What is Digg?272 Comments
- zappo1776, on 10/10/2007, -24/+96
FTA - The consultant: Dr Ken Checinski "Evidence suggests a delayed reaction is unlikely. However, cannabis - especially skunk - can lead to acute and severe psychotic episodes (including believing strange, often fearful things and seeing or hearing things that aren't there), or trigger an underlying vulnerability to mental illness, most typically in cases of schizophrenia."
This is pure B.S. without a shred of evidence to back it up. Whenever you hear the buzzword 'skunk' you know you're hearing propaganda. There is no type of marijuana called skunk. There is only Sativa, indica and hybrids. Growers can name their strains what they want but they are still one of the above. - bearded, on 10/10/2007, -12/+80Or maybe, cannabis is the miracle drug that was preventing her insomnia, and she should never have stopped treatment.
- danomagnum, on 10/10/2007, -4/+63Every drug has long term effects. Pot, Alcohol, Caffeine, everything.
Think of the body as an engine. It generally sits there idling, and all the gears and bearings wear a certain way. You can do little tweaks to the engine and it will run differently, and all the parts will wear differently. When you take away that tweak it may or may not run as well as it did prior to. Not every engine wears the same ways, some have forged steel crankshafts, some have high flow exhausts, and some have rusty bolts, and all this comes in to play with regard to the severity of the effects. - zappo1776, on 10/10/2007, -9/+64I've been smoking for over 30 years daily. The only negative effect I've experienced is lung damage and a chronic cough. This can be avoided if a vaporizer is used. I also smoked cigarettes for 15 years which needs to be taken into account. I've seen new users have panic attacks shortly after smoking but that's usually related to a fear of being caught for doing something wrong. I've recently had my memory tested by a psychologist and I have an above average memory. I have noticed short term memory problems shortly after I smoke but this goes away after about 15 minutes. I regret smoking cigarettes but have no regrets about Marijuana. It has helped me in more ways than I can list here.
- Schmidtopolis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+32Man, you rode that analogy until the wheels came off.
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -11/+36I've gotten rapid heartbeat a few times which some say serves as a prelude to anxiety. but I have only gotten mild anxiety from it such as a few days later I would think my heart is beating abnormally or feeling of heart skips.
other than that and I don't feel long term(yet) and I've been smoking for about 6 years now and I plan on smoking for a long time - TheNik, on 10/10/2007, -5/+25I drank coffee all day once and that night I suffered anxiety attacks.
Maybe they should make coffee illegal, too, if that's what they base legality off of. - reeder, on 10/10/2007, -12/+30I love how they never mention the good benefits: Documented neuron growth, the best anti-nauseant known to man, pain inhibitor, cure and/or treatment for almost every eye malady, relief of severe muscle tension such as with cerebral palsy, etc.
Not to mention the entire case for marijuana inducing schizophrenia is completely anecdotal, at the very best. Any researcher (usually funded by a government agencies with an agenda), when pressed, always, always, always states that there isn't enough information available to substantiate the schizophrenia claim.
Never the less, we will keep arresting cancer victims, wasting valuable tax dollars/sterling and potential tax revenue, moralizing a plant that has been with us for over 15,000 years, if not more. Yet more baggage from the insane right-wingers in every society. - EndersGame, on 10/10/2007, -3/+21First off, I am all for the legalization of pot, I haven't seen one good argument to keep it illegal. Furthermore I believe almost anything is ok in moderation, and pot is certainly one of those things. I also think almost anything can become dangerous if you abuse it.
Now me and a few friends of mine have been smoking for at least 5 years everyday anywhere from a gram to 5 grams a day each. That quote from Dr. Ken explains all of us to a tee, the friend that started smoking first developed full on schizophrenia a year ago and he would hear voices often, it would be 10 times worse whenever he smoked. And no, there isn't any history of the condition in his family whatsoever. So he stopped smoking and his condition has improved tremendously, I think he is almost completely recovered. Then me and two others in our group noticed about 6 months ago that we were developing severe anxiety, we hear things that aren't being said. We have all had instances where we are walking past a group of strangers and we think to ourselves they are talking about us. I think I have it the worst right now, I almost break down whenever I am with a group of people. I can barely talk to my friends of 5+ years because of the anxiety. Its way worst when I am high...I am pretty much a brick wall when I am high but even when I am completely sober I can't function like I used to. I swear mentally I feel completely different, not only do I feel anxious and without confidence, I don't feel the same emotions that I used to. Its really hard to explain but its like the motivation part of my brain is almost completely numb. Its not that I have lost motivation, its that I am not motivated the same way I used to be, it ties in with emotions.
