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More Americans report near-constant cannabis use

• sonnyblarney 8y ago
  It's unconventional given the liberal/libertarian aspects of the current movement, but this is a problem. I know at least two people very well, and a few more less well who smoke - all - the - time. They vape it like tobacco. They are basically permanently 'kind of high' - completely functional, you'd never really know it to meet them ... but this is more than a little distressing. One is in finance, the other a healthcare practitioner, the others stay at home parents. It's a kind of new phenom that we need to grapple with because the 'bad effects' are not going to be so much chemical etc., they're going to be psychological and we're in kind of new territory.
  • marssaxman 8y ago
    If you'd never really know it to meet them, what about their usage is distressing? Most people are "basically permanently 'kind of high'" on caffeine, or nicotine, or both. Is that distressing?
    • craftyguy 8y ago
      They seem to be alluding to some unknown effects of being 'kind of high', but I agree with you.
    • sonnyblarney 8y ago
      For one, I also have family members who are very alcoholic and 'you'd never know it' either, i.e. fairly highly functional. The effects of caffeine and nicotine are mild, and mostly physical. Especially with nicotine, it's a 'maintenance addiction' in that smoking in addicts is mostly to get to 'stay normal' because the body has adjusted dopamine receptors. A little bit similar with caffeine in that we build a tolerance. I don't think it's a stretch to consider that there might be some issues with a good chunk of society walking around stoned all day. I'd put 'drunk' in a similar category. The people who I know who are like this are themselves concerned but they can't seem to change their habits. It's not just a matter of 'physical/mental' state - they are basically different people in this mode and they know it.
      • meritt 8y ago
        > The effects of caffeine and nicotine are mild, and mostly physical The primary effect of caffeine is mental alertness.
      • citation_please 8y ago
        Mildly high isn't equivalent to stoned, and I don't think it's a stretch to consider that the might be some issues with everyone self-medicating for motivation and concentration with caffeine all day.
  • compcoffee 8y ago
    >they're going to be psychological and we're in kind of new territory. It may be new territory for you, but I can assure you that grown adults have been smoking pot for a long time, and understand the psychological effects and their limits.
    • sonnyblarney 8y ago
      No. I believe staying high all day changes people quite fundamentally, I feel this way because I know people who have changed due to it, and one whom I knew only as 'stoned always' who quit one day for no apparent reason and his life fundamentally changed. You probably have heard of him, actually.
      • deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
  • peterwwillis 8y ago
    One in six Americans takes psychiatric prescription drugs, mostly antidepressants. Weed is basically an antidepressant and pain killer. I think the bigger question is, why are Americans self-medicating so much?
    • mnm1 8y ago
      Poverty, loneliness, helplessness, hopelessness, lack of other healthcare options, lack of community, overwork, hate by others (racism, sexism, etc.), lack of any say in government, getting fucked over by companies over and over again, etc. I bet all those are top reasons for self-medicating in America. When you're one accident away from being homeless, alone, and have no hope of changing anything about your life, it's likely you'll self-medicate. When you can't get treatment for your work injury and have to work in pain all the time to keep from being homeless, you're likely to self-medicate. Do I really need to keep going? I think the causes of self-medication in America are incredibly obvious but most people choose to put their heads in the sand and not see them.
      • pc86 8y ago
        With the exception of healthcare options (and then only for a subset of Americans) none of these are problems unique to American life.
        • mnm1 8y ago
          I never claimed they were. They are quite ubiquitous in America, however.
        • moorhosj 8y ago
          Sure, but the discussion is about the fringes. The US has a higher poverty rate than most other developed nations. Poverty isn’t unique to American life, but it impacts a larger percentage of Americans than in French, Brits or Australians.
    • wafflesraccoon 8y ago
      Is this an American only issue? I was under the impression that marijuana is very popular everywhere.
  • e40 8y ago
    You didn't list what you think the problem is.
    • idoh 8y ago
      The problem isn't listed because it viewed as self evident to some people. I'd list the problem of having high functional people who use marijuana everyday as: A - MJ, while a mild drug, is still a drug, and it seems like people who use it everyday are addicts. B - On the one hand I'm OK with people making their own decisions as to how they want to live their life, but on the other hand if we are talking about the type of society that we want to have, lots of people taking hallucinogens to get through the day doesn't exactly fit the image. Something seems wrong. C - We don't really know the long term impacts of doing this. It is probably somewhat bad somehow, even if we don't know exactly how.
      • wafflesraccoon 8y ago
        Small point, marijuana isn't a hallucinogen.
        • idoh 8y ago
          Fair point. It is psychoactive but not exactly a hallucinogen.
        • voice_of_reason 8y ago
          While it's generally true that it isn't, some strains may produce quite strong auditory and visual hallucinations for some users.
          • abraham_lincoln 8y ago
            Recommendations?
            • voice_of_reason 8y ago
              Experiences produced by particular strain can vary wildly even for the same user, so it boils down to experimenting with different strains in different settings and finding out what works for you. Some users report that mixing strains of "haze" family tends to produce strong closed-eye visuals and mild open-eye ones. If your vision is affected by visual snow (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_snow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_snow) or you are prone to have noticeable phosphene images with closed eyes, then it may be sufficient to simply focus on them while being high. The drug will greatly amplify your natural "hallucinations", subjectively up to the level of mild dose of psylocibin or LSD. Of course, taking those classic psychedelics is a more reliable way to produce visuals, but they come with headspace which is quite different (and for some less desirable and comfortable) from weed-induced one. The same focusing technique can work for monotonic sounds - it's quite amusing to observe how fridge's buzz turns into full-blown symphony :).
  • Benjammer 8y ago
    >you'd never really know it to meet them >this is more than a little distressing But, I mean, that's just not how our current paradigm of mental health medicine works, afaik. A lot of mental health related diagnoses are entirely based on the effects to people's lives and ability to accomplish what they want in life. The disorder _is_ the effect on your life, it's not like some internal disease that will do it's work unnoticed and then suddenly kill you if untreated or something because your blah-count is abnormal and your foo-readings are off the charts. >the 'bad effects' are [...] _going to be_ psychological I don't think it's fair to postulate on future effects of things like this, when we have current, researched problems with society in this area that we aren't addressing, like the attention-rent-seeking behavior of basically all software today.
  • meritt 8y ago
    > but this is more than a little distressing You are struggling with your own personal moral beliefs. You even stated they are "completely functional" yet you're significantly troubled by marijuana use while you have no issues with excessive use of caffeine and nicotine.
  • sonofblah 8y ago
    Cross-generation, too--it will take a long time to know. (Usage isn't new, but it will increase.)
  • monocasa 8y ago
    The fact that metabolized THC is a THC uptake inhibitor is a part of that.
• dfsegoat 8y ago
  I know people that have kicked opiates and tobacco cold turkey - but who could not give up using cannabis if their lives depended on it. This is a legitimate concern in the current tide of de-criminalization / legalization.
  • TheBeardKing 8y ago
    I don't think addiction or overuse is a problem for regular CBD users. I think this article is referring to addiction to the pyschological effects of THC.
    • dfsegoat 8y ago
      Great point and I concur: The people I know who struggle with this are not CBD users - so yes let's keep those two things separate in this discussion for sure.
      • odonnellryan 8y ago
        People will struggle with addiction for literally anything you can be addicted to, substances or not. Can be generally positive things like exercise, more neutral things, or negative things like very-damaging drugs (alcohol is here certainly). Where does weed fall on that line? I don't really know. But saying we should ban something because it's possible to be addicted to it is fairly silly.
