Marijuana Associated With 50% Lower Chance Of Developing Metabolic Syndrome - Polidicks

Like I said earlier I won't deny some of the Medical benefits of using Marijuana for certain conditions (chronic pain for example), what I don't belive is that it's a viable treatment option for any type of Psychiatric illness. It's not conducive to someone with a day to day routine. Maybe if you were incredibly wealthy and never needed to leave your house or work a day in your life it would be viable but then there's the fact that Marijuana is KNOWN to also exacerbate Mental Illness causing psychosis, mania, or worsening depression. When someone trys to tell me that a drug 1. You cant drive while using 2. Can't really work anywhere while using and 3. Exacerbates or causes Mental Illness is a viable treatment option for ADHD or Depression, I'll tell you that your silly. [editline]19th November 2015[/editline] This also goes for opioids, derivitives, and benzo's too.

but you're saying it worsens mental illness like that's a through-and-through 100% fact that applies to every single person, which doesn't seem to be the case and i've met plenty of doctors that would say the same as far as i know there's no correlation between driving+working and mental illness, so that's strange criteria. i get that your point is that it hinders everyday life but aren't you taking into consideration the fact that people don't all follow the same lifestyle? [editline]19th November 2015[/editline] i don't know if i'm misinterpreting but it's like you're saying stimulants are the only effective treatment (of the 'illicit' nontraditional options, anyway) because you don't wanna nod off while driving a car [editline]19th November 2015[/editline] it's like why any form of treatment for any particular mental illness might work perfectly for some but not at all for others, people are different and their conditions differ too

[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;49144332]Like I said, I like to get as high as the next guy but I won't kid myself into believing that it's a viable day to day treatment option for psychiatric issues [B]or that it's safe to drive on the road with it.[/B] [editline]19th November 2015[/editline] I've worked in Mental Health for over 5 years and Substance Abuse for the last year. My job also revolves around me knowing everything about the human body. I have a lot of experience treating substance abuse and mental illness, so I like to think I know what I'm talking about.[/QUOTE]He never said this

[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;49144301]I really hope you one day realize how irresponsible driving under the influence is. There's a reason why it's illegal in most states (wow surprise.) If you won't do it for yourself at least do it for the other people on the road.[/QUOTE] And I sincerely hope one day you realize how wide of a definition "under the influence" is.

[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;49144376]Like I said earlier I won't deny some of the Medical benefits of using Marijuana for certain conditions (chronic pain for example), what I don't belive is that it's a viable treatment option for any type of Psychiatric illness. It's not conducive to someone with a day to day routine. Maybe if you were incredibly wealthy and never needed to leave your house or work a day in your life it would be viable but then there's the fact that Marijuana is KNOWN to also exacerbate Mental Illness causing psychosis, mania, or worsening depression. When someone trys to tell me that a drug 1. You cant drive while using 2. Can't really work anywhere while using and 3. Exacerbates or causes Mental Illness is a viable treatment option for ADHD or Depression, I'll tell you that your silly. [editline]19th November 2015[/editline] This also goes for opioids, derivitives, and benzo's too.[/QUOTE] I've had suicide attempts on 3 different anti depressants. None in the time I've smoked weed. I don't mean to question you're all knowingness about the human body, but isn't that a sign to you in some way maybe your info isn't perfect? [editline]18th November 2015[/editline] I've also managed to be gainfully employed over that time by and large.

[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;49144583]I've had suicide attempts on 3 different anti depressants. None in the time I've smoked weed. I don't mean to question you're all knowingness about the human body, but isn't that a sign to you in some way maybe your info isn't perfect? [editline]18th November 2015[/editline] I've also managed to be gainfully employed over that time by and large.[/QUOTE] Exactly! Marijuana has been a huge help with my depression as well when no other meds would work, going on 5 years now. No side effects at all. I don't even get "high" off it anymore with the amount I take; just enough that there's an appreciable difference in my mood. It's really been a life saver, so I don't get why it's so far out to see it as a viable treatment. Sure it doesn't work for everyone, but it sure as hell works for me, and millions of others.