All I am saying is I have seen these symptoms first hand too many times and I believe some of these experts must have noticed the same thing. I have only seen it in people that smoked way too much, and just as many people that smoked that much are still totally fine. It only happens when you abuse the drug, and I believe different brains have different levels of susceptibility, but I am very sure that these particular symptoms are not BS. Again it isn't an argument for keeping pot illegal because if we had abused alcohol like we abused pot for all these years, we would be experiencing way more severe physical and mental symptoms right now.
edit: danomagnum's post explains it perfectly below. - izzybr, on 10/10/2007, -4/+21There most certainly is a type of cannabis called skunk. Skunk #1 is a stable hybrid used in breeding cannabis, and there are a number of derivatives. As far as the side effects, schizophrenia has been noted in a number of studies, although the associated risk is still very small.
- patch6, on 10/10/2007, -3/+15I was with you until "insane right wingers". Ignorance knows no political bias.
- thomash, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12"Every drug has long term effects. Pot, Alcohol, Caffeine, everything."
every repetitive action has long-term effects. your work, the way you sit, the way you walk, the amount of time you spend leaving comments on digg, ... - The_Dude, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12I'm doing okay without it, however I moved up to hard liquor as a result. I'm likin' the Jim Beam and water and gin and grapefruit juice. I smoked it religiously (habitually) from 17 to about 42 and near the end I was getting the good stuff free now and then from a rich friend pothead of my wife's.
My views--established from personal experience--are that the drug is highly addictive for people who have a brain chemistry that predisposes them to being addicted to the stuff. I basically spent the entire decade of the 90's trying to give it up, and only really did give it up because of the aging process. When I first tried it, I liked it so much I stole a film canister of roach weed from my buddy while he was sleeping.
Since I've given it up I no longer cough randomly during the day, I actually do stuff, and I like booze more. I did have issues with being able to sleep (I sleep less in general now, however that could be due to getting older) at first which I remedied by taking benadryl, or some of my wife's Ativan now and then. (which is also habit-forming; chemically related to Valium). - DatoeDakari, on 10/10/2007, -6/+16Maybe she shouldn't have stopped
- zappo1776, on 10/10/2007, -2/+11No. I use it as a medication not for the high. I have a prescription for Marinol which doesn't work well and I have a prescription for medical marijuana which isn't legal in my state. I had 6 independent M.D.'s who don't know each other all give me the same diagnosis and recommended treatment with Cannabis.
- michaelsuhan, on 10/10/2007, -4/+13Well, the problem is that the article uses lingo. C. sativa and C. indica are taxonomical classifications whereas "skunk" is slang. This article is clearly nonscientific, so I think it is propaganda trying to raise support for the British establishment's wishes to reschedule cannabis.
- SwissCamel, on 10/10/2007, -3/+12A life of looking tired and trying to get your internet t shirt business up and running.
- andrewcsayer, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8I've been smoking cannabis for 40 years daily and have never noticed any ill side effects side effects
- Jumboto, on 10/10/2007, -3/+10My two cents:
I had insomnia before I started smoking weed, during my smoking phase (4 years everyday), and after (cold turkey). The only negative effect I feel is missing the good times. - Shaman760, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9I smoked marijuana every day from the age of 12 years old until last year which rung in my 38th b-day. When I quit I had a few aggrivated moods but nothing out of the ordinary for a "normal" person. I've sparked up here and there since then but prefer living without the lenses of the "pot goggles".
