Thai
Elite Member
Thanks for proving my point about weed frying your fragile mind!
Hint: your post reeks of gross misinformation. All wrong. But, keep smoking that stuff dude....
The Effects of Pot
- Thread starter 1engineer
- Start date
- Status
Thanks for proving my point about weed frying your fragile mind!
Hint: your post reeks of gross misinformation. All wrong. But, keep smoking that stuff dude....
Hahah and you're 38? Sure don't act like it. I don't partake in any substances, rather I just wanted to hear what ground breaking research you had done because I have a problem listening to people's opinions when they press them as fact. And now that I've found out that you're full of hot air or yourself (or both), I can move on. I don't pretend to know what you do with your life, but acting like you know everything has to be more unhealthy than any of the drugs being discussed. Have fun with the meth or whatever you're on ;P
mijbr90190
New member
Just keep senselessly rambling on. Other than the tylenol causing problems nothing you said has any merit. You have no sources to back up your points. You keep referring to the fact that you are a doctor. Please let me know so i can stay far away from that hospital.
aha2988
New member
Well if you want some scholarly information it's right at your fingertips
and for the record I am a user but I still know it's not healthy.
Section:
The Science of Health
As more states make recreational marijuana legal, researchers fret about short- and long-term health effects
Marijuana is more popular and accessible in the U.S. than any other street drug. In national surveys, 48 percent of Americans say they have tried it, and 6.5 percent of high school seniors admit to daily use. So it was not too surprising when two states, Washington and Colorado, became the first to legalize recreational marijuana in the November 2012 general election, albeit in limited quantity, for anyone over the age of 21. Activists expect that similar measures will soon win approval in other parts of the country.
Some success with medical marijuana helped to pave the road to wider legalization of pot. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia permit possession and consumption of the drug for medical purposes. Doctors in those jurisdictions may prescribe cannabis to treat or manage ailments ranging from glaucoma -- an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged -- to menstrual cramps. Cancer patients sometimes smoke pot to relieve the pain and nausea brought on by chemotherapy, and some people with the inflammatory disease multiple sclerosis rely on marijuana to ease muscle stiffness.
Although many physicians agree that marijuana is safe enough to temporarily alleviate the symptoms of certain medical conditions, the safety of recreational use is poorly understood. Researchers worry that both the short- and long-term use of the drug may harm the body and mind. Marijuana's continued popularity among teenagers raises particular concern because the drug might hinder the ongoing maturation of the adolescent brain. Making matters worse, new growing techniques for the Cannabis sativa plant -- from which marijuana is prepared -- have dramatically increased the drug's potency. Some experts suggest that such high-octane weed is fueling a rise in cannabis addiction. Finally, although investigators still debate how the legalization of recreational marijuana will change road safety overall, studies indicate that the drug slows reaction time and impairs distance perception behind the wheel. Despite such evidence, most new marijuana regulations, for medical or recreational use, fail to account for these potential risks.
WEEDED OUT
WHETHER ROLLED into a joint or mixed into brownie batter, marijuana profoundly changes behavior and awareness. The primary psychoactive compound in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), mimics the structure of molecules called endocannabi-noids that the human body produces naturally. Endocannabinoids act on a group of cell-surface molecules called cannabinoid receptors that help to regulate appetite, mood and memory. Because of its shape, THC fits into these receptors, too. After all, jokes neuroscientist Giovanni Marsicano of the University of Bordeaux in France, "We don't have a receptor in the body just to smoke marijuana."
When THC strikes specific cannabinoid receptors, it triggers domino chains of interacting molecules in neurons that culminate in both unusually elevated and abnormally low levels of various neurotransmitters (the molecules that brain cells use to communicate with one another). The result is the well-known "high" of marijuana. Suddenly, the mundane seems hilarious, and ordinary foods taste delicious. People generally feel merry, relaxed and introspective, although undesirable effects -- such as paranoia and irritability -- are common as well.
