Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

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Steve3007
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Steve3007 »

Greta wrote:...So I had a smoke and floated into the office, gathering my coffee, largely avoiding eye contact and conversation, and sat down with the report. Rather than panicking, I figured I might as well just go to the first error and go from there. Then I noticed relationships between the errors and that allowed me to run some batch processes that cleaned up thousands of problems in one stroke (with some severe checking afterwards, of course). By lunchtime I had broken the back of the report and was now ahead of time. I received plenty of kudos for grafting through a difficult report that would have defeated many - but I cheated by using performance enhancing drugs :)
I've never heard of cannabis being used as a performance enhancing drug before!

It perhaps brings us to the question of when an altered state of mind ought to be regarded as an enhancement, a handicap or just a difference. For example, mentally or physically handicapped people are sometimes referred to (in a way that many people would see as a classic example of "political correctness gone made") as "differently abled", so as not to sound pejorative. In the case of a "disability" like being on the autistic spectrum this might arguably be justified. Your description of the drug-induced altered state of mind that allowed you to take a methodical, logical approach to completing your report sounds not a million miles away from this.

On the other hand, I suppose a physical disability like colour blindness is clearly a deficiency because it's clearly a reduction in perceptive ability.
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Sy Borg
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Sy Borg »

Steve3007 wrote: March 6th, 2018, 7:27 am
Greta wrote:...So I had a smoke and floated into the office, gathering my coffee, largely avoiding eye contact and conversation, and sat down with the report. Rather than panicking, I figured I might as well just go to the first error and go from there. Then I noticed relationships between the errors and that allowed me to run some batch processes that cleaned up thousands of problems in one stroke (with some severe checking afterwards, of course). By lunchtime I had broken the back of the report and was now ahead of time. I received plenty of kudos for grafting through a difficult report that would have defeated many - but I cheated by using performance enhancing drugs :)
I've never heard of cannabis being used as a performance enhancing drug before!

It perhaps brings us to the question of when an altered state of mind ought to be regarded as an enhancement, a handicap or just a difference. For example, mentally or physically handicapped people are sometimes referred to (in a way that many people would see as a classic example of "political correctness gone made") as "differently abled", so as not to sound pejorative. In the case of a "disability" like being on the autistic spectrum this might arguably be justified. Your description of the drug-induced altered state of mind that allowed you to take a methodical, logical approach to completing your report sounds not a million miles away from this.

On the other hand, I suppose a physical disability like colour blindness is clearly a deficiency because it's clearly a reduction in perceptive ability.
"Differently abled" always made sense to me - political correctness did not go mad, it just got a bit pushy. Surprise surprise. Who doesn't get pushy? On the other hand, the degree of paranoia about political correctness looks more like some kind of mania. Wildly disproportionate reactions.

I've seen some impressive arms and shoulders on paraplegics. Then I think of Evenlyn Glennie the percussionist who is completely deaf but understands and perceives music as vibrations through her feet, including appreciating and enjoying music's beauty in seemingly the same way as anyone with normal hearing. Meanwhile, the talents of many blind musicians are famous - they are tuned into the other senses. Stephen Hawking certainly is differently abled.

As for autism, being on the spectrum myself, I am aware of the "swings and roundabouts" situation of disability, the massive shortfalls and savant-like specialist aptitudes. Even myopia is an advantage when reading fine print or observing small things, especially at this age. To be fair, I can't see an advantage to astigmatism unless one is a psychedelic artist.

Speaking of which, practitioners of the arts famously use weed as a performance enhancing drug. My understanding is that theoretical physicists and philosophers are often enthusiasts or weed or other psychedelics. An old friend smoked weed to better visualise the concepts and movements of electric currents while studying electronics. As for the calming effects, I can bring to mind a dozen or so former workmates who would have been far more harmonious and effective in the workplace if they'd enjoyed a toke or two to calm down before coming to the office. Note that the legal means of chemically calming down is to take far more dangerous and disabling drugs. More evidence of how strong the role of tradition and big pharma lobbying are in deciding drug legality. The decisions are certainly not based on safety, toxicity, fatalities, disablements or anti-social behaviour, otherwise weed would be readily obtainable and booze would be tightly regulated.

