

Someone1234 wrote: post #23

I've never been a user, but I do support legalisation. The reason I support it even though I myself wouldn't benefit is: - It is at least as safe as tobacco and alcohol. So even if we leave the question of what is safer on the table, I think most people would agree based on available evidence that it isn't LESS safe than those two, and they're legal. - The "war on drugs" has been a disaster. It has actually hurt econ…

"There have been numerous studies in which the effects of marijuana have been assesed on performance in driving simulators and even a few studies conducted in city traffic. Much to everyone's surprise, the results of many of these studies revealed only relatively small impairments in driving skills, even after quite large doses of the drug. Several of the early studies showed no impairment at all, but as driving simulators grew more sophisticated and the tasks became more complex and demanding, impairments were observed, for example in peripheral vision and lane control. Marijuana users, however seem to be aware that their driving skills may be impaired and they tend to compensate by driving more slowly, keeping some distance from the vehicle ahead and in general take fewer risks (Smiley, 1986). This is in marked contrast to the effects of alcohol, which produces clear impairments in many aspects of driving skill as assesed in driving simulators. Alcohol also tends to encourage people to take greater risks and drive more aggresively" (Iversen, 2008, p.95)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Marijuana-Leslie-L-Iversen/d...

Now personally I do not think it is at all a good idea to drive when stoned, but I do not consider it anywhere near as dangerous as driving when drunk.

Same goes for a lot of other drugs. I'd rather get in a car with someone driving on LSD than on alcohol. They might think the other cars are penguins, but their reaction time if the penguins get too close is still going to be reasonable.

People who drive under the influence of any mind altering substance (be it alcohol or weed) should have their driving privileges taken away

Caffine and most painkillers fall into this definition. I'd rather just replace the ignition system with a short driving game that you have to complete to start the car.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#45

Post by cylinder »

thejosh wrote: post #36
madaxe_again wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed on the whole driving bit - but commensurately, whenever I'm in the US, I am astonished by how casually people drink and drive. Don't think it's a stoner problem, more an inconsiderate dickhead/cultural problem.

Same as in Australia. People go out of their way to report booze buses, and complain about police pulling them over when they are speeding / drunk.

At least you have DUI road checkpoints (even in daytime) and stricter licensing regimes.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#46

Post by dragonwriter »

dethstar wrote: post #42
Someone1234 wrote: post #23

I've never been a user, but I do support legalisation. The reason I support it even though I myself wouldn't benefit is: - It is at least as safe as tobacco and alcohol. So even if we leave the question of what is safer on the table, I think most people would agree based on available evidence that it isn't LESS safe than those two, and they're legal. - The "war on drugs" has been a disaster. It has actually hurt econ…

>We gain tax money from it being legal AND drug users aren't funding pretty horrifying criminality in countries like Mexico and Columbia. As a note, I remember an article somewhere about how it was meth the drug that gave more profit to drug mafias. So it'd still be a problem. The question is, bigger or smaller? I'm pretty sure there's data of the translation from marijuana users->hard drugs users.

> I'm pretty sure there's data of the translation from marijuana users->hard drugs users.

Even assuming that data is good, its an open question how much of that is causal, how much if it is "people who would use hard drugs anyway tend to stop by marijuana on the way because its more accessible", and how much of it is "people who develop relationships with illegal drug dealers through marijuana are likely to be pushed by them to other drugs at some point".

The first is exacerbated by legalization, the second indifferent to it, and the third mitigated by it, so simple correlation data doesn't really provide useful information for policy without some clear indication of why the correlation exists.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#47

Post by cnp »

trose wrote: post #8

I can't help but feel that statistic they're using is a little disingenuous. Yes cannabis has a ridiculously high lethal dose, more than you could ever smoke or consume. You'd basically have to create a concentrate and inject it directly or something. I don't think you should be saying that cannabis is 114 times less deadly than alcohol. There are other contributing factors that could cause harm. There seems to be no…

Out of the zillions and zillions of weed smokers over the past 100 years, there has never once been a reported case of someone dying due to carcinogenic responses to the smoke. Granted, there has never been a formal study, but there have been adjacent studies and by all intents and purposes it appears to be safe.

Google around: https://www.google.com/search?q=marijuana+lung+cancer

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#48

Post by zwieback »

jMyles wrote: post #34
guelo wrote: post #13

As a programmer I'm very protective of my higher level brain functions. Marijuana's effects on short term memory are especially concerning to me. Do any of you long term smokers feels like it has affected your programming skills for the worse or better?

Everyone's mileage varies - you'll find no shortage of people who lament the long term effects (although abstinence for even a month or so seems to cause complete reversal). For my part, smoking cannabis is great for me, especially for programming. I find both that I feel more focused and that I am more capable of juggling multiple tasks. The "listener" in me comes alive, and I'm better able to empathize with the aut…

just curious - were you high when you wrote this?

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#49

Post by gonehome »

madaxe_again wrote: post #26
Someone1234 wrote: post #23

I've never been a user, but I do support legalisation. The reason I support it even though I myself wouldn't benefit is: - It is at least as safe as tobacco and alcohol. So even if we leave the question of what is safer on the table, I think most people would agree based on available evidence that it isn't LESS safe than those two, and they're legal. - The "war on drugs" has been a disaster. It has actually hurt econ…

Agreed on the whole driving bit - but commensurately, whenever I'm in the US, I am astonished by how casually people drink and drive. Don't think it's a stoner problem, more an inconsiderate dickhead/cultural problem.

I think there are a couple of things with this.

The legal limit in most of the US (0.08 BAC) is actually pretty high, so you can legally drink and drive. For example at that level a 220lb man can have four (American 1.5oz) shots and hit the road immediately at ~0.7. So most drinking and driving you might have seen probably isn't (at least legally).

The second main reason is probably because there is no good mass transit. Most other countries either have the local pub you can walk to or some subway you can take - there's no 20min drive to meet somewhere.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#50

Post by madaxe_again »

Someone1234 wrote: post #30
madaxe_again wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed on the whole driving bit - but commensurately, whenever I'm in the US, I am astonished by how casually people drink and drive. Don't think it's a stoner problem, more an inconsiderate dickhead/cultural problem.

I agree. People are far too blasé about drinking and driving in the US. It also seems like the punishment is often fairly light for the first few offenses (e.g. a small ticket, no penalty points, or similar). People from the US I've spoken to often claim this is because in some areas not having a car is pretty unworkable due to a lack of public transport or alternatives. So if driving was revoked then people could ge…

I think car-centric town and transport planning actually has a hell of a lot to answer for. Most drink driving accidents in the UK are rural. Not so many in human-scale/public transport provisioned cities - and the UK has a much bigger drinking problem than the U.S.

Also, in the US, buses equate to poverty in the minds of many, and that attitude is going to be hard to shift, so... roll on driverless cars?

I don't think punishment will put people off to any great degree. I mean - how many people do you know who have not once lamented the shit they got up to while drink? Rather the problem with impaired judgment...

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