I hear where you are coming from and yes I agree with different parts of what you are saying but there are issues whereby you dismiss all the papers based on the same assumptions of publish or perish, now this is true in certain contexts especially when it comes to large pharma-corps etc but these studies span decades on this subject, Im no means an expert on this but from the studies ive read and the conversations ive had with therapists and Dr friends of mine there does seem to definitely be a correlation. The key point though is that there is generally a history of psychological illness within the family of the individual, so almost genetically predisposed to these illnesses. So in your experience with your "hardest-core heads " maybe none of them were predisposed or the possibility exists that some are and did develop schizophrenic tendencies that you were not able to diagnose, because this is tricky if you are not a psychologist or psychiatrist with formalized training and the right testing procedures. warning- fishing expedition ahead haha The other avenue could be that you have been a fan of the medicinal(cough cough) properties of weed in the past and as you mentioned paranoia is a side effect, This could be the reason that you dismiss the studies as BS based on the paranoia that all these tests etc are some form of government/industry specific tactic
Certainly not ALL of them - that was just my youthful ignorance talking. The studies do indeed span decades - all based upon the then-extant knowledge of marijuana, which was basically nil. That's one of the reasons I brought up the question of date of publication - because in the last 5 years or so there has been an avalanche of research done, based upon something a little more factual than: "the marhijuana "joint" consisting of 3 ounces (85.0486g) of plant material, all leaves, was given to test subject A and subsequent reactions recorded ... " I was going to bring up genetic predisposition but it's often laughed off as being non-related. Glad you found that out on your own. Schizophrenia is indeed often difficult to diagnose, so rather than rely on gut instinct I went with the DSM-V definition: Have at least two of the common symptoms of the disorder — delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized or catatonic behavior, or presence of negative symptoms for a significant amount of time during one month Experience significant impairment in the ability to work, attend school or perform normal daily tasks Have had symptoms for at least six months My "acquaintances" failed to meet the criteria of any of these tests. Thanks for the warning - I've grabbed my pole. You know what the REALLY funny part about that is? They ARE. Check the history of marijuana prohibition in the States - you'll find a cabal of government and private citizens going to illegal, immoral and unethical extremes to eliminate weed from the country, NOT because of its ability to drive users stark raving bonkers (which is the propaganda they produced and distributed) but because of the sole qualifying interest and base motivation found in ANY war in ANY country ... Money.
So, some tiny amount of people cannot handle their substances and the rest of us have to suffer for it? Fuck, I love democrazy. That is all.
Well, 50 cent took 9 bullets and survived, then if he could handle that, I think it should be legal to shoot people around, they won't necessarily die. If people can't handle get shot, why should I suffer for that?
The ultimate! Weed flavoured bacon! Yum! Marijuana waste helps turn pot-eating pigs into tasty pork roast
I always enjoy the nature vs nurture debate about genetics vs environment and the meeting point of both variables to create that almost tipping point. Fair enough fair enough glad you checked it against the DSM I agree money is a driving force in everything unfortunately, but using that basis why have they not legalized marijauna in the past and collected taxes on the sale and I hear people saying yes what about alchohol etc etc and I agree that as a society alcohol abuse is detrimental factor to so many people and families around the world but does that mean that weed should be legalized and everyone allowed to do it because its "not so bad" I dont think so In those studies there are certain themes that are present in all of them and I think with that much data with that amount of sampling that we should look at it from an unbiased emotional perspective and look purely at the facts presented and see that its very possible that there is a link between the 2 in individuals that are predisposed and then draw our own conclusions.
If it were all about money the fast food places should be proponents of mary jane. People on dope are not agro like people on booze. All bouncers would have to do eject someone at a nightclub where everyone smokes dope is to just hold a big mac in front of someones nose and lead them out the door.
Thats why i mentioned if it was only about money why has it not been legalized and taxed so the government would make more money, I agree with the drunk/angry scenario and thats a huge problem but if weed is linked to mental illness then its something that people should be aware instead of thinking its all good and completely harmless Thats just the angle im coming from, rather let people know the facts and then make a decision for their own lives
No. I don't want my shit taken away because someone else can handle their own shit. Be they substances, firearms, vehicles, or whatever else one can think of (quite a few people die from dumb shit, too, like falling out of bed or slipping in the shower, or by peanut allergies, just to name a few. I don't see anyone raising hell or demanding new laws/confiscations/bans/whatever over that) I don't find the possibility/probability that it could very well happen, funny.
Speaking of "tipping points" ... I believe there was a point where the demonization of weed for the profit of the lumber industry was overshadowed once they realized how much more profit could be gained from demonizing it for the profit of the legal system. In fact, I'm wondering every day now how the growing wave of legalization is going to effect these industries. You've got the private prison systems themselves, along with all their associated support personnel ... you've got the Federal, State and local police forces all getting government grants based upon their arrest records ... you've got the judges, the lawyers, the clerks, the social workers, the parole officers ... it's worth many billions in revenue. It's a juggernaut ( bitch! ) and I can't believe it will suddenly come to halt and disappear. Hopefully they'll funnel the money into enforcing some more realistic laws, like for child abuse, welfare fraud, etc. I'm always open to well-done research that is peer-reviewed, in this case "peers" being a bunch of guys in ripped denim jeans, Grateful Dead T-shirts and an ice-cooled hookah between them.
interesting didnt know about the weed/lumber industry dynamic, The private prison system i find very interesting, We have 2 here in South Africa that I know about, interesting debate all by itself I hope that issues like child abuse do receive a focus, to many screwed up people in the world hahaha touche
There is a vast difference between marijauna and hemp though, same species completely different levels of chemicals, summarised nicely here http://host.madison.com/what-s-the-...cle_fb7c0968-3122-11df-a8de-001cc4c03286.html
There definitely is a difference, but the confusion between the two is one of the tools used by the "bad guys" in the fabrication of their war. They managed to not only outlaw hemp but also its "useless" brother, "weed". The confusion exists to this day - a Wikipedia article on hemp claims that C. Sativa and C. Indica are, respectively, the hemp used for industrial purposes and the weed used for recreational and medicinal purposes, when this is nowhere near the actual truth. The Internet has gifted us with many things, among them the ability to propagate falsehoods rapidly.
true things can get out of hand, I like this quote both hemp and Marijauna is Cannabis sativa just as Chihuahuas and wolves are different breeds of Canis lupus. Gives a good illustration of the magnitude of the differences