Long-term effects of pot

Maybe weight gain (munchies), and a bit less motivation...

Maybe a chronic cough, some phlegm. Not a big deal. Slightly less lung capacity but that comes with age anyway.

Pot is VERY bad for teenage brains.

Otherwise - habitual adult users should eat it or vape it rather than smoking it.

I have seen adult pot heads sink into paranoia and have had to stop. Now that the market offers so many varieties, maybe that risk can be diminished.

R3, what about if you're between 20 and 25? I know the brain closes in on "maturity" at 25.... It can't hurt as much as being a teen, right?

Paranoia and psychotic breaks are known side effects but they don’t affect everyone. Unfortunately there’s no way of predicting if you’re one of the people who will be affected.

Vaping sucks..I spent $200 on a vape and it barely registers.

Worst case, you end up a bit heavier and have less energy and motivation. But you're also likely less stressed. Smoking might age you a bit, but so does being in the sun.

That's quite a hickey on that guy's neck.

What you do while you are on pot is entirely up to you. Smoking an indica or indica-dominant strain for energy when you need a sativa is like taking NyQuil in the daytime.

[quote] Paranoia and psychotic breaks are known side effects but they don’t affect everyone. Unfortunately there’s no way of predicting if you’re one of the people who will be affected.

It can't be worse than prescription pills. We never had school shootings until we started giving kids pills and tricked a generation into thinking a high-carb diet was a golden ticket to weight loss or that unfermented genetically modified soy was good for you.

VERY mild effects.

Adolescent sobriety is essential for long term human thriving. It is evil to signal to teenagers that substances are the solution for negative emotion. Long term consequences can be deadly.

R4 the critical age in the research seems to be before 17-18. Diminished cognition.

They knew all along the Reefer Madness bullshit was just that.

R10 it’s not an either/or. You can choose to imbibe neither. As it stands, marijuana is not the danger-free panacea some claim it to be. There ARE side effects. Just like with prescription meds or over eating or alcohol.

R5 I am one of those types. I stay far away!

[quote]As it stands, marijuana is not the danger-free panacea some claim it to be.

All the other options (save for hallucinogens) are so much worse. If cannabis consumption is actually going to improve your health, then it also needs to accompany lifestyle changes, but it makes them easier to implement.

I'm in my 30s and have a lot of friends who smoke daily. They're lethargic and spend their nights and weekends binge watching TV shows. I'm not against pot smoking, but I couldn't do it daily.

R17, how can it improve your health? Lower stress levels?

Bill Hicks was right. It should be illegal NOT to use pot.

[quote]They're lethargic and spend their nights and weekends binge watching TV shows.

Plenty of people who don't smoke pot do that. Chris Christie was against it as governor of NJ and still got the munchies just fine without it.

Let's get physical, physical!

I know 2 people who have smoked pot almost daily since they were in middle school.

Now they're both overweight and have horrible memories. They're only in their 20s and they act like they have dementia.

You should be okay if you don't start smoking until your 20s, but I wouldn't recommend doing it daily. And vaping is probably a better way to go.

Vaping is better for your throat and by proxy your voice, but the cartridges can be a tad pricey.

It shouldn't be banned, but I was once introduced to someone who smoked a lot of it. He had done so for many years and there was definitely something vacant about him in some way. He wasn't all there and I can only attribute that to his weed addiction.

I, for one, would like to try it.

You have no idea what he was like before it, R24, if you didn't know him before that.

I have friends that smoke daily and I think if they didn't they'd have to be on some sort of drugs for anxiety and depression and general cray cray.

Agreed about long term users seeming spacy. But know other users who seem fine. But the spacy ones seem naturally mellow and perhaps the weed exacerbates that trait.

The high strung guys maybe use the weed as self medication for anxiety.

What are nice gifts to give a pot smoker? Are there any nice rolling papers?

It's a vicious racket......

^ for r30......

Pot is not worse than tobacco and you know it.

When I am using a lot my memory isn't quite as good. At work it might take me a couple seconds longer to remember a billing code for example. It returns to normal if I haven't smoked in a couple days. Overall I agree you feel a little less motivation generally.