Marijuana also temporarily impairs an array of mental abilities, especially memory and attention. Dozens of studies have shown, for example, that people under the influence of marijuana perform worse on tests of working memory, which is the ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information in one's mind. Participants in these studies have greater difficulty remembering and reciting short lists of numerals and random words. Research has further revealed that cannabis blunts concentration, weakens motor coordination and interferes with the ability to quickly scan one's surroundings for obstacles.
Such mild cognitive deficits may not endanger anyone if a marijuana user lazes on the couch, but it is a different story when someone takes that high on the road. In driving-simulation and closed-course studies, people on marijuana are slower to hit the brakes and worse at safely changing lanes. Investigators still debate, however, at what point these impairments translate to more traffic accidents. A 2009 study found an increased risk of accidents for levels of THC higher than five nanograms per milliliter of blood, which some evidence indicates is as impairing as a blood alcohol concentration around the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Typically one would have to take several puffs of a joint to reach such a concentration. Consequently, voters in Washington State have adopted 5 ng/mL as the upper threshold for drivers.
Enforcing that limit presents a technical challenge, however. Unlike alcohol, marijuana cannot be detected with a relatively unobtrusive Breathalyzer test. Police officers would have to look for it in blood -- something that often requires a warrant. "There is currently no practical method for law-enforcement officers at the scene to collect blood samples from suspected DUI cannabis drivers in a timely manner," says Paul Armentano, deputy director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which advocates the legalization of marijuana. Instead of using a blood test, Armentano says that police should look for poor maneuvering and the smell of pot wafting from the vehicle.
SMOKE SIGNALS
ALTHOUGH MARIJUANA'S immediate effects are relatively easy to monitor in the lab, the drug's long-term effects on body and mind are harder to determine. So far the results -- which admittedly are subject to multiple interpretations -- indicate the need for caution. In one recent study, clinical psychologist Madeline Meier of Duke University and her colleagues examined data from 1,037 New Zealanders. They found that people who began using pot earlier in life and used it most frequently over the years experienced an average decline of eight IQ points by the time they turned 38. By comparison, those who never smoked pot had an average increase of one IQ point by the same age.
A reanalysis of the New Zealand data by Ole Røgeberg of the Ragnar Frisch Center for Economic Research in Oslo, however, suggested that the IQ difference could be explained by socioeconomic factors. People who start smoking marijuana at an earlier age are often less intelligent to begin with. Even if this is true, Meier says, her study shows that the IQ drop is greatest for those who started smoking pot as teenagers rather than in adulthood, indicating a worrisome cumulative effect regardless of intelligence. This finding, she thinks, makes it all the more important to discourage the early use of marijuana among teens.
Increasingly potent marijuana of recent years may be driving a sharp rise in cannabis addiction among adolescents, according to a report released last year by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Between 1993 and 2008, the average concentration of THC in confiscated marijuana jumped from 3.4 to 8.8 percent. Meanwhile hospital and rehabilitation center admission rates for minors abusing marijuana soared by 188 percent between 1992 and 2006. In contrast, admissions for alcohol abuse for the same group over the same period declined by 64 percent.
In addition to tracking levels of THC itself, some researchers have focused on the dangers of lingering contaminants in marijuana sold on the street. Dealers typically sell cannabis by weight, so some use sand or glass beads to make their products heavier. Breathing in these particles over the years may inflame and eventually scar the lungs. An analysis published last year of data on more than 5,000 Americans did not find a decline in lung function among individuals who smoked joints two or three times a month over two decades. The authors emphasize, however, that they did not assess the effect of daily use on lung health. "Somebody should do that study if marijuana is going to become legalized and prescribed" more widely, says Mark Pletcher, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who co-wrote the paper.
Some opponents of legalization worry that lax regulation of medical marijuana foretells even looser laws concerning recreational marijuana. In states that have legalized medical pot, current laws do not guarantee the safety or quality of cannabis products or standardize levels of THC. In Oakland, Calif., people can fill a marijuana prescription at Harborside Health Center, a massive dispensary with a strict quality-control system. Elsewhere in the state, however, people get their medical marijuana at mom-and-pop outfits or on the street. The next big round of ballot initiatives to legalize cannabis in states other than Washington and Colorado could happen as soon as three years from now, in the 2016 presidential election. Until then, researchers have plenty of marijuana health risks to weed through.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN ONLINE
Comment on this article at ScientificAmerican.com/jun2013
An All-Time High
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana (blue). Last year two states legalized recreational marijuana (red).