[QUOTE=Zenreon117;49144236]IDK man. [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw1HavgoK9E[/media] Too high to drive is possible. But the limits vary and any reasonable person can tell if they are "too high". It is a difficult issue because I and the girl in the above video can take a toke or two and be absolutely fine driving. (I don't drive because I don't like to, and don't want to break the law) Even someone who has nearly never smoke could be alright after a toke. But reactions vary. If it is your first time you shouldn't be driving right after anyways, just like any new substance. 2nd video; Disregard the bullshit test at the end of the video, the rest is pretty interesting. In a nutshell: Pain medication has no ingested limits, advocates say it should follow the same reasoning because you need an invasive blood test to properly contest someone's impairment past any obvious signs. [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiBvFZFrTCQ[/media][/QUOTE] I think you're a bit of a twat in general if you think it's acceptable to be in any sort of reasonably impaired state and get in a car. Being drunk and driving is arguably worse than being high and driving, but you shouldn't do fucking [I]either[/I] of those things. Furthermore, high you certainly isn't the person who should be reasoning, "I'm probably okay to drive." High you has no place making that type of decision, just like drunk you doesn't either. I've been high to varying degrees many times, and I'd sure as fuck never operate a fucking motor vehicle in that state. Hell, riding a bike was terrifying enough.

When I get the munchies they aren't what people think it is, I don't just go "MUST EAT EVERYTHING". It's more like it makes me much more aware of what my body is needs. Sometimes it's nothing, but sometimes I get huge craving's for specific foods like fish (Which I normally don't even eat) or red meat, oranges or milk. It's like when I get high my body clearly tells me what vitamins/nutrients It needs.

[QUOTE=LtKyle2;49141745]Marijuana studies are hard to believe with all the contradicting conclusions. I was looking up study aids since I have problems focusing and concentrating on what's in front of me and that my mind jumps from one thought to another, and I stumbled onto a medical article that stated the THC in marijuana increases focus in those who have ADHD compared to those who don't have it experience the opposite. Of course the web site was called truthonpot.com so I took it with a lot of salt. :v: Although that does explain why the electrician who worked on the same job with me once told me about how he can't focus or work without pot.[/QUOTE] this isn't a contradicting conclusion, various studies have been published over the years indicating that marijuana smokers are less likely to be overweight, have high blood pressure, etc this one correlates it with something more specific, which is metabolic syndrome which is simply a group of all of those variables

[quote]The study, in which nearly 8,500 20- to 59-year-olds participated, classified people as having metabolic syndrome if they had more than three of these symptoms: elevated fasting glucose levels, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated systolic or diastolic blood pressure, and increased waist circumference.[/quote] [quote]The researchers then separated the participants into three categories: those who never smoked weed, those who currently smoked weed, and those who used to smoke weed but don’t anymore. They found that 19.5 percent of participants who had never smoked weed before met the criteria of having metabolic syndrome. Of those who were former smokers, 17.5 percent had enough of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. It was those who currently smoked weed who came in the lowest percentage of metabolic syndrome, at 13.8 percent.[/quote] Without more info as to the methodology and controls, this really sounds like jumping the gun regarding correlation versus causation. If younger people are more likely to smoke weed then you'll see more younger people in the weed-smoking group(s) and more older people in the non-smoking group. One of the conditions for metabolic syndrome that they list is increased waist circumference, literally just getting fatter, which is something that occurs to most people as they age. I'd really like to get a hold of a copy of the journal to see if they address any of this in their results.

Weed is good for you.

