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U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

hhs.gov

21–30 of 352 posts

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#21
post #6
post #3

My brother smoked heavily during his teens and as a result developed schizophrenia / substance induced psychosis. It was generally terrifying to see him unable to complete thoughts and lose his train of thought. He's fine now but I definitely wouldn't be surprised if you told me those years knocked a couple of points off his IQ. I'm for decriminalization and legalization but at the core we need funding for long term…

> as a result developed schizophrenia I'm sorry about your brother, but I want to point out this is anecdotal. Can cannibals lead to psychosis in people who are prone to it genetically, or are people who start experiencing delusions, bipolar and schizo-effective conditions just likely to escape using alcohol and marijuana? The exact cause/effect conditions here are a big unknown.

I can't say what truly caused it or what factor cannabis played, all I know is that the diagnosis was 'substance induced psychosis' and 'schizophrenia' -- the doctors were pretty stumped and that leads to my point that a lot more research is needed.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#23
post #4

These are all reasonable things. Legalizing it will drastically mitigate the ability for minors to get a hold of any just as was done with the much more dangerous and deadly drug, alcohol.

I never had a problem getting it in the 80s. Sometimes it was easier to get than booze.

I think that's what OP is saying...it's easier for kids to get than alcohol

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#24
post #5

> Edible marijuana takes time to absorb and to produce its effects, increasing the risk of unintentional overdose No citation for this. Do they mean a larger than intended dose or a dose that results in a serious toxic reaction or death? Better source: Median lethal THC dose for a 70kg human estimated to be 4g [0], which is slightly over 1300 full joints (at 3mg per joint) [0]. I won't link them here, but a cursory w…

I don't think overdose necessarily means serious physical reaction or death. If you eat a weed brownie and become way higher than you expected (and freak out as a result), I think it's reasonable to call that an overdose.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#25
post #5

> Edible marijuana takes time to absorb and to produce its effects, increasing the risk of unintentional overdose No citation for this. Do they mean a larger than intended dose or a dose that results in a serious toxic reaction or death? Better source: Median lethal THC dose for a 70kg human estimated to be 4g [0], which is slightly over 1300 full joints (at 3mg per joint) [0]. I won't link them here, but a cursory w…

They mean a larger than intended dose. It’s not uncommon for inexperienced edible users to take more prematurely because they “don’t feel anything yet.”

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#26
post #8
post #3

My brother smoked heavily during his teens and as a result developed schizophrenia / substance induced psychosis. It was generally terrifying to see him unable to complete thoughts and lose his train of thought. He's fine now but I definitely wouldn't be surprised if you told me those years knocked a couple of points off his IQ. I'm for decriminalization and legalization but at the core we need funding for long term…

This. I am all for legalization but it’s not a safe drug. Induced schizophrenia by weed can be a thing if you carry a specific gene.

Given the link between inflamation due to infection and schizophrenia (here's a radio documentary on the subject, 'The Inflamed Mind', https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpjYmYPKZNE ) and the fact that joints and bongs are very often shared, any correlation could be entirely down to the increase in disease transmission vectors rather than the cannabis itself.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#27
post #5

> Edible marijuana takes time to absorb and to produce its effects, increasing the risk of unintentional overdose No citation for this. Do they mean a larger than intended dose or a dose that results in a serious toxic reaction or death? Better source: Median lethal THC dose for a 70kg human estimated to be 4g [0], which is slightly over 1300 full joints (at 3mg per joint) [0]. I won't link them here, but a cursory w…

Larger than intended I would assume. There are plenty of reports of people consuming an edible, not feeling anything for twenty minutes, consuming more, and then having a bad trip.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#28
post #5

> Edible marijuana takes time to absorb and to produce its effects, increasing the risk of unintentional overdose No citation for this. Do they mean a larger than intended dose or a dose that results in a serious toxic reaction or death? Better source: Median lethal THC dose for a 70kg human estimated to be 4g [0], which is slightly over 1300 full joints (at 3mg per joint) [0]. I won't link them here, but a cursory w…

You can't OD as in heroin/cocain OD but you can definitely take doses that will make you sick, trigger paranoias, &c. It's virtually impossible for an adult/teenager to die due to the direct effects of cannabis.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#29
post #4

These are all reasonable things. Legalizing it will drastically mitigate the ability for minors to get a hold of any just as was done with the much more dangerous and deadly drug, alcohol.

I never had a problem getting it in the 80s. Sometimes it was easier to get than booze.

Exactly. Illicit drugs are easier to acquire than legal drugs when you're underage.

Re: U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

#30

The national academy has a very nice writeup on "The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research (2017)" which is by far the most comprehensive guide I'm aware of. http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2017/health-effects... The conclusions summary PDF has the highlights: http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/~/media/Files/Report%20File... Personally, i fi…

In ever US state where it is legal (Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Alaska, Mass., and 2020 Illinois and Michigan) I think the minimum age is 21. Sure people underage can get it, but there is an attempt being made to limit it to people at least 21.

I knew parents who let their teenagers know they used it, but also told them they didn't want their kids using it until they were at least 18 (but if they wanted to try it; to ask them and not do it at a party or anything).

I generally agree.

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