  • meesterdude 8y ago
    This is a false equivalency. opiates and tobacco have vastly higher toxicity than marijuana - which is lower toxicity than aspirin or caffeine.
    • samsonradu 8y ago
      What's toxic with caffeine?
      • 8y ago
• Simulacra 8y ago
  When things got stressful at work I started smoking cannabis daily. It was really detrimental to my overall productivity. It was great for the stress, and made me feel wonderful, but it’s severely dulled the sharp edges of my mind.
  • mmanfrin 8y ago
    When things got stressful at work I started smoking cannabis occasionally. It was really helpful to my overall mental well-being. It was great for stress, and made me feel wonderful, and it severely enhanced the creative part of my mind.
    • willbw 8y ago
      You realise this type of parroting only works for logical arguments right? It's pretty pointless to flip the meaning of everything in an anecdote, you can't refute an anecdote by disproving it logically.
      • stephengillie 8y ago
        When things got stressful at college, I started smoking cannabis occasionally. It was really liberating to my overall mental well-being. It was great for stress, and made me feel wonderful, and it severely dulled the anxiety I felt in creatively expressing large technical concepts - both in class assignments and at a college job. Then I went to the mall high with a sober friend - and had to keep him from getting distracted in stores and keep him on track to buy the item we needed. That's when I realized I was High-functioning. (True stories.)
      • int_19h 8y ago
        Have you considered that it really is just another truthful anecdote?
      • mmanfrin 8y ago
        Do you earnestly believe I was trying to disprove his anecdote logically?
• insickness 8y ago
  In the past I was addicted to pot. I was addicted in the sense that pretty much everything felt better when I was high. I was more relaxed and had less anxiety. Sex was better. Food tasted better. I was more creative. I thought about much deeper things. I spent less time online and in front of screens. The biggest downside for me--and the reason I ended up quitting--was that my sober life just sucked in comparison. I was just waiting until the end of the day when I could go home and light up. The other downsides were that I wasn't as sharp mentally when I was sober. I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. On the balance that made pot a negative for me. Quitting wasn't that hard. And I still think about how great I felt when I smoked. I may smoke again in the future but for now, I appreciate operating in the real world without any crutches.
  • dgzl 8y ago
    > In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. I've experienced this as well, but I don't consider it an inherit downside. To me, this is just my personal self being satisfied and at peace with not needing more than I have. Frequently I like to smoke alone in nature, just so I can rest peacefully.
    • magic_beans 8y ago
      If I had zero obligations or goals in life, I would smoke pot all day every day. But since, like OP, it makes me want to sit at home and do nothing (not inherently a bad thing), it impedes my goals of producing creative work. There is a fine line, I think, between people who can smoke pot responsibly (every few days or only once a week) and people who cannot go a single day (or even a few hours) without smoking.
      • dgzl 8y ago
        As I've said in another post, I smoke about everyday, but I don't have any problem pursuing my goals, producing creative works, or excelling in my career. The fine line you're talking about does exist, but it doesn't have anything to do with the frequency of usage. Responsibility can be achieved with or without pot.
• clankfan 8y ago
  I knew a lot of people that were addicted to weed because they were bored without it and because their social lives are completely dependant on smoking weed -- without weed they would just sit awkwardly. Some of them went more than a decade like this and didn't develop many important areas of their mind because of it.
• lcfcjs 8y ago
  Quitting weed isn't tough, just like quitting video games isn't tough. Life is just better with it. It's not like you have to smoke every day. I usually don't smoke through the week, but on the weekends sometimes I like to just take a puff and chill out. There's a ton of negativity towards marijuana in this thread and on the internet. Mostly because the conservatives prefer the alcohol industry.
• Simulacra 8y ago
  IMO: Cannabis rewards you for doing nothing.
  • RIMR 8y ago
    That's a bit hyperbolic. Definitely not true for everyone. I can't consume cannabis and sit still. I really have to be out doing something. It affects everyone differently.
  • originalsimba 8y ago
    That's a clever phrase but it's not entirely accurate. Marijuana makes you feel good, without needing to do anything else. This can be great in some environments.. such as enjoying a serene natural scene. But if you've got deadlines to meet it can feel challenging to "get up off the couch". Some people have no problem with that, but other people will sit around doing nothing all day.
    • Simulacra 8y ago
      Fair point, and you better elucidated what I was wanting to convey with a pithy statement. In my experience, it has had the effect of rewarding me for doing nothing. Deadlines don't matter. The pressing realities of job, life, and productivity, don't matter. It feels so much better to just...sit here...and ...
  • grawprog 8y ago
    I don't understand this. Me and everyone I know that smoke pot regularly don't sit around doing nothing. The people I know who do nothing don't smoke pot. They finish their days and sit around in front of the TV drinking booze until they passout. Or wake up when they don't work and start drinking. The people I know who regularly smoke pot are motivated, usually have good jobs or run successful businesses, have hobbies and good social lives that don't revolve around smoking pot. Don't get me wrong I've certainly met the 'lazy unmotivated stoner' types. But at least in my experience, those tend to be more rare than the 'smokes weed and does pretty well at life' people. I smoke a lot of weed regularly and have no problem maintaining a job I work six days a week, several productive hobbies, a long term relationship, and friendships even with people that don't smoke weed or who are even opposed to it. Honestly, if you met me and you don't smoke weed there's a good chance you'd never know. I don't talk about it with people that aren't interested, I don't sit around smoking in public, I don't go around wearing or buying weed leaf clothes and paraphernalia and things like that. I've surprised more than one person when they find out I smoke weed after knowing me for a long time.
• sbmthakur 8y ago
  Slightly off topic: Do cannabis have any significant advantage to health?
  • danesparza 8y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug)#Medical https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug)#Medical - It can relieve pain (which I would consider a health benefit in a limited set of contexts). It also has many adverse affects -- like many other drugs. So ... maybe?
  • phillc73 8y ago
    There have been very positive studies regarding cannabis use to treat epilepsy.[1][2] [1] https://www.newscientist.com/article/2172683-first-cannabis-based-drug-approved-in-the-us-to-treat-epilepsy/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/2172683-first-cannabis-... [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4157067/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4157067/
    • MFLoon 8y ago
      It turns out these are basically the only conditions for which medicinal use is roundly supported by the data. Everything else is basically "Well, weed makes lots of people feel good, couldn't hurt to use it for [pain/nausea/anxiety/whatedver]."
      • drewmol 8y ago
        True as it is, the limited data is mostly due to criminalization in the US preventing comprehensive analysis. This is especially true for the less severe conditions (of which you mentioned several) where well studied alternative remedies are effective and plentiful. The severity of suffering assosiated with epilepsy, the limited effectiveness and heavy side effects of previously available treatments and the peculiar effectiveness of cannibus eventually resulted in conscientious objection and civil disobedience which resulted in much more of that data becoming available. I'm not disagreeing, just noting that opium made lots of people feel good long before the why was well understood (and well capitalized...). I look forward to reading more about it years from now, once we get past the Rumspringa phase of gummy bear concentrates at the gas station and drizzled over you're starbucks latte :-<
• dgzl 8y ago
  I have been smoking marijuana for just over a decade straight (about 2/5 of my life), withholding various times of abstinence due to lack of access or finances, looking for a new job, or trying to lower my tolerance. I grew up in a very poor and dysfunctional household, and narrowly managed to a) get into college, b) successfully pursue a STEM degree, and c) find a job that's well above anything the rest of my family has done. AMA, if you'd like.
