Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet • Hacker News Board

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#11

Post by defrost » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:07 AM UTC

lumost wrote: post #5

jncfhnb wrote: post #2

Effect size of -0.3 standard deviations on working memory. P value of .02 corrected for FDR. Not huge. Sounds believable to me.

These studies may also miss categorize heavy/habitual users. Heavy canabis use tends to leave a somewhat functional if unmotivated individual. This is in contrast to heavy alcohol users who quickly lose the ability to function in society due to hangovers and inebriated actions.

Not all heavy alcohol users quickly lose the ability to function in society.

Some have lucrative television careers and go on to run the Pentagon overseeing millions of others and trillion dollar budgets.

* https://haderclinicqld.com.au/what-is-a-functional-alcoholic...

* https://www.crestviewrecoverycenter.com/addiction-blog/7-sig...

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#12

Post by roughly » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:07 AM UTC

guywithahat wrote: post #7

roughly wrote: post #4

One aspect I’m curious about, especially given the younger cohort, is the causal directionality here - especially when I was younger, I knew a lot of people who were self-medicating with cannabis for things like anxiety and ADHD, which also have effects on working memory and executive function. I’ve known enough heavy users long enough that I do believe there’s long term cognitive effects (whether directly or indirec…

> self-medicating I know this doesn’t add to the conversation but I hate that term, they should just say they’re addicted to weed. 95% of the time the anxiety is either normal or a result of chronic weed use (ie withdrawal)

A great deal of both the psychological and the drug policy communities disagree with you on this point.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#13

Post by SubiculumCode » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:07 AM UTC

I have not read the paper...just reacting to the headline. As a neuroimager I can tell you that having more or less "brain activity" does not tell us much. There are plenty of instances where reduced activity is indicative of more efficient processing or different cognitive strategies.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#14

Post by agieocean » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:07 AM UTC

guywithahat wrote: post #7

roughly wrote: post #4

One aspect I’m curious about, especially given the younger cohort, is the causal directionality here - especially when I was younger, I knew a lot of people who were self-medicating with cannabis for things like anxiety and ADHD, which also have effects on working memory and executive function. I’ve known enough heavy users long enough that I do believe there’s long term cognitive effects (whether directly or indirec…

> self-medicating I know this doesn’t add to the conversation but I hate that term, they should just say they’re addicted to weed. 95% of the time the anxiety is either normal or a result of chronic weed use (ie withdrawal)

95% huh? Lets see some sources

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#15

Post by amazingamazing » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:08 AM UTC

defrost wrote: post #11

lumost wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These studies may also miss categorize heavy/habitual users. Heavy canabis use tends to leave a somewhat functional if unmotivated individual. This is in contrast to heavy alcohol users who quickly lose the ability to function in society due to hangovers and inebriated actions.

Not all heavy alcohol users quickly lose the ability to function in society. Some have lucrative television careers and go on to run the Pentagon overseeing millions of others and trillion dollar budgets. * https://haderclinicqld.com.au/what-is-a-functional-alcoholic... * https://www.crestviewrecoverycenter.com/addiction-blog/7-sig...

Politics is seriously a virus.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#16

Post by amazingamazing » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:09 AM UTC

Turns out the recreational drugs were never good for you. Is there a single recreational popular >100M user drug that’s good for most? Maybe coffee?

It’s a shame there are so many with reduced brain function and IQ. Next thing will be shocking studies showing regular shroom usage is bad too, lol.

It is a shame we are in a post truth society. People burying their heads in the sand.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#17

Post by mrkstu » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:09 AM UTC

roughly wrote: post #4

One aspect I’m curious about, especially given the younger cohort, is the causal directionality here - especially when I was younger, I knew a lot of people who were self-medicating with cannabis for things like anxiety and ADHD, which also have effects on working memory and executive function. I’ve known enough heavy users long enough that I do believe there’s long term cognitive effects (whether directly or indirec…

most classical ADHD people I’ve met were slightly/very above average IQ types regardless of their symptoms, so my instinct would be told be that the effect may be even more pronounced- they’d probably have to do some controlling via something like looking at PSATs to get a before/after.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#18

Post by HideousKojima » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:09 AM UTC

roughly wrote: post #12

guywithahat wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> self-medicating I know this doesn’t add to the conversation but I hate that term, they should just say they’re addicted to weed. 95% of the time the anxiety is either normal or a result of chronic weed use (ie withdrawal)

A great deal of both the psychological and the drug policy communities disagree with you on this point.

[flagged]

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#19

Post by genocidicbunny » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:10 AM UTC

guywithahat wrote: post #7

roughly wrote: post #4

One aspect I’m curious about, especially given the younger cohort, is the causal directionality here - especially when I was younger, I knew a lot of people who were self-medicating with cannabis for things like anxiety and ADHD, which also have effects on working memory and executive function. I’ve known enough heavy users long enough that I do believe there’s long term cognitive effects (whether directly or indirec…

> self-medicating I know this doesn’t add to the conversation but I hate that term, they should just say they’re addicted to weed. 95% of the time the anxiety is either normal or a result of chronic weed use (ie withdrawal)

You're right, it doesn't add to the conversation, especially because you're citing at best some anecdotes without any sources.

Plenty of people self-medicate with cannabis. They take regular, measured doses of cannabis products, making sure to pick specific strains or brands that they know to have the needed effects.

Re: Younger cannabis users have reduced brain function, finds largest study yet

#20

Post by throw__away7391 » Thu, Jan 30, 2025, 2:10 AM UTC

guywithahat wrote: post #7

roughly wrote: post #4

One aspect I’m curious about, especially given the younger cohort, is the causal directionality here - especially when I was younger, I knew a lot of people who were self-medicating with cannabis for things like anxiety and ADHD, which also have effects on working memory and executive function. I’ve known enough heavy users long enough that I do believe there’s long term cognitive effects (whether directly or indirec…

> self-medicating I know this doesn’t add to the conversation but I hate that term, they should just say they’re addicted to weed. 95% of the time the anxiety is either normal or a result of chronic weed use (ie withdrawal)

“Self medicating” is to “doing drugs” as “expat” is to “immigrant”.