Study Suggests 'Pothead' Stereotype Might Be Real

[GagHalfrunt]

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/...udy-suggests-pothead-stereotype-might-be-real


The idea that pot is harmless is just nonsense. Anybody whose been around more than a few decades have seen the long term effects of constant pot use on friends and family. Even if it is by some miracle the one substance humans can ingest on the planet with no negative physical side effects, its very clear the the anxiety reducing power of THC traps many people in tolerating a life far below their capability.
It is our anxiety, being unsatisfied with what we are compared to what we think we could be, that drives us grow intellectually, emotionally and creatively. Pot just switches that drive off making us content with "whatever." That's why stoners don't cause problems, they just don't care about anything enough to exert enough energy to harm or inconvenience others. They tolerate insults, loss of social status, theft etc because the THC just switches off all the anxiety and anger.
But they are also fine with their lack of personal growth, evolution or creation. They stagnate. Loss a job? Smoke enough pot and you won't care. Have to take a boring, low paying job way below your capability. Smoke enough pot and you won't care. You'll work that job for years and years with no promotion or even hope for advancement. Lose a relationship. Don't care. Never get around to trying that great idea you had? Don't care. Even artist clearly lose their intensity and creativity if you can objectively compare their work before and after.
People who start routine pot smoking in their teens will never be what they could have been. Nothing dramatic will happen but that's rather the problem.
Of course, the stoner is like the alcoholic. Most people who drink aren't alcoholics and most people who smoke pot won't have any serious problems but some people will. The problems are largely personally, at least until it becomes a "disability" that the rest of us have to pay for, but it's not "harmless" by any useful definition.

What substance is to blame for your grammar? Whatever it is, I vote we ban that instead of pot.

 

[Fritzo]

The kind of people that were waiting in line for pot in Colorado look exactly like the type of people I would picture waiting in line for pot.

 

[disappoint]

This is some real BS, and you should pull your head out of your ass. People that were going to become losers in life were probably going to do it without marijuana. Can marijuana help facilitate that? Well, given how nice it is...yes.

Come talk to me and I will destroy all of your silly preconceived notions. If you met me in person prior to this, you wouldn't have a clue I use marijuana on a more-than-regular basis (my goofy behavior has been there long before).

Also, ignoring your hyperbole, what's to say humans might care TOO much about things that don't matter? Perhaps reduced anxiety could get one to focus on all the crap that doesn't really matter and focus on the core of their life. Or you could take it to the extreme and say it makes everyone go, "Whatever." (On the contrary...it has helped me think outside of my small reality and much more on a global perspective. I care much more about the world around me these days than I used to.)

Lastly, despite what non-users might say, THC tends to increase anxiety in most. But, while it is the "primary" cannabinoid in marijuana, it's not the only one (other cannabinoids have different effects). It's sort of mixed. Marijuana has anti-anxiety and calming properties (of which I have seem HUGE benefits mentally over the years, and my life has only gotten better for it), AND it has anxiety causing properties at the same time. As a regular user, I can still get strong bouts of anxiety if I have a little too much.

404: Stereotypical pothead not found. Marijuana has quite literally only made my life better, and I'm doing extremely well for myself. Looking to take on the world and move up!

HOWEVER! Studies have shown marijuana can have detrimental effects on developing brains over time. I started using it after this point in my life, and I do NOT encourage those under 18 to use it regularly (probably best to start after ~20-21 years). I can attest that using it regularly before that age is more likely to lead to mental issues (apathy OR, in some cases, anxiety and depression).

Still, before coming across like an ignorant ass, you might want to consider regular users like myself that enjoy life, work hard, and do very well for themselves.

Marijuana and how it affects users and the world around them is not something simple that you can just generalize.

Sounds to me like a religion.

I mean you don't carry out a scientific study. You just experiment in your own little bubble, then conclude you know more about it than you actually do. But it's just an illusion. Or perhaps a delusion.

You don't even know when the human brain stops developing. Here's a clue: around 25.

Don't mind me. I'm just the government out to get you.

 

[Kaido]

The idea that pot is harmless is just nonsense.

The most obvious reason to me is this: since when is inhaling smoke into your lungs EVER healthy?

Although I'm sure someone will just post a study that says marijuana smoke is not harmful to your lungs at all

 

[Kaido]

why doesn't this apply in equal measure to alcohol, TV, gaming, tabacco smoking, sugar products, etc, etc, etc.

edit: crosspost with last poster; yeah my point exactly.

They tried that in NYC already. Didn't work so well

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

Of course, there was nothing stopping you from simple ordering two sodas, haha...

 

[Fritzo]

why doesn't this apply in equal measure to alcohol, TV, gaming, tabacco smoking, sugar products, etc, etc, etc.

edit: crosspost with last poster; yeah my point exactly.