  • Diederich 8y ago
    Sure! Why smoke, with the known health impact? Why not edibles? They last a lot longer, and it doesn't harm your lungs.
    • dgzl 8y ago
      > Why smoke, with the known health impact? Why not edibles? They last a lot longer, and it doesn't harm your lungs. I'm aware of a handful of reasonable significant health impacts due to smoking, and as you say, the harm against the lungs is something I'm concerned about, along with the harm against my teeth/gums. I've recently (last few weeks) decided to cut back on smoking flower, in favor of using an oil pen. It's still not ideal, but I believe it will help in this regard. I actually don't really like edibles, to be honest. The potency is too unpredictable for me, and they last way too long. At the same time, the come-up takes longer than I like to wait for the effects. I'd appreciate an edible more if there was an extended period of time that I was intending on being high, but my life isn't usually that available. At the same time, edibles are much more difficult to come by, and also more expensive. Also, it's difficult finding an edible that isn't produced with something highly suggary/fatty, of which I don't usually eat.
  • 01100011 8y ago
    Sounds like me 7 years ago. 2 years ago I quit. Best decision ever. The best nootropic I've ever experienced was depriving my mind of a near constant deluge of THC.
• andbberger 8y ago
  Alternative headline: citizens of deeply broken society turn to least harmful drug available to them to dull the pain of their shitty lives.
  • omegaworks 8y ago
    With that framing, you're omitting the most important part of the article: All of the most powerful, most predatory actors in that society are gearing up to make that drug more widely available, experiment with its potency, and capitalize on the notion that it is "the least harmful." I'm grateful they quoted a Stanford professor speaking truth: "We’ve learned enough about capitalism to know that’s very dangerous."
    • Herodotus38 8y ago
      I agree with you. When I read articles like this: https://www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/5368243/corona-mariguana-cannabis-canada-investment https://www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/5368243/coro... I feel like we are repeating similar mistakes we made with the tobacco industry. That company will be doing everything it can to try and increase cannabis use to make more money. Just like the alcohol and tobacco companies.
      • iak8god 8y ago
        > I feel like we are repeating similar mistakes we made with the tobacco industry. Pot is so much less addictive and damaging to health than tobacco and alcohol, that it makes perfect sense to have it legal and as readily available as those things.
        • Herodotus38 8y ago
          I think that based on the evidence we have you are right about the relative risks. However I 1) think that if we had a do-over, we should outlaw tobacco but keep nicotine legal and 2), based on anecdotal experience I think we will end up finding in 30-40 years the true health/mental health outcomes of cannabis since it will be more easily studied 3) my big worry is less the legalization and more of the perverse incentives companies will have to promote its use through industry funded health studies, advertisements, etc...
• sxp62000 8y ago
  I know three people from a previous job that was stressful, boring and mechanical. They are all from great schools, in good health and well paid. They smoke regularly and I’ve known them for at least 4-7 years now. Initially, they treated it as a ritual of sorts, but ever since vapes become a thing, I think they’ve become extremely addicted to it. It seems to me like they plan their day around smoking pot now. Everything they read and share on social media is also only about pot. On multiple occasions i’ve noticed they tell me the same story over n over. It’s a bit worrisome to see this. I also have a neighbor who’s 20 something and used to be in the army 4 years ago. He’s been smoking regularly for medical reasons. He’s completely different and actually seems more focused than my bored friends.
• jeremy7600 8y ago
  It was strange how the article kept talking about the downsides, and the downsides were just anecdotes, and nothing else. Did I miss something in the article, or was I just supposed to know the downsides before I read this? Risks like "budtenders providing medical advice" have zero to do with near-constant cannabis use.
  • Chardok 8y ago
    I get that the article is supposed to be a counter-point to the rapid legalization, but you are absolutely right. Being almost impossible to overdose on means they can't use scary death statistics, and it might be too early to have any meaningful studies done on productivity/motivation/etc. That being said, this article is really as useful as your anti-cannabis family member at Thanksgiving telling you stories about the consequences of cannabis.
  • MFLoon 8y ago
    I mean, that's why the article is titled "America's Invisible Pot Addicts" (emphasis added). It's harder to quantify when the harms are mostly psychological/relating to QOL decreases, rather than explicitly medical/criminal outcomes. And because it flies in the face of the pro-legalization/decriminalization narrative.
• Chardok 8y ago
  I cannot help but think the Federal government is fully at fault for this one. So much time and effort spent to misinform, lie, and skew the truth on the consequences of cannabis (including extraordinarily disproportionate legal consequences) that the actual consequences in comparison seem much more benign and subtle. Its sad that South Park had to properly describe the true negative effects of cannabis before any reputable organization would touch it. If there is a true concern for "public safety" then the only choice is to remove it as a schedule I, educate the populace on the true consequences, regulate as any other consumable substance, and provide assistance and help for those looking to quit.
• nitwit005 8y ago
  Why can't they be drunk all the time like normal people? Or constantly drink coffee, or smoke tobacco, or chew tobacco.
  • magic_beans 8y ago
    Is this sarcasm? I sure hope so...
• fithisux 8y ago
  The new business model of the big tobacco and a ground breaking solution to poverty and unemployment, the handicapped junkie citizen willing to throw away liberty for pot or smokes. I smell a new Nobel in economics.
  • frockington 8y ago
    Pretty soon we'll get a Jule (sounds like jewel, not sure on spelling) combined with weed and we can get the handicapped junkie citizen on pot AND smokes.
    • coev 8y ago
      PAX (maker of the juul) already makes the Era line of pods for weed, too late.
• zkomp 8y ago
  I think when it comes to marijuana there is a real difference between using it every day and being truly addicted. I think the difference comes down to if you use it as medicine and thus medicate each and every day or if you use it as a drug and just want to get high and party every day. In any way - there is no use of punishing addicts, and even less use in preventing people from medicating - legalize!
• sorrymate 8y ago
  The types of problems described in the article related to near-constant cannabis use: > Users or former users I spoke with described lost jobs, lost marriages, lost houses, lost money, lost time. Foreclosures and divorces. Weight gain and mental-health problems. And one other thing: the problem of convincing other people that what they were experiencing was real. A few mentioned jokes about Doritos, and comments implying that the real issue was that they were lazy stoners. With users themselves describing problems that result from smoking marijuana like impaired concentration, short-term memory, motivation, and neglecting responsibilities. These are serious pit falls of failing to moderate. But I also feel that legalizing marijuana is a better alternative than putting users in jail. Incarceration seems like it would cause a lot of the problems described by marijuana users (lost jobs, lost marriages, lost houses, lost money, lost time).
• mindgam3 8y ago
  For those seeking the anti-anxiety benefits of a daily dose of high grade medicinal cannabis without the cognitive impairment associated with THC (notably impairment of short term memory, which is crucial for maintaining flow state while doing complex tasks like coding or chess) - may I recommend looking into high CBD, low THC flower. You want THC <1% and CBD > 10%. I recently switched over to a high CBD strain and it has been a godsend for productivity. Another nice benefit of minimizing daily THC intake is I have started dreaming and remembering dreams again. THC tends to suppress dreaming activity. In the Bay Area, you can find high CBD flower at most reputable dispensaries. I’ve tried a few products and the best one by far I’ve experienced is a strain called C3P0, sold under the Marley Naturals Red/Jellyfish brand. (Shameless plug notwithstanding, I’m not affiliated with that brand in any way, just a very happy customer wanting to share a quality product with others who might appreciate it)
  • rhcom2 8y ago
    > Another nice benefit of minimizing daily THC intake is I have started dreaming and remembering dreams again. THC tends to suppress dreaming activity. I had the same experience with increased dreams but they were just all anxiety dreams for a month or so, it was very unpleasant.