[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;49144376]Like I said earlier I won't deny some of the Medical benefits of using Marijuana for certain conditions (chronic pain for example), what I don't belive is that it's a viable treatment option for any type of Psychiatric illness. It's not conducive to someone with a day to day routine. Maybe if you were incredibly wealthy and never needed to leave your house or work a day in your life it would be viable but then there's the fact that Marijuana is KNOWN to also exacerbate Mental Illness causing psychosis, mania, or worsening depression. When someone trys to tell me that a drug 1. You cant drive while using 2. Can't really work anywhere while using and 3. Exacerbates or causes Mental Illness is a viable treatment option for ADHD or Depression, I'll tell you that your silly. [editline]19th November 2015[/editline] This also goes for opioids, derivitives, and benzo's too.[/QUOTE] there's more scenarios than that for example, i'm far from extremely wealthy but i work with translating texts from english to portuguese, and don't need to leave the house to do it. but even if i did, like about a year ago when i worked as a street vendor, i'd take the bus or the subway which, sure, aren't an option for everyone but it's not something you should rule out either but anyway, smoking weed didn't really hinder my performance in either of those jobs? if anything it made selling stuff to people on the street even easier

I'm with InvaderNouga that you shouldn't drive while high on weed but i dont know where he gets the idea that if you use weed daily it must mean you don't work a day in your life. if your job is operating heavy machinery or something then that probably won't work out for you, but I career fields like chefs where dexterity and organisation is required you'll still find potheads everywhere.

Yeah I stand over an extremely hot grill and do spatula tricks and catch an egg in my hat and throw rice into people's mouths, and I do it all dabbed off my face. I generally perform better for the customers when I'm stoned. It really helps with prep work. I ran a big ass, incredibly sharp knife through 40 pounds of chicken and 50 pounds of cabbage yesterday, did it stoned as fuck, and nobody got injured. And I've seen sober people cut themselves with this knife. It just affects everyone differently and some people can use cannabis, even in high doses, with really no negative side effects whatsoever. But in the same way, for some people, it makes them straight retarded. My friend almost pulled my refrigerator over one day just trying to get some munchies out of it, and barely reacted fast enough to stop the fridge and all its contents from falling on him. So it's a mixed bag.

Also I really don't think people understand how much tolerance can build up. People who have smoked occasionally and then never any amount of days in a row will have no idea what being high means to common user. If a heavy user stops for a month and then smokes then maybe it would be comparable to being so high you can't ride a bike, but for the most part that never happens to heavy users unless they smoke TONS or otherwise they take a tolerance break. Seriously, I can't count how many people I've met who have smoked once, or otherwise very rarely, and then concluded that being high is exactly what they experienced, and that is what it is like for all stoners all the time. Individual conditions and tolerance can make a great difference between an incapable couch potato and a normal person that you wouldn't know is high unless you gave them a blood test or were some sort of expert.

A lot of people here are overestimating the effects of weed. Especially on a regular user. Maybe that's either because you have had a really bad experience while high or the fact that you have never tried it and are going off hearsay. For me personally, i'm so used to it that getting in the car high is the exact same thing as getting in sober. It's not impairing at all. Alcohol on the other hand is just plain stupid. Blurred vision, loss of motor functions, all things that cannabis does not do. It's understandable that people here are overemphasising the effects of weed because it does in fact make it harder to make quick decisions and snap judgements. But only if you're not used to the effects. I know it sounds like im just saying to smoke a lot more to be void of the negative side effects but its essentially true. I still get the buzz from cannabis but i do not lose any sort of function. This whole "weed is bad" narrative is fucking childish. It should not be a sweeping statement, rather it should be judged on a case by case basis. [QUOTE=Zenreon117;49146337]Also I really don't think people understand how much tolerance can build up. People who have smoked occasionally and then never any amount of days in a row will have no idea what being high means to common user. If a heavy user stops for a month and then smokes then maybe it would be comparable to being so high you can't ride a bike, but for the most part that never happens to heavy users unless they smoke TONS or otherwise they take a tolerance break. Seriously, I can't count how many people I've met who have smoked once, or otherwise very rarely, and then concluded that being high is exactly what they experienced, and that is what it is like for all stoners all the time.[/QUOTE] Bingo.