The biggest risk is that smoking it does still put tar on your lungs. Not as much as cigarettes because no one smokes 8 blunts a day. But it still does increase your chances for lung cancer. Contrary to many, I never get munchies when I smoke, ever. In fact I usually find the thought of food gross while I'm high

R31 is correct

The mental health industry was extremely misogynistic and homophobic. All their theories were based on the false idea that everyone other than heterosexual men are abnormal. Even to this day, there are still some assumptions that are holdovers from the bad old days.

Massive weight gain and low sperm count.

I remember a short term effect that consisted of finding this paperback most droll and at times laugh out loud funny.

R37 you can read while high?? Never been able to, and I love reading

It's very easy to control the munchies by just reminding yourself that you're not actually hungry, you're just enjoying the heightened sensation of eating and tasting while in an altered state. Binge eating while drunk is a situation in which you have far less control.

I smoke every day and have for close to 20 years (I’m 48). As usual, the prohibitionists make me chuckle. R1 is correct; I’m chronically 10 lbs overweight and usually a bit congested. That’s it. I have high blood pressure that runs in my family which is probably helped by pot. I am also prone to headaches, something that predates my pot usage, which is also helped by pot. Pot also helps my arthritis and occasional insomnia. My doctor knows I smoke and, while he doesn’t like it, he doesn’t see much harm in it.

I will say that the short term memory loss is a real thing. It’s hilarious, and it stops when the high wears off. You won’t forget people’s names or your childhood, I promise. You will forget where you left your phone or what you were saying 20 seconds ago.

I have read about possible links with psychosis but, honestly, never believed it. I think people who are prone to psychosis can be triggered by pot, maybe. After 2 decades on and off in therapy and a good support network, as well as well developed self awareness/introspection (pot!), I am fairly confident that I’m not one toke away from going cuckoo for cocoa puffs.

It’s no worse than booze and definitley better than cigarettes, which I gave up 12 years ago. Those made me sick all the time, chronic colds and bronchitis every winter. Pot is nothing like that.

One more mind-blower for the nay-sayers: I’ve never tried any other drug. Never even wanted to. Coke, meth, opioids... no thanks. I’m good!

Where’s my weed?

Short term memory loss, lethargy, weight gain from the munchies. Nothing too serious. It's POT!

Pot improved my long-term memory dramatically.

I only know of one person who has been pretty much daily pot smoker (he takes a break during his workday to smoke pot) for over twenty years. I can't really tell if the pot makes him less sharp since I never knew him as a non smoker, but I never noticed him being off in any way. Also, he is not fat. He is rather fit for someone in his early 50s. His wife does not smoke pot and she is chunky.

People who smoke pot are really, really boring.

And, BTW, I know my drugs. But potheads are really boring yet so proud that they are "edgy"

One of the problems with it is that the brand doesn't mature. If you start as a teen and smoke it daily and then try to give it up at some point say at 30 or 40 you are left with the emotional maturity of a teenager. That usually leads to a big bout of depression or anxiety about coping with the world.

^^^make that the brain

Pot also makes it easy to calm down after people are being mean and nasty to you and you see just how much the parts of the world without part are going to shit. And it also awakens you to the other problems in your own home town that need to be solved. Now that pot is legal in California, hopefully they can move on to solving the garbage problem. It's out of control and the adopt-a-highway program is just not enough.

R45 that is garbage. Please show us science backing that up?

R29, find out how he smokes it. I smoke from pipes, so rolling papers wouldn’t be a good gift for me. You can’t go wrong with a lighter, either a nice fancy one or cheapo/novelty disposables. Ashtrays are also useful. Pot itself is also a great gift!

R29 A nice pipe is often appreciated. If they are into an animal or theme you can almost certainly find a good fit on etsy

I saw a doctor discussing it on TV r48.

Dr. Oz or Dr. Phil? 🙄

Donkt be so gullible, R51.

Dr. Drew says that on his radio show all the time: he says he's never had a patient who used throughout the teens and twenties who didn't hit a block of depression in their 30s.

The brain not maturing is also related to all the stuff you miss learning and developing in your thinking because you were stoned throughout high periods of what should have been learning years.

no r52 it was a doctor on some series CNN did on pot use a few years ago. Some laboratory research type woman. Not a TV doctor like Oz or Phil.

Dr. Drew? Seriously? Jeff Conaway might as well have gone to Dr. Terminus!

Dr. Drew is another fucking quack, and a homophobe.

