Long term Cannabis effects on brain

[broagan]

Wtf. I think your confusing mj with another drug.

I think if you only use mj and no other drug ever through out , there might be little to non effects. mj is very harmless, but if you add in the mix. E. Meth. Amps. Coke. Lsd . Shrooms. and all the weird SHIT ppl put in their brains and body you'll see some bad effects come into place . That is what causes psycosis and mental illness NOT MJ. .

Very ill informed thing to say.

Very ill informed indeed 8)

 

[F1n1shed]

Actually on every bag of weed i get from the club it has a new sticker on it which was not there before. Something along the lines of the chemicals on this plant are known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects and other reproductive functioning. Sorry i don't have the sticker and im stoned so i may have said it wrong, but this is coming from the medical club basically saying it can cause cancer. These stickers weren't there before not that they are bothering me. Seems i already knew the negative effects which only happen with negative use, i guess i am just going to have to force my self to break. The thought that the 'damage and changes' caused by marijuana reverse them self when you take a break makes me want to keep smoking, because it is reversible : (

 

[Casualty]

Actually on every bag of weed i get from the club it has a new sticker on it which was not there before. Something along the lines of the chemicals on this plant are known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects and other reproductive functioning. Sorry i don't have the sticker and im stoned so i may have said it wrong, but this is coming from the medical club basically saying it can cause cancer. These stickers weren't there before not that they are bothering me. Seems i already knew the negative effects which only happen with negative use, i guess i am just going to have to force my self to break. The thought that the 'damage and changes' caused by marijuana reverse them self when you take a break makes me want to keep smoking, because it is reversible : (

sounds like they're just trying to cover their asses instead of putting factual warnings. only thing it says on mine is "do not drive or operate heavy machinery" heh

 

[Casualty]

Does anyone know where i could find these studys?

Both from http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/alcoholanddrugs/cannabis.aspx

That site is full of propaganda fear mongering.. sounds like they're trying to scare parents into taking their kids to see psychiatrists. I mean why does a website for psychiatry have a huge section on the penalties for possession?

They claim that the withdrawals for mj and tobacco are pretty much the same....!L??? idiots.

 

[rickolasnice]

^ Yeah i kinda realised that i just wanted to see if those studies actually existed and if they show what they say they show..

 

[nervousinNE]

More links for schizophrenia & cannibis
http://www.schizophrenia.com/research/cannabis.htm

 

[weekend addiction]

Well the research I have done has all indicated that cannabis does no damage... But my experience has made me feel otherwise. I feel lazy, tired, stupid, and burnt the fuck out. I never smoke more than a gram of cheap weed a day, or less than half a gram of headies. With my tolerance this is not a lot of weed. But it sure seems to cloud my brain sometimes.

 

[Artificial Emotion]

More links for schizophrenia & cannibis
http://www.schizophrenia.com/research/cannabis.htm

After reviewing all the research, any reasonable person would come to the conclusion that there is no proven link between psychosis/schizophrenia and cannabis use.

There's no proven link between smoking weed and lung cancer too, despite the fact that you would think there would be. I'm not it doesn't cause cancer, just that there's no credible conclusive research imo.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060526083353.htm (sorry couldn't get an abstract or the full article).

 

[cashmunny]

It is fairly common for weed to trigger anxiety or panic attacks in people susceptible to them. I've read many posts on these boards regarding that although I have never seen any research on this issue. My buddy takes 2 mg of klonopin a day for panic attacks and he'll still gets them occasionally when he smokes weed.

For me the biggest danger associated with weed by far is the risk of becoming a fat ass. I wish there was a way to combat the munchies because the morning after I get high it looks like a swarm of locusts descended on my kitchen.

 

[nervousinNE]

After reviewing all the research, any reasonable person would come to the conclusion that there is no proven link between psychosis/schizophrenia and cannabis use.

I guess reasonable people will agree to disagree. Schizophrenia is rare enough (1% of population) that you can't have studies with millions. However, the evidence from New Zealand and Sweden are not easy to dismiss.

 

[gorillathunder]

There was a study conducted in Australia of 13 heavy can users - the study determined that compared to non smokers the cann users brains had shrunken - sorry I'm on my iPhone but if you google it "marijuana shrinks brain" you'll find it. Also, norml posted a response to this study

 

[ganja god]

Well the research I have done has all indicated that cannabis does no damage... But my experience has made me feel otherwise. I feel lazy, tired, stupid, and burnt the fuck out. I never smoke more than a gram of cheap weed a day, or less than half a gram of headies. With my tolerance this is not a lot of weed. But it sure seems to cloud my brain sometimes.

All that is completely up to you, none of those effects are dependant on the weed. If you feel lazy, get up and do something, you'll soon forget about being lazy. You don't need to let the high control your behavior. Also try a more sativa dominant strain, or get some caffeine, that usually helps me whenever I get walloped in the head from some indica purp kinda shit.

 

[rickolasnice]

^ I don't think you quite understand what lethargy is?

Getting up and doing something isn't gonna get rid of it.. it'll still be there (although, yeah, it COULD help a bit)..

weekend addiction: that's not a long term affect.. that's an acute affect that the drug is having on you while you're on it.

