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Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

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Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#401

Post by datavirtue »

kumarvvr wrote: post #168
mellavora wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> unchecked use, might put a whole society in danger. So you mean that if, for example, over 50% of the population was using a known mind-altering drug, society might go to shit? Do prescription psychiatry medicines count? You might want to take a look at what % of the western world has such a prescription. Between opiods, amphetamine, and anti-depressants, I think the US passed the 50% mark some time ago.

Absolutely. What ever I have read or heard about those drugs (most of it from peoples experiences on reddit and all), it is clear to me that they don't actually solve any issue, and simply make the mind numb. In some cases, perhaps that is required. But why is it that the worlds richest country need to keep 50% of its population on drugs? That is a societal flaw, and worryingly a self sustaining one at that. I also a…

I'm still wondering why the US is the only country with a steady supply of serial killers.

Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#402

Post by ganzuul »

TriNetra wrote: post #215
irjustin wrote: post #14

Since the article and the study are light on the details of "persistent" Here's the supporting data's in a bit more detail[0]. Overall this makes sense to me as an individually who personally enjoys it. The whole point of getting high is to be impaired (for me). So it's not really telling me anything new. Like drinking, I can't expect myself to be 100% functioning the next day so plan accordingly. The question is how…

A persistent high can be achieved by living mindfully with kindness and regular meditation (speaking from direct experience). Hence, I'm not surprised that any high induced with a substance instead, impairs the brain as brain starts depending on the induced experience, without having developed its own mechanism to have such an experience.

Many people, especially the young, can not find a peaceful time or place for meditation. The demands placed on them by western society take up too much of their energy.

For them, drugs are a must because otherwise they will grow up without any spiritual life at all.

Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#403

Post by bjourne »

otherme123 wrote: post #181
mellavora wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, we are social creatures. Even the most introverted of us (finger points at self). So no surprise that being around parties/other people has a positive effect on moral. The health benefits of the social contact almost certainly outweigh the negative health impacts of a tiny amount of alcohol.

A lot of drugs make you more social, but sadly they are all outlawed except alcohol. MDMA was used for years to lubricate psicotherapy sessions, until the FDA found out that some people was having "too much fun", banned the thing, and denied it has any possible positive effect. Only two years ago it seems that it is going to be reseached again. Thomas Szasz has some books about drug history and the paths that turns a…

How can otherwise intelligent people believe drugs are outlawed because people were having too much fun?

Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#404

Post by Jeff_Brown »

llamajams wrote: post #389

I went from an occasional social user to a habitual personal user...because COVID and staying at home were killing me. And it actually doubled my productivity. But eventually got to the point where I HAD to smoke to perform, and definitely had a way worse sober baseline after a year of persistent use. So I stopped. Regret having gone down that path =(.

Stopping after only a year is great! It took me seven years to conclude it was doing more harm than good -- twice.

Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#405

Post by achenet »

vegai_ wrote: post #227
geocrasher wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I drive better when I've had a few" is something I have actually heard from people in my past. Far, far past. And they think that because they no longer have that voice in their head that tells them they're doing something stupid. "I code better when I'm high" is something that can only be judged by those around you. If somebody else judges your code to be better, fine. But your self assessment is fundamentally flaw…

Those are wildly different actions though, unless you're modifying live production code for a pacemaker or something like that. Doing a bit of inebriated coding that you verify later might be just fine. I'm almost certain that the resulting code won't be better, but there may be situations where a clear head would have produced no code at all due to mental blocks.

Yeah, this is like the Hemingway quote - "Write drunk, proofread sober."

Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#406

Post by BobbyJo »

hooande wrote: post #78

I've known many people in silicon valley who smoke cannabis regularly (several times a week if not daily). They all seemed to be cognitively normal. Some of them function on a level I only wish I could attain. I think regular cannabis use attracts a certain type of person. That type of person can vary in their ability and intelligence, just like any type of person. This is also true of say, hardcore fans of fantasy f…

Disclaimer: I'm an almost daily smoker of cannabis.

There is definitely some impairment long term. I think we can assume that even without this huge study. I don't think knowing that matters unless we have some scale that tells us how dramatic that impairment is.

If I compare someone who smoked all the time, but also had a rich and engaging social life with a lifelong abstainer who live a mostly isolated existence, who is going to be more cognitively capable?

There are so many inputs that feed into who we are and what we are capable of that, in all likelihood, cannabis use is likely only incidental to much larger factors like isolation, media preferences, home life, etc.

As an anecdote, the worse thing I think I've ever done for my brain, the thing that I immediately felt dumber after doing, was reading "Shadow Wolves" (Steven Segal's book). I had trouble communicating thoughts effectively for weeks after finishing it. It was like it had sucked vocabulary out of my brain. Maybe that's how cannabis leads to long term impairment. It makes you read "Shadow Wolves".

Edit: Since people are voting this, I want to add an extra warning that I was not joking about "Shadow Wolves". If you read it, you will feel dumber, and it will take time to heal the damage done. Seriously.

Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#407

Post by JohnBooty »

sdze wrote: post #374
JohnBooty wrote: post #306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Caffeine withdrawal is very very unpleasant. If it's a daily habit and you abruptly cease consumption (aka "cold turkey") you're going to be in hell for at least a day. Usually more. Occasionally you'll hear people talk about quitting this way with zero withdrawal. They may or may not be telling the truth. But I suppose outliers always exist. Definitely not the norm though. I know a lot of people who say they that ca…

the problem with caffeine is, that once you are clean of it, you quickly get hooked on it again (due to socializing). Every meeting revolves around drinking coffee or tea or cola.

Interesting to hear that experience. I've never really felt like there was social pressure to drink caffeinated drinks whatsoever. Seems like there's always more people not drinking caffeinated drinks. Particularly executive types. Just my experience.

Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#408

Post by [deleted] »

Rndthrowaway212 wrote: post #202
gumby wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exercise and a healthy diet. I typed this in jest but instead of closing the tab I realize that yes, this is a good alternative, perhaps the best, if you can do it . Not everyone can, and typically it’s not their fault if they can’t.

Yeah, and it's a big if. Personally, I tried, and ended up having suicidal thoughts every time I exercised. With weed, that's not a problem. If one has sorrows that need drowning, then the first step should be dealing with those issues and seek help if needed -- not trying cliché things that sound like they came from some mindfulness channel on Youtube.

[deleted]

Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#409

Post by achenet »

oblio wrote: post #268
colechristensen wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calm Fitter, healthier and more productive A pig In a cage On antibiotics … by realizing there’s no way to zero risks and that trying to do so leads to a life perhaps not worth living Who cares if a drink isn’t risk free or a joint makes your a little slower, live a little.

Life is plenty worth living without this stuff. But I guess we can't really come to an agreement since you've just defined people like me as "pigs in cages".

It's a reference to a Radiohead song. :)

Re: Cannabis use produces persistent cognitive impairments: meta review

#410

Post by gwbas1c »

yakshaving_jgt wrote: post #59

I used to wish to be a professional drummer. When I was 14 I attended a drum camp for a week to meet and learn from some of the world’s best drummers, along with other children and adults from around the UK with similar ambitions. I became friends with one kid who was exceptionally talented as a musician, but also had a chronic marijuana habit. He was a better drummer than me at the time, but the drum camp was held e…

Remember, this is anecdotal.

I'd view the problems with marijuana (and heroin) as symptoms of mental health issues; not the cause.

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