8 ms·

Smoking weed every day makes me less presentable and less productive. I love it

43 points by ciconia 2y ago

rabite 2y ago
[flagged]
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
skilled 2y ago
What a weird article. As I understand it, the writer wanted to combine satire with some creativity with an emphasis on how the hip youth perceive themselves. But I can also see how this was meant as a serious piece. The best that this article can offer as a HN submission is a discussion on “so is weed good or bad” …
- JohnFen 2y ago
  > “so is weed good or bad” My answer to this is "yes". Like most things, it's both. Also: "A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an asshole." -- Frank Zappa
  - dyauspitr 2y ago
    The drug changes your core motivations and mental/emotional states. Attributing bad behavior to a lack of will power is not being honest about it.
    - JohnFen 2y ago
      I'm not sure what you're saying here. I assume you're talking about the Zappa quote? I suspect that Zappa would have said he wasn't attributing bad behavior to a lack of willpower.
    - michaelt 2y ago
      Sorta yes, sorta no. If I know that when I drink brandy I start fights, and I nonetheless decide to drink brandy - that's on me, not the brandy.
    - hermitdev 2y ago
      > Attributing bad behavior to a lack of will power is not being honest about it. No, it's not being honest about it. Having read the article, it's apparent to me that the author has a lot of problems, and weed isn't the cause of them. The person is an addict, period. And, basically, the entire article reads as a celebration of their addiction and their "I don't care" attitude. The author ought to consider attending AA or NA meetings. I say this as an alcoholic (nearly 4 years sober) and a daily marijuana (edibles) user. Driving while high, like drunk driving, is very selfish behavior. It's not about your own safety (I couldn't care less if this person killed themselves while driving high), but rather the safety of innocent bystanders you're more likely to harm. Especially given the admission that they drove into a parked car while sober! I, like the author, often use marijuana daily. However, I'm not stoned all day, and it doesn't make me unmotivated. I use weed as one of many tools for dealing with chronic pain (I have arthritis in every joint in my spine and every disk is degenerative), but I'm also working with my doctors on treatments, including physical therapy (which is painful, but also very effective) and, pain blocks, injections, braces and other treatments. Because weed is effective for me dealing with pain, it's actually a motivator and productivity booster for me. But, one needs to be responsible about it. I often work from home, so I don't have to worry about driving. On days I do have to go into the office (I take the train for most of it, but do have to drive several miles to get to the station), I refrain from using until I am home for the day.
    - TehCorwiz 2y ago
      He's not talking about willpower. I once heard it said that there are no "bad people" only people behaving badly. I would beg to differ, some people use their willpower to mask the fact that they want to behave badly until they think they can get away with it. These people use anything they can as an excuse for taking off their mask and abusing those around them. I've had past partners who blamed their abuse on some substance or circumstance or other. Drugs don't make you bad, drugs don't remove empathy or insert sadism. But people like to blame them for when they let those behaviors out. That's what Zappa was talking about.
goles 2y ago
https://archive.is/wfXdy https://archive.is/wfXdy
mamonster 2y ago
>Normies will always be normies, and they don’t necessarily like it when you’re smoking weed all the time I am constantly impressed by the ability of 4chan insults to find their way into the common lexicon. The ironic part is that smoking weed every day would be "normie" behavior on 4chan.
- sickofparadox 2y ago
  Its very interesting which ones make the cut as well. I doubt sincerely that foid or moid will make it to common use, but based and normie seem to have slotted right into young people's speech patterns perfectly.
  - Retric 2y ago
    Ehh normie was already in use well before 4chan. Family guy season 2 used it in 1999, 4chan only launched Oct 2003. It’s slowly become more popular over time, but you can find much older references.
  - influx_redux 2y ago
    Based comes from the BasedGod himself, Lil B. It wouldn't surprise me if he were also on 4chan but afaik that's also where 4chan found the term. Before Lil B flipped the term it was derogatory and referred to users of crack cocaine.
- drcongo 2y ago
  "Normies" has been in common usage since the 1950s. I guess if you live on 4chan you think they invented everything.
  - JohnMakin 2y ago
    Surely you understand that slang (and words in general) evolve in meaning and change over time - this is definitely the case with this word, and the more modern usage correlating very heavily with the start of the 4chan era (approximately early 2000's). Were you also the kid that called people "gay" as an insult and said "no I meant 'happy'?" Here you go: https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/normie/ https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/normie/
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
yieldcrv 2y ago
