4 ms·

Cannabis is... overrated. It is rather similar to alcohol in that it helps a bit, but with prolonged use or regular abuse the downsides quickly overtake the ben

by jotm 4y ago

Cannabis is... overrated. It is rather similar to alcohol in that it helps a bit, but with prolonged use or regular abuse the downsides quickly overtake the benefits. It was a bit useful for me for a while, but there are better alternatives out there. And choosing a good strain is nigh impossible these days unless you grow it yourself - the high THC low CBD stuff preferred by sellers even in regions where it's legal is only good for fun/recreational use, not helping with depression, anxiety or pain.

goldenkey 4y ago
Let's adjust the statement a bit. It's overrated. Still phenomenal compared to alcohol -- which is one of the weakest drugs per unit mass or volume. Literally only 2% of blood ethanol gets to the brain, so most of what folks drink is actually performing organ damage, not CNS effects. Like you said, Cannabis is a wildly diverse plant. Cannabinoids like CBG, CBC, and CBDV are extraordinary anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic agents. 100% agree with you and the literature does too. Daily use of high THC / low CBD cannabis is the main driver of the temporary psychosis we are seeing across cities that have legalized marijuana. Studies show that CBD is actually antipsychotic whereas THC is the opposite, so we have essentially bred the plant into a tripping device versus what it used to be, a more cerebral relaxing experience.
- asguy 4y ago
  > Let's adjust the statement a bit. It's overrated. Still phenomenal compared to alcohol -- which is one of the weakest drugs per unit mass or volume. Literally only 2% of blood ethanol gets to the brain, so most of what folks drink is actually performing organ damage, not CNS effects. Most people don’t consume alcohol because of its efficiency. If they did, they’d be doing everclear shots or boofing it. They wouldn’t be mixing cocktails, aging whisky for decades, or pairing wines with food. Weed as a drug isn’t “phenomenal” compared to alcohol, unless you ignore most of the reasons people drink.
- the_only_law 4y ago
  > It's overrated. Still phenomenal compared to alcohol Most things that don’t leave me with a splitting headache and day long nausea are great compared to alcohol.
the_only_law 4y ago
For a marijuana risk I’ve not seen mentioned often: I fainted in my hallway while going to bed thanks to orthostatic hypotension which is made significantly stronger when I smoke. I still don’t consider it worse than alcohol though. It’s well known to be neurotoxic, hepatoxic, and addictive. And if you do get addicted, the withdrawals are worse than many hard drugs. The positive effects are generally pretty nice, but almost invalidated by the next morning.
- sidpatil 4y ago
  > It’s well known to be neurotoxic, hepatoxic, and addictive. Are you referring to cannabis or to alcohol in this statement?
  - the_only_law 4y ago
    Alcohol (note comment about horrific withdrawals), marijuana may or may not be toxic to different organs but the threshold for serious damage is a higher. I have a family member that’s still strongly against any form of legalization because he swears up and down “marijuana destroyed his family”, yet has no qualms sipping on beer and bourbon despite multiple people in our family having been killed or ruined by it

by jotm 4y ago

goldenkey 4y ago

Let's adjust the statement a bit. It's overrated. Still phenomenal compared to alcohol -- which is one of the weakest drugs per unit mass or volume. Literally only 2% of blood ethanol gets to the brain, so most of what folks drink is actually performing organ damage, not CNS effects. Like you said, Cannabis is a wildly diverse plant. Cannabinoids like CBG, CBC, and CBDV are extraordinary anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic agents. 100% agree with you and the literature does too. Daily use of high THC / low CBD cannabis is the main driver of the temporary psychosis we are seeing across cities that have legalized marijuana. Studies show that CBD is actually antipsychotic whereas THC is the opposite, so we have essentially bred the plant into a tripping device versus what it used to be, a more cerebral relaxing experience.

asguy 4y ago
> Let's adjust the statement a bit. It's overrated. Still phenomenal compared to alcohol -- which is one of the weakest drugs per unit mass or volume. Literally only 2% of blood ethanol gets to the brain, so most of what folks drink is actually performing organ damage, not CNS effects. Most people don’t consume alcohol because of its efficiency. If they did, they’d be doing everclear shots or boofing it. They wouldn’t be mixing cocktails, aging whisky for decades, or pairing wines with food. Weed as a drug isn’t “phenomenal” compared to alcohol, unless you ignore most of the reasons people drink.
the_only_law 4y ago
> It's overrated. Still phenomenal compared to alcohol Most things that don’t leave me with a splitting headache and day long nausea are great compared to alcohol.

the_only_law 4y ago

For a marijuana risk I’ve not seen mentioned often: I fainted in my hallway while going to bed thanks to orthostatic hypotension which is made significantly stronger when I smoke. I still don’t consider it worse than alcohol though. It’s well known to be neurotoxic, hepatoxic, and addictive. And if you do get addicted, the withdrawals are worse than many hard drugs. The positive effects are generally pretty nice, but almost invalidated by the next morning.

sidpatil 4y ago
> It’s well known to be neurotoxic, hepatoxic, and addictive. Are you referring to cannabis or to alcohol in this statement?
- the_only_law 4y ago
  Alcohol (note comment about horrific withdrawals), marijuana may or may not be toxic to different organs but the threshold for serious damage is a higher. I have a family member that’s still strongly against any form of legalization because he swears up and down “marijuana destroyed his family”, yet has no qualms sipping on beer and bourbon despite multiple people in our family having been killed or ruined by it