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Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

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Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#51

Post by hnov »

Someone1234 wrote: post #23

I've never been a user, but I do support legalisation. The reason I support it even though I myself wouldn't benefit is: - It is at least as safe as tobacco and alcohol. So even if we leave the question of what is safer on the table, I think most people would agree based on available evidence that it isn't LESS safe than those two, and they're legal. - The "war on drugs" has been a disaster. It has actually hurt econ…

Empirically, driving under the influence of marijuana makes one safer by dialing back their willingness to take risk. Empirically, I'd rather be a passenger to stoner a than someone past their 60s, in their teens or recently emigrated from a non driving country. More research needs to be done before we can make any conclusions but research to date hasn't shown it to be a problem [0]. I actually dread legalization because it's only a matter of time before some legislator decides to "crack down" on the menace that is stoned drivers.

http://norml.org/library/item/marijuana-and-driving-a-review...

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#52

Post by jMyles »

zwieback wrote: post #48
jMyles wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone's mileage varies - you'll find no shortage of people who lament the long term effects (although abstinence for even a month or so seems to cause complete reversal). For my part, smoking cannabis is great for me, especially for programming. I find both that I feel more focused and that I am more capable of juggling multiple tasks. The "listener" in me comes alive, and I'm better able to empathize with the aut…

just curious - were you high when you wrote this?

No I wasn't, but while writing it, I came to desire it, and so now, as I write this, I am! :-)

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#53

Post by DanBC »

Zelphyr wrote: post #37
madaxe_again wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed on the whole driving bit - but commensurately, whenever I'm in the US, I am astonished by how casually people drink and drive. Don't think it's a stoner problem, more an inconsiderate dickhead/cultural problem.

We're just bad drivers in general, regardless of our level of intoxication. Texting. Dancing (I see this frequently). The number of elderly people who drive who shouldn't be is mind boggling. I'm of a mind that its actually way too easy to obtain a drivers license in this country. For example; my mother took my uncle to get his drivers license renewed. Why she did is beyond me because he has early stage dementia. He…

> The number of elderly people who drive who shouldn't be is mind boggling.

Is this supported by any research? Road traffic accident statistics show too many young people. So, older people might be safer drivers.

Of course, there are a few people with dementia or visual impairment who shouldn't be driving but it's interesting that it's ok to suggest that older people are risky drivers when that doesn't appear to be true.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#54

Post by jMyles »

PlzSnow wrote: post #41
jMyles wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone's mileage varies - you'll find no shortage of people who lament the long term effects (although abstinence for even a month or so seems to cause complete reversal). For my part, smoking cannabis is great for me, especially for programming. I find both that I feel more focused and that I am more capable of juggling multiple tasks. The "listener" in me comes alive, and I'm better able to empathize with the aut…

"After smoking fairly consistently for 13 years, I seem to be blessed by having no negative effects of which I am aware." Your prose suggests otherwise.

I think you're suggesting that there's an error in the snippet you've quoted? I don't immediately see it. Can you point it out?

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#55

Post by cnp »

guelo wrote: post #13

As a programmer I'm very protective of my higher level brain functions. Marijuana's effects on short term memory are especially concerning to me. Do any of you long term smokers feels like it has affected your programming skills for the worse or better?

I've solved more tough, intractable programming problems after a hit of weed than I'd like to admit. IMO its a wonder drug for getting you out of patterns of thinking.

And no, zero detrimental effects on my mind (at least thus far). In fact, I would say that it has made me at least 5-10% smarter in the sense that indica marijuana (the strain is key) was the first thing I discovered that allowed me to get a solid 8 hours of rest every night. It has had a remarkable cascading effect throughout my life, leading to much (much) greater clarity, attentiveness and focus during the day.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#56

Post by josefresco »

lotsofmangos wrote: post #44
Someone1234 wrote: post #23

I've never been a user, but I do support legalisation. The reason I support it even though I myself wouldn't benefit is: - It is at least as safe as tobacco and alcohol. So even if we leave the question of what is safer on the table, I think most people would agree based on available evidence that it isn't LESS safe than those two, and they're legal. - The "war on drugs" has been a disaster. It has actually hurt econ…

"There have been numerous studies in which the effects of marijuana have been assesed on performance in driving simulators and even a few studies conducted in city traffic. Much to everyone's surprise, the results of many of these studies revealed only relatively small impairments in driving skills, even after quite large doses of the drug. Several of the early studies showed no impairment at all, but as driving simu…

Or replace the need for an active driver at all. Seems like we're already flirting with this scenario with the lane-assist, adaptive cruise control etc.

The question then becomes, if an active/traditional "driver" is not needed, can the occupants be intoxicated?

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#57

Post by drzaiusapelord »

trose wrote: post #8

I can't help but feel that statistic they're using is a little disingenuous. Yes cannabis has a ridiculously high lethal dose, more than you could ever smoke or consume. You'd basically have to create a concentrate and inject it directly or something. I don't think you should be saying that cannabis is 114 times less deadly than alcohol. There are other contributing factors that could cause harm. There seems to be no…

The connection to mental illness in teen usage is particularly worrisome.

http://www.futurity.org/teen-marijuana-abuse/

memory issues as well:

http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2013/12/marij...

The problem here is that the age that you'd most likely use drugs is the age where you probably shouldn't. That said, of course the currenly policy is madness, but when I speak to "drug culture" people they seem 100% unaware of the risks and often tell me pot is a magical healing herb that can fix just about everything and, of course, is completely safe to drive on.

The activists have painted this false picture of it being this ultra-safe magic drug and I think its time we started building a rational view of it, as well as discussing with people what it means to be high and drive a car, and building out breathalyzer-like devices for police enforcement. It should be treated the same as a DUI.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#58

Post by Fdndjxjxr »

cnp wrote: post #47
trose wrote: post #8

I can't help but feel that statistic they're using is a little disingenuous. Yes cannabis has a ridiculously high lethal dose, more than you could ever smoke or consume. You'd basically have to create a concentrate and inject it directly or something. I don't think you should be saying that cannabis is 114 times less deadly than alcohol. There are other contributing factors that could cause harm. There seems to be no…

Out of the zillions and zillions of weed smokers over the past 100 years, there has never once been a reported case of someone dying due to carcinogenic responses to the smoke. Granted, there has never been a formal study, but there have been adjacent studies and by all intents and purposes it appears to be safe. Google around: https://www.google.com/search?q=marijuana+lung+cancer

That's a nice, made-up anecdote you have there.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#59

Post by ska »

mycroft-holmes wrote: post #40
shawabawa3 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> schedule I is "high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use and unsafe to use even under medical supervision" I think even the most vocal marijuana opponents would agree schedule 1 classification is insane. Stricter control than cocaine? Really?

Yet it's legal to smoke, with a license, at our nation's capital.

I don't think anyone, regardless of their own take on the issues, would argue that current drug policy in the U.S. is internally consistent.

Re: Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say

#60

Post by [deleted] »

jMyles wrote: post #34
guelo wrote: post #13

As a programmer I'm very protective of my higher level brain functions. Marijuana's effects on short term memory are especially concerning to me. Do any of you long term smokers feels like it has affected your programming skills for the worse or better?

Everyone's mileage varies - you'll find no shortage of people who lament the long term effects (although abstinence for even a month or so seems to cause complete reversal). For my part, smoking cannabis is great for me, especially for programming. I find both that I feel more focused and that I am more capable of juggling multiple tasks. The "listener" in me comes alive, and I'm better able to empathize with the aut…

[deleted]
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