[QUOTE=J Paul;49146295]It just affects everyone differently and some people can use cannabis, even in high doses, with really no negative side effects whatsoever. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Zenreon117;49146337]Also I really don't think people understand how much tolerance can build up. People who have smoked occasionally and then never any amount of days in a row will have no idea what being high means to common user. (...) Individual conditions and tolerance can make a great difference between an incapable couch potato and a normal person that you wouldn't know is high unless you gave them a blood test or were some sort of expert.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=DiBBs27;49146343]For me personally, i'm so used to it that getting in the car high is the exact same thing as getting in sober. It's not impairing at all.[/QUOTE] I've seen this discussion before and I'll say it again, I'm fully in favor of legalizing weed, I have nothing against it for recreational use. But the sentiments I quoted above are things I've heard said about alcohol too, and when they're used to justify driving under the influence it's just irresponsible. Alcohol affects everyone differently. Some people have a tolerance to alcohol so a couple of beers doesn't affect them much, and act so normally you wouldn't know they've been drinking. Plenty of people believe it's not impairing at all, according to their subjective evaluation of their own ability under the influence of a mind-altering substance. Pretty much all psychoactive substances work this way. Everyone has a different tolerance having to do with body mass, body chemistry, and frequency of use, and not everyone experiences the same effects. But driving under the influence is not something you should try to justify with 'well I feel like I can drive fine so I'm good'. There's a reason lots of seemingly innocuous medication warns you not to drive or use heavy machinery. Objective testing on weed's effects on driving ability suggests that while the effects aren't the same as alcohol, it still represents a danger. Weed legalization already gets enough resistance from the general public. We don't need more people reinforcing the stereotypes through reckless and irresponsible behavior.

[QUOTE=catbarf;49146481]Weed legalization already gets enough resistance from the general public. We don't need more people reinforcing the stereotypes through reckless and irresponsible behavior.[/QUOTE] While i agree with this and acknowledge that its a detriment to the cause, I was simply providing anecdotal evidence as a long time heavy user that I hold my cannabis in a totally separate category than alcohol. I wouldn't dare touch alcohol and drive. However the effects cannabis has on me are negligible to the point where sometimes i don't even realize what I'm doing could be potentially unsafe. I've been in a few car accidents. Not on of those times have i been under the influence of anything.

It's already illegal to drive while high in the states that legalized it so why the fuck are people arguing about it?

[QUOTE=DiBBs27;49146644]However the effects cannabis has on me are negligible to the point where sometimes i don't even realize what I'm doing could be potentially unsafe. [/QUOTE] why do these threads always turn into "Guys I swear I'm really good at driving while high despite the overwhelming amount of evidence that suggests its a really fucking stupid idea" [editline]20th November 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=SpaceGhost;49150761]It's already illegal to drive while high in the states that legalized it so why the fuck are people arguing about it?[/QUOTE] because people still continue to [I]willingly admit that they do it[/I], and furthermore go on to say that it is a perfectly fine thing to do because they are evidently perfectly capable of assessing their under-the-influence driving while [I]under-the-friggen-influence[/I]

I drive while high and to be honest, I drive better than when sober. I drive slower. But if I am fucking high, I don't touch the car because I am not an idiot.

[QUOTE=Fourier;49151015]I drive while high and to be honest, I drive better than when sober. I drive slower.[/QUOTE] When it comes to driving, slower is not synonym with safer.

The biggest differences between driving on weed and on alcohol is that weed doesn't have anywhere near the same effect on your decision-making and consequential thinking, and it also doesn't mess with your reflexes and your motor system nearly as much. The weed high also passes much quicker. It ofcourse varies from person to person to a degree though and having all that said I wouldn't recommend driving while high on anything really, but just cause you've smoked a joint 3 hours earlier doesn't mean you're high or in an unfit state to drive.