Connecticut, 2012
Massachusetts, 2012
Delaware, 2011
Arizona, 2010
Washington, D.C., 2010
New Jersey, 2010
Michigan, 2008
New Mexico, 2007
Rhode Island, 2007
Montana, 2004
Vermont, 2004
Colorado, 2000, 2012
Hawaii, 2000
Nevada, 2000
Maine, 1999
Alaska, 1998
Oregon, 1998
Washington State, 1998, 2012
California, 1996
PHOTO (COLOR)
PHOTO (COLOR)
~~~~~~~~
By Roxanne Khamsi
Roxanne Khamsi is chief news editor at Nature Medicine. She has written for New Scientist, the Economist, Wired News and MIT Tecknology Review and tweets at @rkhamsi
source: Scientific American. Jun2013, Vol. 308 Issue 6, p34-36. 2p. 2 Color Photographs.
and for the record I am a user but I still know it's not healthy.
Section:
The Science of Health
As more states make recreational marijuana legal, researchers fret about short- and long-term health effects
Marijuana is more popular and accessible in the U.S. than any other street drug. In national surveys, 48 percent of Americans say they have tried it, and 6.5 percent of high school seniors admit to daily use. So it was not too surprising when two states, Washington and Colorado, became the first to legalize recreational marijuana in the November 2012 general election, albeit in limited quantity, for anyone over the age of 21. Activists expect that similar measures will soon win approval in other parts of the country.
Some success with medical marijuana helped to pave the road to wider legalization of pot. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia permit possession and consumption of the drug for medical purposes. Doctors in those jurisdictions may prescribe cannabis to treat or manage ailments ranging from glaucoma -- an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged -- to menstrual cramps. Cancer patients sometimes smoke pot to relieve the pain and nausea brought on by chemotherapy, and some people with the inflammatory disease multiple sclerosis rely on marijuana to ease muscle stiffness.
Although many physicians agree that marijuana is safe enough to temporarily alleviate the symptoms of certain medical conditions, the safety of recreational use is poorly understood. Researchers worry that both the short- and long-term use of the drug may harm the body and mind. Marijuana's continued popularity among teenagers raises particular concern because the drug might hinder the ongoing maturation of the adolescent brain. Making matters worse, new growing techniques for the Cannabis sativa plant -- from which marijuana is prepared -- have dramatically increased the drug's potency. Some experts suggest that such high-octane weed is fueling a rise in cannabis addiction. Finally, although investigators still debate how the legalization of recreational marijuana will change road safety overall, studies indicate that the drug slows reaction time and impairs distance perception behind the wheel. Despite such evidence, most new marijuana regulations, for medical or recreational use, fail to account for these potential risks.
WEEDED OUT
WHETHER ROLLED into a joint or mixed into brownie batter, marijuana profoundly changes behavior and awareness. The primary psychoactive compound in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), mimics the structure of molecules called endocannabi-noids that the human body produces naturally. Endocannabinoids act on a group of cell-surface molecules called cannabinoid receptors that help to regulate appetite, mood and memory. Because of its shape, THC fits into these receptors, too. After all, jokes neuroscientist Giovanni Marsicano of the University of Bordeaux in France, "We don't have a receptor in the body just to smoke marijuana."
When THC strikes specific cannabinoid receptors, it triggers domino chains of interacting molecules in neurons that culminate in both unusually elevated and abnormally low levels of various neurotransmitters (the molecules that brain cells use to communicate with one another). The result is the well-known "high" of marijuana. Suddenly, the mundane seems hilarious, and ordinary foods taste delicious. People generally feel merry, relaxed and introspective, although undesirable effects -- such as paranoia and irritability -- are common as well.