> I consider wanting to be more productive very lame, like you’ve been cucked by the patriarchy and capitalism This is a common sentiment in Los Angeles and abroad, but I can relate to everything this person is saying as a resident of Los Angeles. There is not a peer group here to make you ambitious, and it’s slowed down my productivity in comparison to when I was in NYC or SF. But you can fix this, it’s all about speaking in LA lingo. For example, I tell people “I’m motivated by abundance”, which is spiritual speak for “making money via unbridled capitalism”. And “the universe sent me an idea” instead of my own late stage capitalist actions, as this crowd doesn’t hold themselves accountable for their actions, but you can mold that to your own ends You’d think it was insufferable, until you saw the women that this engagement farms
- speedylight 2y ago
  > until you saw the women that this engagement farms Can you explain what you’re trying to say with this? I didn’t quite get it haha!
  - yieldcrv 2y ago
    they’re beautiful, dress like high priestesses in malfunctioning silk robes at their picturesque sound baths and ceremonies, and dating them is great
- u32480932048 2y ago
  Keep manifesting, fam!
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - yieldcrv 2y ago
    manifesting abundance and higher vibrations!
- leptons 2y ago
  Your comment seems more anecdotal than anything. I can assure you as someone that lives in Los Angeles and consumes cannabis regularly, that your findings are yours alone. Maybe you intended this to be humorous instead of factual, but you should be expected to be called out for nonsense nonetheless.
Blundermuffin 2y ago
Honestly, I find that just a little bit allows me to live in the present and stop being so forward thinking all the time. When I find myself being too disconnected from the "now" and stressing out over what is ultimately petty nonsense, I'll have a bit. Having it available, consequence free, in a legal state, has drastically improved my quality of life; even if I only use it once every month or so.
- unethical_ban 2y ago
  Hear hear. Disclaimer, I did not rtfa before commenting. I feel the same about cannabis, and in my state of Texas, delta 8 THC. A low to moderate dose allows me to stop overthinking and just chill. It helps me enjoy movies instead of getting anxious or bored or distracted as I often now do. It's a great alternative to alcohol for those who want to use a chemical to "take the edge off". And of course, the dominant party in Texas has pledged to bring up a bill to heavily restrict or ban delta 8 in the state "for the children".
  - SoftTalker 2y ago
    There's a line between taking the edge off and avoiding things that you really need to deal with. And not singling out weed here, alcohol has the same issue. It can be used to relax and enjoy a moment, but it can become a way to hide from reality (for a while; reality has a way of imposing itself eventually).
block_dagger 2y ago
As a daily cannabis user for the past ~30 years, it’s nice to see this (semi-satirical) support piece. Cannabis has helped me overcome OCD and other mental/emotional issues, enjoy life, and accomplish my goals. Wonderful plant.
- whalesalad 2y ago
  A small amount of cannabis in the morning turns me into an absolute machine. The right sativa strain with certain terpenes (ocimene <3, plus good balance of CBD and CBG) is just as powerful as adderall for me. Moderation is key. I still get zooted to the moon on certain nights and weekends but for productivity a very small amount is truly transformative for me.
neilv 2y ago
> and I finish the joint I was smoking last night before bed, which is sitting on my bedside table. How should such a person set up their smoke detectors? I'm thinking: False alarms triggered by the marijuana smoke might disrupt their calm, and removing batteries and being in a perpetual cloudy-headed state could lead to batteries not getting back in. And if they're smoking from bed, they'll probably need more protection than most people, for detecting smoldering bed sheets.
- williamcotton 2y ago
  Cigarette-type smoke doesn’t trigger smoke alarms.
  - belthesar 2y ago
    It really depends on the kind of smoke alarm. I'm sure most home style smoke alarms aren't set off by that, since they're usually an ionization style detector. Photoelectric detectors can be far more sensitive though. Moreso, I imagine the detection has less to do with the type of smoke, and the density of it. Directly exhaling into a smoke alarm can set off the detector, when the smoke is at its most dense.
- jamesssssss833 2y ago
  I worried about that once too. It actually takes a lot of smoke to set those bad boys off. Less than a gram of burned leaf isn’t going to do it.
- alt227 2y ago
  What a condescending comment. There is always such snarky comments on HN whenever smoking Cannabis is mentioned. I was under the impression that the average HN reader had above average intelligence and open mindedness, but posts like this remind me often that isnt true. EDIT: I have apologised for the tone of this post below, and come to a very amicable conclusion with OP.
  - neilv 2y ago
deadeye 2y ago
Bravo to saying the quite part out loud, I guess. I want to believe this article was meant for the Babylon Bee, but got emailed to the wrong editor. Sadly, we live in clown world.
gjvc 2y ago
best avoided
extr 2y ago
