# Negative aspects of marijuana **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 13, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549 "2018-08-13T21:28:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/21 "2018-08-14T15:46:08Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Sure, but comparing pot to underground gambling parlors? Come on. Over 50% of Americans have tried pot. 50%!!! It’s already _everywhere_. Maybe legalized pot will be everywhere + 1, but I think there’s enough smokers in general circulation on any given day that we can already make some informed opinions of their behavior, and they really don’t seem to be causing any trouble. I think you overestimate the number of regular pot smokers. I would be in that 50% you stated, but I am not part of the market today. If it was legal and I could be convinced that no more paranoia would happen, I might possibly consume it again. But your conclusion does not follow from the premise. Just because X number of people have at one time in their entire lives tried marijuana, does not mean that it is “everywhere.” I’m sure we could do a poll on how many people have “tried” liver and onions when their grandma made them eat it as a kid. That number does not represent current liver and onions consumers. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/22 "2018-08-14T15:51:07Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I think you overestimate the number of regular pot smokers. I would be in that 50% you stated, but I am not part of the market today. If it was legal and I could be convinced that no more paranoia would happen, I might possibly consume it again. > > But your conclusion does not follow from the premise. Just because X number of people have at one time in their entire lives tried marijuana, does not mean that it is “everywhere.” I’m sure we could do a poll on how many people have “tried” liver and onions when their grandma made them eat it as a kid. That number does not represent current liver and onions consumers. Find some data then. [Here’s some](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/12-states-smoking-the-most-marijuana_us_577e900be4b03288ddc58433), Colorado has 21.6% used in the last year, Massachussets has 17.6%. Where’s the threshold where you think reefer madness will become apparent? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/23 "2018-08-14T16:01:46Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Heh. As a resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I’m still relying on the guy in the parking lot, hallowed be his name. > > I smoke daily. When people ask me about “paranoia” or other negative aspects of my drug of choice, I explain how enjoyable paranoia can be. If I’m at a park, high af, and a cop approaches me to ask where I got the hat I’m wearing, I experience some paranoia. But I enjoy it. I _know_ that I’ve been smoking excellent weed, and I _know_ that paranoia is one effect, so I go with it. I discuss my hat, where I got it, alternative brands, etc. I live for the intensity of situations like that because I know I can handle them. 🆒 I would be surprised if you could find many cops in Pennsylvania who would arrest you simply for being high alone. Still, enjoy the “intensity.” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/24 "2018-08-14T16:02:24Z")
I too have felt the ‘dead and insane’ effect of being high. Now I also had lots of positive experiences too, but at least one time in four I’d get paranoid. All that was well over 30 years ago. Now I don’t use it anymore. Note that while growers push strains that they claim have specific effects, those claims are very anecdotal. No matter what strain you smoke, you will get at least 100, and possibly as many as 300 **different** types of cannabinoid and other psychoactive molecules, most of which have never been closely examined for their specific effects on humans. It is definitely a ‘shotgun’ type of drug, and one strain that works one way for one individual may have very different effects on another. So take all advice on pot with a grain of salt. There are many unknowns, and just as many unknown unknowns about what’s in it, and how it works precisely, etc. Note that I don’t oppose legalization. But people need to realize that many claims made about pot are not based on objective scientific study. You pays your money and you takes your chances with it, just like so many other things in life. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/25 "2018-08-14T16:38:45Z")
Right. I’m not saying it is Reefer Madness. Many times all was right with the world. I’m just saying that there are negative things as well. Also, a few times I had the “left-right” reversal. Anyone know what I mean? What’s up with that craziness? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/26 "2018-08-14T16:56:15Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I would be surprised if you could find many cops in Pennsylvania who would arrest you simply for being high alone. Still, enjoy the “intensity.” Oh, I realize that. Still, having grown up in an environment where the police were feared, I get a little increase in heart-rate when I see a dude in blue. Indeed, I’ve been sitting around at a party smoking with a group of “new friends” only to find out that one of the group is a cop. Old habits die hard. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/27 "2018-08-14T17:05:39Z")