If someone is "addicted" to pot it is from a compulsion to smoke it, as I did. There are no physical withdrawals that render severe physiological consequences. If anyone would have had such episodes, it would have been me, being that for 26 years I was high.
And to be quite honest when my son becomes of age that he is apt to experimenting I will give him the same speech I got which was "avoid the alcohol, tobacco, hard drugs, white power, pharmaceuticals, etc....and just smoke pot".
I think I turned out OK. No DUIs, no criminal incidents, highly educated, successful, etc. I can only hope that for my kid. - DangerCollie, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8"but five years after kicking the habit she suffers sleepless nights and anxiety"
It's called "reality" and for the last six years reality really bites. She straightened up to find the government in the hands of apostate right wing Christian extremists and the White House occupied by incompetents lead by a drunken draft-dodging Connecticut frat boy pretending to be a religious fighter pilot from Texas. *****, I'd want to crawl back in a bong myself. - Subvexer, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7You wanna see pain? Swing by First Methodist Tuesday nights, see the guys with testicular cancer. That's pain.
- whiteyMcBrown, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5I'm a 25 yr old Graphic Designer from Ottawa, Canada. I started smoking pot when I was 16 (that's starting kinda late, around here) and I kept smoking (every day) until just a few months ago. I went to the dentist and they scared the crap out of me, saying there was discolouration in my gums and that it could be a sign of mouth cancer. I got a second and third opinion and it turned out that the discolouration was only pigmentation in my gums (I'm Indian and it turns out this is pretty common). Still.. it scared me enough to stop. After quitting, I've noticed that I got a lot more irritable. This has worn off, over time, as I've found new ways of coping with stress and relearning how to live without this habit (read: like a normal person). I truly believe pot to be addictive. I know some people say that it's a mental addiction and not a physical one, but the type of addiction doesn't really matter to me... It was addictive. Stopping my pot smoking was the best thing I've ever done. I've been far more productive and my motivation levels have gone way up. I make more money because I've become more productive and I feel worth more because I'm not as lazy, anymore; I read more books, I spend more time being coherent with my girlfriend; it doesn't matter when my mother calls me, I'm always able to talk to her clearly... Despite my love affair with pot, I'm much better off without it. I hope you all find the strength and motivation to quit. I was lucky enough to be able to cope with pot and still get a good job, and move out, and build a life for myself. Many of my high-school friends were never able to get past the pot-smoking, basement living, pizza eating phase. It affects each of us differently, but I guarantee, with the exception of glaucoma, you'll be better off without it.
- hobonetweaver, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7You took too much man,
took too much.
Too much. - NikoKun, on 10/10/2007, -4/+9I dono, first of all this woman is only one case... and second, all these recent scares about psychosis, are total *****...
And as well, my parents have been occasional smokers, and have smoked for about 30+ years now... granted there were a few years here and there that they didn't, but they've still done it a lot compared to the majority of users out there. They are no worse off than any other person their age, so I see no problem. Health risks are just that, risks... And I would say that moderate occasional use, is not enough to cause any major health risks over the long term... Especially if you vaporize for the most part, or make brownies. XD
As long as people don't abuse the habit, and don't do it every single day for years... they'll generally be no worse off in the long term, than anyone else. Moderation is the key to anything. lol
Are people worried about the long term effects of drinking coffee every morning to get them up? Or the effects all those headache pills America consumes? How about that beer many men have after their long day at work? - Shevanel, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6"can progress to psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. " I only get those when i go to bed stoned, is that a bad thing?
- sano1997, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5For those that didn't get this comment, it's a Fear and Loathing reference...
- hobonetweaver, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6What you're describing sounds like hypnagogic hallucinations, and it's not uncommon - whether someone is stoned or not. It's basically when you are on the verge of falling asleep (halfway in a dream-state) and you hear bits of muffled sounds or see flashes of shapes or colors. It's as normal as dreaming itself - which is basically vivid hallucination and delusion, when you think about it.
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -5/+9It's a generic term. Can you tell me what the actual strain of your "kind" is?
- kurttrail, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6I can attest that when I stop smoking for a while, I'll will have severe bouts of insomnia.
