Pot smokers brains are being malformed

[FelixDeCat]

what do you know...

what do you know...

Not much, I would surmise. Pot smokers are usually too busy daydreaming to know much of anything.

 

[ibex333]

Well, here's the thing... I have two pothead friends, who did other stuff in their lives like shrooms, acid, and a few other things. And yet, they are both healthy as a horse, both finished college, one is a programmer and the other is an engineer.

Me? I've been drug free all my life, and yet I have headaches, panic attacks and agoraphobia. I finished a crappy college and struggling to keep a job, not to mention having a decent one.

Now... Does weed really do anything bad to people's brains? Doesnt look like it from where I'm standing.

 

[akugami]

No side order of hash?

 

[Markbnj]

Well, here's the thing... I have two pothead friends, who did other stuff in their lives like shrooms, acid, and a few other things. And yet, they are both healthy as a horse, both finished college, one is a programmer and the other is an engineer.

Me? I've been drug free all my life, and yet I have headaches, panic attacks and agoraphobia. I finished a crappy college and struggling to keep a job, not to mention having a decent one.

Now... Does weed really do anything bad to people's brains? Doesnt look like it from where I'm standing.

I know a few I can say the exact same thing about. Let's put it this way: I'm 53 and the people I know who smoke started in the mid-70's. Plenty of time for the negative effects to become apparent.

 

[yhelothar]

While I agree that these studies do have limitations and conclusions may not be clear cut, but there seems to be a number of potheads who become instantly defensive if anything possibly negative is said about pot as if they know with absolute certainty that it's some harmless wonder drug. There is still much about the brain we don't know about and hence many effects about pot that is still to be learned. We need to keep an open mind about its effects on the brain.

Furthermore, for the people who know one or two anecdotes of potheads who turned out healthy and successful, it's not an indication that pot is therefore safe. Drugs affects everyone differently. This is why it's important to do large scale studies and not look at anecdotes. That's exactly the reason people in this thread criticize the study for its small sample sizes. To make the opposite conclusion that pot is safe due to knowing one or two people is equally ridiculous and it's a clear sign of confirmation bias.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

 

[gorcorps]

Wow. Just, wow.

You think the news that pot is actually bad for you is a big surprise?

Put down the pipe, dude.

Enjoy your mind and body the way it was made to be enjoyed...as is. You dont need to mis-shape your brain to enjoy life.

Ignore him... Pot makes him paranoid

 

[Markbnj]

While I agree that these studies do have limitations and conclusions may not be clear cut, but there seems to be a number of potheads who become instantly defensive if anything possibly negative is said about pot as if they know with absolute certainty that it's some harmless wonder drug.

The ones I know just feel like it's none of your business . How many people die in drunk driving crashes every year? How many others die in alcohol-related accidents, or from direct alcohol poisoning? How many people are staggering around right now, drooling on themselves or lying face-down in their own puke, because they smoked some marijuana? You want to see defensive? Suggest that alcohol should be criminalized because of its obvious ill effects. But then we've already done that, and pretty much as soon as we did every mayor, police chief, senator, corporation president, and society bigwig immediately stockpiled as much booze as possible and continued drinking like fish until the idiotic amendment was repealed.

In other words, society has no moral high ground from which to criticize people who smoke marijuana, much less criminalize their preferences, and should simply, as a general rule, stfu.

 

[OverVolt]

If smoked while your brain is developing, hands down you will be "slower" from what I understand. Drugs are bad Mkay. Alcohol might be legal but at least people aren't deluded into thinking its actually good for you. It'll take time, but they will probably come full circle and realize the negative effects.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Wow. Just, wow.

You think the news that pot is actually bad for you is a big surprise?

Put down the pipe, dude.

Enjoy your mind and body the way it was made to be enjoyed...as is. You dont need to mis-shape your brain to enjoy life.

Really? Because I don't subscribe to lies I am now "on the pipe"? Here is a life lesson for you, for free.

What your warped perception tells you is an absolute truth is just your confirmation bias running wild.

You are so completely off base on this it is disturbing. For you to accuse me of doing something I am not because I disagree with you, and with yet another bought and paid for shill science study, is a fucking joke. Grow up.

Live a life outside of your bubble, then come back and talk to me when you aren't living in this fucking fantasy land where this study would stand up to any kind of scrutiny.

Period.

 

[futurefields]

Wow. Just, wow.

You think the news that pot is actually bad for you is a big surprise?

Put down the pipe, dude.

Enjoy your mind and body the way it was made to be enjoyed...as is. You dont need to mis-shape your brain to enjoy life.

The brain has cannabinoid receptors just like it has dopamine and seratonin receptors. So you could say we were made to get high.

 

[yhelothar]

The ones I know just feel like it's none of your business . How many people die in drunk driving crashes every year? How many others die in alcohol-related accidents, or from direct alcohol poisoning? How many people are staggering around right now, drooling on themselves or lying face-down in their own puke, because they smoked some marijuana? You want to see defensive? Suggest that alcohol should be criminalized because of its obvious ill effects. But then we've already done that, and pretty much as soon as we did every mayor, police chief, senator, corporation president, and society bigwig immediately stockpiled as much booze as possible and continued drinking like fish until the idiotic amendment was repealed.