In can also contribute to psychotic episodes in the user, especially if the user has a problem already. It highly depends on the person and their chemistry. I’m one of those that have to stay clear of marijuana, as I had a psychotic episode that was likely exacerbated by sustained heavy use. That shit can put you completely out of business mentally for a year or more. The few times I’ve tried it since I’ve gotten symptoms as described in the OP, once to the point of believing I’d lost all my memories. In The Netherlands there’s near consensus among mental health professionals that there’s a link between rising issues with mental health and legalization of marijuana. The incredibly shitty in-patient mental health clinics doesn’t help, of course. For people who doesn’t have that problem, I find excessive use makes most of them incredibly tedious and boring people to be around. “Does anyone have papes?! Papes, anyone?!” I’m not against legalization, btw. Criminalization doesn’t seem to help anyone. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/28 "2018-08-14T17:24:38Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Also, a few times I had the “left-right” reversal. Anyone know what I mean? What’s up with that craziness? You mean when you look in a mirror, raise your left hand, but your mirror image raises his/her _right_ hand? Man, that’s good weed!😃 ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/29 "2018-08-14T18:47:56Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I’m just saying that there are negative things as well. Sure, there are pitfalls and it’s not for everyone. Some people just aren’t compatible with it and that doesn’t need to reflect badly on them. There are plenty of activities which are great for some but a bad idea for others like bungee jumping or nightclubs. > [@UltraVires](#): > > When I was younger and experimented with marijuana, a couple of times, I became paranoid as hell. The very last time I smoked it, I literally thought I was dead and was in hell. > > Is this an issue with legal marijuana? Are we going to have people walking around thinking terrible things, maybe throwing a punch at me because I asked them for directions, but they thought I was robbing them? When you were paranoid as hell, how did you react? How likely were you to punch someone? > [@UltraVires](#): > > A soccer mom will be unlikely to participate in the former, but will do the latter. Likewise, the soccer mom won’t go to Jimmy the pot dealer in Kroger’s parking lot, but might want to get loose on Friday night if she can legally buy it at the dispensary. Right now, that soccer mom gets loose on Friday night by drinking alcohol or taking benzos, both of which are worse for most people than pot. > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I too have felt the ‘dead and insane’ effect of being high. I know you’re dubious of theories about the human mind but what do you think causes that effect? I do worry about a certain percentage of the population which has difficulty handling just about anything and may now increase their consumption of pot. I suppose it might help to lower the bar at which people can be considered unfit to make decisions for themselves and can be treated as legal minors. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/30 "2018-08-14T21:20:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Oh, I realize that. Still, having grown up in an environment where the police were feared, I get a little increase in heart-rate when I see a dude in blue. Indeed, I’ve been sitting around at a party smoking with a group of “new friends” only to find out that one of the group is a cop. Old habits die hard. That I understand completely. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/31 "2018-08-14T21:36:29Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Sure, there are pitfalls and it’s not for everyone. Some people just aren’t compatible with it and that doesn’t need to reflect badly on them. There are plenty of activities which are great for some but a bad idea for others like bungee jumping or nightclubs. My issue is that the pitfalls are never discussed in these type of debates. For the debates, we get the side that states it is a wonder drug, or we get stodgy old bastards like Jeff Sessions criticizing it. I’ve never seen an acknowledgement about this paranoia in any major news source. > [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > When you were paranoid as hell, how did you react? How likely were you to punch someone? Not at all. I was fighting to figure out what was real and what I was imagining. > [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Right now, that soccer mom gets loose on Friday night by drinking alcohol or taking benzos, both of which are worse for most people than pot. Some do. That’s a pretty broad brush there. Some read a book and go to bed. But I agree with you. I don’t think that a person’s type of poison in a free country should be illegal unless there is good reason for it. And since we already tried alcohol prohibition and it didn’t work, we aren’t debating that again. We are debating a change in status for marijuana. I think it is only fair that the entire picture be presented. I’m a first hand witness (and it seems others in this thread are as well) that it is not all wonderful. The last time I smoked, I would not wish that experience on my worst enemy. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/32 "2018-08-14T21:37:08Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Heh. As a resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I’m still relying on the guy in the parking lot, hallowed be his name. > > I smoke daily. When people ask me about “paranoia” or other negative aspects of my drug of choice, I explain how enjoyable paranoia can be. If I’m at a park, high af, and a cop approaches me to ask where I got the hat I’m wearing, I experience some paranoia. But I enjoy it. I _know_ that I’ve been smoking excellent weed, and I _know_ that paranoia is one effect, so I go with it. I discuss my hat, where I got it, alternative brands, etc. I live for the intensity of situations like that because I know I can handle them. 🆒 This strikes me as very Hunter Thompson-esue…in a good way. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/33 "2018-08-14T21:51:33Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > I do worry about a certain percentage of the population which has difficulty handling just about anything and may now increase their consumption of pot. I suppose it might help to lower the bar at which people can be considered unfit to make decisions for themselves and can be treated as legal minors. Ehh… I’m not sure exactly what you want to say here, but my first reaction reading it was to tell you to fuck off. How about rather than making more people powerless, we try to strengthen how they are dealt with after they find out they can’t handle “just about anything” and try to get them self-sufficient again? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/34 "2018-08-14T22:45:07Z")