- outhouseinput, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I think that regardless of what you think of the positives, they have no place in the article.
That person just wanted to know what was wrong; she didn't want a freakin' essay on why you think a blunt is better than an apple a day. - ASkillz, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6Not sure what you're talking about, but skunky smelling pot = quality. I like my buds skunky.
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -3/+7Your entire rant was biased and less than cogent. I don't use the stuff and I don't have an issue with people using it but I don't selectively attack people who actually quote real studies.
The studies about psychosis and marijuana use is not very strong but it is there. Some followup studies actually people with underlying pre-psychotic disorder with marijuana use and there is a mild correlation that marijuana may set off a primary psychotic break in people already susceptible to it. - orph3us, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4everything in moderation i would say...
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6oh jesus christ - it's like beer - get over it and enjoy a toke when appropriate.
- quaxon, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3i get real bad panic attacks where my whole body will twitch uncontrollably when i eat too much pot food. never when i smoke though.
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -3/+6well said
sounds like my story, just 20 years later... - bongoman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Except a vaporiser avoids points 2 & 3.
- Bkaufman, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I don't think this article is biased at all. Casual use (like once or twice a month, twice a day is not casual use stoners) won't cause any problems, but toking up all the time isn't good for you either. Just use it in moderation and don't make it a habit.
- SlamShut, on 10/10/2007, -11/+14Skunk is also known as "kind bud" or "chronic," depending on where you're from. Round these parts, it's known as "kind." It's a real term.
- consoneo, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5AKA Panic Attack
- Buddhist, on 10/10/2007, -4/+7Wayne Brady: Dave, I didn't know that you liked to get wet.
[Dave looks at him puzzled]
Wayne Brady: That's PCP. Angel Dust. Sherman Helmsley. Love Boat. Ashy Larry. - Elohssa, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3The terms change constantly, so that the youngsters feel like they're doing something different from their parents. It's also very much regional.
- SlamShut, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4None whatsoever whatsoever, huh huh?
- LordSlashstab55, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4you're in the grips of "the fear", I've had this in the middle of a mall stoned out of my gord. Happens when I smoke weed when I was clean(that virgin smoke).
- danarama, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5sugar processed meat and caffein are worse and legal
- MightyTonto, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4I smoked it for about 7 years religiously, and i now use a vapourizer. I used to be totally pro-pot, but i have seen the damage it has done to myself and my friends so many times that i'm trying to remove it from my life. I am regularly short of breath and it gives me severe panic attacks, and i've got so used to that whole 'i'm gonna die' feeling that its started to change my perspective on life...and its not for the better. plus the fact that it makes me talk total *****
It makes you withdrawn...even a loud, outwardly confident person can fall prone to it. You don't loose your dreams and its possible to keep motivation even if you smoke lots, but it does ***** with your mind...
Yeah its fun, and great for being creative and relaxing - but if you have an addictive personality - be careful because its stronger than you think and you stand to loose friends along the way! Moderation or nothing at all is the best way. - ajcates, on 01/20/2009, -1/+4strain names are very common where im form(southern California) we get kush, ak47 & ak58, white widow, sliver haze, green crack, g-13, afgani bull rider. i belived all of these names when i started buying pot, when i started selling it, i got pot form a dealer and asked him what kind it was, and he said"what should we name it" as he just named his pot random things and told other people the names , and later on i find out that 80% of times when some one says a strand name there making up some bull *****
- NikoKun, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5I'm sorry... am I required to RE-post the article which disproved this ***** study?
I'm not pulling things out of my ass... and I hardly match the "pothead" stereotype at all... -_-
Yeah, obviously my 0.00000001 thing is not accurate... but the chances to get psychosis are incredibly LOW, unlike how those studies portray it...
EDIT:
HERE
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=23468&comments=0
1% of the billions of people in the world, is a pretty low number. - zappo1776, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Imperium if what you say is true then we would see an increase in psychotic disorders when there is an increase in marijuana use. There is none. We have the same rates of psychotic disorders today as we did in the 1950's before millions of Americans started smoking. Where are all these schizophrenics? Correlation does not equal causation.
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