 

[Sentience]

Indica makes me lethargic, as does dirt weed. Quality sativa actually makes me hyper and more enthusiastic about going out and doing stuff.

However, if you need to sleep then whats wrong with using something to help you relax? Marijuana is a medicine. Its effects are not always appropriate for all situations, but its helpful to a lot of people and also one of the least damaging drugs in existence. Marijuana and mescaline are incredibly non-toxic, unlike something as common as alcohol which is neurotoxic and in fact toxic to every cell in your body....irreversible damage to multiple organ systems.

Schizophrenia is so rare and so many people smoke marijuana that I dont really think that citing such a rare condition is a credible argument against marijuana use, and an even poorer justification for criminalization (Im voting no on prop-19 btw, because I think its a poorly written law which will actually make it MORE illegal in many situations...holding out for a better bill in 2012).

Marijuana SHOULD cause cancer, but it not only doesnt but has a protective effect.....the protective effect must outweigh the free radicals from smoking. Its the only explaination. It does not cause cancer unless you burn it with tobacco....in fact, adding weed to your tobacco might have a slight protective effect against getting cancer, but I still would advise agaisnt tobacco use since protection is not 100%.


The most dangerous thing about weed is that there is a very very slightly increased risk for ischemic stroke, but that risk is no higher than a dose of caffeine in somebody who isnt tolerant to it. About 1 in a million people are at risk, and those people were already at risk without smoking.

The other problems with smoking is that some people get the munchies....yes, the munchies is probably the most harmful aspect of marijuana, and yet that is also a GOOD thing for people who need to gain weight....cancer patients who have trouble keeping food down. Marijuana is the most powerful anti-emetic known to man in 95% of the population. Like most drugs it wont be helpful in a minority of patients.

Marijuana does not kill brain cells.....then again, opium doesnt either....there is a wrong perception that all drugs that make you feel good do this by killing brain cells....This isnt true. Some drugs are neurotoxic.... Nitrous might kill some brain cells by starving them of oxygen or by being an excitotoxin. Meth can become neurtoxic, and lack of sleep and food can damage your brain. Also the other chemicals in speed can damage your brain.

Alcohol is probably one of the most potentially damaging drugs to your brain....it kills everything it comes in contact with.....the neurons will often survive, but the dendrites will die and the axons may become damaged, leaving you with brain cells that dont function properly.....with marijuana your brain cells will still function, even if they are affected slightly by this fat soluble drug for a month or two after ingestion. The drug eventually leaves your body and your brain cells are in tact...unlike other hormones, your endocanibinoid producing cells (all neurons) will not atrophy from non use since its not a primary function by a secondary one. You will have very little long term ill health effects.

If you smoke from a very early age, the slight changes in brain development mostly show a different pattern of synapses between different portions of the brain.....the neurons branch out and according to how they brain out different portions will look slightly different....There is no evidence that this is a bad thing though, and its very slight.

Marijuana does not "shrink your brain", and in fact it may ENLARGE portions of your brain and may help promote the creation of new brain cells from stem cells.


There is no evidence that people who smoke marijuana have lower IQs than people who dont. At least not permanently. In fact, science tells us there is no difference between smokers and non smokers.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2140-marijuana-does-not-dent-iq-permanently.html

 

[Sentience]

After reviewing all the research, any reasonable person would come to the conclusion that there is no proven link between psychosis/schizophrenia and cannabis use.

I guess reasonable people will agree to disagree. Schizophrenia is rare enough (1% of population) that you can't have studies with millions. However, the evidence from New Zealand and Sweden are not easy to dismiss.

I think that precisely because its so rare while marijuana use is so high leads me to believe that marijuana is not a significant risk.

Also the difference is within a few percentage points (of those who do have the condition), making the association almost negligible probably within the margin of error.

A more likely explanation for such a TINY increased association, is that people who have mental problems are more likely to self medicate or become homeless....there is no evidence of a cause-effect relationship between the two, and if there were then it would probably affect more than 1 in 10,000 people....somewhere in the ballpark of what the numbers suggest.

 

[Lord]

People who think marijuana is completely harmless need to open their eyes. While it may not cause your neurons to die, it alters the brain in other significant ways. It does help with certain kinds of cancer (did not read in-depth), but it would probably only help a very small fraction of cancer patients, and those which it does not help will have to deal with the possible side-effects of the drug as well as cancer.

I wouldn't be surprised if amphetamine-related drugs would have more therapeutic potential than cannabinoid-related drugs if they were prescribed less strictly.

Marijuana is like most other drugs: it is detrimental to the vast majority of people (damaging and therefore affecting organs, mainly the brain), but a small amount of people may benefit given the right dosage.
It isn't a very hardcore drug but it can definitely damage the brain, and does so from the first time you use it, quite gradually. I can't prove it, but given how biology works, there's almost no other way it can work. But I'm open to being corrected and educated... as long as it isn't the usual BS.

P.S. I'm a daily smoker and have a few close friends who used to smoke pot so I have some personal experience as well.