This was unironically me in my early 20s. It wasn't so bad. Obviously eventually you get bored of this lifestyle and it's not really compatible with more "serious" responsibilities like having a family or more demanding jobs. But at the time I made good career progress, never got in any legal trouble, didn't pick up any worse habits, no adverse health outcomes, etc. And I think smoking weed for a few years made me permanently more mindful and less anxious (YMMV, apparently for some people the opposite happens). For me, I eventually "grew up" and just found myself organically phasing it out of my life. Part of that was it was annoying to constantly be "picking up" in a state where it was illegal. And I didn't have access to giga-potent strains and non-flower administration routes. I don't think we should encourage people to be frying themselves 24/7 on dabs, extracts, 95% pure THC vape pens, etc. I'm not sure I would fully endorse 100% legality/open access like many states have. I still occasionally have a puff of a 10:1 CBD:THC vape pen and it hits the spot. But that is like 2% of what my local dispensary offers. Most of it is specifically sold as frying your brain.
- antisthenes 2y ago
  > it's not really compatible with more "serious" responsibilities like having a family or more demanding jobs. Can you explain why? I feel like weed makes me kinder to people (as well as letting go of small petty things, as the article suggested), which unironically seems like a major relationship booster, which is helpful in both family/career building.
  - verbalstone 2y ago
    [dead]
  - jayd16 2y ago
    A simple reason I don't smoke more often is because I might be asked to drive someone somewhere. Its a pretty common responsibility in a family, I would think.
    - hackeraccount 2y ago
      I don't smoke and truthfully never really drank that much or that often but having a kid made my drinking go from not much to practically never for just the reason you're talking about. Drinking went from something super casual to - think about it, check in with the wife to confirm that she can/doesn't mind doing any potential driving, then have a drink or two. It's like scheduling a good time. Totally kill the vibe.
karaterobot 2y ago
This is a really nihilistic article, coming from someone who seems to have pretty much given up on doing anything but existing as effortlessly as possible. I hope that's a decision they came to rationally, and not just a symptom of profound depression. Assuming the former, it's a fine way to live for them, I guess. But imagine all the complex systems of the world—physical, economic, philosophical, technological—that are required for to support that life; it's much easier to check out when there's a functioning society around you. For all its many failures and shortcomings, the world is worth maintaining a relationship with.
- thih9 2y ago
  > the world is worth maintaining a relationship with > imagine all the complex systems of the world—physical, economic, philosophical, technological—that are required for to support that life As opposed to what? The author mentions functioning well and having a job; this to me sounds like having a relationship with the world.
  - karaterobot 2y ago
    I mean, they say they have a shitty job that doesn't pay well, and that they smoke in the parking lot, but that's about it. It sounded to me like they're only motivated to work because it allows them to survive, but that there wasn't much in their life beyond that. They say they have goals, but no motivation to achieve them, and no desire to be motivated. I did not get any sense that they were engaging with the world in a healthy way.
    - thih9 2y ago
      I think you misunderstood. The author explicitly says they are motivated. They just don’t want to be more motivated than that. > Maybe it makes me less motivated, but I don’t really want to be more motivated. I consider wanting to be more productive very lame, like you’ve been cucked by the patriarchy and capitalism. I have goals like everyone else, but I feel like achieving them quicker or more efficiently is less important than my overall enjoyment of life.
- 2y ago
helpfulclippy 2y ago
I started habitually smoking weed when my spouse abandoned me and my daughter to be with someone else. At first, it managed the pain. Later it was for the anger and the loneliness. And when I finally healed enough and moved on, the pandemic hit, and it was for the boredom. And when it lifted, it was because I just plain liked it. Eventually though I took a break. And when I did I noticed how many moments of my own life I was oblivious to, I decided to extend my break. Suddenly things I’d given up on seemed much more possible. Things that seemed impossible seemed much more worth the effort anyway. Then I tried another joint because I missed smoking with my partner — I didn’t especially enjoy it, but I found a reason for another, and another, and soon enough I was high again all day and it took months for me to notice what had happened: I was no longer doing all these things that I was proud of, and was not even feeling more satisfied with my life. I was just highly motivated to seek out that specific kind of satisfaction, which came to the exclusion of so many others. I’m glad weed was an option, but it is addictive, and that addiction leads to rationalization designed to dismiss the steep opportunity cost of being lethargic through an induced contentment.
- PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
  Beautifully put. > the steep opportunity cost of being lethargic through an induced contentment. Weirdly, I think this is also a risk of actual contentment. I'm not a weed user, and I no longer consume alcohol (more or less). Nevertheless, through a number of strokes of good luck, I lead a very contented life, and I think this also causes a similar kind of lethargy-induced opportunity cost. Discontentment is a powerful motivator. Thanks for writing this.
  - dmarchand90 2y ago