This video about a father discovering that his autistic daughter, whom he'd thought was severely retarded, was actually intelligent and entirely aware of her surroundings and situation, including being aware that everyone thought she was basically brainless and she had no way of telling them otherwise until she was shown how to type. Warning: While the content is extraordinary, the sentimentality and hyperbole displayed in this video may prove offensive to some philosophers. Rated 3½ teardrops. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNZVV4Ciccg. Note that many people on the autistic spectrum enjoy weed, and I think that is partly because it quietens what would otherwise be an endless symphony of little discomforts. The girl in the video's issues would seem to be an extreme version of what others on the spectrum experience on a much more minor scale.
Fooloso4
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Fooloso4 »

My state recently legalized recreational use but as of yet there are no retail outlets. It has been legal for medical use for several years. No doubt there will be some who will use it legally who would not use it illegally, but I have no idea how many. Since it is still illegal at the federal level and many companies test for illegal substances there will still be some who will not use it even though it is legal at the state level.

As others have pointed out, it affects people differently. What has not been mentioned is that different strains will have markedly different effects as well. Some can cause anxiety but others will alleviate it. Some will make you inactive but others are energizing. Some users prize it because it can inspire creativity, but the effect may not be sustained will frequent use. Some users find it helps them concentrate and focus but it may have the opposite effect depending on the strain, circumstances, and frequency of use. Some musicians, for example, may feel that their playing is inspired but a recording may or may not confirm that their playing benefited. Some may forget the key the song is in, although depending on the style of music and skill of the musician momentarily forgetting the key is not always a problem.

As for users being losers, the facts do not support the claim. There are users in just about every profession and walk of life. As with other substances, habitual use can become problematic, but stopping is usually much easier than stopping tobacco or alcohol.

Social and legal acceptance will make it more likely that it too will be associated with nice meals, cozy pubs with roaring fires, and good conversation.
Dachshund
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Dachshund »

Greta wrote: March 6th, 2018, 6:15 pm As for autism, being on the spectrum myself,
If so, you would probably be viewed as afflicted with what is called High Functioning Autism (HFA), as it is evident from your facility with language,( the written word, at least), that your IQ is well above the 70 point cut off that demarcates "high function" in the case of persons with bone fide Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Bear in mind, however, that HFA ,as opposed to Asperger Syndrome, ( which is also, in many cases a "high functioning species of Autism Spectrum Disorder in adults) does not yet officially exist as a legitimate mental disorder in the West. HFA, in short, is not included in any major, official Western psychiatric nosology ( such as the DSM in the US or the ICD in Europe) at present. This means that, strictly speaking, a registered psychiatrist cannot diagnose an adult with HFA, because the condition does not yet actually exist as far as the mainstream psychiatric establishment is concerned.

Of course, the truth is, that such a condition as HFS does indeed, almost certainly exist and will, in time, be officially acknowledged.

People with genuine high functioning autism characteristically have material impairments with respect to social communication. Having to socialise with others ( and often even just having others around them at close quarters) in an office at work, for example, is something they typically find very stressful; psychiatrists say that they are highly prone to experience "chronic social anxiety". This is probably why you found the sedative, anxiolytic properties of cannabis "therapeutic" in the way that you have described when you experimented with the substance.

The difficulty in your case is that HFA is a 24/7 ( hard-wired neurodevelopmental) mental disorder and their is, at present, no cure; so, if you wanted to use cannabis to control the symptoms of social anxiety associated with your condition you would need to use it on a regular, daily, long-term basis. The big problem here is that chronic, long-term exposure to cannabis is believed - ( and there is hard empirical research evidence to support this claim) - to double your risk for acquiring a psychotic disorder, in particular, schizophrenia. And trust me, as someone who worked as a hospital pharmacist for many years and has a special interest in psychopharmacology, I can tell you that the kind of suffering patients with schizophrenia experience makes having a condition like HFA seem like a walk in the park. In short, if you decided to use cannabis as a regular anxiolytic, you'd effectively be playing Russian Roulette with your sanity. Far better to use a drug like Valium ( diazepam) IMO if your social anxiety is particularly disabling. Even though drugs like Valium( benzodiazepines) can be very addictive for some individuals,they are, generally-speaking, safe when used prudently for the long-term treatment of chronic anxiety that has an organic (neurobiological) aetiology (such as does your HFA-associated social anxiety).

