4 ms·

I am pro legalization because I think people should get to make their own decisions about what they put in their own bodies, but I definitely agree that this as

I am pro legalization because I think people should get to make their own decisions about what they put in their own bodies, but I definitely agree that this aspect of marijuana use is somewhat downplayed by many of its advocates. Anecdotally, I have seen several marijuana-using friends go down the tubes. One became extremely paranoid to the point he was unable to maintain relationships with the people around him (because he was worried everyone might be a spy), and several others became extremely unpleasant and irritable when they weren't high on the drug. This is perhaps the minority case and most people can partake relatively safely, but I definitely don't see it as a completely harmless substance.

chris37879 5y ago
Yup, I still smoke regularly, but I have noticed that if I smoke a lot (and I do mean a lot), I start having paranoia when I'm not high, which is odd cause I don't have it while high. Once that happened to me and I realized the connection, I've scaled my smoking back a lot and it doesn't happen. My brother, on the other hand, smokes way too much, even when I was living in a legal state smoking a lot, he smokes more than I did, and you're spot on, when he doesn't have any weed, he is a hateful, mean, angry person, I've begged him to stop smoking so much, but of course he won't listen to me.
pmoriarty 5y ago
"One became extremely paranoid to the point he was unable to maintain relationships with the people around him" I would bet you anything that this person was using a high-potency grade of cannabis and/or smoking a lot of it. If they just used a little bit of a low-potency strain it's unlikely they would have suffered from paranoia. "several others became extremely unpleasant and irritable when they weren't high on the drug" So, wait, these people became nicer to be around while they were smoking and this is supposed to be a bad thing?
- alisonatwork 5y ago
  Well, they used to be nicer before they started smoking a lot. Then they developed a newer, more irritable personality, which only lifted when they were high. In my experience the same sort of thing can happen with alcoholics.
  - projectazorian 5y ago
    Worth nothing here that both alcohol and cannabis can compromise sleep quality, and poor quality sleep is very well known to make people irritable and paranoid. I've definitely gotten in this trap before when using them as sleep aids.
- projectazorian 5y ago
  The reality is that many people in legal weed states consume cannabis via edibles these days. Manufacturing techniques have greatly improved in the past couple of years and they aren't nearly as gross tasting as they used to be, often they have almost no weed taste at all. Edibles are usually highly opaque in terms of the strains used and tend to contain at least 5mg THC per dose, sometimes 10, and that's if you trust what's on the label. Due to how edibles are metabolized, the THC remains in your system for longer, too. You no longer need to "smoke a lot" to consume a great deal of THC, a couple of edibles will do the job. A lot of edible fans don't smoke or vape at all.
  - pmoriarty 5y ago
    When consumed as high-potency edibles, cannabis has the effects of a psychedelic. We know when using a psychedelic dose, set, and setting become critical. People taking a strong dose of a psychedelic and expecting it to be no more than a regular pot high might be in for a rude awakening, especially if they treat it casually instead of with great respect, take it in inappropriate circumstances (like at parties or clubs full of people they don't know or trust), etc. It's no wonder that many people suffer from paranoia and other adverse effects from casual use of edibles. They should really be treating a strong dose of edible cannabis like they do a strong dose of LSD.
    - meowface 5y ago
      It can, in some rare cases, have mildly or moderately psychedelic effects when smoked, too. Especially if it's high quality, has a very high THC ratio, the user has no or almost no tolerance, and a lot is smoked in a very short period of time.

chris37879 5y ago

Yup, I still smoke regularly, but I have noticed that if I smoke a lot (and I do mean a lot), I start having paranoia when I'm not high, which is odd cause I don't have it while high. Once that happened to me and I realized the connection, I've scaled my smoking back a lot and it doesn't happen. My brother, on the other hand, smokes way too much, even when I was living in a legal state smoking a lot, he smokes more than I did, and you're spot on, when he doesn't have any weed, he is a hateful, mean, angry person, I've begged him to stop smoking so much, but of course he won't listen to me.

pmoriarty 5y ago

"One became extremely paranoid to the point he was unable to maintain relationships with the people around him" I would bet you anything that this person was using a high-potency grade of cannabis and/or smoking a lot of it. If they just used a little bit of a low-potency strain it's unlikely they would have suffered from paranoia. "several others became extremely unpleasant and irritable when they weren't high on the drug" So, wait, these people became nicer to be around while they were smoking and this is supposed to be a bad thing?

alisonatwork 5y ago
Well, they used to be nicer before they started smoking a lot. Then they developed a newer, more irritable personality, which only lifted when they were high. In my experience the same sort of thing can happen with alcoholics.
- projectazorian 5y ago
  Worth nothing here that both alcohol and cannabis can compromise sleep quality, and poor quality sleep is very well known to make people irritable and paranoid. I've definitely gotten in this trap before when using them as sleep aids.
projectazorian 5y ago
The reality is that many people in legal weed states consume cannabis via edibles these days. Manufacturing techniques have greatly improved in the past couple of years and they aren't nearly as gross tasting as they used to be, often they have almost no weed taste at all. Edibles are usually highly opaque in terms of the strains used and tend to contain at least 5mg THC per dose, sometimes 10, and that's if you trust what's on the label. Due to how edibles are metabolized, the THC remains in your system for longer, too. You no longer need to "smoke a lot" to consume a great deal of THC, a couple of edibles will do the job. A lot of edible fans don't smoke or vape at all.
- pmoriarty 5y ago
  When consumed as high-potency edibles, cannabis has the effects of a psychedelic. We know when using a psychedelic dose, set, and setting become critical. People taking a strong dose of a psychedelic and expecting it to be no more than a regular pot high might be in for a rude awakening, especially if they treat it casually instead of with great respect, take it in inappropriate circumstances (like at parties or clubs full of people they don't know or trust), etc. It's no wonder that many people suffer from paranoia and other adverse effects from casual use of edibles. They should really be treating a strong dose of edible cannabis like they do a strong dose of LSD.
  - meowface 5y ago
    It can, in some rare cases, have mildly or moderately psychedelic effects when smoked, too. Especially if it's high quality, has a very high THC ratio, the user has no or almost no tolerance, and a lot is smoked in a very short period of time.