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More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

theatlantic.com

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Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#211

Post by 01100011 »

insickness wrote: post #17

In the past I was addicted to pot. I was addicted in the sense that pretty much everything felt better when I was high. I was more relaxed and had less anxiety. Sex was better. Food tasted better. I was more creative. I thought about much deeper things. I spent less time online and in front of screens. The biggest downside for me--and the reason I ended up quitting--was that my sober life just sucked in comparison. I…

I went back after nearly 2 years clean. I don't recommend it. Once again I'm lacking in mental energy. I'm all for MJ if you need it, but I think a lot of us are fooling ourselves into thinking it's benign. Sure, it's better than alcohol, but I don't think that's a useful benchmark.

Sobriety can be boring, but until someone invents a better drug I think it's my only option until I retire.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#212

Post by dekhn »

droopyEyelids wrote: post #166
stronglikedan wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm glad you quit, because that's what you needed to do for you, and that's always the right thing to do. However, even though your comment is anecdotal, I do feel the need to point out that your concerns weren't because of the pot, but rather because of your decisions. If you smoke in moderation and learn your strains (sativa dominant for social situations, indica dominant for Netflix and chill), then it's a highly…

Have there been any double blind tests of the difference between Sativa and Indica? As someone who doesn't smoke, it sure sounds like sommelier's talk. Even though it's almost legal now, the world of cannabis is full of so much mystical mumbo jumbo and outright fabrication. Take the whole CBD thing, for example. The only consensus seems to be that people who sell it say it does whatever the customer wants. And how mu…

Gotta push back on the CBD part. Epidiolex was approved by the FDA (priority, fast track), but so far, multiple lines of evidence have shown it to be efficacious for a number of conditions.

The sativa/indica spectrum isn't really accurate. Pot is more like a multidimensional feature vector crossed with the user's feature vector- a complex multivariate interaction.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#213

Post by 01100011 »

dgzl wrote: post #93
magic_beans wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I had zero obligations or goals in life, I would smoke pot all day every day. But since, like OP, it makes me want to sit at home and do nothing (not inherently a bad thing), it impedes my goals of producing creative work. There is a fine line, I think, between people who can smoke pot responsibly (every few days or only once a week) and people who cannot go a single day (or even a few hours) without smoking.

As I've said in another post, I smoke about everyday, but I don't have any problem pursuing my goals, producing creative works, or excelling in my career. The fine line you're talking about does exist, but it doesn't have anything to do with the frequency of usage. Responsibility can be achieved with or without pot.

Your choice. If you feel it's not holding you back then go for it.

IMO, pot is great when you're stuck in a situation in life which you can't escape for other factors. It can make a bad situation tolerable.

IME, pot increases your tactical thinking skills while reducing your strategic thinking ability. For instance, I spent years as a programmer doing well in my job while I was high all the time. It was great during the early phase of my career when people didn't expect much out of me, other than solving a list of bugs/defects or hacking my way through things. When I 'woke up' in my 40s, I realized I failed to grow in ways that were necessary for me to advance as both a programmer and a person. Now that I have spent some time sober, I really see what it enabled me to do to myself(or not do).

If you haven't taken a 6 month break I highly encourage it. If it seems difficult I hope you are honest with yourself to the point where you realize the hold it has on you. I spent 15 years nearly constantly high. I always told myself I could quit and never managed to go more than a few days sober. I always told myself that I just didn't want to stop, but I could if I really wanted to. It wasn't until I really tried to quit that I knew the kind of hold it had on me.

I think a lot of us in the tech industry can get away with a lot of bad behavior for quite a while. Showing up late, or stoned, or both... Not pushing the boundaries but just getting by... A lot of us can do that and still be considered 'rock stars' by the people around us, but therein lies a danger.

I'm not saying you can't smoke pot regularly and be successful. There are always exceptions and people with enough willpower to make it happen. They are the minority in the people I've encountered in life, however.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#215

Post by throwaway413 »

Surprised I haven't seen this yet, so I'll leave my experience.

