8 ms·

"more benign" !== "benign" Everyone I know that smokes daily (a lot of people) is less cognitive than those I know who don't smoke, in every arena except artis

"more benign" !== "benign" Everyone I know that smokes daily (a lot of people) is less cognitive than those I know who don't smoke, in every arena except artistic pursuits. And not everyone reacts to weed the same way. I decided to quit when I recognized a lessened ability to solve complex coding questions the day after smoking.

tosser8398b9 8y ago
I’ve had many programming design breakthroughs while lifted. Write ‘em down, check ‘em the next day - many remain awesome (and some are confused). Something about the heightened ability to focus on a single thing, deeply. As you say - it’s a deeply personal thing. I also never actually smoke anymore. Edibles FTW
- 5trokerac3 8y ago
  One might consider that an artistic/creative revelation. Weed is definitely good for that. "Why is this code breaking?" Not so much...
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - RIMR 8y ago
    For you. Carl Sagan touted pot's ability to help him with abstract mathematics, so YMMV.
    - fhood 8y ago
      Abstract mathematics, and finding bugs, are not terribly closely related skills.
      - vokep 8y ago
        They are in that they both require abstract thinking, working in rigid systems.
        5trokerac3 8y ago
        I totally disagree. Good bug fixing hinges on the ability to mentally organize multiple potential, interrelated points of failure. It's being able to have a working sense of the architecture and chain of logic without having to go back to the source too often. The difference between abstract thinking and bug fixing is literally left vs. right brain.
  - cinnamonheart 8y ago
    Luckily, this point speaks to that: > Something about the heightened ability to focus on a single thing, deeply. I've found it helpful in sussing out tricky bugs that otherwise eluded me, in addition to it helping with the more creative aspects of software development.
tekproxy 8y ago
Don't big chief on the daily home slice. Save cashing bowls for the weekend and between 5 and 8 pm and you're fine as frogs hair.
- heywire 8y ago
  How high are you right now? LOL
  - pure-awesome 8y ago
    They're saying: "don't use weed during the day, just smoke / eat during weekends and in the early evening, and everything will be fine."
- b1r6 8y ago
  While I understand what you mean, many here will not. Cheers!
- S0ckpupp3t 8y ago
  This ^^
puranjay 8y ago
I've met so many proponents of weed who say it makes you more creative and artistic Trouble is, all these people just smoke up and watch TV instead of doing anything creative
- icebraining 8y ago
  That's not my experience; plenty of productive artists (musicians, actors and photographers) among the smokers I know.
  - stochastic_monk 8y ago
    I have also known a number of very bright, productive, motivated, successful scientists, engineers, and developers who consume cannabis. Some have spoken highly of brainstorming while stoned, fleshing out the details and narrowing their scope and intentions as they sober up, while others say that it helps them concentrate by slowing down their racing thoughts. And while I've known people who've used it to waste their lives away, that's true of so many things.
    - theWheez 8y ago
      Anecdotally, a friend of mine and myself use marijuana down the former route. Fleshing out ideas, exploring thought. In fact, functional programming "clicked" for me when I was high. It was still there in the morning! But that doesn't mean every thought is going to be valuable, or even good. If treated that way, I think it can be a good tool. I am thankfully not prone to addiction or reliance. It reminds me of Carl Sagan's thoughts [0] and especially this quote: > If I find in the morning a message from myself the night before informing me that there is a world around us which we barely sense, or that we can become one with the universe, or even that certain politicians are desperately frightened men, I may tend to disbelieve; but when I’m high I know about this disbelief. And so I have a tape in which I exhort myself to take such remarks seriously. I say ‘Listen closely, you sonofabitch of the morning! This stuff is real!’ I find it more fascinating to explore thought while on cannabis and that is what I primarily use it for. Instead of saying "dude you're so high" to a far out thought, I try to explore it as far as it will go. Quite enjoyable. [0] http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/ http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/
shawnz 8y ago
> Everyone I know that smokes daily (a lot of people) is less cognitive than those I know who don't smoke Are you saying that the most "cognitive" smoker you know is less so than the least cognitive non-smoker?
- 5trokerac3 8y ago
  Within the middle of the cognition bell curve, yes. Pattern recognition, organizational skills, general personal awareness and motivation are all higher in the non-smokers I know compared to the daily smokers.
  - shawnz 8y ago
    So then actually you're just talking about the average, right? If that's the case, then I think it's a bit harder to justify that cannabis use is the cause of those symptoms and not an effect of them.
    - 5trokerac3 8y ago
      I mean excluding exceptional cases. Someone who has an IQ of 150 who starts smoking daily will still probably be more cognizant than a sober person with an IQ of 80.
  - mbrameld 8y ago
    My guess, anecdotally, is that the people you know who are perpetually high on cannabis are not the only people you know who are perpetually high on cannabis.
josefresco 8y ago
"Everyone I know" Can we just ... not? Everyone I know who consumes cannabis on a regular basis is very successful, smart and thoughtful ... now what?
- fhood 8y ago
  Jokes on you, some of the people I know who smoke regularly are very successful, smart and thoughtful, and some are morons.
RIMR 8y ago
This is still very anecdotal. I have very bad ADD, and consuming low doses of 1:1 THC:CBD concentrate helps me focus a bit more. I wouldn't go getting stoned as shit at work or anything, but, as you said, everyone reacts differently. There's also another thing to consider when looking at "day after" effects of smoking: for many, THC blocks REM cycles. Don't smoke late at night. It's not as bad as a hangover, but it's still something to avoid.
dubya23 8y ago
Less cognitive, really, did you give them all IQ tests? In a discussion on any other topic on HN shitty anecdotes like this would be dismissed immediately.
S0ckpupp3t 8y ago
There are a lot of smokers who hate stoners, and won't mention their mj use to casual acquaintances. And it's certainly not for everybody, especially at higher doses or potency.