    • mindgam3 8y ago
      I’ve also experienced anxiety dreams at various times going back to early childhood. If you can get over the unpleasantness, they’re nothing to be afraid of. In fact they’re usually useful indications from your subconscious about things that are happening in real life. The best way to reduce the frequency of these dreams is to figure out what they’re about and fix the underlying problem. Easier said than done, obviously, but still a better solution that trying to fight the dreams or suppress them. In general it’s good practice to maintain a close and cordial relationship with your subconscious. Dreams are one of the best ways to access this part of your self. To improve dream recall and understanding, practice writing down dreams first thing in the morning upon waking. It’s hard at first, and definitely unpleasant for anxiety dreams. But power through it. As you get in the habit, your dream recall will improve, then you will be able to decode the messages from your dreams, and then make changes as necessary. For example, I have noticed an increase in anxiety dreams after interactions with certain emotionally abusive people in my family. Noticing this pattern motivated me to minimize my contact with these people, at which point the anxiety dreams stopped.
• rgrieselhuber 8y ago
  Soma is a key component in keeping people happy when they shouldn’t be.
  • akvadrako 8y ago
    soma ?
    • lev99 8y ago
      It's a Brave New World (by Aldous Huxley) reference. It's worth reading if you haven't. EDIT: In the book Huxley imagines a new society. One of the hallmarks of the society is there is no pain or suffering. This is accomplished in part by Soma, a fictional drug perhaps best described as a no negative side effect tranquilizer or opiate. EDIT EDIT: The society also removes almost all major sources of pain. A person is chemically engineered (was written before the discovery of DNA) to be happy with their job and position in life since conception. There are no parents. There is sex but no romantic love. In avoiding pain almost all the happiness in the society is superficial, coming from sex, drugs and movies. They might be happy, in the most shallow meaning of the word, but there is clearly no joy.
• yesdocs 8y ago
  I have been smoking pot since I was 14 years old, I am 51 now. I would stop smoking from time to time, sometimes to prepare for football, sometimes because society wanted me too. I am not a lazy person, I smoke a sativa strain to get me motivated, it acts like a stimulant that can help me focus.. laser like focus to drown out daily distractions. I'll smoke an indica strain to sleep well at night. I have been a highly successful software developer, approaching my later days of my career. I can unequivocally tell you that pot has made a huge difference in my life. I am better on it, than when I am not. I can function perfectly, pot does not make me veg- out and I am quite active with many hobbies. Yes, I tend to be happier, more relaxed, and less stressed out when on pot... but the same is true for Prozac recipients. Am I evil and a loser because of this? F. No! The reality is quite simple, different stains of pot affect people differently. Everyone is affected differently with only a few common effects. Pot can help some people while hindering others. I detest anybody who calls a pot head a loser because they smoke pot. It's just a bad stereotype. Contrary to what Jeff Sessions might believe, I am a good person, well respected, extremely intelligent, and a contributor to society. Most everyone who meets me or knows me wouldn't believe I smoke pot, but I smoke more than most pot heads could even imagine. Pot has been a miracle drug to me, much like Prozac is to others, without the liver damage. F those who diss pot smokers, there are many more of us than you can imagine.
  • lotophage 8y ago
    Out of curiosity, how much do you smoke?
    • yesdocs 8y ago
      1/4 to 1/2 oz per week, depending on what's going on and the strain of pot.
  • atomical 8y ago
    Prozac causes liver damage?
    • monocasa 8y ago
• dawhizkid 8y ago
  I don't know what it is but I rarely have a good experience with weed when I use it (which is very rarely). I usually just get very paranoid and/or sick.
• throwaway0255 8y ago
  Overdosing on marijuana was probably the worst thing I've ever experienced in my life. Certainly by far the worst experience I've ever had on a recreational drug. People always frame the discussion of drug overdoses around lethality, and on that scale marijuana compares very favorably to every other drug, and advocates tend to end the discussion there. But on the scale of how horrific the experience is as the person overdosing, I don't think there's anything worse than marijuana. A large overdose on marijuana causes an absolutely torturous and sanity-questioning 12-hour episode where you feel like your insides are dying and like your brain's basic function has been impaired on a fundamental level, and those 12 hours feel like 3 days and it feels like it's never going to end. It's like Being John Malkovich, but you've transported into the brain of a severely afflicted mental patient. Enjoy your marijuana and all, but this current popular narrative that it's like skittles or something is taking things a little too far. It's safe in moderation, but it's also true that using it to excess is mentally and socially harmful and you can have a truly horrific time on it.
  • marssaxman 8y ago
    I have been there myself, thanks to some of my ex-wife's unexpectedly potent brownies, and it was miserable indeed - but I would call it a "bad trip" and not an "overdose". "Overdose" implies that one has ingested a quantity of the drug in question sufficient to create physical danger, and no such danger exists with marijuana.
  • kaoD 8y ago
    Dude. What? The worst case I've had to assist was a couple that ate a huge space cake (oblivious to its cannabis content) and, even if they got high by mistake (which is the worst case of bad trip) it was nowhere near close to your experience. Lots of fainting involved, but not much John Malkovich. And it didn't last 12h. How much did you eat/smoke? Maybe you're especially sensitive to cannabis? (Genuinely curious here, not trying to discredit your story). Your case sounds closer to a panic attack than cannabis overdose. Maybe the bad trip triggered a panic attack, which in turn fed the bad trip back. > But on the scale of how horrific the experience is as the person overdosing, I don't think there's anything worse than marijuana. Psylocibin bad trips beg to disagree. Or any psychedelic, for that matter.
• prolikewh0a 8y ago
  Prior to around a month ago, I was constantly high on cannabis. I'm talking about nearly 24/7 except when at work. It took the terrible aspects of life away, and made me think deeply about certain situations/relationships/work issues. It kept me pretty sane and calm with panic disorder, and I was able to create lasting good quality friendships while on it since it calmed down my social anxiety. I took up biking (not while high, but I'd bike to places, get high, and then chill) and did 1500 miles in a year, and lost a good amount of weight. I got hired full time at a great corporate job, and secured my very first brand new apartment that I would live in alone. It took me off of 3 years of prescribed Klonopin. Last month I took a break for 2.5 weeks to lower my tolerance and get a feel for sobriety again. I went through 2-3 days of feeling slightly sick, but after that I was back to normal. I made it through the 2 weeks, but picked it up more responsibly, only using it some nights after work, and only flower. I rarely ever smoke it, only vaporize. It's been about a month, everything is fine, but I've noticed how much it really helped me cope with the realities of life, and allowed me to really think things out and keep my brain less scattered. Three years of everyday use, and I haven't really noticed any downsides to being high on cannabis nearly 24/7 other than wanting to sit alone at home and do nothing. I have never tried any other drugs, unless prescribed.
