Casual marijuana use linked with brain abnormalities, study finds

[Jeril]

History doesn't teach us that bans don't work, history teaches us the bans that don't work. People never respond well to hammers, you have to use a vise. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, and in four measly years the smoking rate dropped to 80% of its previous steady state, then to 67% in the next four years.

Marijuana will be more difficult because it has a much higher critical mass than tobacco today, but tobacco cigarettes alone have been as high as 40% (see Table 1) in the past and that clearly didn't stop us. Critical mass is strong but it only works as inertia after the growth phase; it's not a force that can push in the other direction, it can only resist pushes. You hit it once with a hammer, you might as well whistle Dixie. You put it in the vise? You inevitably, inexorably win.

Legalizing drugs has sounded like a good idea but any time I talk to anyone who actually does them on a regular basis I quickly go back to rethinking it. The absurdities you hear from those people is just too much and if you legalizes it you'd have a lot more of it floating around. Most people already do plenty of dumb things on their own they don't really need any help in that department.

[Warriorbird]

History doesn't teach us that bans don't work, history teaches us the bans that don't work. People never respond well to hammers, you have to use a vise. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, and in four measly years the smoking rate dropped to 80% of its previous steady state, then to 67% in the next four years.

Marijuana will be more difficult because it has a much higher critical mass than tobacco today, but tobacco cigarettes alone have been as high as 40% (see Table 1) in the past and that clearly didn't stop us. Critical mass is strong but it only works as inertia after the growth phase; it's not a force that can push in the other direction, it can only resist pushes. You hit it once with a hammer, you might as well whistle Dixie. You put it in the vise? You inevitably, inexorably win.

It's some nice thoughts. Unfortunately, you ignore some massive other factors that occurred during the time period. What global priorities might tobacco have pushed towards?

[Latrinsorm]

It's some nice thoughts. Unfortunately, you ignore some massive other factors that occurred during the time period. What global priorities might tobacco have pushed towards?

...Communism? Terrorism? I thought marijuana was the drug that supported terrorists, that's what the government told me and therefore it must be true.

[Warriorbird]

...Communism? Terrorism? I thought marijuana was the drug that supported terrorists, that's what the government told me and therefore it must be true.

Communism going oligarchy capitalism would certainly be part of it.

[Originate]

Here is a follow up...
http://liorpachter.wordpress.com/201...abnormalities/

[cwolff]

Legalizing drugs has sounded like a good idea but any time I talk to anyone who actually does them on a regular basis I quickly go back to rethinking it. The absurdities you hear from those people is just too much and if you legalizes it you'd have a lot more of it floating around. Most people already do plenty of dumb things on their own they don't really need any help in that department.

See what you think of this video. It's long but not boring.

...Communism? Terrorism? I thought marijuana was the drug that supported terrorists, that's what the government told me and therefore it must be true.

You've got to maintain some perspective. We had a terrible problem with wolves back then. They were at the door. Canis and Cannabis? They're almost the same thing.

[Latrinsorm]

I thought it was bears, and that's why student loans (aka usury/ursus) were bad.

Here is a follow up...

If I can offer counter-counter-points:

1. There's no evidence that Dr. Breiter claimed to be a mathematician. To me, some journalist deciding to call him one is more plausibly explained by journalists not being good at the fine arts.

2. A small sample size is not ideal, but it does not mean the practice of case studies is intellectually bankrupt.

3. The majority of users not being casual does not disprove the claim that some were.

4. Correlation vs. causation is a problem with literally every empirical observation ever made. Therefore, your only two choices when citing it are (1) dismissing literally every empirical observation ever made or (2) being a hypocrite.

The issues with the data itself are well put.

[subzero]

A bottle of wine a day is harmless? The evidence suggests otherwise

[Latrinsorm]

A bottle of wine a day is harmless? The evidence suggests otherwise

Speaking of hypocrisy...

[Jeril]

A bottle of wine a day is harmless? The evidence suggests otherwise

I am too lazy to click that link but I have always been told a glass or two, nothing about the whole bottle.