POT IS BAD!!! THEY SAID SO ON THE TEEVEE!!!

Really, R56? What specifically did he say that was homophobic?

Dr. Drew is a reality star, not a doctor. He has a brand to maintain and has no incentive to offer objective medical opinions. Fraus LOVE hearing that their delicate little ones should stay away from pot.

Pot has more tar than cigarettes. I think there is still too much unknown. I've heard smoking a joint is equal to smoking 2 to 10 cigarettes. I know using a vape was easier on my lungs than smoking a joint.

The NHS has some words of wisdom regarding pot.

Excerpt from the NHS page:

“Does my age affect my risks?

Your risk of harm from cannabis, including the risk of schizophrenia, is higher if you start using it regularly in your teens.

One reason for this is that, during the teenage years, your brain is still growing and forming its connections, and cannabis interferes with this process.”

I want the guy in OP's link pic to smoke my bong.

R62 A few years ago the NHS was telling people that smoking at any age causes irreversible brain damage. Many people on this thread are going to be skeptical of any source that is under the influence of politicians

R63 Based on that hickey he already has someone

The funny thing about potheads is how they don't realize the passage of time. I had a friend who is really addicted. He was writing a screenplay. Ten years went by and he was still tying that thing. I reunited with him and he brought it up. I was shocked he was still working on it. I mentioned it to my psychologist and he said yes, heavy smokers can just focus on one thing for incredible amounts of time and not realize the time went by.

(plus he was planning to star in the film........I was like your 28!!! and you are still righting a vehicle for yourself as a teenager?--------------who does he think he is, Catherine Zeta-Jones!!!!!)

[quote]Slightly less lung capacity but that comes with age anyway.

I'm no long distance runner, but frankly, that sounds pretty serious to me

Dear Lord in Heaven!!!

I don't mind the whole legalization bit, but I hate those gifs and vids of hipster types blowing the smoke towards the camera. It automatically turns me against the legalization of weed! (i know, MARY!) But honestly, one must consider the "marketing" effects if they are trying to get the old crowd to go along with the vote.

R6...Obviously, you are doing it wrong.

Vaping NEVER gets me as high as smoking, not even close. I fully acknowledge it's healthier. I'm not R6

Several in-denial dummies on this thread. Probably too close to the subject to see clearly.

First of all, with cross-breeding, the THC levels have skyrocketed, and today's pot is FAR more potent than your daddy's (or granddaddy's, as the case may be). There are studies beginning to emerge regarding pot's effects on the brain and the body, but they are showing that it IS linked to adverse cognitive effects, as well as possibly testicular cancer and cardiopulmonary problems. That's just some of the bad news. Second, ever hear of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome? This happens to many who smoke it several times a day. Look it up. Third, from personal experience, I have, over the years, seen people try to stop smoking it and go through withdrawal symptoms they couldn't cope with, as well as the signs of arrested development some have mentioned, with ruined relationships stemming partly from that.

I have smoked it a handful of times, and haven't used it (or any drug other than caffeine) for years. I am not necessarily against the use of certain drugs in certain ways. What I am against is ignorance and defensiveness when it's challenged, as well as reliance/dependence on a substance. It's still a DRUG, people. A medication or an occasional excursion at best. We aren't meant to make it a way of life. Educate yourselves and live your best life developing wholeness in sobriety.

R72 you need a fucking blunt. Also post your the studies you're talking about and be open to people critiquing them or you're just a pontificating asshole.

I smoke a couple of times a week, and it definitely makes me cranky and semi-paranoid if I smoke a couple or more days in a row. I also start to look like death warmed over, with sallow skin and dark circles under my eyes. Does this happen to anyone else?

R73, this is the famous study that reviews the last 20 years of research. I think it's a meta-analysis. The Forbes article at R11 summarizes it.

God bless you, R73, may you get the help you obviously need. If you can't even search for yourself, you are even more pathetic. This is a perfect example of the stupidity I detest.

I start medical cannabis in the next couple of weeks for rheumatoid arthritis. I am a former smoker, so I won't be smoking or vaping it. I'm opting for edibles. The dispensaries offer gummy bears and lollipops. I understand edibles require more time to take effect. I'm kind of excited about this. I hope pot is an improvement in every way over percocet (safety, effectiveness, etc.).

