Others have pointed out the flaws in this study. I want to add: at first blush, the basic premise seems plausible on its face. I bet I'd be able to pick out many long-time regular cannabis consumers (of whom I'm one) based on audio recordings of their conversational voice.
Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
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Re: Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
#42The title seems like a stretch since they then go on to say, "Audio samples were analysed objectively using acoustic analysis for measures of timing, vocal control, and quality. Subtle differences in speech timing, vocal effort, and voice quality may exist between cannabis and control groups, however data remain equivocal." "After controlling for lifetime alcohol and tobacco use and applying a false discovery rate, o…
The sample size was also 31 users, 40 controls. This really isn't a meaningful result.
I did not read the results, but this definitely depends on the effect size and the variance of whatever they are studying. If 31 people were raised from the dead, for example, it's plenty of sample size.
Re: Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Basically no acoustical difference, except in perceived effort. On the data points measured. It's easy to observe things like "heavy cannabis users tend to have flat affect," but very difficult to translate "flat affect" into something measurable. Look at the way that Alex Grey or Terence McKenna talk. There is clearly something going on there, regardless of our ability to measure it.
It’s hard to separate the effect of culture. A lot of cannabis users have an affinity for the cannabis sub-culture, or with related ones like the hippie/hipster cultures that have many shared speech patterns. You might see similar results analyzing the speech of surfers, pilots, sorority members, etc.
This specific speech pattern is pretty difficult to fake though. Anyone can talk like a surfer, but I think the average person would be pretty hard pressed to start imitating Alex Grey.
Re: Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
The sample size was also 31 users, 40 controls. This really isn't a meaningful result.
I did not read the results, but this definitely depends on the effect size and the variance of whatever they are studying. If 31 people were raised from the dead, for example, it's plenty of sample size.
The issue is that the sample might be highly biased. If it's just 31 white males from Lubbock Texas then what does it even say? Stoners in that town speak different?
Re: Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
> let me offer some purely anecdotal evidence that has a bigger sample size That is not how science works. And a study isn't absurd just because you don't like its conclusions.
"To point out the absurdity of this study using only 31 users with varying degrees of other types of drug use, as well as measuring some highly subjective metric, " This is the reason he does not like the study.
That is the reason they gave publicly, not the reason they don't like the study.
The study used participants without a history of other drug use.
And having the effect appear with only 31 randomly sampled users means the effect is easy to detect. This is a normal number of participants for this sort of study.
You see this sort of motivated reaction to a study every time there is one that triggers a population.
Re: Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
#46To point out the absurdity of this study using only 31 users with varying degrees of other types of drug use, as well as measuring some highly subjective metric, let me offer some purely anecdotal evidence that has a bigger sample size. I can name more than 31 rappers (try me) that have heavy, long-term cannabis use that have fast "speech timing", high "vocal quality", and low "vocal effort" compared to the general p…
You mean rappers who are likely faking their drug use as they often do with their use of firearms, expensive jewellery and cars.
Re: Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
So? It just shows that rapping might be an effective prevention therapy for this supposed effect.
It doesn't show that at all. It could mean that that profession selects people who are the best in the world at those things, and cannabis is entirely coincidental.
> You see, I think drugs have done some good things for us. I really do. And if you don't believe drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor. Go home tonight. Take all your albums, all your tapes and all your CDs and burn them. 'Cause you know what, the musicians that made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years were rrreal fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so fucking high they let Ringo sing a few tunes.
-- Bill Hicks
Re: Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
#48The way America’s legalization effort has progressed has been really unfortunate. It seems as though no attempt at finding a middle ground was made, and consequently we wound up with complete legalization. Marijuana is an addictive highly potent mood altering substance that’s become available on demand with no real discussion about the consequences. Will anyone argue that having 15% of the otherwise young and product…
> gives us an advantage over China? 1) What exactly has China, its people and government done or doing to you, your people and your country specifically I don't think HN is the type of platform for BS political flame baiting but... 2) I am curious as to why you felt the need to include win against China and if you think that's a reasonable statement.
some people seem obsessed with some fight between the us, china and russia like life is some interesting story.
Re: Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
#49The way America’s legalization effort has progressed has been really unfortunate. It seems as though no attempt at finding a middle ground was made, and consequently we wound up with complete legalization. Marijuana is an addictive highly potent mood altering substance that’s become available on demand with no real discussion about the consequences. Will anyone argue that having 15% of the otherwise young and product…
This is the sort of response that makes me wonder: dude, what have you been smoking? Let's start with the whole notion of organizing our society based on some perceived need to compete with a country half the world away. That's the sort of paranoia combined with hazy connections that I'd expect from somebody who was a bad kind of high. And then there's the concern about addiction. Marijuana is way down the list of ad…
> And let's not forget sugar, the white powder that causes enormous medical harm and that whole industries work to hook our children on!!1!
> Jokes aside
You don't think sugar causes enormous medical harm, or that the industry is geared towards addiction of their users?
Walk into any supermarket, it's everywhere. It's even in wide display in the checkout area, their last chance before you leave, along with cigarettes and cute bottles of alcohol.
Frankly it's disgusting.
Re: Adults with history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production
#50To point out the absurdity of this study using only 31 users with varying degrees of other types of drug use, as well as measuring some highly subjective metric, let me offer some purely anecdotal evidence that has a bigger sample size. I can name more than 31 rappers (try me) that have heavy, long-term cannabis use that have fast "speech timing", high "vocal quality", and low "vocal effort" compared to the general p…
You mean rappers who are likely faking their drug use as they often do with their use of firearms, expensive jewellery and cars.
You think rappers are faking smoking weed?