What happens when you get stoned every single day for five years

The Washington Post ^ | February 1st, 2016 | By Christopher Ingraham

[Mariner]

New research published today in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine confirms what many of us have suspected for some time: If you smoke a lot of weed -- like a lot of it -- it can potentially do permanent damage to your short-term memory.

Professor Reto Auer of the University of Lausanne led a team of researchers who examined data on the marijuana habits of nearly 3,400 Americans over a 25-year period. At the end of the study period, the subjects took a battery of tests designed to assess cognitive abilities -- memory, focus, ability to make quick decisions, etc.

The study found that people who smoked marijuana on daily basis for a long period of time -- five years or more -- had poorer verbal memory in middle age than people who didn't smoke, or who smoked less. This association remained even after researchers controlled for a variety of other factors known to affect cognitive performance -- such as age, education, use of other substances and depression.

Auer and his team measured lifetime marijuana exposure in a fantastic new unit of measurement they call "marijuana-years." Essentially, if you smoke pot every day for a year, that equals one marijuana-year of use. Ditto if you smoke every other day for two years, or once a week for seven years.

[CommerceComet]

Many pot smokers do tend to smoke every day, and start early in the day, because it is not like evil alcohol but *healthy* and *natural*.

The stoners I knew in school would get high several times a day. I'm guessing they qualified for their full marijuana-year in February or March.

[ctdonath2]

There’s a difference between having a drink daily vs getting drunk daily.
AFAIK nobody smokes weed just for the taste without significant “effects”.

[samtheman]

The stoners I knew in school would get high several times a day. I’m guessing they qualified for their full marijuana-year in February or March.

---

That matches my experience.

[Mr. Blond]

We don’t have a problem recognizing problem drinking. I wish the smokers would stop deluding themselves.

[AFreeBird]

I forget? What was the question?

[dfwgator]

So.....maybe Willie Nelson isn’t a tax cheat, he just like...forgot...to pay hi his taxes?

You.. can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes! You can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes!

You say.. "Steve.. how can I be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes?"

First.. get a million dollars.

Now.. you say, "Steve.. what do I say to the tax man when he comes to my door and says, 'You.. have never paid taxes'?"

Two simple words. Two simple words in the English language: "I forgot!"

How many times do we let ourselves get into terrible situations because we don't say "I forgot"?

Let's say you're on trial for armed robbery. You say to the judge, "I forgot armed robbery was illegal."

Let's suppose he says back to you, "You have committed a foul crime. you have stolen hundreds and thousands of dollars from people at random, and you say, 'I forgot'?"

Two simple words: Excuuuuuse me!!"

[Teacher317]

My sister smoked daily from her HS sophomore year until halfway through her dual Master’s degrees in Chemistry and Biology at a top-tier Engineering school, carrying a 3.8+ GPA the entire time. Everybody is different.

[calljack]

So, that’s like 3 joints???

[AFreeBird]

Been there, done that, got a whole lot of t-shirts that don’t fit anymore. So glad I walked away from that $#!t.

[Uncle Miltie]

“The Scythians put the Seeds of this HEMP under the bags, upon the burning stones; and immediately a more agreeable vapor is emitted than from the incense burnt in Greece. The Company extremely transported with the scent, howl aloud.”

- Herodotus, “Histories” CA 425 B.C.

[jessduntno]

Heh heh heh ...

[Uncle Miltie]

If you smoke a lot of weed — like a lot of it — it can potentially do permanent damage to your I could totally go for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich right now.

[EEGator]

Fair enough. I don’t advocate either as well. Some people do smoke weed every couple of months, and not daily. IMHO, alcohol has more deleterious effects on society than weed.

[Mariner]

"Don’t you realize - its a MIRACLE DRUG????"

All available evidence suggests it is, just not the cannabinoids that make you high.

CBD is proven to reduce a type of epilepsy seizures in children by 80%.

Others have a proven benefit for Glaucoma patients. Others in boosting natural compounds in the body which fight cancer.

It's also been used effectively to treat PTSD and Depression.

But it's not harmless.

[Blue Collar Christian]

Yeah, man. What kinda jelly you got?

[Mariner]

"Everybody is different."

Everybody starts with a different set of tools.

[The_Media_never_lie]

The dude is stoned in that foto.

[Uncle Miltie]

[samtheman]

IMHO, alcohol has more deleterious effects on society than weed.

---

Before socialism completely took over the Western World, the consensus in that world was just the opposite, that alcohol was the only recreational drug to legalize.

I am just pointing that out, not saying it *proves* anything one way or another.

And certainly, whatever the evils of pot (and I do believe that there are many, especially for young brains in school), they pale in comparison to the evils of the War on Drugs which has become a fast-track to giving the very worst elements in our society incredible amounts of power.

I wish people didnt want to smoke pot, but there is no way I want to militarize my local police and turn the courts into a property-confiscation conspiracy just to stop people from smoking pot.

I dislike pot. I *hate* doors being smashed in by goon squads and houses being confiscated by effete elite fascist judges.

[gridlock]

What happens when you get stoned every single day for five years

Not much...