I smoke a couple of times a week. I am in my early 50's hit the gym 4x a week, sometimes 5. I look pretty good and have a good amount of energy. I am not ambitious though but never have been. I have always had a sort of laid back personality and sort of an artistic countenance.

Lol R72 you post a rant and it up to everyone else to find research to back you up. Sounds logical 😂

Weedheads are pretty harmless, they just get fat, lazy and forgetful.

I'm sorry but pot and other drugs are a deal breaker for me. Say what you want, but I just don't associate with people who indulge in them. I might have a drink every six weeks but that's it and my life (and my health) is golden.

R9, you have the strains backwards. Indica produced the body sensations, Sativa for the head trips.

Studies show no correlation with marijuana and weight gain. People think it causes weight gain because of the munchies, but research does not back this up.

"Abstract

Acute marijuana use is classically associated with snacking behavior (colloquially referred to as “the munchies”). In support of these acute appetite-enhancing effects, several authorities report that marijuana may increase body mass index in patients suffering from human immunodeficiency virus and cancer. However, for these medical conditions, while appetite may be stimulated, some studies indicate that weight gain is not always clinically meaningful.

In addition, in a study of cancer patients in which weight gain did occur, it was less than the comparator drug (megestrol). However, data generally suggest that acute marijuana use stimulates appetite, and that marijuana use may stimulate appetite in low-weight individuals.

As for large epidemiological studies in the general population, findings consistently indicate that users of marijuana tend to have lower body mass indices than nonusers.

While paradoxical and somewhat perplexing, these findings may be explained by various study confounds, such as potential differences between acute versus chronic marijuana use; the tendency for marijuana use to be associated with other types of drug use; and/or the possible competition between food and drugs for the same reward sites in the brain.

Likewise, perhaps the effects of marijuana are a function of initial weight status—i.e., maybe marijuana is a metabolic regulatory substance that increases body weight in low-weight individuals but not in normal-weight or overweight individuals. Only further research will clarify the complex relationships between marijuana and body weight."

High CBD strains help keep you functional.

Almost every single "adult" I've known who has smoked it long term has delusions of grandeur. They are almost always people who have anger issues and promote the lie that pot keeps them mellow. One friend in her mid 30s walked out of job after job in anger, then started telling me how she was going to start a greeting card company (she didn't) a nail company (nope). The other is in her late 40s and also delusioal with "get rich" plans. She wanted to become a dominatrix, then decided she wanted to follow around rap stars and offer them free massage for giving the world the "gift" of their music. Now she wants to be a "Healthy life coach" even though she's an alcoholic/pot head who raised two horrible children. She want to coach people on financial health even though most months she can barely make her rent.

I know others with similar stories. Pot makes you stupid.

Well might as well tell my stories. Out of my circle of 6 close friends from college, 4 of us smoke. 2 of us are weekly users and two smoke a couple times a month. All 6 of us are gainfully employed. I don't think any of us has any serious emotional problems. (Though I guess I wouldn't know if I personally did)

I'm one of the the weekly users. I usually don't order again right away when I run out and I've never experienced anything I'd call withdrawal. I'll occasionally be in the mood to smoke but never so much I've run out and bought some spontaneously even though it wouldn't be that hard. My breaks before buying have been as short as a week and once was 3 months. During the breaks I definitely feel mentally a bit sharper. But the difference isn't dramatic. My job requires pretty intense math and I'm able to do it well even when using regularly.

I went to a relatively well known tech school so most people I know who smoke are doing pretty well for themselves. I certainly don't know many people who crashed and burned. And I'm very skeptical these weed horror stories are true.

Your tits get bigger

Tedious, intractable boosterism. Unhealthy pallor. Jonesing, always jonesing. Paranoia.

And huge tits

The paranoia was very real when I started smoking. Probably the whole first year. It just goes away eventually.

That first year ANY police siren I heard I was positive was coming to arrest me.

[quote]live your best life developing wholeness in sobriety.

Kindly fuck off you insufferable buzzkill.

Avoid it if you have a family history of schitzophrenia or severe anxiety.

R38, try to force yourself, as I did, it may take a while. But once you break the reading barrier you'll love it.

As my family has a bunch of addictive personallities, I say no to booze, incuding fancy wine, and grass.