tosser8398b9 8y ago

I’ve had many programming design breakthroughs while lifted. Write ‘em down, check ‘em the next day - many remain awesome (and some are confused). Something about the heightened ability to focus on a single thing, deeply. As you say - it’s a deeply personal thing. I also never actually smoke anymore. Edibles FTW

5trokerac3 8y ago
One might consider that an artistic/creative revelation. Weed is definitely good for that. "Why is this code breaking?" Not so much...
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- RIMR 8y ago
  For you. Carl Sagan touted pot's ability to help him with abstract mathematics, so YMMV.
  - fhood 8y ago
    Abstract mathematics, and finding bugs, are not terribly closely related skills.
    - vokep 8y ago
      They are in that they both require abstract thinking, working in rigid systems.
      - 5trokerac3 8y ago
        I totally disagree. Good bug fixing hinges on the ability to mentally organize multiple potential, interrelated points of failure. It's being able to have a working sense of the architecture and chain of logic without having to go back to the source too often. The difference between abstract thinking and bug fixing is literally left vs. right brain.
- cinnamonheart 8y ago
  Luckily, this point speaks to that: > Something about the heightened ability to focus on a single thing, deeply. I've found it helpful in sussing out tricky bugs that otherwise eluded me, in addition to it helping with the more creative aspects of software development.

tekproxy 8y ago

Don't big chief on the daily home slice. Save cashing bowls for the weekend and between 5 and 8 pm and you're fine as frogs hair.

heywire 8y ago
How high are you right now? LOL
- pure-awesome 8y ago
  They're saying: "don't use weed during the day, just smoke / eat during weekends and in the early evening, and everything will be fine."
b1r6 8y ago
While I understand what you mean, many here will not. Cheers!
S0ckpupp3t 8y ago
This ^^

puranjay 8y ago

I've met so many proponents of weed who say it makes you more creative and artistic Trouble is, all these people just smoke up and watch TV instead of doing anything creative

icebraining 8y ago
That's not my experience; plenty of productive artists (musicians, actors and photographers) among the smokers I know.
- stochastic_monk 8y ago
  I have also known a number of very bright, productive, motivated, successful scientists, engineers, and developers who consume cannabis. Some have spoken highly of brainstorming while stoned, fleshing out the details and narrowing their scope and intentions as they sober up, while others say that it helps them concentrate by slowing down their racing thoughts. And while I've known people who've used it to waste their lives away, that's true of so many things.
  - theWheez 8y ago
    Anecdotally, a friend of mine and myself use marijuana down the former route. Fleshing out ideas, exploring thought. In fact, functional programming "clicked" for me when I was high. It was still there in the morning! But that doesn't mean every thought is going to be valuable, or even good. If treated that way, I think it can be a good tool. I am thankfully not prone to addiction or reliance. It reminds me of Carl Sagan's thoughts [0] and especially this quote: > If I find in the morning a message from myself the night before informing me that there is a world around us which we barely sense, or that we can become one with the universe, or even that certain politicians are desperately frightened men, I may tend to disbelieve; but when I’m high I know about this disbelief. And so I have a tape in which I exhort myself to take such remarks seriously. I say ‘Listen closely, you sonofabitch of the morning! This stuff is real!’ I find it more fascinating to explore thought while on cannabis and that is what I primarily use it for. Instead of saying "dude you're so high" to a far out thought, I try to explore it as far as it will go. Quite enjoyable. [0] http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/ http://marijuana-uses.com/mr-x/

shawnz 8y ago

> Everyone I know that smokes daily (a lot of people) is less cognitive than those I know who don't smoke Are you saying that the most "cognitive" smoker you know is less so than the least cognitive non-smoker?

5trokerac3 8y ago
Within the middle of the cognition bell curve, yes. Pattern recognition, organizational skills, general personal awareness and motivation are all higher in the non-smokers I know compared to the daily smokers.
- shawnz 8y ago
  So then actually you're just talking about the average, right? If that's the case, then I think it's a bit harder to justify that cannabis use is the cause of those symptoms and not an effect of them.
  - 5trokerac3 8y ago
    I mean excluding exceptional cases. Someone who has an IQ of 150 who starts smoking daily will still probably be more cognizant than a sober person with an IQ of 80.
- mbrameld 8y ago
  My guess, anecdotally, is that the people you know who are perpetually high on cannabis are not the only people you know who are perpetually high on cannabis.

josefresco 8y ago

"Everyone I know" Can we just ... not? Everyone I know who consumes cannabis on a regular basis is very successful, smart and thoughtful ... now what?

fhood 8y ago
Jokes on you, some of the people I know who smoke regularly are very successful, smart and thoughtful, and some are morons.

RIMR 8y ago

This is still very anecdotal. I have very bad ADD, and consuming low doses of 1:1 THC:CBD concentrate helps me focus a bit more. I wouldn't go getting stoned as shit at work or anything, but, as you said, everyone reacts differently. There's also another thing to consider when looking at "day after" effects of smoking: for many, THC blocks REM cycles. Don't smoke late at night. It's not as bad as a hangover, but it's still something to avoid.

dubya23 8y ago

Less cognitive, really, did you give them all IQ tests? In a discussion on any other topic on HN shitty anecdotes like this would be dismissed immediately.

S0ckpupp3t 8y ago

There are a lot of smokers who hate stoners, and won't mention their mj use to casual acquaintances. And it's certainly not for everybody, especially at higher doses or potency.