Finally, on a personal, though highly controversial (theoretical) note, I firmly believe that low daily doses of stimulant drugs like dexamphetamine sulphate and "Ritalin" (methylphenidate) can be extremely therapeutic in the treatment of conditions like Asperger Syndrome/HFA in adults and should be trialled as a matter of course by any psychiatrists who is experiencing difficulty trying to stabilize stubborn/refractory symptoms of moderate to severe anxiety in any of his/her adult patient/s with these conditions.

Regards

Dachshund
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Sy Borg
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Sy Borg »

Apparently my IQ was measured at around the top 1-2% but they didn't give me a figure when I was tested after dropping out of high school. You are right about issues with social communication, not my forte.

I think the issues largely stem from lack of passion for social communication and anxiety. While extroverts bounce into social gatherings with anticipation, introverts like me tend have more a sense of foreboding. It's a chore, so I tend to either close up or babble nonstop (worse). The issue is authenticity, being unable to say that socialising makes you feel uncomfortable because to do so would make things worse, throwing the spotlight on you and your inadequacies - ugh! One must be thoroughly authentic to operate satisfactorily, so there are issues. Tete-à-tete is usually best IMO.

I was prescribed both Dex and Ritalin in middle age but each made me shivery and disoriented. Weed and synthetic weed always helped. Depressants like Valium help too but they are much harder drugs. Ironic that some people are forced to act illegally for maximal health and wellbeing, declining to harm themselves with damaging legal hard drugs.

Am I psychotic? In truth, I was psychotic and paranoid as a child. When I encountered weed in my teens, the change was extraordinary. It was as though I'd lived my life in black and white and found it was in technicolour. In hindsight, I know why. It was the first time I was not anxious, the first time I really relaxed.

The legal system has a utilitarian aim - to enforce a minimum level of consideration in interactions between people, other life and things that allows civilisations to prosper. However, as with everything, it's imperfect. The circumstances and chemistry of individuals vary, so a low key victimless illegal behaviour can be more inherently ethical than the rigid adherence to law that inadvertently cause needless harm.

Consider the death toll from prescription chemicals which are treated by the law as being safer than weed. I doubt this would happen if there were more scientists than religious lawyers holding the reigns of power, or at least if politicians took scientists' findings more seriously.

Yes, everything has an optimal dose and weed can be addictive, especially so when mixed with nicotine (which happens largely due to weed's illegal status). Stoners, however, have a well-deserved reputation for getting nothing done. That may be a double-edged sword.

Given that there is going to be much less to do in the future as jobs are replaced by automation, I am reminded of Huxley's Soma - a drug designed to keep a shiftless populace placid. There may come a time when society will need more docile stoners so as to avoid mass unrest, perhaps ingested as tablets produced legally and taxed normally. The last thing governments and corporations want is a growing army of unemployed people getting drunk, taking ice or considering an uprising.
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LuckyR
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by LuckyR »

Dachshund wrote: May 10th, 2018, 7:17 am
Greta wrote: March 6th, 2018, 6:15 pm As for autism, being on the spectrum myself,
If so, you would probably be viewed as afflicted with what is called High Functioning Autism (HFA), as it is evident from your facility with language,( the written word, at least), that your IQ is well above the 70 point cut off that demarcates "high function" in the case of persons with bone fide Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Bear in mind, however, that HFA ,as opposed to Asperger Syndrome, ( which is also, in many cases a "high functioning species of Autism Spectrum Disorder in adults) does not yet officially exist as a legitimate mental disorder in the West. HFA, in short, is not included in any major, official Western psychiatric nosology ( such as the DSM in the US or the ICD in Europe) at present. This means that, strictly speaking, a registered psychiatrist cannot diagnose an adult with HFA, because the condition does not yet actually exist as far as the mainstream psychiatric establishment is concerned.

Of course, the truth is, that such a condition as HFS does indeed, almost certainly exist and will, in time, be officially acknowledged.

People with genuine high functioning autism characteristically have material impairments with respect to social communication. Having to socialise with others ( and often even just having others around them at close quarters) in an office at work, for example, is something they typically find very stressful; psychiatrists say that they are highly prone to experience "chronic social anxiety". This is probably why you found the sedative, anxiolytic properties of cannabis "therapeutic" in the way that you have described when you experimented with the substance.