Marijuana also temporarily impairs an array of mental abilities, especially memory and attention. Dozens of studies have shown, for example, that people under the influence of marijuana perform worse on tests of working memory, which is the ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information in one's mind. Participants in these studies have greater difficulty remembering and reciting short lists of numerals and random words. Research has further revealed that cannabis blunts concentration, weakens motor coordination and interferes with the ability to quickly scan one's surroundings for obstacles.
Such mild cognitive deficits may not endanger anyone if a marijuana user lazes on the couch, but it is a different story when someone takes that high on the road. In driving-simulation and closed-course studies, people on marijuana are slower to hit the brakes and worse at safely changing lanes. Investigators still debate, however, at what point these impairments translate to more traffic accidents. A 2009 study found an increased risk of accidents for levels of THC higher than five nanograms per milliliter of blood, which some evidence indicates is as impairing as a blood alcohol concentration around the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Typically one would have to take several puffs of a joint to reach such a concentration. Consequently, voters in Washington State have adopted 5 ng/mL as the upper threshold for drivers.
Enforcing that limit presents a technical challenge, however. Unlike alcohol, marijuana cannot be detected with a relatively unobtrusive Breathalyzer test. Police officers would have to look for it in blood -- something that often requires a warrant. "There is currently no practical method for law-enforcement officers at the scene to collect blood samples from suspected DUI cannabis drivers in a timely manner," says Paul Armentano, deputy director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which advocates the legalization of marijuana. Instead of using a blood test, Armentano says that police should look for poor maneuvering and the smell of pot wafting from the vehicle.
SMOKE SIGNALS
ALTHOUGH MARIJUANA'S immediate effects are relatively easy to monitor in the lab, the drug's long-term effects on body and mind are harder to determine. So far the results -- which admittedly are subject to multiple interpretations -- indicate the need for caution. In one recent study, clinical psychologist Madeline Meier of Duke University and her colleagues examined data from 1,037 New Zealanders. They found that people who began using pot earlier in life and used it most frequently over the years experienced an average decline of eight IQ points by the time they turned 38. By comparison, those who never smoked pot had an average increase of one IQ point by the same age.
A reanalysis of the New Zealand data by Ole Røgeberg of the Ragnar Frisch Center for Economic Research in Oslo, however, suggested that the IQ difference could be explained by socioeconomic factors. People who start smoking marijuana at an earlier age are often less intelligent to begin with. Even if this is true, Meier says, her study shows that the IQ drop is greatest for those who started smoking pot as teenagers rather than in adulthood, indicating a worrisome cumulative effect regardless of intelligence. This finding, she thinks, makes it all the more important to discourage the early use of marijuana among teens.
Increasingly potent marijuana of recent years may be driving a sharp rise in cannabis addiction among adolescents, according to a report released last year by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Between 1993 and 2008, the average concentration of THC in confiscated marijuana jumped from 3.4 to 8.8 percent. Meanwhile hospital and rehabilitation center admission rates for minors abusing marijuana soared by 188 percent between 1992 and 2006. In contrast, admissions for alcohol abuse for the same group over the same period declined by 64 percent.
In addition to tracking levels of THC itself, some researchers have focused on the dangers of lingering contaminants in marijuana sold on the street. Dealers typically sell cannabis by weight, so some use sand or glass beads to make their products heavier. Breathing in these particles over the years may inflame and eventually scar the lungs. An analysis published last year of data on more than 5,000 Americans did not find a decline in lung function among individuals who smoked joints two or three times a month over two decades. The authors emphasize, however, that they did not assess the effect of daily use on lung health. "Somebody should do that study if marijuana is going to become legalized and prescribed" more widely, says Mark Pletcher, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who co-wrote the paper.
Some opponents of legalization worry that lax regulation of medical marijuana foretells even looser laws concerning recreational marijuana. In states that have legalized medical pot, current laws do not guarantee the safety or quality of cannabis products or standardize levels of THC. In Oakland, Calif., people can fill a marijuana prescription at Harborside Health Center, a massive dispensary with a strict quality-control system. Elsewhere in the state, however, people get their medical marijuana at mom-and-pop outfits or on the street. The next big round of ballot initiatives to legalize cannabis in states other than Washington and Colorado could happen as soon as three years from now, in the 2016 presidential election. Until then, researchers have plenty of marijuana health risks to weed through.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN ONLINE
Comment on this article at ScientificAmerican.com/jun2013
An All-Time High
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana (blue). Last year two states legalized recreational marijuana (red).
