Cannabis and Health

[Anonymous]

I should add that it’s my belief after years spent as a law enforcement member of an organization of law enforcement officers behind legalization of cannabis, I have no doubt that many, many fewer lives are being ruined by legalized cannabis than were ruined when it was prohibited. I’ve done the research on how many young people’s lives were ruined by the war on drugs because they got caught with a little weed, or giving a little weed to a friend in exchange for a few bucks. That’s horrible considering what we know about the relative safety of cannabis versus alcohol especially used by young people. How many parents lose children every year to binge drinking incidents? How many lose them to cannabis OD?

Humans are human and will always be exploring illicit substances that open the doors of perception or dull the pain of life. We should approach the negatives as public health issues which is what they are, and put this criminality behind us. Legalize cannabis in all states and commonwealths and at the federal level as well. End the war on weed it’s been profoundly stupid and destructive.

[Anonymous]

This thread is about Health, not legal issues. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Cannabis is completely banned in Sweden and it should be here too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m 53 and have been smoking cannabis on and off since I was 14. In my youth it was very occasionally, mostly in the summer because I was a choir geek and didn’t want anything messing with my air power.

For most of my college, graduate school and law school years it was also fairly occasional - usually didn’t have money to get it or a source if I did. Same was true in the years after graduating and beginning my legal career, with the added complication of being worried I’d get caught and be ruined for a little weed.

In 2016 my commonwealth legalized cannabis and shortly thereafter I began having regular access to high quality cannabis and using fairly regularly - most days of the week. Yes, it is high potency cannabis.

Most days I just smoke a few hits after work and enjoy the buzz like some of you would from a glass or two of wine or a beer or two or neat scotch etc.

Weekends and days off I like to wake and bake - I did that this last weekend, and managed to get my house cleaned, all my laundry done, a bunch of batch cooking to fill my fridge with healthy plant foods for the week, and a weekly shop at the grocery store. Also watched several hours of Ridley on PBS and a couple of movies. Very productive, not paranoid, a little deep thinking while chopping garlic and mashing beans etc.

I think it’s all about how you consume. Some people are addictive personality by nature and will overconsume - we all know these people and some of them do the same with alcohol, pills, food even - or cannabis.

I smoke a couple of hits and let it hit me and then ride that for a few hours and a few hours later maybe a couple more hits. Every now and then I take a sabbatical of a few weeks or months and then when I go back the high is more intense so I accommodate that reality.

EVERYTHING can be dangerous - even exercise - if we overdo it. Definitely younger people should be careful and not be consuming chronically because it may trigger latent mental illness - I’m certainly glad my cannabis use in my teens was occasional and not chronic.

But I’m also very glad cannabis is legal and regulated where I live, because I work a stressful career (hospice caregiving) and have the usual load of pain that a midlife person carries - probably more because I had childhood trauma that I only recently grappled with in extensive therapy. It’s nice to have something that takes the edge off but isn’t as devastating to my health as alcohol would be. I also really enjoy a great movie or show under the mind opening influence of cannabis.

I think there are reasons to be concerned about people who overuse cannabis just like everything else - but I don’t see it as being much different than it’s always been.

Can you stop? What happens when you do?

Cannabis is insidious. Unlike alcohol, opiates and other "hard drugs", where it's painfully obvious when you're overindulging or outright addicted, cannabis can creep up on you and you won't even realize it's a problem until you can't quit. This is why even medical cannabis patients are supposed to take regular "t breaks" and evaluate their using.

A Doctor’s Opinion about Marijuana Addiction: https://marijuana-anonymous.org/pamphlets/a-doctors-opinion-about-marijuana-addiction/

It's a "mind opening influence" until it's not, and with the easy access to crazy-high-potency strains, a lot of users aren't aware of the damage they're doing until they're having trouble not using.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I should add that it’s my belief after years spent as a law enforcement member of an organization of law enforcement officers behind legalization of cannabis, I have no doubt that many, many fewer lives are being ruined by legalized cannabis than were ruined when it was prohibited. I’ve done the research on how many young people’s lives were ruined by the war on drugs because they got caught with a little weed, or giving a little weed to a friend in exchange for a few bucks. That’s horrible considering what we know about the relative safety of cannabis versus alcohol especially used by young people. How many parents lose children every year to binge drinking incidents? How many lose them to cannabis OD?

Humans are human and will always be exploring illicit substances that open the doors of perception or dull the pain of life. We should approach the negatives as public health issues which is what they are, and put this criminality behind us. Legalize cannabis in all states and commonwealths and at the federal level as well. End the war on weed it’s been profoundly stupid and destructive.