The difficulty in your case is that HFA is a 24/7 ( hard-wired neurodevelopmental) mental disorder and their is, at present, no cure; so, if you wanted to use cannabis to control the symptoms of social anxiety associated with your condition you would need to use it on a regular, daily, long-term basis. The big problem here is that chronic, long-term exposure to cannabis is believed - ( and there is hard empirical research evidence to support this claim) - to double your risk for acquiring a psychotic disorder, in particular, schizophrenia. And trust me, as someone who worked as a hospital pharmacist for many years and has a special interest in psychopharmacology, I can tell you that the kind of suffering patients with schizophrenia experience makes having a condition like HFA seem like a walk in the park. In short, if you decided to use cannabis as a regular anxiolytic, you'd effectively be playing Russian Roulette with your sanity. Far better to use a drug like Valium ( diazepam) IMO if your social anxiety is particularly disabling. Even though drugs like Valium( benzodiazepines) can be very addictive for some individuals,they are, generally-speaking, safe when used prudently for the long-term treatment of chronic anxiety that has an organic (neurobiological) aetiology (such as does your HFA-associated social anxiety).

Finally, on a personal, though highly controversial (theoretical) note, I firmly believe that low daily doses of stimulant drugs like dexamphetamine sulphate and "Ritalin" (methylphenidate) can be extremely therapeutic in the treatment of conditions like Asperger Syndrome/HFA in adults and should be trialled as a matter of course by any psychiatrists who is experiencing difficulty trying to stabilize stubborn/refractory symptoms of moderate to severe anxiety in any of his/her adult patient/s with these conditions.

Regards

Dachshund
Nice try. Unfortunately for the simplistic conclusion you are trying to peddle to non-pharmacists, the two cohorts (chronic marijuana users and nonusers) are very different in many ways that impact the risk of psychiatric disorders, independently. As a recent meta-analysis concludes: "Research using longitudinal data from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions examined associations between marijuana use, mood and anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders. After adjusting for various confounding factors, no association between marijuana use and mood and anxiety disorders was found. The only significant associations were increased risk of alcohol use disorders, nicotine dependence, marijuana use disorder, and other drug use disorders.63"

Perhaps you are referring to the known increased risk among those with two rare genetic abnormalities. But for the overwhelming majority of potential users, the link you cite does not exist.
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Dachshund
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Dachshund »

Are you seriously denying the past 10 years ( at least) of published scientific research evidence confirming the fact that there is a clearly established (causal) link between cannabis use and the development of serious mental disorders like schizophrenia, Bipolar Affective Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder,anxiety disorders and conditions like amotivational syndrome? Do you realise that cannabis is, scientifically speaking, an addictive drug? Do you know what "Spice" is? Do you know what happens to many of the individuals who use it even for relatively brief periods of time?

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Sy Borg
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Sy Borg »

When it comes to drugs there is use and abuse. To pin all use as abuse is simply out of touch with reality. To paint a drug as entirely harmless is too. Realistic public education about such things is hard to come by, which makes abuse more likely.

There also seems to be no valuing of drugs' abilities to open people's minds by "The Establishment", which dovetails nicely with their continued starvation of public education. This is a good strategy since aware people might start noticing the games played by those in power to maintain their positions. There is a balance to be had in this issue. Some people don't need any help to reach interesting mental states while others have mental blockages that can be released by various chemicals. The issue should ideally be one for the individual rather than the nanny state, but there should be informed opinion readily available, including clear contra-indications, so people have at least some idea what they are doing.

However, Huxley's doors of perception were not permitted in his Brave New World, and none too popular in this one either. I suspect that philosophical and esoteric will thinking increasingly being frowned upon by the general public because it should be left to "the experts" and also because lack of exposure will make philosophical content seem ever more obtuse, confusing and boring.
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Dachshund »

Given forms of street cannabis like "Spice" are known to be extremely psychotoxic due to the high potency of 9 , delta, THC chemical analogues they contain, how do you propose the relevant authorities would go about the task of safely regulating the THC potency of any cannabis offered for sale on the street, if the drug were to be decriminalised for recreational use?

Also, given the fact that exposure to THC is known to have a high, (dose-related), propensity for directly (causally) triggering full-blown psychotic and major depressive psychiatric disorders in genetically predisposed users; if cannabis were to be legalised, how exactly would a potential user be able to know for sure whether or not they had a latent genetic disposition to these conditions -( given no such screening technology currently exists) - and should therefore not risk exposing themselves to cannabis (THC)?