    "Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but, well son, pot makes you feel fine with being bored, and it's when you're bored that you should be learning some new skill or discovering some new science or being creative." Randy Marsh, South Park
    - 2y ago
calewis 2y ago
It reads like someone’s daddy got them a summer job writing “a few bits for gen z”
zingababba 2y ago
5pm = smoke then workout every day.
LiquidPolymer 2y ago
I'm not much of a user myself, but my two brothers were heavy users and the difference between how it affected them was profound. One brother seemed to need weed to function daily. He struggled at school, never got a real job, and smoked weed every waking hour. He was hitting the bong first thing in the morning. I think he eventually got bored with weed and started using other drugs including prescription pain killers. He became paranoid and psychotic and eventually started pointing guns at police officers. He is now dead sadly, and I wonder every day if I could have intervened in a meaningful way to prevent this. The other brother is smart. Engineer smart. He designs his own motorcycle racing mods, built an e-commerce site for a Harley Davidson dealership which eventually took over as the principal money earner for the business (until Harley cracked down on 3rd party sellers). When he smoked weed it seemed to quiet his mind and even inspire him - he could work for an inhuman number hours once properly loaded with THC. His boss new he was a regular user and tipped him whenever a random drug test was in the works. Then one day, my brother deliberately failed the test. At that point he seemed to have a mental breakdown and his life has been in a downward spiral ever since. He lives in a school bus with all the seats removed (no other mods). He struggles with poverty. My general attitude is that THC should be legal, but it is not as harmless as advertised. Occasional recreational use seems fine, but some people who use it to self-medicate may eventually have a reckoning. I still say THC is less harmful than alcohol.
- tonetegeatinst 2y ago
  Personally, I don't smoke....but my freshman year roommates did. One of them smoked it rolled up but I think he moved onto vapes I think....I can't remember as I didn't really care what they did with it and I personally just didn't want any. They both were active students, were not letting their grades slip up, and seemed to be able to balance any negatives of smoking, but I also know that that's not the same for everyone. I smoke a cigar, probably a few (<10 a year on average) and I mainly have those when I'm celebrating a major event like passing finals or finishing personal projects. Cigars help me a bit but I can't stand the after smell, so I personally wash everything immediately and shower and brush my teeth. I might try weed if it ever became unregulated to the level that tobacco or liquor is, when its not a felony or even mistonomener(can't figure out how to spell this word) even if I did find pleasure in it, I wouldn't use it more than 2 times. I know some people swear it helps them function better, but iv also seen some people who lose motivation and become less of themselves....they seem to lose focus of goals in life, they seem to have memory issues etc. I'm doubtful weed is as bad as it is classified....but I also don't think its some cure all without these negative side effects. The modern movement seems to talk about how harmless it is, but I feel like they don't recognise that it can be harmful just like drinking.
JieJie 2y ago
Comments here are useful and on point for 20-30-year-olds. Pot makes boredom less boring, and that's probably not an ideal outcome for a young person. With any luck, y'all are going to be 60 someday, or 80, and pot making boredom less boring is going to become your every waking thought, and staying awake all night is going to become a curse and no longer a superpower. And cannabis is going to be there for you as an alternative to benzos and opiates, and it will be a good thing. Count on it.
- antisthenes 2y ago
  Compared to how overmedicated an average American is with a lot of drugs they probably don't even need (thanks to complacent doctors in bed with Pharma), weed is absolutely the lesser evil when used in moderation (e.g. appetite enhancer, muscle relaxant, light painkiller).
tubignaaso 2y ago
I’d be curious to read a complimentary article from the perspective of other people in this author’s life. In my experience, habitual users can seem perfectly fine but maintaining meaningful relationships has been difficult. Forgetfulness, unfocused thinking, constant talking about the drug or using the drug, etc. all dominate the relationship in those friendships of mine. We all have our baggage and difficulties in a relationship, but with habitual cannabis users it seems to be a prevailing pattern.
beefnugs 2y ago
Had a friend who was a heavy devilish lettucian. He said when he quit he had very vivid dreams for months. Interesting to think of the long term suppression of the minds possibilities. Wonder if the species survives capitalism long enough to get custom drugs to target positive brain impact
INTPenis 2y ago
Weed just silences my brain in a nice way that I quite enjoy. I'm 40 and it hasn't hampered my life in any way so far.
zs234465234165 2y ago
I benefit from "state changes"—shifting from sober periods to high periods and vice versa. These transitions seem to spur the most creativity for me. Each state causes me to think differently and notice things I didn't in the previous state. This applies to other substances as well. Its when I overstay my wecome in either state that things start to fall apart and stagnate.

