Pot smoking may cause permanent brain damage

['medicine cabinet']

Wway! No! My damaged not brainz!!!

 

[atara]

Is this not what I indeed just said, or am I missing something?

It mindfucks them to prevent further damage to itself...

I swore I just said that. LOL

An animal will not self administer a compound that it "does not like", as you state. If a rat self-administers a compound, it clearly likes it quite a lot. Furthermore, "mind-fuck" is a simply invalid descriptor: it applies to all psychoactives. And furthermore, the plant does not have any idea what the compounds it produces might do, as you have implied; any bioactivity is as good as cannabinoid agonism.

Seriously, guys: evolution does not know what it is doing. THC is not intended to do anything. What happens is that plants that produce THC die less than plants that do not. That is all -- it's not supposed to do any of the things that it does. It may also simply be a photoprotectant:

http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=6696642

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid and cannabidiolic acid, both major secondary products of C. sativa, absorb UV-B radiation and may function as solar screens.

Dietary choices are determined by genetics. The animals that like the flavor of the intoxicating plant will come under its effect and perhaps get eaten or perhaps miss out on mating opportunities. Fewer of the cannabis-liking animals will pass on the cannabis-liking gene, and over millions of years it will diminish and/or disappear.

It is rather unlikely that the neurochemistry of a species would undergo rearrangement in response to a selective pressure from a single toxic species. Rather, it is generally suspected that animals avoid toxins through both metabolism and the perception of bitterness:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_(taste)#Bitterness

Correlation doesn't prove causation.

In this case, it does. The randomized controlled trial is the gold standard of causation-testing.

 

[oldirtybizza]

I have no doubt that heavily puffing the ganj in the formative years alters and impairs your cognitive function.
Most people I know who took up smoking as adults only seem to suffer those stereotypical stoner malfunctions when actually under the influence, those who started early all permanently exhibit similar issues regarding memory, motivation, learning etc. (myself included)
Then again some of these negatives may be mitigated in those individuals in later life by the neuroprotective qualities of cannabis.

Oh well no point crying over spilled neurons, personally I believe the majority of non-smokers who dictate how we should live our lives exhibit unparalleled levels of brain damage.

 

[exists]

And furthermore, the plant does not have any idea what the compounds it produces might do, as you have implied; any bioactivity is as good as cannabinoid agonism.

Seriously, guys: evolution does not know what it is doing.

^ +1

Random mutations occur in DNA, and if those mutations are beneficial to an organism hosting said DNA, then those mutations will continue to exist.

Also, if a farming organism finds its crop's mutation to be somehow useful, then that organism will to continue to farm said mutated crop. That is what is happening with humans and cannabis, and possibly to a greater extent, salvia divinorum.

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

So are you saying all of this pharmacology is random?

It can’t be if we are purposely “weeding out” stronger strains...

This part I clearly see being done on purpose.


ON topic: But do you remember all the neuroplasticity bits that was researched on “noids”?

 

[exists]

So are you saying all of this pharmacology is random?

Yes, but not random in the sense that it's unpredictable, but incidental (I don't believe in unpredictable events). An incident mutation occurred which caused the plant produce a psychoactive substance. Once we found out about it, we strove to perpetuate and manipulate it, as you said. Nothin' to it, and more people should do it (mutate and breed plants, that is).

 

[slimvictor]

Seriously, guys: evolution does not know what it is doing. THC is not intended to do anything. What happens is that plants that produce THC die less than plants that do not.

This makes it sound like evolution knows what it is doing.
It tries many manifestations of genes, and those that work best are kept.
While I agree that it doesn't "know" in the same way that I can "know" what I am doing when I cut bread, or build a model airplane, it is controlled by what works best...which is a pretty "smart" strategy, dontchya think?

 

[pofacedhoe]

This is important, and interesting, but the title should read

Adolescent pot smoking may cause permanent brain damage

or more accurately. pots smoking causes cognition impairment in MICE adolescents

many animals have completely different reactions to humans.

not the same thing- you cannot generalise from mice to humans. people use mice because to use humans is unethical but it does often give data that is not usefull.

anyone that thinks that mice and man are similar in brains and metabolism needs some sort of basic biology education

 

[Groovstarr]

What's wrong with the theory that smoking way too much weed when you were an adolescent will not impair your cognitive functions in later life? I believe it may have an impact on social interactions over time... especially when conversing with non-smokers (the norm).
Also a loss in motivation at a time your brain was most open to an ability to learn may affect the individual in later years (retrospect).