It does, to a point, but the cat's out of the bag already with tobacco and alcohol. Alcohol's effects are pretty potent, but wear off quickly. Gaming or TV isn't a substance, so that doesn't belong on the list (I had a friend addicted to running. That's more of a psychological disorder thing). Sugar---well, you can't really do anything about sugar. It's in everything naturally.

So, you're left with banning alcohol- which was tried with disastrous consequences, and banning pot. Potheads are too tired to get violent, so it got banned

 

[Kaido]

It does, to a point, but the cat's out of the bag already with tobacco and alcohol. Alcohol's effects are pretty potent, but wear off quickly. Gaming or TV isn't a substance, so that doesn't belong on the list (I had a friend addicted to running. That's more of a psychological disorder thing). Sugar---well, you can't really do anything about sugar. It's in everything naturally.

So, you're left with banning alcohol- which was tried with disastrous consequences, and banning pot. Potheads are too tired to get violent, so it got banned

I have a friend who is addicted to bodybuilding (serious). It's amazing what people get addicted to...

/brushes postcount under the rug...

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I had a friend addicted to running. That's more of a psychological disorder thing...

There's an actual physical high associated with running.

 

[sze5003]

It also depends on what type of person and attitude you have. I know people who have the I don't care attitude and they started smoking, that attitude stuck with them or got worse. These are the normal people you would call hippies, similar to those in the pic lining up in Colorado. If you are that type of person, chances are you are going to be like that weather you smoke or not.

If you are an eccentric and goal driven person who doesn't like to quit or give up and you smoke pot now and then you will still be that same type of person. Ive had really smart friends who I know smoke, still end up very successful. These people don't need to smoke every day nor do they get addicted and start an every day ritual.

I agree that after a while it can have bad effects, but like everything else moderation is key. It really depends on what kind of attitude you have and the type of person you are. The worst I've seen is really smart people who moderately smoke get mixed up with the wrong group of people and end up being addicted to other drugs, at that point you're screwed.

 

[mizzou]

I've never met a person who was high or who was a pot-head that I;
#1 could not get along with
#2 made me angry
#3 tried to hurt me

Drunk people, 80% of them suck balls

 

[mizzou]

There's an actual physical high associated with running.

oxygen deprivation

runners high is overrated

 

[shortylickens]

I've never met a person who was high or who was a pot-head that I;
#1 could not get along with
#2 made me angry
#3 tried to hurt me

Drunk people, 80% of them suck balls

Yep.

All the cool easy-going folks I met in Oregon tell me that booze is the real danger to society.

 

[FelixDeCat]

:|

 

[shortylickens]

oxygen deprivation

runners high is overrated

Endorphins.

Not overrated.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

oxygen deprivation

runners high is overrated

Endorphins

runners high is proven science

Deal with it.

 

[ImpulsE69]

There's an actual physical high associated with running.

I never knew vomiting was considered a "high".

 

[MrPickins]

Alcohol's effects are pretty potent, but wear off quickly.

Are you joking?

Alcohol abuse has terrible long term consequences.

 

[sourn]

The most obvious reason to me is this: since when is inhaling smoke into your lungs EVER healthy?

Although I'm sure someone will just post a study that says marijuana smoke is not harmful to your lungs at all

Yes, because you must inhale smoke, there is no other way to get it into your body.. It must be smoked!


o wait..

 

[noobsrevenge]

oxygen deprivation

runners high is overrated

lol you're dumb. Its endorphin's.

 

[shortylickens]

Are you joking?

Alcohol abuse has terrible long term consequences.

no he meant the high.

 

[destrekor]

Suggests because it's difficult to prove it conclusively. But let's get real, it's common sense that being a heavy cannabis user would make someone more spaced-out and perform worse on memory tasks. Excessive chronic use of any type of drug is going to have detrimental mental and physical side effects.

HOWEVER! Studies have shown marijuana can have detrimental effects on developing brains over time. I started using it after this point in my life, and I do NOT encourage those under 18 to use it regularly (probably best to start after ~20-21 years). I can attest that using it regularly before that age is more likely to lead to mental issues (apathy OR, in some cases, anxiety and depression).

Still, before coming across like an ignorant ass, you might want to consider regular users like myself that enjoy life, work hard, and do very well for themselves.

Marijuana and how it affects users and the world around them is not something simple that you can just generalize.

Perfect - thank you for that point.

A developing brain, that is where the damage is done regarding Marijuana.
What part of the brain does early use of Marijuana end up changing? The last section of the brain to mature: the prefrontal cortex. Studies have shown the average age where the prefrontal cortex reaches maturity (no longer developing) is 25 years old. Some older, some later.

Marijuana use in the 20s probably should be mostly fine - you've had a history of solid uninterrupted growth (in that part of the brain). Marijuana use in the mid-teens, however... it's a recipe for potential problems. No guarantees someone will have the "who they are" change, and there is no real set final outcome; some may see it change them negatively (if starting early, this is more often the case if anything), some may actually see beneficial growth. Maybe the experience and thoughts gave them a push in the right direction - and they started in that direction immediately.