While the war on drugs was/is idiotic all around, open legalization doesn't address necessary harm reduction measures like education.

Yes, the penalties for weed are stupid and have been. But also yes, weed is a health risk and needs to be given proper attention/information dissemination in order to protect the public.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know really. I have basically stopped drinking alcohol as it was making me fat, and giving me fatty liver. I take half a 5 mg gummy most nights to sleep. I’m a menopausal female. It just makes me warm cozy and tired at that level. Like 2-3 glasses of wine would do but without the sleep disruption calories and occasional hangover. I wish I didn’t need “something” but I do and it’s a harm reduction thing. I lost 15 lbs and all my bloodwork is good now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know really. I have basically stopped drinking alcohol as it was making me fat, and giving me fatty liver. I take half a 5 mg gummy most nights to sleep. I’m a menopausal female. It just makes me warm cozy and tired at that level. Like 2-3 glasses of wine would do but without the sleep disruption calories and occasional hangover. I wish I didn’t need “something” but I do and it’s a harm reduction thing. I lost 15 lbs and all my bloodwork is good now.

Now, sure. And maybe, if you stay at 5 mg, you'll be fine. But most people develop a tolerance, and experience withdrawals when they try to "t break" to reset it. Cannabis is addictive. Period.

You say you need it. That's a problem.

[Anonymous]

Have recently come across some studies pointing to cardiac risks in chronic users in addition to several risks for teens especially, including higher risk for psychotic episodes, some of which are not reversible.

My son recently had a seizure, he had thc in his system and was on wellbutrin which is known to lower seizure threshold and we are now in a seizure disorder rule out. Not fun. ( After an ER visit for the seizure that included blood work and a CT scan, we had a neuro appt, a scheduled EEG coming up and if that's abnormal an mri as well). His psychiatrist said he has defininely seen seizures in teens with THC in their system. It's not for teenage brains that's well known. And yet it is everywhere.

[Anonymous]

None of the smartest people I know smoke weed. They don’t abuse any drugs or alcohol. On the contrary, the dumbest most shallow people I know abuse weed and/or alcohol. That is all the data points I need to stay away from all that stuff.

[Anonymous]

Haven't seen any uptick in psychological issues caused by cannabis in the ED. Definitely an uptick in cyclical vomiting syndrome caused by it though.

[Anonymous]

The new news is highly concerning.

https://www.thehansindia.com/life-style/health/tobacco-marijuana-use-to-spike-heart-disease-deaths-by-50pc-in-next-5-years-967969

https://www.news8000.com/lifestyle/health/marijuana-hospital-visits-linked-to-dementia-diagnosis-within-5-years-study-finds/article_efb095bf-0a21-5f94-a463-d4f815b17328.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven't seen any uptick in psychological issues caused by cannabis in the ED. Definitely an uptick in cyclical vomiting syndrome caused by it though.

How often are you seeing this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know really. I have basically stopped drinking alcohol as it was making me fat, and giving me fatty liver. I take half a 5 mg gummy most nights to sleep. I’m a menopausal female. It just makes me warm cozy and tired at that level. Like 2-3 glasses of wine would do but without the sleep disruption calories and occasional hangover. I wish I didn’t need “something” but I do and it’s a harm reduction thing. I lost 15 lbs and all my bloodwork is good now.

Now, sure. And maybe, if you stay at 5 mg, you'll be fine. But most people develop a tolerance, and experience withdrawals when they try to "t break" to reset it. Cannabis is addictive. Period.

You say you need it. That's a problem.

DP. I don’t know, I take either 2.5 mg or 5 mg maybe one night a weekend about one or two weekends a month, and I have never (a) developed a tolerance (that amount still has the same effect as it ever did) or (b) felt the need or desire to take it more often. I’m sure it’s not just that I have some amazing will power or immunity to addiction; is it possible it’s not actually that addictive?

[Anonymous]

40% increase in death by 2030

https://www.scai.org/2030-40-increase-tobacco-related-coronary-heart-disease-deaths-anticipated

Anyone partaking is dumb af.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:40% increase in death by 2030

https://www.scai.org/2030-40-increase-tobacco-related-coronary-heart-disease-deaths-anticipated

Anyone partaking is dumb af.

That particular stat appears to be about total increase in coronary heart disease death caused by smoking tobacco, not the risk for any particular person of dying by 2030. (Also, everyone knows cigarettes are bad for you, this is not new.) And the cannabis stat in that study is specifically about how it’s dangerous for people (a) who have heart failure and (b) also have cannabis use disorder to smoke cannabis. If you don’t have heart failure, the study doesn’t address your risks.