Regards

Dachshund
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Dachshund »

Greta wrote: May 14th, 2018, 3:16 am The issue should ideally be one for the individual rather than the nanny state, but there should be informed opinion readily available, including clear contra-indications, so people have at least some idea what they are doing.
Are you genuinely proposing that, in principle, members of the public ought be permitted free access to potent psychotomimetic/psychedelic "consciousness expanding" drugs like LSD-25. Are you saying that the State should let Joe Citizen experiment with drugs like LSD-25 if he decides that he would like to do ? Do you know how incredibly dangerous and irresponsible such a suggestion actually is ?

For a start psychedelic drugs do not always expand consciousness in a desirable manner. Just as a compound like LSD can "expand consciousness" and loft one into the ineffable bliss of a peak experience of some kind; it can also cast its user down into the terrifying, and potentially infinite, depths of an existential "Hell". Moreover, as I say, any experience of perceived transcendence or mystical insight etc; that is claimed to describe the so-called "expansion of consciousness" provided by chemical psychedelic/hallucinogenic drugs is always utterly ineffable and incommunicable; thus the use of drugs like LSD cannot be justified in terms of any real capacity they have to broaden the frontiers of human knowledge in the sense of providing any kind of concrete, common enlightenment for the benefit mankind.

At at the same time a human subject is "high" on a potent psychotomimetic agent like LSD-25, Phencyclidine, Ketamine etc; they are also rendered more or less totally dysfunctional ; unable, that is, to prudently or competently regulate their own behaviour in the real world that surrounds them at even a very basic level. Moreover, when Joe Citizen, intoxicated on legalised LSD-25 or Ketamine, leaps off the top of a ten story building , fully convinced that he will fly like a bird; remember that some poor soul will be responsible for cleaning up the mess downstairs on the pavement, and another for informing Joe's wife and family of his sudden, tragic demise.

We human being have no understanding of phenomenal consciousness, apart from the fact that it is real and that it does indeed exist. Consciousness , for me, is something suffused with wonder, awe, mystery. All about it I feel/sense the trappings of that which belongs to some higher - eternal/immortal, infinite and sacred order. To intentionally meddle in a cavalier manner with one's own natural consciousness, to set about dramatically altering it using potent psychotomimetic chemicals is, in my opinion, the height of reckless imprudence and irreverence. It is to tinker with all the arrogance of ignorance with something that is an utter, fathomless mystery and miracle; something that it is self-evident, completely transcends the grasp our feeble human reason. In my opinion it is like playing with fire or dynamite on a monumental scale, and if I were you, Greta, I would not be tempted .
Dachshund
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Dachshund »

Greta wrote: May 14th, 2018, 3:16 am There also seems to be no valuing of drugs' abilities to open people's minds by "The Establishment", which dovetails nicely with their continued starvation of public education. This is a good strategy since aware people might start noticing the games played by those in power to maintain their positions.
Hey ! That's exactly what Richard Nixon thought too, Greta!! I guess great minds think alike, right ? Nixon said that the psychedelic counter-culture's chief guru, Timothy Leary was, quote "one of the most dangerous men in America", because Leary wanted to put LSD-25 in the public water supply. Nixon figured that if the public all started to expand their consciousness using psychedelic drugs, they might start to get wise and figure out that "The Establishment" was run by a bunch corrupt, self-serving, power freaks, and that could cost him his job.

Erm...I'm sorry to tell you this Greta, but the 1960's is over, Timothy Leary is dead - (his ashes were loaded onto a Pegasus rocket by a friend and fired into space in 1997) - and so is his "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" psychedelic subculture. Nixon is dead too and the idea that mind expanding drugs like LSD-25 and Psilocybin must be kept under lock and key by the law because they are capable of destroying of the authority of the crooked old "Big Daddy" State is now regarded as nothing but ridiculous, paranoid nonsense.