43 points by ciconia 2y ago

rabite 2y ago

[flagged]

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

skilled 2y ago

What a weird article. As I understand it, the writer wanted to combine satire with some creativity with an emphasis on how the hip youth perceive themselves. But I can also see how this was meant as a serious piece. The best that this article can offer as a HN submission is a discussion on “so is weed good or bad” …

JohnFen 2y ago
> “so is weed good or bad” My answer to this is "yes". Like most things, it's both. Also: "A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an asshole." -- Frank Zappa
- dyauspitr 2y ago
  The drug changes your core motivations and mental/emotional states. Attributing bad behavior to a lack of will power is not being honest about it.
  - JohnFen 2y ago
    I'm not sure what you're saying here. I assume you're talking about the Zappa quote? I suspect that Zappa would have said he wasn't attributing bad behavior to a lack of willpower.
  - michaelt 2y ago
    Sorta yes, sorta no. If I know that when I drink brandy I start fights, and I nonetheless decide to drink brandy - that's on me, not the brandy.
  - hermitdev 2y ago
    > Attributing bad behavior to a lack of will power is not being honest about it. No, it's not being honest about it. Having read the article, it's apparent to me that the author has a lot of problems, and weed isn't the cause of them. The person is an addict, period. And, basically, the entire article reads as a celebration of their addiction and their "I don't care" attitude. The author ought to consider attending AA or NA meetings. I say this as an alcoholic (nearly 4 years sober) and a daily marijuana (edibles) user. Driving while high, like drunk driving, is very selfish behavior. It's not about your own safety (I couldn't care less if this person killed themselves while driving high), but rather the safety of innocent bystanders you're more likely to harm. Especially given the admission that they drove into a parked car while sober! I, like the author, often use marijuana daily. However, I'm not stoned all day, and it doesn't make me unmotivated. I use weed as one of many tools for dealing with chronic pain (I have arthritis in every joint in my spine and every disk is degenerative), but I'm also working with my doctors on treatments, including physical therapy (which is painful, but also very effective) and, pain blocks, injections, braces and other treatments. Because weed is effective for me dealing with pain, it's actually a motivator and productivity booster for me. But, one needs to be responsible about it. I often work from home, so I don't have to worry about driving. On days I do have to go into the office (I take the train for most of it, but do have to drive several miles to get to the station), I refrain from using until I am home for the day.
  - TehCorwiz 2y ago
    He's not talking about willpower. I once heard it said that there are no "bad people" only people behaving badly. I would beg to differ, some people use their willpower to mask the fact that they want to behave badly until they think they can get away with it. These people use anything they can as an excuse for taking off their mask and abusing those around them. I've had past partners who blamed their abuse on some substance or circumstance or other. Drugs don't make you bad, drugs don't remove empathy or insert sadism. But people like to blame them for when they let those behaviors out. That's what Zappa was talking about.

goles 2y ago

https://archive.is/wfXdy https://archive.is/wfXdy

mamonster 2y ago

>Normies will always be normies, and they don’t necessarily like it when you’re smoking weed all the time I am constantly impressed by the ability of 4chan insults to find their way into the common lexicon. The ironic part is that smoking weed every day would be "normie" behavior on 4chan.

sickofparadox 2y ago
Its very interesting which ones make the cut as well. I doubt sincerely that foid or moid will make it to common use, but based and normie seem to have slotted right into young people's speech patterns perfectly.
- Retric 2y ago
  Ehh normie was already in use well before 4chan. Family guy season 2 used it in 1999, 4chan only launched Oct 2003. It’s slowly become more popular over time, but you can find much older references.
- influx_redux 2y ago
  Based comes from the BasedGod himself, Lil B. It wouldn't surprise me if he were also on 4chan but afaik that's also where 4chan found the term. Before Lil B flipped the term it was derogatory and referred to users of crack cocaine.
drcongo 2y ago
"Normies" has been in common usage since the 1950s. I guess if you live on 4chan you think they invented everything.
- JohnMakin 2y ago
  Surely you understand that slang (and words in general) evolve in meaning and change over time - this is definitely the case with this word, and the more modern usage correlating very heavily with the start of the 4chan era (approximately early 2000's). Were you also the kid that called people "gay" as an insult and said "no I meant 'happy'?" Here you go: https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/normie/ https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/normie/