• 40acres 8y ago
  I've been a pretty consistent pot smoker since 2014-15, which was when Oregon legalized it. Prices have dropped considerably so it's not uncommon to get a pre-roll of pretty strong stuff (20+ % THC) for $5. I have not noticed any health effects although I have built up a slight tolerance. Using a vape pen got me the biggest high but I decided to get rid of it. I find that when I'm high I can really think deeply about things, smoking once in a while kinds of recharges my mental state. More than once I've realized "Damn, I'm human, I can do whatever I want.. that's kind of crazy". Seems kind of loosey goosey but its a cool feeling.
• saturdaysaint 8y ago
  I'll take these "findings" seriously when they show that pot smokers are getting divorced and fired at statistically significantly greater rates than the general population. In a country where a huge percentage of marriages end in divorce and many fields are grinds with high turnover, it's naive to just nod our heads and accept self reports of "ruined marriages" at face value. In our highly regimented, low paid holiday, socially isolated, pedestrian hostile society, doesn't every leisurely outlet result in a fairly large percentage of heavy/habitual users? And yet some will never stop looking for a convenient bogeyman to pin all of our ills on, whether it's addictive videogames or internet porn or pinball machines or weed.
  • WhompingWindows 8y ago
    Isn't it still a problem if people identify as users with a problem, users who would like to quit but struggle to do so? I believe it's the same with video games or porn or other "non-toxic" addictions. Even if it's healthy and useful for some, and not dangerous to anyone, if it's a negative habit that's hard to shake, public health should pay attention and study, and perhaps employ a policy nudge.
    • failrate 8y ago
      A personality type exists that can be addicted to literally anything. I have this type. It feels like an OCD and is triggered by high stress. My theory is that for some people, it will manifest as pharmaceutical addiction, others sex or videogame addiction. This doesn't imply that sex, drugs, or videogames are bad.
      • opportune 8y ago
        Is this personality / propensity towards addiction well studied enough that you can test for it, or are you just relying on your previous experiences? Previous experiences would suggest that I have this but I’d be interested in a test or DSM-like diagnostic assessment
        • 8y ago
• crimsonalucard 8y ago
  Not to long ago, back when cannabis was illegal... you couldn't even say negative things about it. Now this whole thread is negative.
• aldoushuxley001 8y ago
  Has anyone else taken notes while they were high? I started taking notes when smoking around 10 years ago and it's probably the single thing that's most dramatically increased my intellectual development. The simple act of writing down my ideas helped solidify them and turned them into a foundation for future evolution of the idea. I now have 5500 notes on my computer and 2000 on my phone and you could effectively trace my intellectual history with them. Just curious if other people have similar success with smoking weed and taking notes?
  • JL-Akrasia 8y ago
    I have a similar usage pattern. I have 200+ essays (1000+ words) on interesting thoughts. Often they are more incomplete than I would like. These aren't necessary notes but more ideas sparked by recent literature I have read. Lets take this offline? - Would be delighted to chat.
    • aldoushuxley001 8y ago
      Hey, that's fascinating. Would love to chat more. Maybe send me an email at: aldoushuxley1@protonmail.com Or if you have another idea, let me know
  • RichardCA 8y ago
    You're in good company. http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/ http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/
    • aldoushuxley001 8y ago
      wow, thanks for the link! Found this incredible quote from Carl Sagan that describes it perfectly: > "There is a myth about such highs: the user has an illusion of great insight, but it does not survive scrutiny in the morning. I am convinced that this is an error, and that the devastating insights achieved when high are real insights; the main problem is putting these insights in a form acceptable to the quite different self that we are when we’re down the next day. Some of the hardest work I’ve ever done has been to put such insights down on tape or in writing. The problem is that ten even more interesting ideas or images have to be lost in the effort of recording one. It is easy to understand why someone might think it’s a waste of effort going to all that trouble to set the thought down, a kind of intrusion of the Protestant Ethic. But since I live almost all my life down I’ve made the effort – successfully, I think. Incidentally, I find that reasonably good insights can be remembered the next day, but only if some effort has been made to set them down another way. If I write the insight down or tell it to someone, then I can remember it with no assistance the following morning; but if I merely say to myself that I must make an effort to remember, I never do."
• openloop 8y ago
  I have found CBD with terpenes helps to ease the edge.
• chefandy 8y ago
  I think the headline should probably read "More Americans admit near-constant cannabis use"
• pnathan 8y ago
  Rather than criminalizing a relatively harmless substance, the US should look into treating marijuana like alcohol. Carefully regulated quality for the stuff in stores; home brew is your problem and your friends' problem. WA has this song and dance to buy legal pot and heavily regulates the entire sector with taxes on top: that should be substantially simplified, in my opinion. Medical research should be freely doable without any more grief than other substances. I have rather the same opinion about other, less harmful, drugs (MDMA, LSD, etc). The paranoia from the 70s and 80s hasn't done much for us - the drugs are still with us, and prohibition has produced enormous violence and organized crime. Time to practically equate these drugs with alcohol.
• losvedir 8y ago
  I've tried pot a few times and my subjective experience was vastly different from all the comments here. It must affect people very differently, because I couldn't fathom being high "near constantly". I had trouble doing basic things like remembering to keep chewing the snack that I was eating or keeping track of the sentence I was in the process of speaking. Each time I come away thinking, "well, that was an awful experience". I've thought I was getting too high, but I've either under shot and felt nothing, or had the same high experience, never managing to just "be relaxed" or "think more deeply" or be "more creative" or all these things in the comments here. I'm not sure there is such a state for me on marijuana, so I just don't try anymore. I've always felt a little duped by the pro-pot messaging I hear, which makes it sound like no big deal and tons safer and better than, say, alcohol or cigarettes. Alcohol impairs me with a noticeable dose effect, so it's fairly easy to moderate, and the way it impairs me kind of twists or stretches my reality, while I haven't noticed a dose effect with marijuana and it just utterly breaks my reality.
  • prolikewh0a 8y ago
    You eventually learn how to control and mold your high, how to be productive and creative on it, and live a normal life. You need to experiment with what your dose should be and how it effects you, and then you have a baseline. If you're forgetting how to chew and 'breaking your reality', you're getting way too high. I always recommend beginners start with a cannabis vaporizer and stay under 370F/188C. It's not for everyone though, and that's perfectly fine.
  • AngryData 8y ago
    Tolerance is a large component that never gets mentioned, also the strength of pot these days means new users very easily surpass their own comfort levels. Smoking a whole joint of premo shit with someone brand new wouldn't be far off from filling a glass full of hard liquor for someone that has never drank before. Some people also seem to have a hyper-sensitivity to it too which makes it far more unpleasant or intense than for others.
• lvspiff 8y ago
  After legalizing it in Vegas I've noticed a constant lingering smell from a couple neighbors in my neighborhood. Its gotten to the point where its getting to be annoying cause most of them don't want to make their own house smell bad so they smoke outside. I'm for pot legalization and thought it was a fair idea, but like with regular smoking if your doing it within 20 ft of someone who's not and doesn't want to smell your acrid smoke your just being an asshole.Kids don't want to swim cause it smells gross outside all the time. I can't even grill in my backyard anymore cause the smoke from my bbq mixes with the pot smoke and just ruins it.
  • prithee 8y ago
    I have the same issue with my neighbors and it is a drag. Doesn't even repel mosquitoes or anything useful, just cuts into my summer.