Daily (ab)user for ~4 years. No (observed) adverse mental, social effects.

Yesterday was 1 month clean, and I quit for mainly 1 reason: my mucus buildup was becoming near unbearable. I'd wake up every single morning and pretty much vomit straight mucus first thing after getting out of bed. When I would smoke, it would clear the mucus right out (by blowing my nose, etc), but it's almost like mucus drained down my throat while I was sleeping and would fill my stomach to the point of becoming sick in the morning.

Within 2 weeks of quitting the mucus issue was completely gone and my body back to normal - no more morning vomiting.

I have had other friends mention intensified mucus building from smoking cannabis, but it is not discussed often. Wondering if others have experienced something similar.

Anyways I much prefer cannabis to alcohol for evening relaxation, so my goal is to quit a bit longer and then form a more healthy, casual relationship with weed as I have with drinking.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#216

Post by shanemlk »

I smoked a lot in college and it caused a lot of personal issues. I think it stunted my early career development. I was sober for about 1.5 years, but I've gone back to it recently. It's probably not a good idea, because I feel the grips of addiction after just one use. But I've had my partner lock up my supply for only occasional use, and I limit my habit when I do light up. This feels extreme, and I might have to go back to abstinence, but so far I haven't experienced depression or strong insomnia like I have withdrawing in the past.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#217

Post by PhoenixReborn »

throwaway413 wrote: post #215

Surprised I haven't seen this yet, so I'll leave my experience. Daily (ab)user for ~4 years. No (observed) adverse mental, social effects. Yesterday was 1 month clean, and I quit for mainly 1 reason: my mucus buildup was becoming near unbearable. I'd wake up every single morning and pretty much vomit straight mucus first thing after getting out of bed. When I would smoke, it would clear the mucus right out (by blowin…

I concur, and had almost this exact same problem. I'd be congested all the time and it caused me a lot of problems. Out of curiosity, have you ever tried edibles instead of smoking? That solved my mucus issue almost instantly.

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#218

Post by loblollyboy »

justaj wrote: post #192
slowandlow wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The other downsides were that I wasn't as sharp mentally when I was sober. I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. On the balance that made pot a negative for me. This is exactly why I quit. I found myself not comprehending technical conversations as well as I used to while sober. Hanging out at home doing nothing when you REALLY…

> This is exactly why I quit. I found myself not comprehending technical conversations as well as I used to while sober. This has not been my experience at all. In fact, total opposite entirely. If I smoke up I simply can not absorb any new technical information that is above my current knowledge and skill level. I am however more creative in coming up with solutions or new ideas with the information that I already m…

You’re saying the same thing

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#219

Post by loblollyboy »

01100011 wrote: post #213
dgzl wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I've said in another post, I smoke about everyday, but I don't have any problem pursuing my goals, producing creative works, or excelling in my career. The fine line you're talking about does exist, but it doesn't have anything to do with the frequency of usage. Responsibility can be achieved with or without pot.

Your choice. If you feel it's not holding you back then go for it. IMO, pot is great when you're stuck in a situation in life which you can't escape for other factors. It can make a bad situation tolerable. IME, pot increases your tactical thinking skills while reducing your strategic thinking ability. For instance, I spent years as a programmer doing well in my job while I was high all the time. It was great during…

How did you manage to stay so high at work?

Re: More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

#220

Post by 01100011 »

dgzl wrote: post #31

I have been smoking marijuana for just over a decade straight (about 2/5 of my life), withholding various times of abstinence due to lack of access or finances, looking for a new job, or trying to lower my tolerance. I grew up in a very poor and dysfunctional household, and narrowly managed to a) get into college, b) successfully pursue a STEM degree, and c) find a job that's well above anything the rest of my family…

Sounds like me 7 years ago. 2 years ago I quit. Best decision ever. The best nootropic I've ever experienced was depriving my mind of a near constant deluge of THC.
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