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

yieldcrv 2y ago

> I consider wanting to be more productive very lame, like you’ve been cucked by the patriarchy and capitalism This is a common sentiment in Los Angeles and abroad, but I can relate to everything this person is saying as a resident of Los Angeles. There is not a peer group here to make you ambitious, and it’s slowed down my productivity in comparison to when I was in NYC or SF. But you can fix this, it’s all about speaking in LA lingo. For example, I tell people “I’m motivated by abundance”, which is spiritual speak for “making money via unbridled capitalism”. And “the universe sent me an idea” instead of my own late stage capitalist actions, as this crowd doesn’t hold themselves accountable for their actions, but you can mold that to your own ends You’d think it was insufferable, until you saw the women that this engagement farms

speedylight 2y ago
> until you saw the women that this engagement farms Can you explain what you’re trying to say with this? I didn’t quite get it haha!
- yieldcrv 2y ago
  they’re beautiful, dress like high priestesses in malfunctioning silk robes at their picturesque sound baths and ceremonies, and dating them is great
u32480932048 2y ago
Keep manifesting, fam!
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- yieldcrv 2y ago
  manifesting abundance and higher vibrations!
leptons 2y ago
Your comment seems more anecdotal than anything. I can assure you as someone that lives in Los Angeles and consumes cannabis regularly, that your findings are yours alone. Maybe you intended this to be humorous instead of factual, but you should be expected to be called out for nonsense nonetheless.

Blundermuffin 2y ago

Honestly, I find that just a little bit allows me to live in the present and stop being so forward thinking all the time. When I find myself being too disconnected from the "now" and stressing out over what is ultimately petty nonsense, I'll have a bit. Having it available, consequence free, in a legal state, has drastically improved my quality of life; even if I only use it once every month or so.

unethical_ban 2y ago
Hear hear. Disclaimer, I did not rtfa before commenting. I feel the same about cannabis, and in my state of Texas, delta 8 THC. A low to moderate dose allows me to stop overthinking and just chill. It helps me enjoy movies instead of getting anxious or bored or distracted as I often now do. It's a great alternative to alcohol for those who want to use a chemical to "take the edge off". And of course, the dominant party in Texas has pledged to bring up a bill to heavily restrict or ban delta 8 in the state "for the children".
- SoftTalker 2y ago
  There's a line between taking the edge off and avoiding things that you really need to deal with. And not singling out weed here, alcohol has the same issue. It can be used to relax and enjoy a moment, but it can become a way to hide from reality (for a while; reality has a way of imposing itself eventually).

block_dagger 2y ago

As a daily cannabis user for the past ~30 years, it’s nice to see this (semi-satirical) support piece. Cannabis has helped me overcome OCD and other mental/emotional issues, enjoy life, and accomplish my goals. Wonderful plant.

whalesalad 2y ago
A small amount of cannabis in the morning turns me into an absolute machine. The right sativa strain with certain terpenes (ocimene <3, plus good balance of CBD and CBG) is just as powerful as adderall for me. Moderation is key. I still get zooted to the moon on certain nights and weekends but for productivity a very small amount is truly transformative for me.

neilv 2y ago

> and I finish the joint I was smoking last night before bed, which is sitting on my bedside table. How should such a person set up their smoke detectors? I'm thinking: False alarms triggered by the marijuana smoke might disrupt their calm, and removing batteries and being in a perpetual cloudy-headed state could lead to batteries not getting back in. And if they're smoking from bed, they'll probably need more protection than most people, for detecting smoldering bed sheets.

williamcotton 2y ago
Cigarette-type smoke doesn’t trigger smoke alarms.
- belthesar 2y ago
  It really depends on the kind of smoke alarm. I'm sure most home style smoke alarms aren't set off by that, since they're usually an ionization style detector. Photoelectric detectors can be far more sensitive though. Moreso, I imagine the detection has less to do with the type of smoke, and the density of it. Directly exhaling into a smoke alarm can set off the detector, when the smoke is at its most dense.
jamesssssss833 2y ago
I worried about that once too. It actually takes a lot of smoke to set those bad boys off. Less than a gram of burned leaf isn’t going to do it.
alt227 2y ago
What a condescending comment. There is always such snarky comments on HN whenever smoking Cannabis is mentioned. I was under the impression that the average HN reader had above average intelligence and open mindedness, but posts like this remind me often that isnt true. EDIT: I have apologised for the tone of this post below, and come to a very amicable conclusion with OP.
- neilv 2y ago

deadeye 2y ago

Bravo to saying the quite part out loud, I guess. I want to believe this article was meant for the Babylon Bee, but got emailed to the wrong editor. Sadly, we live in clown world.