  • robocat 8y ago
    I wonder if your neighbours think the same about your grilling habits? ;-)
  • mjevans 8y ago
    I feel this way about /all/ sources of smoke. I would __really__ prefer if cannabis were only in edible forms since that would probably be a healthier way of using it. I seem to have less of an issue with properly diffused natural gas / propane; though smoldering fats that fall on to grills get really annoying really fast. Everything else should have a negative draw scrubbed exhaust (at least a percolating water type) to reduce the fine particles.
  • 3x 8y ago
    Deal with it, recreational drug users have been under a constant state of threat and abuse since forever. We've had to put up with a lot more than you, so next time you notice the smell of marijuana just be glad that no one is trying to lock you up.
• Confiks 8y ago
  I think it's a mistake to legalize cannabis and continue to treat it like any other consumer product, opening the floodgates to gratuitous advertisements and dubious health claims. Instead, the sale of cannabis (and perhaps other drugs) should be treated as a public health issue, where the sale is permitted as long as it isn't advertised and proper information is given about the product. The Netherlands partly has this system, where cannabis sale is 'tolerated' for shops with permits, and where advertisements are forbidden. The system is far from ideal, but I think better than complete (de)criminalization. Additionally, the discussion about drugs is very open thanks to a number of publicly funded organizations. They do not hesitate to also note the positive sides of certain drugs, which all the more encourages a conversation about the responsible use of drugs. Portugal has gone even further in decriminalizing other (more addictive) substances [1] with fairly good results. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radical-drugs-policy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radic...
  • wellboy 8y ago
    The problem is, criminalization of pot does far more harm to society than decriminalization. So, while there might be downsides of decriminalization, the downsides of criminalization far outweight the former.
    • yashap 8y ago
      Confiks isn’t arguing it should be criminal, though. Just saying it should be “tolerated”, but not the same way a lot of other products are - they mention disallowing advertisements, and restricting who can sell it. This is actually pretty similar to how cigarettes are treated in Canada (and many countries). Restricted sales, legal ages to purchase, product covered in discouraging warnings, lots of restrictions around advertisements, tonnes of places you aren’t allowed to smoke (not just inside, but anywhere remotely close to doorways), etc. Basically sends the message “we think smoking is negative, but it’s better to tolerate it in a highly regulated way than to make it illegal.”
  • dsnuh 8y ago
    As long as you are also willing to do the same with alcohol, which I would absolutely argue is a much more damaging drug to both the individual and society at large.
• evancox100 8y ago
  Best quote in the story: "Nine percent of anybody will do something stupid."
• citilife 8y ago
  I recall last year, I spent every evening eating something like 10mg - 30mg. It was awesome at night to sit down, eat a little bit of cannabutter and finally sleep. I've had constant insomnia since I was probably 8. I only sleep 4 - 5 hours a night. I feel rested typically and energetic mentally, but physically it would flair up my allergies, eczema, etc. When I moved to california, it was the first time in my life I consistently was getting 6 - 8 hours of sleep. During that time, I held a full-time job, was promoted to tech lead, delivered a major project, and was working on a side business. I honestly think it helped me achieve those things to the extent it helped me sleep. Then this year I moved to a new state (where it isn't legal). I stopped smoking without any side effects, had a kid, and now I am sleeping 4 - 6 hours again. Allergies are bad, eczema, etc. and I'd love to start smoking or eating it again; as it definitely helped. However, here we are where it's not legal, and I'm trying to abide by the societal rules (even if I disagree). Often, society doesn't really know what's best.
  • anon08142018 8y ago
    Honestly, try CBD pills. They have done wonders for my anxiety and you can order them online since they are made from Hemp. There is a sub reddit with lots of helpful information on Vendors.
• superfamicom 8y ago
  I use marijuana every single day, either via a vape pen, a dab pen, or drinking it. I don't really count topical use but you can if you like. Something I see many people fall into is expecting the high to be something, or, to do something for them. This expectation will lead to resentment and feeling let down by the high (possibly much worse when you go seeking a "stronger" high) when the user really went in with no intention in mind. With no intention in mind you will end up doing nothing, much like having no intention in mind and going into a social network only to emerge 2 hours later not feeling satisfied. Unlike several of the comments here I found that I was more social, more active, and more willing to take risks in all aspects of life than I would when I was sober. It has led to a sustained and growing yoga practice, which also led to something of a "spiritual" side I had never noticed. Projects I had dropped over the years have been picked up and completed without the fear or failure or ridicule that comes from an incredibly high anxiety while sober.
• ncrmro 8y ago
  Been hit on the freeway on my motercycle and was a long time smoker before. Legitimately wake up with pain, especially now that I’ve had to stop for a job.. Just my anecdote.. as other people has said i am less social but that also lets me be less distracted feeling like I’m not missing out. Tomuch and obviously you can get distracted etc
• skate22 8y ago
  The number of users reporting regular use doesn't necessarily mean more people are using I feel much more comfortable talking about useage now that it's legal & more socially accepted, but legality did not influence the frequency of useage for me or the friends i knew who smoke weed
• lrg 8y ago
  If you manage to utilize cannabis to enhance your life, hats off to you. We can all admit to pursuing that, regardless of the substance of choice (mine being coffee and occasionally, nicotine). That being said, while cannabis use is more or less one of the safer addictions a person can develop, I think it is important to note its potential as a 'reverse gateway' drug. It normalizes smoking and has been found to increase the risk of future nicotine dependency in young adults who had not been exposed to either beforehand. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16185213 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16185213 Contradictory to this, some people claim that cannabis has helped them quit nicotine by providing a somewhat safer alternative. The studies investigating this are mostly looking into the motives for smoking cigarettes and pot. A friend of mine has been smoking cigarettes for over a decade and has been slowly replacing the tobacco with weed, now only smoking joints rather than spliffs.
• some1else 8y ago
  I find a little pot "here and there" is great, but I've seen horrific results of near-constant use. Strains differ in effect, and being hooked on smoking weed instead of aiming for a desired outcome can get the majority of people in a tight spot. It doesn't help that cannabis comes in so many different flavours, particularly where it's is illegal, and any kind of weed will do. While last week's package made everything click, next week's shipment can help a person end up neglecting their self-interests.
• bobbyi_settv 8y ago
  I don't like that the article conflates "nearly daily" use with "constant" use. I'm not endorsing "nearly daily" use, but there is a huge difference between someone getting high several times a week in the evening after a full day sober and someone spending all of their waking life high.
• throwaway493948 8y ago
  Posting with a throwaway for obvious reasons. I started smoking weed in College. Since then, I've developed a habit of smoking almost daily. Not all day, but usually a few tokes from a vape at the end of the night. When people ask, I usually reflect that weed has been a very positive addition in my life. I became VP of Eng. for a well known software company within 3 years of graduating. We did a lot of things right and the company eventually exited with unicorn status. I then left, bootstrapped my own startup w/ a small team, and after 2 years were acquired by a major software company which cemented financial independence. These days, I spent most of my time doing advisory/consulting/investing roles. I achieved all of this within 10 years after graduating, AND essentially consuming weed daily(usually took breaks when traveling, etc.). For me, it helps with relaxing as well as creative thinking. The way I describe it is that it removes mental filters and allows you to appreciate something in a new way (that "mind blown" feeling). Sometimes the insights can be superficial, but sometimes they are not. Nowadays, I am generally pretty open about my use when people ask. What I've found is that it is a lot more common then I used to think. So many founders, executives and otherwise "smart" people use it frequently for mostly the same reasons. I'd have never guessed. For anyone who might be interested, I'd suggest reading Carl Sagan's essay on it in which he talks about his experiences and insights while high. He actually wrote it under a pseudonym (Mr. X) but revealed his identity through a friend after he passed. http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/ http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/ This is also just my own opinion - but from my own experience what I've found is that people tend to want to blame someone (or something) else for their problems in life. And generally, marijuana is a pretty good scapegoat to point a finger at.