We have too many destroyed livers, red faces, mushy brains.

I run and do push ups instead.

Good for you, R94.

Who is the hottie in op's pic? I'd totally smoke out with him. Any nudes, jack off vids?

Finally, someone makes an important point at R96. Yummy youngster. Any hole presentations? Huge hanging sack? Cut or uncut? Yes, please. I’ll take one to go.

My dealer in college, who wasn't at all my type, but wasn't bad looking, blew me once for a discount. Would have done more, I had no money back then, but he said it was a one time thing and couldn't afford to make it a habit. I always wondered if he would have made the offer if he knew I was gay. He also dealt to like a quarter of the school, so my guess is that a few other guys got the deal

[bold]Cannabinoids are easier on the brain than booze, study finds[/bold]

[quote]Marijuana may not be as damaging to the brain as previously thought, according to new research from the University of Colorado Boulder and the CU Change Lab.

[quote]The research, which was published in the journal Addiction, examined the brains of more than 1,000 participants of varying ages, and found that long-term alcohol use is much more damaging to the brain than marijuana, contradicting years of research into the effects of marijuana and other cannabinoid products on the brain.

[quote]These findings, and other conclusions suggesting the potential public health benefits of marijuana, come amid the recent back-and-forth on federal marijuana policy and the nation’s opioid crisis.

[quote]Yet scientists are still hesitant to say that cannabinoid usage, specifically as it pertains to marijuana and its associated products, is beneficial.

I never smoked pot as a teenager. And I would advise that anyone under the age of 25 not smoke it while your brain is still developing. I started smoking pot in my mid- thirties. Here are the benefits: I have colitis so it helps in that department. I drink less. I don't get the munchies on pot, but it can make me very horny. Although I can't read stoned, listening to music or watching a film is great. And I remember all the thoughts I had about things after my high disappears. It calms me down and helps me sleep. I have a very stressful job. I go home, hit the bong and I am relaxed for a few hours. No worst than having a drink. I don't drive stoned- in fact I hate it. And I am never in public stoned, except when I walk the dog in the evenings, only in my home. I also always try to do something when I am stoned- clean the house, clean the yard, make dinner, etc. I find that when I am active and stoned I don't get lazy and bored from the high. And I get things done.

R72...The natural state is euphoria. Society and modern life create the stress and anxiety. Cannabis use is medication. It is a coping mechanism. Yes, even if you get high. Why is getting a little high a problem for you? Oh yeah, I remember, you have no control. You are immersed in your dogma. Some people just can't stand others having fun.

[quote]I have seen adult pot heads sink into paranoia and have had to stop

I had a friend who ended up leaving her husband because of this. It was not caused completely by pot, the pot was more of a factor when he started taking some other medication (possibly for ADHD). She talked to a doctor later that told her long time pot usage can alter the brain so that it is more susceptible to addiction problems with other medications.

I think like everything else, moderation is the key. Moderate use might be easier on the health than alcohol, but you probably don't want to use it daily for years.

r101 The natural state is not euphoria, it's balanced calmness. Which doesn't mean euphoria is harmful but that it's fine in moderation only, just like stress. Try falling asleep while euphoric. Or have a job interview.

And you can't force the brain to constantly keep you in a euphoric state. I mean, you can but you'll pay the price eventually when the pendulum swings the other way, for whatever internal or external reason. Then the dopamine and the serotonin suddenly not being there anymore will hit you like a truck full of bricks.

Sorry but long term effects scare has been around for years and years. We are past that and this may blow your mind but states are actually making it legal for medical and recreational use. This stuff has been with us throughout history and this plant will not be going away anytime soon. Colorado now has a surplus of money even after the schools, cities, and roads have all taken their cut. Still nobody harmed so now people are moving onto “but it’s going to kill my dog” bullshit. Meanwhile parents are moving there and other legal states to get their kids off of benzodiazepines for severe epilepsy. Even a strain developed in honor of one child it’s really helped. So the “don’t start before age x” is stupid and a little insulting to parents that are trying to help their children. And the strains and concentrations are getting more potent but that’s just the evolution of any substance. That’s part of the reason you buy your aspirin in a bottle rather than chewing on tree bark when you’ve got a headache. Give up the fear mongering. It’s not going to fly in 2018 Jeff.