southernhybrid
Contributor
I'm not convinced that it has no possible harmful long term effects, and despite your claims, there really needs to be more research done. Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of cannabis and have used it for 40 years. The good thing in my case if that I never used it until I was over 30 and most of the research that points to permanent damage, refers to those who start using prior to the age of 18. There has been some research that the brain damage may not be reversible when people start using prior to age 18. This is believed to be do to the fact that their brains are far from being totally developed. We don't know enough yet if the brain changes that occur in adults are always temporary. The current research is often conflicting. I've read numerous academic studies that give evidence that cannabis does have a negative impact on the brain, but it may be only temporary. Unfortunately, these studies are limited.
When I look for evidence, I only consider studies done by medical universities or research labs, using proper protocols to be valid. The size of these studies is important etc. Research needs to be as objective as possible, so research done by a drug rehab facility or a group that has already decided that cannabis is always safe, aren't meaningful as they can't be objective.
Not everyone who is an alcoholic ends up with alcoholic dementia or liver damage, just like not everyone who smokes tobacco ends up with lung cancer or COPD. Just because a lot of people don't develop these diseases doesn't mean that others won't. We can list people who use cannabis who have no health problems, but that is only anecdotal. We don't know about the health of all the millions of people who use.
Cannabis is my only "bad" habit. I've never had a problem stopping using and I've never had any side effects as far as I know. To me, getting a little high in the evening simply helps cope with the negative aspects of life. It enhances music and art and helps with relaxation. I even have a medical MJ card that I use to obtain tinctures for my chronic arthritis pain. It doesn't help that much, but I only use it 3 days a week with my other analgesics, prior to doing an intense 45 minute aerobics workout. That shit is very expensive
. Of course, the older we get, the more susceptible we are to developing cognitive diseases, and we don't know all of the factors of why some people are sharp at 90 and some people develop dementia at age 65. I recently read an article that a percentage of people in their 70s and 80s are more creative and productive than younger folks tend to be. Why is that? I'd just like to know if using cannabis is a risk factor for cognitive decline. I cared for people with dementia for about half of my career. I've had patients with no risk factors at all, who still ended up with various forms of dementia, so it's an area that interests me greatly. But, I am really getting off topic and I'm perfectly straight.
Just about everyone has some unhealthy habits. Some people over eat or don't eat a balanced diet. Some people are too inactive, or drive too fast, take other risks etc. Using ETOH or THC in moderation may be harmless for most of us. I agree that ETOH is one of the more harmful drugs that people use. It's probably fine to have a few drinks a week, but some people seem to have a natural tendency to become addicted to ETOH. It's hard to know when a habit becomes harmful to one's health and well being, just as it's difficult to know if using cannabis for decades has caused any health problems that develop. It's often difficult to know the cause of a disease in any individual.
Plus, we don't know how much is too much. I read one study that evaluated some people who smoked 5 joints a day! I've never known anyone who used that much. Even most daily users usually only smoke a half a joint or less. As I sad, we really have a lot to learn about the long term effects of using. There is plenty of evidence that using has very negative impact on teenagers, probably due to the much higher TCH content now, compared to back in the day. And, sure medically, cannabis helps with some types of seizure disorders, PTSD, MS, nerve pain, Parkinson's and a probably a few other things.
Having posted all that, I fully support the legalization or at the very least, the decriminalization or all recreational drugs. It seems cruel and expensive for government to. use law enforcement and imprisonment just for using a drug that is potentially harmful. That is assuming they aren't driving or operating heavy machinery. Why not offer rehab to those who feel they want help breaking a habit, or safe ways of helping the folks who suffer from addiction of more harmful drugs. For example, needle exchanges for heroin users, safe places to use etc. That would be cheaper, and more humane.
Thanks for reading.