  • nandemo 8y ago
    > Posting with a throwaway for obvious reasons. Not obvious to me at all. Weed is already legal in several states in the US; weed use is far from taboo on HN; you have FU money. So why the throwaway? (Of course you have right to your privacy, I just wonder what are the "obvious" reasons ...)
• throwaway413 8y ago
  Surprised I haven't seen this yet, so I'll leave my experience. Daily (ab)user for ~4 years. No (observed) adverse mental, social effects. Yesterday was 1 month clean, and I quit for mainly 1 reason: my mucus buildup was becoming near unbearable. I'd wake up every single morning and pretty much vomit straight mucus first thing after getting out of bed. When I would smoke, it would clear the mucus right out (by blowing my nose, etc), but it's almost like mucus drained down my throat while I was sleeping and would fill my stomach to the point of becoming sick in the morning. Within 2 weeks of quitting the mucus issue was completely gone and my body back to normal - no more morning vomiting. I have had other friends mention intensified mucus building from smoking cannabis, but it is not discussed often. Wondering if others have experienced something similar. Anyways I much prefer cannabis to alcohol for evening relaxation, so my goal is to quit a bit longer and then form a more healthy, casual relationship with weed as I have with drinking.
  • PhoenixReborn 8y ago
    I concur, and had almost this exact same problem. I'd be congested all the time and it caused me a lot of problems. Out of curiosity, have you ever tried edibles instead of smoking? That solved my mucus issue almost instantly.
    • throwaway413 8y ago
      Definitely, I figure the mucus issue had less to do with cannabis itself and more to do with smoking/inhaling/etc and the throat lining itself in a defensive response to the heat. My personal issue w/ edibles is that I was unable to control dosage, timing, level of my high as well as w/ smoking in my experience. To get to a level of satisfactory stoned, I would have to ingest 75-100mg of THC at one time, but then that is lasting several hours, coming in waves, etc.
• shanemlk 8y ago
  I smoked a lot in college and it caused a lot of personal issues. I think it stunted my early career development. I was sober for about 1.5 years, but I've gone back to it recently. It's probably not a good idea, because I feel the grips of addiction after just one use. But I've had my partner lock up my supply for only occasional use, and I limit my habit when I do light up. This feels extreme, and I might have to go back to abstinence, but so far I haven't experienced depression or strong insomnia like I have withdrawing in the past.
• ilove_banh_mi 8y ago
  The few times I've tried it I experienced paranoia lasting several hours, and when I became aware of it I additionally experienced anxiety because I couldn't tell whether I was voicing these thoughts about people around me or keeping them inside my mind. I would then proceed to develop violent scenarios in which I had to attack and fight the people who were making me feel paranoid; the anxiety increased because I suspected they could hear me muttering such thoughts, so I was trying to clamp my mouth shut, deliberately painfully so I could remain aware of it being shut. Last time, I thought I was being very clever and quick to see all these paranoid connections, but when I happened to pay attention to a clock I realized that each sentence/proposition took me about 2 minutes to "think", examine word by word, and self-approvingly re-think. Further, when someone was speaking near me or to me, I felt that I could catch at best one word per sentence; relatedly, their motions appeared disjointed, jumping from position to position in space, a hand would be open then closed without intermediary steps. So, no thanks.
• Taylor_OD 8y ago
  I think a lot of people get too heavy into cannabis when they first start. I did. It took me a while of over indulging to look at my life and realize that there are lot's of things I wanted to be doing and accomplishing that I wasnt because I was spending too much time high on my sofa watching TV. I'm sure there are people who can be productive on weed but I am certainly not one of them. I still use cannabis but I treat it like alcohol and only indulge once or twice a week. It's really helped a lot with my motivation and getting rid of the, "mental fog" that I felt.
• tonydiv 8y ago
  As someone who is running a cannabis company [1], this is concerning, but it ignores the fact that a majority of the members we service (we operate like Costco with a membership model) are in severe chronic pain. They use it as an alternative to opioids and that cannot be overlooked. Having lost multiple people close to me due to opioids, that needs to be dealt with first before we roll back the progress we've made with cannabis. That's not to say we should be aware of the potential downsides, but there seems to be plenty of higher priorities that we should be focusing efforts first. https://flowercompany.com https://flowercompany.com
• fakeuser767676 8y ago
  Prozac and related make me violent, and it's been prescribed to me. Claritin-D might as well be Meth to me, but it's the only thing that clears my sinuses. This is OTC. I live in a legal state. I vape a heavy indica strain near nightly, and a gram lasts me almost two months. I'm a one-hitter, MAYBE two if it's a weekend evening. ALL this does is keep me from aching (52, athletics and a few car crashes have me a mess of broken bones and torn stuff), and allow me to sleep better. I was the most anti-weed person ever when in my teens and 20s, I destroyed several relationships because of it. Decades of traditional painkillers, and current doctors who want me on opiods gave me the idea. Why not? The last three years I've felt better than any time in the past 20.
• markbnj 8y ago
  This is probably overall a healthy counter reaction to the counter reaction to the ridiculous decades-long federal position on the stuff. Marijuana is an intoxicant of sorts, although I use the word loosely here, not the cure for all ills. Like the other primary intoxicant it can sometimes have health and wellness benefits, but it is also easily abused. Like anything that changes your mental state in a way that you find pleasurable it can easily become a psychological dependence, whether or not it's physically addictive. Back in the day, when my friends and I discussed the possibility of marijuana legalization (and this was the 70's when it was not at all possible) the concept in our minds involved treating it like liquor: something adults have the right to enjoy, but which is treated with cautious suspicion and care by society at large. I still think that's where we'll end up, and it's been somewhat fascinating to watch the whole system trying to digest this change.
• ephemeral-999 8y ago
  As someone who doesn't like smoking but would like to try pot, is the end effect of smoking pot the same as eating pot cookies? I dont seen cookies mentioned any of the comments so far. Why is that?
  • reducesuffering 8y ago
    End result can be very different. I feel many more people have bad experiences with edibles. Recommend smoking or vaping
• hans 8y ago
  Unfortunately this discussion is full of pot cliche and neo liberal bias that only leads to “sobriety” and fear of taint on your “career” .. marijuana is just like coffee and really you can vilify that but honestly the sidewalk leads to other things like more/less vice its up to you and you’re self knowing. mj can be had by the smartest/dumbest but its not a thing in itself that has a direct correlation to you’re “success” so lets all pull our pants up.
  • fellellor 8y ago
    Wot?
• mirimir 8y ago
  The title is clickbait bullshit. Here's the money quote: > Public-health experts worry about the increasingly potent options available, and the striking number of constant users. “Cannabis is potentially a real public-health problem,” said Mark A. R. Kleiman, a professor of public policy at New York University. “It wasn’t obvious to me 25 years ago, when 9 percent of self-reported cannabis users over the last month reported daily or near-daily use. I always was prepared to say, ‘No, it’s not a very abusable drug. Nine percent of anybody will do something stupid.’ But that number is now [something like] 40 percent.” I mean, "daily" is not "constant". And the quote only claims "daily or near-daily use". I have, on occasion in Mexico or Amsterdam, smoked constantly, except while asleep. And that's a very different trip than a few hits before sex and sleep. And perhaps worse, there's not much to the article than anecdotes, which have obviously been selected for negative experiences.
