5 ms·
I would guess it's less than 5% of users in the US. There are weed addicts. My college dorm had about half a dozen students jonesing when all the dealers (5-6
by 1letterunixname 3y ago
I would guess it's less than 5% of users in the US.
There are weed addicts. My college dorm had about half a dozen students jonesing when all the dealers (5-6 in our area) went home for the winter holidays. Did anyone lose their job, get in a wreck, end up in the hospital, or die from it? I seriously doubt it.
I'd say alcoholism and binge drinking are far bigger threats. You know, like my roommate who nearly died from alcohol poisoning on his 21st birthday from downing half a dozen shots of everclear and more.
The magnitude of harm, impairment, and life dysfunction for substance abuse varies by said substance. Weed addiction isn't nothing but it's not tobacco, drinking, or meth.
I'd said the biggest harm of weed is people who smoke it unfiltered and inhale microfines and ultrafines more so than filtered tobacco cigarettes. Dabbing could be potentially better, but so much of the market is grey and black that there's not enough research or uniform safety standards on producing healthy inhalation products.
- cameronfraser 3y agothis isn't a measuring contest to see which drug is worse, this is just acknowledging that people can have severe addiction issues with cannabis. Just because you don't die from withdrawals doesn't mean it can't lead to serious quality of life issues and poor mental health.
- smokeitaway 3y agoThe phrase "burnt out hippie" exists for a good reason. I was widely regarded as brilliant when I started smoking. After 30 years of smoking almost every day, and about 5 years of smoking a few times a year, I'm noticeably dumber than peers who didn't smoke, who I used to run circles around. With very few exceptions, I've only used weed. For me, the biggest harm was brain damage.
- dabears 3y agoI'm curious what you're really trying to say here and why feel the need to compare yourself to your peers in such a way. Do you feel like you wasted those years because your peers are "smarter" than you now?
- xu_ituairo 3y agoI get the feeling they’re saying they regret smoking so much because it’s cognitively damaged them long term, which isn’t good. (I imagine the friends here are a rough “control” for baseline cognitive potential)
- smokeitaway 3y agoExactly that. It's hard to have any sort of control over a lifetime, but I went to university, have worked in software, and some of the friends I compare myself to did the same. I'm still "smart". But I feel like smoking as much as I did has accelerated my age-related cognitive decline. I don't feel that I wasted the years, but I do think that the thousands of hours spent stoned were a complete waste and have decreased the potential quality of the latter half of my life.