Connecticut, 2012
Massachusetts, 2012
Delaware, 2011
Arizona, 2010
Washington, D.C., 2010
New Jersey, 2010
Michigan, 2008
New Mexico, 2007
Rhode Island, 2007
Montana, 2004
Vermont, 2004
Colorado, 2000, 2012
Hawaii, 2000
Nevada, 2000
Maine, 1999
Alaska, 1998
Oregon, 1998
Washington State, 1998, 2012
California, 1996
PHOTO (COLOR)
PHOTO (COLOR)
~~~~~~~~
By Roxanne Khamsi
Roxanne Khamsi is chief news editor at Nature Medicine. She has written for New Scientist, the Economist, Wired News and MIT Tecknology Review and tweets at @rkhamsi
source: Scientific American. Jun2013, Vol. 308 Issue 6, p34-36. 2p. 2 Color Photographs.
wadle5
New member
[MENTION=2]Thai[/MENTION]. All I have to say is much respect to you for continuing this convo with all of them. In working/dealing with this PROFESSIONALLY for years. You can educate all you want, but users dont want to hear it and will continue no matter what. Oh the joys of working with substance abuse! As I stated earlier staying out of this one as I do this for a job, and come to this website to get away from it. So again cheers Thai. Keep doing your thing. Much respect.
rebelbowtie
New member
So Thai is a medical doctor or has a doctorate?
aha2988
New member
Be honest guys,
Everyone on this thread that smokes knows quite a few negative effects from it. are they negative enough to prevent you from enjoying yourself no not really. but you can at least be honest.
you know pot slows your reaction time.
you know pot takes away motivation (maybe not everytime you smoke but are you really that motivated person you used to be before smoking weed that would jump out of bed early to get things done and be happy about it?)
You know pot effects your memory. (uh what was i talking about again yeah you've said it before)
you know it hurts your lungs. I mean this is the biggest effect in my life tar is a bi-product of smoke it's what comes out of the bowl, joint, bong, etc.
the list can go on but I really don't need to fill you with information you already know.
Everyone on this thread that smokes knows quite a few negative effects from it. are they negative enough to prevent you from enjoying yourself no not really. but you can at least be honest.
you know pot slows your reaction time.
you know pot takes away motivation (maybe not everytime you smoke but are you really that motivated person you used to be before smoking weed that would jump out of bed early to get things done and be happy about it?)
You know pot effects your memory. (uh what was i talking about again yeah you've said it before)
you know it hurts your lungs. I mean this is the biggest effect in my life tar is a bi-product of smoke it's what comes out of the bowl, joint, bong, etc.
the list can go on but I really don't need to fill you with information you already know.
Thai, being a Medical Doctor that regularly sees the health effects of substance (any substance) abuse, it doesn't surprise me that he has an educated opinion on the matter.
Someone commented on his number of posts: As one of two people that created this website, I would expect Thai to have a lot of posts.
Someone commented on his number of posts: As one of two people that created this website, I would expect Thai to have a lot of posts.
Last edited:
C
cacoghill
Guest
I live in CO, and have no problems with the people who smoke weed, I did all day long in college and got 2 degrees with 4.0 gpa in both and never had any problem other than running out of weed. I never have or will drink because I know and have seen what it will and can do to a person. I quit getting high for my job/carrier and never had a problem doing so. I think that there are more people posting on this thread that have no real knowledge of mj. and should not be commenting at all. and for those who do have knowledge of it, it shows and thanks to those who are not so blind to the facts about mary jane for standing up and not being a total baby about the topic. if you do not have any personal knowledge of pot, then you should not be trying to force your OPINIONS on to those who do. buhda is nothing more than an herb that has medicinal properties. I will not believe that gonja is a GATE WAY drug. from personal experience, if someone is going to try other things like cocaine or X or what ever they are going to do so whether they have smoked bud or not. that just is useually the first thing to try because EVERYONE is doing it, it is easier to get than cigerattes and basically cheaper than most anything thing else, and I don't say that because im in CO and it everywhere, I grew up in TX and it was the same there.