 

[deez_nuggs]

More links for schizophrenia & cannibis
http://www.schizophrenia.com/research/cannabis.htm

8) no

People who think marijuana is completely harmless need to open their eyes. While it may not cause your neurons to die, it alters the brain in other significant ways. It does help with certain kinds of cancer (did not read in-depth), but it would probably only help a very small fraction of cancer patients, and those which it does not help will have to deal with the possible side-effects of the drug as well as cancer.

I wouldn't be surprised if amphetamine-related drugs would have more therapeutic potential than cannabinoid-related drugs if they were prescribed less strictly.

Marijuana is like most other drugs: it is detrimental to the vast majority of people (damaging and therefore affecting organs, mainly the brain), but a small amount of people may benefit given the right dosage.
It isn't a very hardcore drug but it can definitely damage the brain, and does so from the first time you use it, quite gradually. I can't prove it, but given how biology works, there's almost no other way it can work. But I'm open to being corrected and educated... as long as it isn't the usual BS.

P.S. I'm a daily smoker and have a few close friends who used to smoke pot so I have some personal experience as well.

your entire post is bullshit

 

[ganja god]

People who think marijuana is completely harmless need to open their eyes. While it may not cause your neurons to die, it alters the brain in other significant ways. It does help with certain kinds of cancer (did not read in-depth), but it would probably only help a very small fraction of cancer patients, and those which it does not help will have to deal with the possible side-effects of the drug as well as cancer.

I wouldn't be surprised if amphetamine-related drugs would have more therapeutic potential than cannabinoid-related drugs if they were prescribed less strictly.

Marijuana is like most other drugs: it is detrimental to the vast majority of people (damaging and therefore affecting organs, mainly the brain), but a small amount of people may benefit given the right dosage.
It isn't a very hardcore drug but it can definitely damage the brain, and does so from the first time you use it, quite gradually. I can't prove it, but given how biology works, there's almost no other way it can work. But I'm open to being corrected and educated... as long as it isn't the usual BS.

P.S. I'm a daily smoker and have a few close friends who used to smoke pot so I have some personal experience as well.

can you tell us any way that it damages the brain at all? kinda sounds like your talking out your ass. But I guess if its the LORD telling us and all, maybe we better just stfu and listen...

 

[Sentience]

but it would probably only help a very small fraction of cancer patients

Actually, it would help virtually are patients who.....

1. Are using Chemo
2. Are using Radiation
3. Have chronic pain
4. Have tumors that are malignant
5. Have tumors that are growing in size

and those which it does not help will have to deal with the possible side-effects of the drug

And what side effects are so horrible that they need you to save them from it 8)

You do realize that the drugs they use to treat cancer are actually TOXIC, dont you? Makes your hair fall out, you throw up blood sometimes, damages your liver and kidneys, possibly need organ transplants from the high toxicity and organ damage.....so tell me, what side effect from the virtually non-toxic marijuana plant who nobody has EVER overdosed and died from (maybe had a spout of anxiety at high doses) is going to be so terrible that cancer patients should avoid it?

Did you know its also an immune regulator? It helps with auto-immune conditions? Its bad for infections, slightly, but its excellent for people who suffer from diseases like Crohns and Multiple Sclerosis, as well as cancer.

I wouldn't be surprised if amphetamine-related drugs would have more therapeutic potential than cannabinoid-related drugs if they were prescribed less strictly.

Irrelevant to the medical benefit that marijuana does have, not to mention pure unsubstantiated conjecture.

It isn't a very hardcore drug but it can definitely damage the brain

Proof?

I can't prove it, but given how biology works, there's almost no other way it can work.

This shows extreme ignorance. btw, you are talking to somebody who has had to sit through hundreds and hundreds of hours of human Anatomy and Physiology and Biochemistry classes.

Marijuana works by mimicking a chemical, and endo-canibinoid that every neuron in your body produces. Unless hormones which are produced in glands, this chemical is a neuro-transmitter and is secreted by the neurons themselves in a retrograde fashion....what do I mean by that? It is secreted from the dendrites (or the axons?) and uptaken by the adjacent neuron....this chemical is used in reprogramming cells. It doesnt damage neurons. What it does is it makes a neuron available to store new information, causing you to forget information that the brain no longer finds useful and allowing it to branch out and form new connections for new memories with a blank slate......which is where you get the temporary short term memory loss, which is 100% reversible when the drug is stopped.

None of this causes the death or even damage of neurons. The whole process is non toxic. It does not poison your internal organs. The worst it can do is cause short term memory loss, which is 100% reversible.....however, you are left with perfectly healthy neurons that are ready to learn and absorb new information, unlike with alcohol which damages the axons and dendrites beyond repair with repeated dosing, eventually leading to the death of neurons, or immediately to the death of neurons when a certain level of toxicity is reached paired with dehydration and excito-toxicity from toxic metabolites of alcohol intoxication.


You have officially been schooled.

 

[smokeymcpot42088]

^Couldn'tve said it better myself, in fact I was waiting for someone smarter than me to say it better than I could and there it is.