The prefrontal cortex, responsible for many things, is the primary focal point for decision-making. Altering how this part of the brain develops can impact personality and strength of will.

There is some truth to the stereotype, but the road there is highly variable and only some find themselves traveling in that direction. Overuse, especially when young, can lead to a sort of "cementing apathy" - but there has to be something there to start with.

Their personality at the start was already looking to take a certain shape, they were probably weak-willed, not motivated strongly about anything in the future (no specific drive - though this might not be true for all "stereotypical potheads"), and most importantly, they probably have a style of addictive personality.

I identified that (addictive personality) fairly early on in my life - it helped that my genetics demonstrated a perfect example of this behavior in an uncle, so I had a "this is what taking the left fork in the road looks like" situation.

Without such "flaws" going in, there's far less likelihood that marijuana use will negatively impact who you are at the physiological level. That said, you can easily get yourself into an apathetic state without drugs if conditions were right. Life situations and various things can throw mentally competent people into a tailspin, so there are never any guarantees in life about what you will become based on what you choose to do or not do.

As a man would identifies as pro-marijuana, I fully agree that any legal marijuana should be limited to 21 and over. While I see no evidence that 18y/o is any worse for alcohol than 21y/o, there is a large enough body of evidence to enforce the notion that young adults must not be granted legal use of marijuana - for our future, all of ours.

Better education will be important though, because I thoroughly support people completely ruining their own lives due to their own choices, so long as they are fully informed. If we can get everyone in high school to fully understand marijuana's potential impact on the brain, potentially worse than most other chemicals they can get their hands on while they are still at that age. (except for the harder drugs - I'm sure heroin is worse for a young brain than marijuana )

There's much to be had, beneficially, for marijuana's legalization. Not only, in an adult's hands, can it help keep the body from getting too strung out on stress and better able to help relax, and even naturally target inflammation.

In the body of a fully mature adult, marijuana will be a better NSAID than basically all NSAIDs, even the majority of the stronger prescription ones. It's equally as effective, and less habit forming, than prescription opioids.

It'll also help protect us from who knows what random soon-to-be-labeled carcinogenic chemicals to which we've been routinely exposed. How? Research has demonstrated that marijuana has an anti-tumor impact and can help kick the ass of the immune system to get it fighting the enemy it didn't see at first. I think this was specifically THC that had anti-tumor properties; it alone isn't all that wonderful of a chemical though. Many have complained due to only receiving THC (in the form of Marinol, a prescription dose of pure THC), and that's because all of the negative effects of THC are usually mediated by the balance of a whole host of other cannabinoids, cannabinol and cannabidiol as examples. There are many, many other chemicals in the plant, all of which are either without effect alone, or very small. But by acting in various ratios on the different types of receptors, they can add to or subtract to the THC alone is doing. Each have different affinities for the two types of receptors. How each receptor gets played, at what strength and frequency, determines the final impact. That's why different strains, and especially the different species/cultivars, have different end-state "highs" for the user: some will make you stoned with "couch-lock", with more cognitive activation (introspective, philosophical), whereas others will make you bouncing off the walls looking for entertainment.

 

[Old Hippie]

The kind of people that were waiting in line for pot in Colorado look exactly like the type of people I would picture waiting in line for pot.

Say what? They look like anybody/everybody walking down the street.

Would you like to see them in Tuxes/Doctors scrubs/shirt & tie/Judges robes?

 

[lxskllr]

Would you like to see them in Tuxes/Doctors scrubs/shirt & tie/Judges robes?

That's what you'd see at the head shops around DC ;^)

 

[PliotronX]

I see this all the time, back in Los Angeles and especially now out in Colorado where Prop. 64 passed making it legal surprisingly beating California to the punch. One friend of mine, well all he talks about and watches on youtube are weed-related, it's like he's a bud-enthusiast. Not really different from being a geek on other stuff but pot... man there are better things to be excited about.

 

[destrekor]

I see this all the time, back in Los Angeles and especially now out in Colorado where Prop. 64 passed making it legal surprisingly beating California to the punch. One friend of mine, well all he talks about and watches on youtube are weed-related, it's like he's a bud-enthusiast. Not really different from being a geek on other stuff but pot... man there are better things to be excited about.

Personally, I see it as the exact same thing as being passionate about beer or wine. Heck, even fine Cuban cigars. Admittedly, I see it most as being similar to beer because that's my favorite of the above, and I love to talk about the differences between different types of brews, enjoying the different flavors and alcohol strengths, etc.

Being passionate about the variety of ways and the different types in which one can find, make, purchase, or imbibe... I think it's a fine point of interest/hobby.

Probably the amount of time and/or effort I'd place into following NFL team(s), I instead probably place all of that in knowing about good beer. I do want to brew at some point, too.