In other words, society has no moral high ground from which to criticize people who smoke marijuana, much less criminalize their preferences, and should simply, as a general rule, stfu.

I agree pot should be legalized. But I don't understand what this has to do with research on pot and the brain.
This is about science not politics.

 

[Markbnj]

I agree pot should be legalized. But I don't understand what this has to do with research on pot and the brain.
This is about science not politics.

Well, you mentioned defensiveness, and that's the reason for it. It should be obvious that marijuana is not dangerous enough to put people in jail for using and possessing it, and you cannot expect any discussion of the latest study to be free of that context. Nobody is suggesting that we study alcohol with an eye toward whether it should be legal or not, despite, as I said, the terrible effects it has on society.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Well, here's the thing... I have two pothead friends, who did other stuff in their lives like shrooms, acid, and a few other things. And yet, they are both healthy as a horse, both finished college, one is a programmer and the other is an engineer.

Me? I've been drug free all my life, and yet I have headaches, panic attacks and agoraphobia. I finished a crappy college and struggling to keep a job, not to mention having a decent one.

Now... Does weed really do anything bad to people's brains? Doesnt look like it from where I'm standing.

I feel your pain, I too have struggled with setbacks of all sorts in my life. Not everyone's lives can be equal to all others, but while the grass may appear to be greener in those lives you probably dont know every single thing about them. Im willing to be there is information that has not been shared with you that would show how detrimental drug use has been to them, their families and/or communities.

Its kind of like hardcore gamblers. They will always go on about all the big pots theyve won but they wont dwell on the equally big losses theyve endured. That part of the story is not sexy. It does not win friends or influence people. You wont hear it...same goes for pot heads...with their sadly misshapen brains. D:

 

[Leyawiin]

This reefer madness shit is getting old. This study is BS, bought and paid for by the Nancy Grace Nazis of the world who would love nothing more than to have a camera in your house 24/7 and a megaphone to yell at you about how to live your life.

What a sad, pathetic nanny state thread this is. Stop shilling for alcohol and big pharma please, thanks.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

 

[FelixDeCat]

The brain has cannabinoid receptors just like it has dopamine and seratonin receptors. So you could say we were made to get high.

On life, bro, on life.

Not on substance abuse.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

If you want to see a lady just unzip your pants and look down.

 

[yhelothar]

Well, you mentioned defensiveness, and that's the reason for it. It should be obvious that marijuana is not dangerous enough to put people in jail for using and possessing it, and you cannot expect any discussion of the latest study to be free of that context. Nobody is suggesting that we study alcohol with an eye toward whether it should be legal or not, despite, as I said, the terrible effects it has on society.

Yes I agree that policy often comes from what we know about it. But it doesn't mean that we should bury our heads in the sand when any research comes up about the potential effects of pot on the brain. We still need to keep an open mind about this.

It being potentially harmful doesn't mean it shouldn't be legalized either as we know with any other drug that's legal and many foods. But we should still be clear on what the risks are.

 

[QueBert]

I feel your pain, I too have struggled with setbacks of all sorts in my life. Not everyone's lives can be equal to all others, but while the grass may appear to be greener in those lives you probably dont know every single thing about them. Im willing to be there is information that has not been shared with you that would show how detrimental drug use has been to them, their families and/or communities.

Its kind of like hardcore gamblers. They will always go on about all the big pots theyve won but they wont dwell on the equally big losses theyve endured. That part of the story is not sexy. It does not win friends or influence people. You wont hear it...same goes for pot heads...with their sadly misshapen brains. D:

I know plenty of pot heads, the only sad stories any could tell is the times they got high and went to 7-11 only to find out they were out of Cheetos.

Seriously, I know a ton of people who smoke daily, I see them daily, and I interact with some on a very personal level. There are no sad stories, there's no depressing tales of how Marijuana has ruined their life. And this is not due to them not wanting to tell the sad stories because it's "not sexy" there's simply nothing to say.

 

[yhelothar]

I know plenty of pot heads, the only sad stories any could tell is the times they got high and went to 7-11 only to find out they were out of Cheetos.

Seriously, I know a ton of people who smoke daily, I see them daily, and I interact with some on a very personal level. There are no sad stories, there's no depressing tales of how Marijuana has ruined their life. And this is not due to them not wanting to tell the sad stories because it's "not sexy" there's simply nothing to say.

It might not have ruined their life, but you can't say it didn't have a potential detriment or have blunted their potential.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd4cASkBAp0

 

[Miramonti]

if you desire to intoxicate you have a problem.

If you desire to judge all people equally negatively who desire to intoxicate, you have a greater problem, one that wisdom might suggest would be more fruitful for oneself to direct one's focus towards, than to others' perceived shortcomings.

 

[Captante]

It puts the lotion on its skin!!!

Or it gets the hose again?

 

[mnewsham]

you can't say it didn't have a potential detriment or have blunted their potential

and you can't claim the opposite is true.