If you've had alcohol or weed enough to the point you notice it you shouldn't be driving regardless of how confident you feel. We already have plenty of complete dipshits who think it's perfectly fine to drive while drunk because "aye its only a wee one i'll be fine" and then they end up clipping a pedestrian.

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;49152995]If you've had alcohol or weed enough to the point you notice it you shouldn't be driving regardless of how confident you feel. We already have plenty of complete dipshits who think it's perfectly fine to drive while drunk because "aye its only a wee one i'll be fine" and then they end up clipping a pedestrian.[/QUOTE] I'd rather be driven by someone stoned off their face than someone who's sober, but timid and scared behind the wheel. It's dangerous whether you're sober or not.

[QUOTE=BLOODGA$M;49145612]I'm with InvaderNouga that you shouldn't drive while high on weed but i dont know where he gets the idea that if you use weed daily it must mean you don't work a day in your life. if your job is operating heavy machinery or something then that probably won't work out for you, but I career fields like chefs where dexterity and organisation is required you'll still find potheads everywhere.[/QUOTE] No I never said weed smokers are lazy. I said weed could be a viable treatment option for Psychiatric illness if you didn't have anywhere to go, be, or work all day. It's a hypothetical.

[QUOTE=CoilingTesla;49153023]I'd rather be driven by someone stoned off their face than someone who's sober, but timid and scared behind the wheel. It's dangerous whether you're sober or not.[/QUOTE] I wouldn't feel sorry for somebody who was stoned off their face and driving a car if they got arrested. It's stupid to take weed or alcohol before driving, this is an incredibly basic and simple rule that if you break you shouldn't be allowed to drive at all, period. You're meant to be sober, and if you are so selfish you can't take the time to hold off then honestly you're pretty much a shithead for going out driving because you are knowingly endangering the lives of people on the road.

[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;49153057]No I never said weed smokers are lazy. I said weed could be a viable treatment option for Psychiatric illness if you didn't have anywhere to go, be, or work all day. It's a hypothetical.[/QUOTE] Does smoking weed preclude someone from doing any work of any sort? Like they're just functionally retarded in that state, and cannot produce work equivalent to that of the worst employee in a company? I mean I get you say you don't have anything against them, but when you readily believe that being some degree of "high" makes you functionally incapable of human interaction, of basic tasks, of complex tasks, then I have news for you but you'll just tell me I'm wrong and shut the conversation down there with "No you can't do basic, or complex tasks, you're high, not lazy, just incapable of anything what so ever". It's hypothetical though. [editline]20th November 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Sobotnik;49153072]I wouldn't feel sorry for somebody who was stoned off their face and driving a car if they got arrested. It's stupid to take weed or alcohol before driving, this is an incredibly basic and simple rule that if you break you shouldn't be allowed to drive at all, period.[/QUOTE] This is it pretty much. I don't really think there's anything anyone can say for or against it more than "it's against the law." even many, many prescription drugs stop one from driving.

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;49153072]I wouldn't feel sorry for somebody who was stoned off their face and driving a car if they got arrested. It's stupid to take weed or alcohol before driving, this is an incredibly basic and simple rule that if you break you shouldn't be allowed to drive at all, period. You're meant to be sober, and if you are so selfish you can't take the time to hold off then honestly you're pretty much a shithead for going out driving because you are knowingly endangering the lives of people on the road.[/QUOTE] Caffeine and nicotine are more capable of making me a danger to other drivers. You have no idea how dangerous public roads are if you think people being anything but dead sober is morally wrong.

[QUOTE=CoilingTesla;49153106]Caffeine and nicotine are more capable of making me a danger to other drivers.[/QUOTE] That's irrelevant, the point is that you are taking something which will impair your ability to drive. Why can't you just actually have some patience and wait until you have reached your destination? Or at least take public transport or a taxi.