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

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

#121
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of the smartest programmers I know smoke marijuana quite regularly. I don't know if they all smoked at an earlier age but I know that 2 of them did.

I knew some top students in college who started smoking weed then and continued. They're still programmers or scientists now, which isn't surprising given their education and talent, but something's wrong every time I talk to them. They seem scatterbrained and unable to remember what either of us said a minute ago. Edit: Forgot to specify, they're in their late 20s now.

Sure but I know plenty of people who are dead sober who exhibit the same behavior.

I behave like that occasionally when I have too many unrelated tasks at once and am a little stressed. I hope people don't think it's because I was high.

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

#123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I knew some top students in college who started smoking weed then and continued. They're still programmers or scientists now, which isn't surprising given their education and talent, but something's wrong every time I talk to them. They seem scatterbrained and unable to remember what either of us said a minute ago. Edit: Forgot to specify, they're in their late 20s now.

Ok, and I know programmers and scientists that used to smoke in college and are just as sharp as ever.

Yep, the effects aren’t permanent. It seems people choose to be scatterbrained for some reason or another. I do smoke ocasionally and that is very little as I don’t like getting the anxiety/paranoia effects and weed is very potent these days. I only do it to zone off creatively, gives me the childhood magic which dampens the day to day stress. All in all it is a very positive experience. I do see kids these days overdoing it but hey, in my day kids were drinking more than today so these habits change over time

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

#124

This is such an obvious problem to anyone who is above the age of 25. All of my friends who were real big into weed in high school are all pretty bad at remembering things, most work dead end jobs and are generally unmotivated The ones who started the youngest are in rough shape mentally. Every single one of my friends who still lives with their parents smokes multiple times daily. Out of all of them, only one is suc…

I believe that your perspective is harmful. I'm an accomplished staff engineer who has worked at multiple megacorps and valley darling companies including MANGAFANGA or whatever you call it and am highly goal oriented and passionate contributor. I started smoking weed at 13. I own multiple homes and live a well adjusted life with my wife. I support my parents and sisters. Without weed, I can get tunnel vision, or loo…

Yeah well I started smoking weed when I was 16 and I'm a poor man approaching retirement with no family or friends or assets and a tenuous job predicated in my ability to perform manual labor. Now what.

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

#125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have a bunch of anecdotes where the only successful people from the same school and friend group are the ones that regularly smoked and still smoke weed? They have the best memories of the people you know? >Weed isn't going to give you a leg up in life, but it's not a guarantee that you're going to end up in a dead end job and live with your parents forever either. Sure, and smoking doesn't guarantee lung cancer.…

> You have a bunch of anecdotes where the only successful people from the same school and friend group are the ones that regularly smoked and still smoke weed? I have a bunch of anecdotes where people I knew who regularly smoked weed throughout high school now range from successful to wildly successful. I know a bunch of people that abstained and yet they work dead end jobs, have developed mental issues, and/or live…

Sure, that makes sense. If the risk of something is 1 in 10, 10 people do it, you have 9 examples of people who have no problems and 1 example of someone with an issue.

I was thinking you were saying that you had examples of people who were successful because they smoked weed, where others similarly situated were unsuccessful having not smoked it.

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

#126
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of the smartest programmers I know smoke marijuana quite regularly. I don't know if they all smoked at an earlier age but I know that 2 of them did.

Did you ever think you’re just really dumb and think they are smart?

Not at all because they are all tech directors or high level programmers who have been paid well to do it for decades.

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

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe that your perspective is harmful. I'm an accomplished staff engineer who has worked at multiple megacorps and valley darling companies including MANGAFANGA or whatever you call it and am highly goal oriented and passionate contributor. I started smoking weed at 13. I own multiple homes and live a well adjusted life with my wife. I support my parents and sisters. Without weed, I can get tunnel vision, or loo…

Yeah well I started smoking weed when I was 16 and I'm a poor man approaching retirement with no family or friends or assets and a tenuous job predicated in my ability to perform manual labor. Now what.

Weed is a drug. Drugs are tools. Weed makes things bother you less. It's obviously possible to take it too far.

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

#128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You have a bunch of anecdotes where the only successful people from the same school and friend group are the ones that regularly smoked and still smoke weed? I have a bunch of anecdotes where people I knew who regularly smoked weed throughout high school now range from successful to wildly successful. I know a bunch of people that abstained and yet they work dead end jobs, have developed mental issues, and/or live…

Sure, that makes sense. If the risk of something is 1 in 10, 10 people do it, you have 9 examples of people who have no problems and 1 example of someone with an issue. I was thinking you were saying that you had examples of people who were successful because they smoked weed, where others similarly situated were unsuccessful having not smoked it.

>I was thinking you were saying that you had examples of people who were successful because they smoked weed

No, and I'm not disputing that weed is harmful.

What I took issue with in the parent comment is that it insinuates that smoking weed is a guarantee of a shitty life. I disagree with the weight of the harm they imply.

There is a lot of other factors involved, and a lot more nuance and context to consider.

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

#129
This prompts questions about influencing kids...

With some generations of kids, you might be able to convince them that the people who want to keep them down... would be happy for them to become spaced-out stoners.

With current kids, it really is true that many would be happy to keep kids down. (Look at the dumbing-down and manipulating behavior of many top tech and media companies.)

But can you convince the kids of that?

And, even if kids thought that the dumbing-down was real, and a tool of oppression and exploitation, would they feel motivated to fight back? And would they know how?

Or is any youth rebellion and fighting instinct already in in some defeated, post mode, maybe counterintuitive to earlier generations. (Like, for example, they're subverting that they're supposed to rebel, and instead leaning towards nihilistic indulgence and indifference?)

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

#130

This is such an obvious problem to anyone who is above the age of 25. All of my friends who were real big into weed in high school are all pretty bad at remembering things, most work dead end jobs and are generally unmotivated The ones who started the youngest are in rough shape mentally. Every single one of my friends who still lives with their parents smokes multiple times daily. Out of all of them, only one is suc…

I believe that your perspective is harmful. I'm an accomplished staff engineer who has worked at multiple megacorps and valley darling companies including MANGAFANGA or whatever you call it and am highly goal oriented and passionate contributor. I started smoking weed at 13. I own multiple homes and live a well adjusted life with my wife. I support my parents and sisters. Without weed, I can get tunnel vision, or loo…

I am pretty much in similar situation, the contradictions can sometimes drive me nuts, maybe I should try weed
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