As far as I am concerned if you want to drop substantial doses acid and get yourself fully "turned on" on a regular basis, because you are a self-centred, middle-class ,liberal "high brow" who finds the experience of getting high on LSD-25, PCP or mescalin etc; is an interesting and amusing intellectual "hoot", that's fine; so long as while you are "off your face", hooked up with the Godhead, and totally unable to work ( or wipe your own butt, for that matter) you don't expect to receive any kind of unemployment benefits from "The Establishment" when you eventually run out of cash , because, you know, - "It was just all too beautiful, man, and I didn't ever realise how... blah, blah, blah." Likewise, if everything in your little world suddenly goes existentially "pear-shaped" and nasty in terms of your developing a serious depressive or psychotic disorder from dropping too much acid one too many times, don't you dare roll up in tears at "Emergency" one Saturday night demanding urgent medical treatment from the "Nanny State" to stop you from cutting your wrists or doing something equally desperate and dramatic, and, equally, don't you dare insist that the legitimate, mainstream medical profession in your society are now obligated, in any way,to spend their( valuable, tax-payer funded) time and effort helping you try to re-salvage your general sanity.

Provided you are happy with all of this, I don't have a problem with you dropping as much acid as you like, Greta.
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Fooloso4 »

Dachshund:
Are you seriously denying the past 10 years ( at least) of published scientific research evidence confirming the fact that there is a clearly established (causal) link between cannabis use and the development of serious mental disorders like schizophrenia, Bipolar Affective Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder,anxiety disorders and conditions like amotivational syndrome?
New York Times May 7, 2018:
Last year, the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine and Engineering released a comprehensive report on cannabis use. At almost 400 pages long, it reviewed both potential benefits and harms. Let’s focus on the harms.

...

The possible relationship between marijuana use and mental health is complicated. The most recent meta-analysis found that there’s a significant connection between heavy marijuana use and a diagnosis of psychosis, specifically schizophrenia. This mirrored the findings of previous reviews that sought to cover only high-quality studies. Another systematic review highlighted a potentially small but statistically significant link between marijuana use and the development of bipolar disorder. Heavy users of pot are also more likely to say they have suicidal thoughts.

What makes this complicated is that it’s hard to establish the arrow of causality. Are people who smoke pot more likely to develop mental health problems? Or are people with mental health problems more likely to smoke pot?


Many of the harms we’ve discussed are statistically significant, and yet they are of questionable significance. Almost all the increased risks are relative risks. The absolute, or overall, risks are often quite low.



We unquestionably need more research, and more evidence of harms may emerge. But it’s important to note that the harms we know about now are practically nil compared with that of many other drugs, and that marijuana’s effects are clearly less harmful than those associated with tobacco or alcohol abuse.
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Dachshund »

Dear Foolosoph4,

In my view, one of the most alarming adverse effects of marijuana use is one that has not yet mentioned in this discussion, namely, the negative impact cannabis is known (for a fact) to have on functional connectivity in the developing brain. This impact is observed to be particularly prominent in those individuals who began using cannabis on a frequent basis in adolescence or early adulthood and continued doing so until they had reached the status of full maturity as adults; it is a finding that, in turn, very likely explains the known association which exists between the frequent use of cannabis from adolescence/early adulthood and the presence in adulthood of material impairments in the higher orders of cognitive functioning such, for example, as significant reductions in IQ (of the order of around 9-10 points or even more depending on just how frequently the cannabis was used and just how potent it was in terms of its typical THC concentration, etc) and substantial deficits in frontal lobe executive functioning ( i.e. the capacities one possesses for competent planning, organization, problem -solving, prudent and efficient self - regulation over time and so on).

Finally, I would like to make a very general point that is also, I believe, a very important one. This is that the effects of any psychoactive drug ( legal or illegal) are not only determined by its pharmacological properties, but also by its availability and social acceptability. In this regard, legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco offer a very sobering perspective indeed. These two drugs account for the greatest burden of disease NOT because they are more dangerous than illicit drugs, but because their legal status allows for more widespread exposure.

As policy shifts towards the legalisation of cannabis, it is very reasonable and probably very prudent, IMO, to hypothesize that its use will increase and that, by extension, so will the number of person for whom it will result in serious negative health outcomes.

Regards

Dachshund
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Sy Borg
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by Sy Borg »

Dachshund wrote: May 14th, 2018, 8:01 am
Greta wrote: May 14th, 2018, 3:16 amThere also seems to be no valuing of drugs' abilities to open people's minds by "The Establishment", which dovetails nicely with their continued starvation of public education. This is a good strategy since aware people might start noticing the games played by those in power to maintain their positions.
Hey ! That's exactly what Richard Nixon thought too, Greta!! I guess great minds think alike, right ? Nixon said that the psychedelic counter-culture's chief guru, Timothy Leary was, quote "one of the most dangerous men in America", because Leary wanted to put LSD-25 in the public water supply. Nixon figured that if the public all started to expand their consciousness using psychedelic drugs, they might start to get wise and figure out that "The Establishment" was run by a bunch corrupt, self-serving, power freaks, and that could cost him his job.
Could you please rank these four news outlets in your preference?

