# Effects of smoking pot **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2014, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825 "2014-01-03T19:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/21 "2014-01-04T14:16:29Z")
Based on the OP alone, I suspect it also lead to loss of use of the comma. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/22 "2014-01-04T15:17:00Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > What was the second thing? Short term memory loss. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/23 "2014-01-04T18:21:43Z")
I think you should… Wait, what was I was gonna say? …Did you guys hear that!?! ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/24 "2014-01-04T19:09:49Z")
The [effects of marijuana use on cognitive function](http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=396766) would certainly seem likely to make fast-paced gaming less successful, and therefore less pleasurable. [Prolonged use also lowers testosterone levels](http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM197404182901602), which would certainly explain a reduction in sexual desire. So, yes, OP, marijuana use is causing unwanted changes in your life. What are you going to do about it? ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/25 "2014-01-04T21:08:59Z")
Amotivational syndrome is associated with pot use. Id cite but I just dont feel like it atm. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/26 "2014-01-04T21:49:38Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > The [**effects of marijuana use on cognitive function**](http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=396766) would certainly seem likely to make fast-paced gaming less successful, and therefore less pleasurable. If I understand this correctly, it’s short term memory loss. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/27 "2014-01-04T22:27:14Z")
My psycho ex is such an anomaly (thankfully). He smokes more weed than anyone I know (probably more than anyone anyone knows) and has for like 20 years, and he plays basketball all the time and coaches it, does a lot of other active things, is very very sharp, and is always horny. He does these things WHILE high. He did recently quit for like a month, went to treatment for it and everything (by choice), and he said he felt like he was thinking more clearly. Supposedly since then he smokes just sometimes but I doubt that’s true, or if it is, it won’t last. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/28 "2014-01-05T01:37:46Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > My psycho ex is such an anomaly (thankfully). He smokes more weed than anyone I know (probably more than anyone anyone knows) and has for like 20 years, and he plays basketball all the time and coaches it, does a lot of other active things, is very very sharp, and is always horny. He does these things WHILE high. > > He did recently quit for like a month, went to treatment for it and everything (by choice), and he said he felt like he was thinking more clearly. Supposedly since then he smokes just sometimes but I doubt that’s true, or if it is, it won’t last. Pot isn’t like booze where the more you drink the higher you get. If he smokes all the time he is barely getting high. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/29 "2014-01-05T02:48:23Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Pot isn’t like booze where the more you drink the higher you get. If he smokes all the time he is barely getting high. I don’t get this. Why would people smoke a lot if they weren’t getting higher from it? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/30 "2014-01-05T03:09:47Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > I don’t get this. Why would people smoke a lot if they weren’t getting higher from it? Because they haven’t learned. They are attempting to get high, after your first smoke of the day everything else just gives a short lived rush. With each smoke the high gets weaker and weaker until after a night sleep then it kind of starts over. It is throwing money away to smoke any closer than about 8 hours to each other. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/31 "2014-01-05T03:28:15Z")
> [@Rowanchilde](#): > > Some people should just not smoke pot. It makes them lazy, stupid or paranoid. In others it stimulates creativity, imagination and enlightenment. > > You clearly fall into the former category… As do many other people (myself included). Fortunately those effects did wear off over time. Now if I partake it is a rare occurrence and I have certainly benefitted from having more creativity, imagination and enlightenment when _not_ doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/32 "2014-01-05T03:41:40Z")
I’m pretty sure that pot affects different people differently; maybe it’s related to DNA and is like that cilantro taste thing? I have nothing against marijuana, but it’s not for me. It makes me antisocial and therefore really uncomfortable in public. That goes against my normal personality and I just don’t like it. Sometimes I have smoked and been in my comfort zone, only to have strangers introduced to the equation. I can’t handle that. I gave it up decades ago; although I have partaken maybe three times in the last two years when I could guarantee my environment. It still makes me paranoid in most cases. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/33 "2014-01-06T20:33:57Z")
> [@Infamous\_SVT](#): > > …I’m trying to figure out if weed is the true cause… …I began to start loosing interest in stuff… All I really do now is just chill on the couch and watch tv. That sounds like textbook pot smoking. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/34 "2014-01-06T20:52:58Z")
Who knew that inhaling mind-altering particles into your lungs could cause problems? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/35 "2014-01-06T21:22:38Z")
> [@Infamous\_SVT](#): > > Ok I have been smoking weed for about a year now and I have noticed a few changes and I’m trying to figure out if weed is the true cause or is it something else bare with me while I give some details. > > Well about a few months after I started to smoke I began to start loosing interest in stuff for instance I used to be big on fishing well all year I didn’t go but 2 times all year. But previous years I went at least 2 times a week. > > Second went video games I would not go to sleep without playing COD well in July that was gone. > > Third was my sex drive I mean I was the horniest person around I could not go an thirty minutes and not fantasize about sex well that diminished in the past month and that’s really what brought this to my attention because this is not who I am. All I really do now is just chill on the couch and watch tv. Without the clue that you are high on marijuana I would say that you are depressed. You list all of the symptoms of depression. I quit 18 months ago and I don’t regret it … My son still smokes marijuana and he goes fishing, he plays games all of the time and I am not sure about his sex life, but he has not been known to go without for very long. Yep what you have is depression or demon possession, but that’s another subject, uh? Good luck … take a break it won’t hurt you. I still get the munchies and have a sex life and play games without the stuff. You can too 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/36 "2014-01-06T21:55:01Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Based on the OP alone, I suspect it also lead to loss of use of the comma. And the misspelling / misuse of loose and loosing. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/37 "2014-01-06T22:43:09Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > And the misspelling / misuse of loose and loosing. Fortunately, it’s only shoort-term. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/38 "2014-01-08T13:32:21Z")
Any urges to buy lava lamps and Pink Floyd CDs? If so, I’ll join in with “Its the weed” crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/39 "2014-01-09T18:46:31Z")
Turn off the tv! ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825/40 "2014-01-10T16:02:19Z")
Yeah, you sound depressed to me. Why did you start smoking? Is it possible you were already experiencing mild depression and were trying to self-medicate that and now it’s gotten worse? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-smoking-pot/677825.md?page=1)