• S_A_P 8y ago
  Here is my take on cannabis. I live in a state that is still under prohibition. I mostly stopped smoking cannabis after I got out of college in the early 2000s. I would occasionally smoke here and there, but I didn't really know anyone who sold it and wasn't interested in finding a weed house to risk arrest. I have social anxiety, and general anxiety at night where I cannot shut my mind off. Normally I can control this with exercise, and occasional alcohol or melatonin use. Ive tried other things like ambien, lunesta, or ativan for severe bouts. I don't really like benzos, and I feel groggy and pushed towards depression when I take them. Then I went to colorado this summer. I went to a dispensary, and I told them what is going on with me and they suggested a few things.(and I also learned a few things) I initially thought that I needed a strain of indica to make me sleep and calm my mind. I found that to be a bad call and it really made me go into a nasty head trip where I would analyze every bad decision Ive made in my life in great detail, then get a mild panic attack. I adjusted dose and it still made me feel that way, or didn't have enough of an affect to help. I tried a hybrid strain of sativa/indica and found that a bit better, but the indica high is not fun for me. soooo. I know sativa is the "wide awake and nootropic" high, but for me, it works perfectly. I can dose to ~2 hits from a vape pen and Im in the perfect mental state to sleep. I don't feel hung over or groggy. I sleep better and wake up refreshed. As for motivation and pot. Im sure my experience is somewhat personal to me, but If you want to be unmotivated and lazy, pot can help you get there. However, if you just want to take the edge off, and still go about your business pot can facilitate that as long as you manage your dosage and strain. I almost hate to invoke the name of Joe Rogan, but I think he has it about right when he says that its a problem of discipline. I think cannabis is unique (compared to benzo, opiates, and some other drugs at least) in this area because there is not a huge physical addiction with cannabis. This really puts the problem squarely on your mental state. If you are smoking pot every day, and not accomplishing much, you're probably depressed or want to be in that state. That said, its not a magic bullet drug, and I don't advocate for everyone to consume cannabis all the time. I also would like to advise caution to those new to or long removed from cannabis. These crazy weed scientists have made it crazy potent. MIND YOUR DOSAGE!
• awaythrow69 8y ago
  Is there anyone else here for whom cannabis does zilch? I have tried smoking pot on two different occasions and it did not have any effect on me aside from disgusting smell. To answer usual questions: it was real pot - everyone else was high as a kite, and I followed the advice on proper inhaling technique. Similar things with opioids. I have been prescribed percocet and hydromorphone for strong (but non-chronic) pain. Pills took away the pain, but I never got a sense of high or euphoria that would make me want to take them again. Alcohol works just fine though.
  • reducesuffering 8y ago
    Usually it's temporary to a users first few times. Very common. Keep taking a few hits on different occasions. If you don't feel anything past the 8th attempt I would be very surprised.
• octosphere 8y ago
  Article mentions the availability of more potent strains. What people fail to realize is that skunk has more THC than CBD, and the ratio is way out of whack. If more people chose hash there would be less mental health issues as CBD is a known, well researched anti-psychotic, and counteracts the often frenzied high of skunk (or the leafy high-potency plant material known as skunk). The hashish high is very different, as the CBD gives you a body high and as I said, can ease the nerves and frenzied energy of a skunk high.
• code_duck 8y ago
  Definitely an interesting article. I feel that some of the criticism about the negatives of the emerging market and effects of cannabis use is valid, but a lot of it sounds left over from the 80s and 90s. The drug treatment/law enforcement complex (DARE and rehab) acted as if cannabis was a major public health and addiction threat and a truly dangerous drug for decades. Witness Jeff Sessions saying, in 2018, with no supporting evidence, that cannabis is as dangerous as heroin - such claims went almost unquestioned in the past. People who built a trade on that sort of thinking now need to redefine their businesses. I have operated socially and professionally in circles with rather high cannabis consumption and have certainly seen people over consume to he point that it is pointless or unenjoyable. Those times are certainly far less harmful than such instances are with alcohol, to a degree where comparison seems absurd. Nobody fights, gets violent, spills anything (maybe breaks a piece of glass), vomits, falls, passes out, wrecks their car, or engages in unhealthy sexual activity. We simply grow quiet and awkward and don’t effectively conduct our social or commercial business. I haven’t witnessed anyone have a great struggle quitting cannabis. I do know many people who have moved on from daily usage as they reached their 30s and 40s, and many who have not. Most of the negatives I’ve seen and experienced come from attitudes and beliefs of others, including the law and police. Often parents or non-consuming wives/girlfriends have a belief that cannabis consumption is harmful, probably from decades of continuing propaganda and lack of firsthand experience and accurate information. By trying to pressure people to stop a habit that is enjoyable, possibly beneficial and probably not harmful, they create interpersonal problems. Imagine if your spouse became convinced that all of your personal problems were because you drank 3 beers a week, or a daily coffee, and wanted you to seek counseling. It would seem absurd and sort of intrusive. As far as the emerging legal market, it is an odd mishmash of recreational, fake medical-recreational and least of all now, legitimate medical. Places that specialize in helping ill people who can especially benefit from symptom relief and antioxidants found in cannabis have been overshadowed by recreational use. I have a medical cannabis card in New Mexico, suffer from various ailments that qualify in various states, and I don’t feel like the stores that sell cannabis in NM are medical facilities, or the employees are qualified to dispense medical advice. The system seems like a bizarre compromise between recreational stores and medical facilities and it is poor for both groups. It would be nice if they were medically aware, because as I’ve been rather ill for 1-2 years cannabis is the only medication I have for symptom relief and quality of life. Aspirin is way too little, anything swallowed is a bad idea, and any opiates are out of the question. In the emerging market there are certainly companies who I don’t trust to make good decisions. I feel like the processes and semi-synthetic products created from cannabis are likely to be less healthy than current whole plant preparations. There seems to be an emerging disparity between cannabis sold like coffee or tea as a whole plant, natural extracts, chemical extracts, and prefilled vaporizer cartridges. There is a bewildering profusion of products on the marketplace now, both consumables and hardware, that have not been evaluated for any sort of safety with the rigor most consumer products would be. Whenever government regulatory officials take an eye to this, it will be a tremendous upheaval for the industry.
• deleted 8y ago
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• instaheat 8y ago
  Great article. I’ve struggled with the good vs. bad when it comes to cannabis. I’m usually wildly productive, I’ll clean my entire house and get a bunch of other things done when I smoke cannabis. I’m much more balanced and my wife says I’m friendlier and more considerate. Otherwise, I tend to have a negative outlook on things and am apt to have emotional outbursts such as anger. I don’t know. I want it to be the miracle drug so I hate to think of it in a negative light even though I am a firm believer in scientific findings and would be disappointed if it were anything less.
• eternalban 8y ago
  It is a very seductive but also very aggressive looking plant. (Nature puts the warning signs on all the creatures and leaves the choice to you.)
• wazza1234567 8y ago
  Everything we consume, we need to consume in moderation. Just like other foods if you can control your self and not be carried away by anything you can feel happiness. We shouldnt blame some of our problems on pot. But pot makes us become aware of our problem.