 

[ch33zw1z]

I'm not sure where the argument is:

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm

We've already accepted, as a society, that drugs creating brain damage are ok.

My personal experience leads to believe that any brain "damage" caused by MJ is negligible. People are lazy and unmotivated regardless of their drug choices.

I've known quite a few lazy, unmotivated, and fat religious folk.

I know quite a few fully functioning, very successful tokers.

I know tokers who are lazy, and they were lazy people regardless.

I know drunks who are useless, cigarette smokers who would spend they're last pennies on cig's instead of food for their kids.

My point is, the effects of drugs on an individual can be difficult to measure due to the differences in people. To lump anyone into a category based solely on them smoking MJ isn't a good measure of that person's potential.

 

[ch33zw1z]

if you desire to intoxicate you have a problem.

Ah yes, IGBT's here to tell you to stop going to church too. It's an addiction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotheology

 

[hans030390]

Felix, why don't you post studies touting the benefits of cannabinoids, such as how marijuana helps facilitate the growth of neurons, in conjunction with supposedly-and-potentially-negative-but-most-readers-and-reporters-didn't-really-understand-the-point-or-message studies?

Im willing to be there is information that has not been shared with you that would show how detrimental drug use has been to them, their families and/or communities.

Maybe you're just jelly they can smoke weed and have a good, normal life? Maybe you have some weird history with marijuana that you are not sharing with us? Now, make sure you read this all before you write it off as entirely anecdotal (see later part of reply).

Let's see, it is uncorrelated, but my grades went up after I started using it (B.S. in Computer Science, then got my M.S. in Information Systems, so not always a walk in the park).

Anxiety levels went down. I have minor anxiety that is easily controlled, but marijuana has helped "smooth" it out in the past few years.

Overall sense of well-being went up. Was already a very happy person with no real life complaints (started it entirely out of curiosity and decided to keep using because, hell, I like it!).

Confidence and life motivation went up.

Found myself becoming more interested in a wider variety of topics.

Became a more empathetic, caring person.

Desire to go outside vs. staying inside increased.

Noted and other benefits do not disappear when stopping long-term. Even if these were completely unrelated to my usage of marijuana, that still flies in the face of what you are trying to incorrectly assert about users.

As for downsides, I seem to have developed a slight dependency to it, in that I get minor headaches if I go without for a day or two. Less of an issue than a caffeine dependency, for sure, and that is pretty socially acceptable. Not something I'm worried about in the slightest. Most users report no forms of dependency, but I think it is mildly addictive but for mostly psychological reasons (like the internet).

Oh, it's not the cheapest thing in the world. Good thing I have a kick-ass job that I worked hard to secure and love going to on a daily basis. (Interestingly enough, I also work with a lot of users that I'm assuming you would believe they are hiding something terrible about their lives, or whatever. Some of my most motivated, high-reaching, intelligent coworkers in this corporation are regular users and have been since college, at least.)

Uh...can't think of a whole lot else. It has been mostly fun and beneficial with relatively few and minor downsides. I can live without it and be just as happy, but I can technically live without many other comforts in life and find ways to be happy too. It's nice to have around.

HOWEVER! I can personally draw up anecdotal reports of people I know that fall into the broad spectrum of marijuana users. Some fit the stereotypes. Some are even more successful, outgoing, and motivated in life than I am. Some are about as average as you'd expect. In other words, anyone in any life scenario could potentially be a marijuana user! *GASP*

Basically, finding out who uses marijuana is the equivalency of figuring out who is a Cylon. They're normal people from all aspects of life in all scenarios. I repeat, marijuana users are hiding among all of us from all walks of life! BEWARE!

Thus, it is important to not be a complete, naive, strangely-aggressive boob about the topic of marijuana, whatever your "side" may be.

I have said it again, and I will say it before. It is VERY important to consider what you put in your body while it, and especially your brain, is developing. So far, and from my anecdotal experiences, it seems it is safer to avoid marijuana until you are AT LEAST 18 or, better yet, 21...or 25 for best results, when the brain should be fully developed. I have yet to see evidence that use as a fully developed adult is detrimental (barring that everything in life caries a variable amount of risk depending on the person and situation), but I continue to look out for new studies on the matter.

Really, most of this is not news or unexpected to those more educated on the subject of marijuana (sorry, Felix). So far, many early studies seem to indicate brain changes, and you have to read carefully instead of assuming all changes are bad or completely understood, are more likely to take place the younger you start using marijuana (i.e., when your brain is rapidly developing). I did not know this when I started, but I started using regularly half-way through college. I seem to have come through unscathed, but it does remain to be seen how it might affect very long-term users. I have met users that started around the same time as me but did meet more downsides...usually, at that point in their life, they were likely to recognize this and stop before it became an actual problem. Not always. Thus, I encourage everyone to be smart about marijuana usage, because it's a wonderful thing if you're not a dumbass about it at let it control your life.

I don't think you'll get many other users who tout the benefits and awesomeness of marijuana while openly discouraging young folks from using it exactly because of these reasons and also recognizing that, in the end, it still isn't for everyone!