gjvc 2y ago

best avoided

extr 2y ago

This was unironically me in my early 20s. It wasn't so bad. Obviously eventually you get bored of this lifestyle and it's not really compatible with more "serious" responsibilities like having a family or more demanding jobs. But at the time I made good career progress, never got in any legal trouble, didn't pick up any worse habits, no adverse health outcomes, etc. And I think smoking weed for a few years made me permanently more mindful and less anxious (YMMV, apparently for some people the opposite happens). For me, I eventually "grew up" and just found myself organically phasing it out of my life. Part of that was it was annoying to constantly be "picking up" in a state where it was illegal. And I didn't have access to giga-potent strains and non-flower administration routes. I don't think we should encourage people to be frying themselves 24/7 on dabs, extracts, 95% pure THC vape pens, etc. I'm not sure I would fully endorse 100% legality/open access like many states have. I still occasionally have a puff of a 10:1 CBD:THC vape pen and it hits the spot. But that is like 2% of what my local dispensary offers. Most of it is specifically sold as frying your brain.

antisthenes 2y ago
> it's not really compatible with more "serious" responsibilities like having a family or more demanding jobs. Can you explain why? I feel like weed makes me kinder to people (as well as letting go of small petty things, as the article suggested), which unironically seems like a major relationship booster, which is helpful in both family/career building.
- verbalstone 2y ago
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- jayd16 2y ago
  A simple reason I don't smoke more often is because I might be asked to drive someone somewhere. Its a pretty common responsibility in a family, I would think.
  - hackeraccount 2y ago
    I don't smoke and truthfully never really drank that much or that often but having a kid made my drinking go from not much to practically never for just the reason you're talking about. Drinking went from something super casual to - think about it, check in with the wife to confirm that she can/doesn't mind doing any potential driving, then have a drink or two. It's like scheduling a good time. Totally kill the vibe.

karaterobot 2y ago

This is a really nihilistic article, coming from someone who seems to have pretty much given up on doing anything but existing as effortlessly as possible. I hope that's a decision they came to rationally, and not just a symptom of profound depression. Assuming the former, it's a fine way to live for them, I guess. But imagine all the complex systems of the world—physical, economic, philosophical, technological—that are required for to support that life; it's much easier to check out when there's a functioning society around you. For all its many failures and shortcomings, the world is worth maintaining a relationship with.

thih9 2y ago
> the world is worth maintaining a relationship with > imagine all the complex systems of the world—physical, economic, philosophical, technological—that are required for to support that life As opposed to what? The author mentions functioning well and having a job; this to me sounds like having a relationship with the world.
- karaterobot 2y ago
  I mean, they say they have a shitty job that doesn't pay well, and that they smoke in the parking lot, but that's about it. It sounded to me like they're only motivated to work because it allows them to survive, but that there wasn't much in their life beyond that. They say they have goals, but no motivation to achieve them, and no desire to be motivated. I did not get any sense that they were engaging with the world in a healthy way.
  - thih9 2y ago
    I think you misunderstood. The author explicitly says they are motivated. They just don’t want to be more motivated than that. > Maybe it makes me less motivated, but I don’t really want to be more motivated. I consider wanting to be more productive very lame, like you’ve been cucked by the patriarchy and capitalism. I have goals like everyone else, but I feel like achieving them quicker or more efficiently is less important than my overall enjoyment of life.
2y ago

helpfulclippy 2y ago

I started habitually smoking weed when my spouse abandoned me and my daughter to be with someone else. At first, it managed the pain. Later it was for the anger and the loneliness. And when I finally healed enough and moved on, the pandemic hit, and it was for the boredom. And when it lifted, it was because I just plain liked it. Eventually though I took a break. And when I did I noticed how many moments of my own life I was oblivious to, I decided to extend my break. Suddenly things I’d given up on seemed much more possible. Things that seemed impossible seemed much more worth the effort anyway. Then I tried another joint because I missed smoking with my partner — I didn’t especially enjoy it, but I found a reason for another, and another, and soon enough I was high again all day and it took months for me to notice what had happened: I was no longer doing all these things that I was proud of, and was not even feeling more satisfied with my life. I was just highly motivated to seek out that specific kind of satisfaction, which came to the exclusion of so many others. I’m glad weed was an option, but it is addictive, and that addiction leads to rationalization designed to dismiss the steep opportunity cost of being lethargic through an induced contentment.

PaulDavisThe1st 2y ago
Beautifully put. > the steep opportunity cost of being lethargic through an induced contentment. Weirdly, I think this is also a risk of actual contentment. I'm not a weed user, and I no longer consume alcohol (more or less). Nevertheless, through a number of strokes of good luck, I lead a very contented life, and I think this also causes a similar kind of lethargy-induced opportunity cost. Discontentment is a powerful motivator. Thanks for writing this.
- dmarchand90 2y ago
  "Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but, well son, pot makes you feel fine with being bored, and it's when you're bored that you should be learning some new skill or discovering some new science or being creative." Randy Marsh, South Park
  - 2y ago

calewis 2y ago

It reads like someone’s daddy got them a summer job writing “a few bits for gen z”

zingababba 2y ago

5pm = smoke then workout every day.