The Australian
The Daily Telegraph
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Guardian

Your reply will be relevant to any response I make.

For the record, I dislike all hard drugs I have tried, both legal and illegal. It's not ideal because I can't even be given morphine for pain relief in hospitals because it induces vomiting in me.

However, since you have intimated that all human biochemistry is identical, how might you explain my problem with morphine? After all, statistics make clear that it is a highly effective form of medical pain relief.
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Re: Any Questions About Living With Legal Marijuana? Your Area Considering It?

Post by LuckyR »

Dachshund wrote: May 14th, 2018, 2:47 am Are you seriously denying the past 10 years ( at least) of published scientific research evidence confirming the fact that there is a clearly established (causal) link between cannabis use and the development of serious mental disorders like schizophrenia, Bipolar Affective Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder,anxiety disorders and conditions like amotivational syndrome? Do you realise that cannabis is, scientifically speaking, an addictive drug? Do you know what "Spice" is? Do you know what happens to many of the individuals who use it even for relatively brief periods of time?

Dachshund
Me? No, I was not the author of the meta-analysis, they were the ones who pointed out your exageration (to be generous).

Please explain to the followers of the thread how much damage, overall, Marijuana has caused as compared to alcohol.
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by John K Danenbarger
January 2023

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023

The Unfakeable Code®

The Unfakeable Code®
by Tony Jeton Selimi
April 2023

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
by Alan Watts
May 2023

Killing Abel

Killing Abel
by Michael Tieman
June 2023

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead
by E. Alan Fleischauer
July 2023

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough
by Mark Unger
August 2023

Predictably Irrational

Predictably Irrational
by Dan Ariely
September 2023

Artwords

Artwords
by Beatriz M. Robles
November 2023

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope
by Dr. Randy Ross
December 2023

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes
by Ali Master
February 2024

2022 Philosophy Books of the Month

Emotional Intelligence At Work

Emotional Intelligence At Work
by Richard M Contino & Penelope J Holt
January 2022

Free Will, Do You Have It?

Free Will, Do You Have It?
by Albertus Kral
February 2022

My Enemy in Vietnam

My Enemy in Vietnam
by Billy Springer
March 2022

2X2 on the Ark

2X2 on the Ark
by Mary J Giuffra, PhD
April 2022

The Maestro Monologue

The Maestro Monologue
by Rob White
May 2022

What Makes America Great

What Makes America Great
by Bob Dowell
June 2022

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!
by Jerry Durr
July 2022

Living in Color

Living in Color
by Mike Murphy
August 2022 (tentative)

The Not So Great American Novel

The Not So Great American Novel
by James E Doucette
September 2022

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches
by John N. (Jake) Ferris
October 2022

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
November 2022

The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity

The Smartest Person in the Room
by Christian Espinosa
December 2022

2021 Philosophy Books of the Month

The Biblical Clock: The Untold Secrets Linking the Universe and Humanity with God's Plan

The Biblical Clock
by Daniel Friedmann
March 2021

Wilderness Cry: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach to Understanding God and the Universe

Wilderness Cry
by Dr. Hilary L Hunt M.D.
April 2021

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute
by Jeff Meyer
May 2021

Surviving the Business of Healthcare: Knowledge is Power

Surviving the Business of Healthcare
by Barbara Galutia Regis M.S. PA-C
June 2021

Winning the War on Cancer: The Epic Journey Towards a Natural Cure

Winning the War on Cancer
by Sylvie Beljanski
July 2021

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
by Dr Frank L Douglas
August 2021

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts
by Mark L. Wdowiak
September 2021

The Preppers Medical Handbook

The Preppers Medical Handbook
by Dr. William W Forgey M.D.
October 2021

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress: A Practical Guide

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress
by Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, MD
November 2021

Dream For Peace: An Ambassador Memoir

Dream For Peace
by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah
December 2021