So for those of you who are so butt blind by what marijuana really is like, don't be so quick to judge.
And for those who do... right on!
So for those of you who are so butt blind by what marijuana really is like, don't be so quick to judge.
And for those who do... right on!
Thai
Elite Member
Hey, i would love to have you as my patient! Just make sure that you have money to pay! I am very generous in accepting patients thru the ER.
Hmmmm, i bet that it has already taken its toll on some folks in this very thread!
MD.
Thai
Elite Member
Everyone is different...their capacity for damage is different. By your logic, George Burns lived till 100 or something while smoking constantly...does that mean that tobacco is good and won't affect anyone? I have drunks that are perfectly fine on blood test, while other less heavy drinkers have liver damage. Same with Tylenol even. Some can overdose on Tylenol and their liver is fine. Others go into liver failure.
cacoghill, you may be lucky, your body may be strong, i don't know...but your example does not mean that MJ is fine for everyone over the long haul. Otherwise, the study mentioned above would not find an IQ issue, right?
wadle5
New member
For reasons like this where the naivety makes it difficult to carry on a logical discussion or debate. Assume what you want but cheers
mijbr90190
New member
If someone was going to get terribly ill from it or possibly die, it would have happened already.
ChildrenOfBodom
Moderator
Love the debating guys. Let's do our best to keep it factual and less personal. Lots of anger in some of these posts.
And on that bombshell
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5mKYoKaiF2s?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
And on that bombshell
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5mKYoKaiF2s?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
1engineer
Moderator
Hey [MENTION=2]Thai[/MENTION], I agree with you (finally) on something! Just joking actually I agree with you on a lot of things except a few. I think this thread has run it's course and most everyone agrees that smoking pot alters you enough to not do anything that involves split second timing and decision making such as driving.
I'm going off to start a new topic for debate soon. The title will be:
Genetics - Has Our Expertise and Desire to Help Everyone Live a Long Life Weakened Our Genetic Pool? Stay tuned lol.
BTW you are a youngster! Try being 50!
Thai
Elite Member
I must admit...i feel old just because i see that my views are sometimes much different than the younger folks. I am very conservative in my outlook...as i wrote in the past, i am a chickenshit.
I think that some here take what i wrote as me telling them to live their life a certain way. Actually, i am not. I don't care how you live...BUT, at least, get educated on the stuff that you do, especially stuff that can affect your well-being. Who do you think pay my bills? Healthy folks? No. Wouldn't logic then say that i SHOULD encourage drinking, drugs, and smoking?
I always tell people...BE SMART in what you do. You may not do the right thing all the time (me included), but at least, TRY and be SMART with what you do with your life.
And 1engineer, i like this upcoming topic! Without these topics, where would i postwhore?
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ChildrenOfBodom
Moderator
I also look forward to that topic. I genuinely worry about the future of today's young children. The information age has played quite a role in transforming the way children are brought up, IMO, in ways far greater than times of past where technology's advancement was slower.
IanB
New member
I must admit...i feel old just because i see that my views are sometimes much different than the younger folks. I am very conservative in my outlook...as i wrote in the past, i am a chickenshit.
I think that some here take what i wrote as me telling them to live their life a certain way. Actually, i am not. I don't care how you live...BUT, at least, get educated on the stuff that you do, especially stuff that can affect your well-being. Who do you think pay my bills? Healthy folks? No. Wouldn't logic then say that i SHOULD encourage drinking, drugs, and smoking?
I always tell people...BE SMART in what you do. You may not do the right thing all the time (me included), but at least, TRY and be SMART with what you do with your life.
And 1engineer, i like this upcoming topic! Without these topics, where would i postwhore?
I appreciate where you're coming from and what you're saying, but as someone who has never used it you can't purport to be the final word on the subject.
I have to ask, how many people do you treat in an average month for complications related directly to marijuana use? You know where I'm going with this, so let me hear everything you have to say about it.
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