LiquidPolymer 2y ago

I'm not much of a user myself, but my two brothers were heavy users and the difference between how it affected them was profound. One brother seemed to need weed to function daily. He struggled at school, never got a real job, and smoked weed every waking hour. He was hitting the bong first thing in the morning. I think he eventually got bored with weed and started using other drugs including prescription pain killers. He became paranoid and psychotic and eventually started pointing guns at police officers. He is now dead sadly, and I wonder every day if I could have intervened in a meaningful way to prevent this. The other brother is smart. Engineer smart. He designs his own motorcycle racing mods, built an e-commerce site for a Harley Davidson dealership which eventually took over as the principal money earner for the business (until Harley cracked down on 3rd party sellers). When he smoked weed it seemed to quiet his mind and even inspire him - he could work for an inhuman number hours once properly loaded with THC. His boss new he was a regular user and tipped him whenever a random drug test was in the works. Then one day, my brother deliberately failed the test. At that point he seemed to have a mental breakdown and his life has been in a downward spiral ever since. He lives in a school bus with all the seats removed (no other mods). He struggles with poverty. My general attitude is that THC should be legal, but it is not as harmless as advertised. Occasional recreational use seems fine, but some people who use it to self-medicate may eventually have a reckoning. I still say THC is less harmful than alcohol.

tonetegeatinst 2y ago
Personally, I don't smoke....but my freshman year roommates did. One of them smoked it rolled up but I think he moved onto vapes I think....I can't remember as I didn't really care what they did with it and I personally just didn't want any. They both were active students, were not letting their grades slip up, and seemed to be able to balance any negatives of smoking, but I also know that that's not the same for everyone. I smoke a cigar, probably a few (<10 a year on average) and I mainly have those when I'm celebrating a major event like passing finals or finishing personal projects. Cigars help me a bit but I can't stand the after smell, so I personally wash everything immediately and shower and brush my teeth. I might try weed if it ever became unregulated to the level that tobacco or liquor is, when its not a felony or even mistonomener(can't figure out how to spell this word) even if I did find pleasure in it, I wouldn't use it more than 2 times. I know some people swear it helps them function better, but iv also seen some people who lose motivation and become less of themselves....they seem to lose focus of goals in life, they seem to have memory issues etc. I'm doubtful weed is as bad as it is classified....but I also don't think its some cure all without these negative side effects. The modern movement seems to talk about how harmless it is, but I feel like they don't recognise that it can be harmful just like drinking.

JieJie 2y ago

Comments here are useful and on point for 20-30-year-olds. Pot makes boredom less boring, and that's probably not an ideal outcome for a young person. With any luck, y'all are going to be 60 someday, or 80, and pot making boredom less boring is going to become your every waking thought, and staying awake all night is going to become a curse and no longer a superpower. And cannabis is going to be there for you as an alternative to benzos and opiates, and it will be a good thing. Count on it.

antisthenes 2y ago
Compared to how overmedicated an average American is with a lot of drugs they probably don't even need (thanks to complacent doctors in bed with Pharma), weed is absolutely the lesser evil when used in moderation (e.g. appetite enhancer, muscle relaxant, light painkiller).

tubignaaso 2y ago

I’d be curious to read a complimentary article from the perspective of other people in this author’s life. In my experience, habitual users can seem perfectly fine but maintaining meaningful relationships has been difficult. Forgetfulness, unfocused thinking, constant talking about the drug or using the drug, etc. all dominate the relationship in those friendships of mine. We all have our baggage and difficulties in a relationship, but with habitual cannabis users it seems to be a prevailing pattern.

beefnugs 2y ago

Had a friend who was a heavy devilish lettucian. He said when he quit he had very vivid dreams for months. Interesting to think of the long term suppression of the minds possibilities. Wonder if the species survives capitalism long enough to get custom drugs to target positive brain impact

INTPenis 2y ago

Weed just silences my brain in a nice way that I quite enjoy. I'm 40 and it hasn't hampered my life in any way so far.

zs234465234165 2y ago

I benefit from "state changes"—shifting from sober periods to high periods and vice versa. These transitions seem to spur the most creativity for me. Each state causes me to think differently and notice things I didn't in the previous state. This applies to other substances as well. Its when I overstay my wecome in either state that things start to fall apart and stagnate.