My observation as an outsider is that heavy “recreational” marijuana use keeps people immature more than any other drug. This doesn’t seem to happen to people who use it for medicinal reasons, although those people are more likely to start using it at older ages, and may not enjoy the high they get from it. I also feel that growing weed for one’s own use is no different from making your own beer or wine. We all know that millions of people out there should not have beer or wine; millions of them (and there’s a lot of overlap) shouldn’t use marijuana either. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/35 "2018-08-14T22:52:55Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > My observation as an outsider is that heavy “recreational” marijuana use keeps people immature more than any other drug. This doesn’t seem to happen to people who use it for medicinal reasons, although those people are more likely to start using it at older ages, and may not enjoy the high they get from it. > > I also feel that growing weed for one’s own use is no different from making your own beer or wine. We all know that millions of people out there should not have beer or wine; millions of them (and there’s a lot of overlap) shouldn’t use marijuana either. Is this correlation or causation? IOW, do the immature people have no qualms with breaking the law and smoking marijuana, or does smoking marijuana contribute to the immaturity? IOW, if legal, would doctors, engineers, and scientists stop off at the local weed shop and toke a few on the way home, or would they largely not change their habits in any event? ---
**Author:** ![Panther\_Modern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@Panther\_Modern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panther_Modern)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/36 "2018-08-15T01:33:33Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > (Raises hand) … here to report the identical experience, though it was many years ago. You also felt like you were in Hell? You must’ve been smoking the good stuff. > [@kayaker](#): > > Heh. As a resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I’m still relying on the guy in the parking lot, hallowed be his name. > > I smoke daily. When people ask me about “paranoia” or other negative aspects of my drug of choice, I explain how enjoyable paranoia can be. If I’m at a park, high af, and a cop approaches me to ask where I got the hat I’m wearing, I experience some paranoia. But I enjoy it. I _know_ that I’ve been smoking excellent weed, and I _know_ that paranoia is one effect, so I go with it. I discuss my hat, where I got it, alternative brands, etc. I live for the intensity of situations like that because I know I can handle them. 🆒 I admire your ability to make the liability of paranoia and make it advantage. I enjoy the stuff as much as the next person, but, sometimes, it triggers my anxiety, and that’s not fun. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/37 "2018-08-15T03:25:40Z")
My problem with smoking weed (which, full disclosure, I’ve never done) is not the weed _per se_ but the _smoking_. Regardless of how benign THC is, compared to nicotine, you’re still inhaling superheated toxic gasses. I’ve brought this up before, and other Dopers (heh) have cited studies showing that marijuana smoke is less toxic than tobacco; but no one’s ever shown me a study that says smoking weed is less toxic than not smoking anything at all. Plus, you’ve got all the same issues of second-hand smoke and annoying people around you with the smell. Obviously, I have less concern about edibles. But I like my smoke-free restaurants, theaters, and airlines, and would hate to see us revert to a nation of puffers. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/38 "2018-08-15T04:01:26Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > My problem with smoking weed (which, full disclosure, I’ve never done) is not the weed _per se_ but the _smoking_. Regardless of how benign THC is, compared to nicotine, you’re still inhaling superheated toxic gasses. I’ve brought this up before, and other Dopers (heh) have cited studies showing that marijuana smoke is less toxic than tobacco; but no one’s ever shown me a study that says smoking weed is less toxic than not smoking anything at all. Plus, you’ve got all the same issues of second-hand smoke and annoying people around you with the smell. > > Obviously, I have less concern about edibles. But I like my smoke-free restaurants, theaters, and airlines, and would hate to see us revert to a nation of puffers. I don’t think you’ll see smoke free areas allowing pot smoking. That hasn’t happened in the states that have legalized it. As to the hazards of the smoke, keep in mind that very few people smoke pot the way they smoke cigarettes. The intake of smoke is much lower in most cases. Yes, I know there are exception, but there were people that smoked 4 packs a day also. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mr.Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Bill)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/39 "2018-08-15T04:45:54Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > That is fucked up, it is not normal or typical in any way, and I’ve never heard anyone else report an experience like this, so I think you either smoked weed that was laced with something much strongers… This seems likely to me. When I was a teenager, I was unable to get high. No matter how much pot I smoked with my friends, I never felt the slightest effect, even though the folks I was smoking with were utterly stoned. Then, during my freshman college year, my roommate got some pot from a connection in Long Island and we smoked some before going to a jazz concert (Oregon/Gary Burton if you’re interested). About a half an hour into the concert, I realized that I was SEEING the music as beautiful, flowing colors. My roommate also had an atypical response to the pot. We figured that it had been laced with something, probably PCP, which was popular at the time. After that experience, I could get high, but it was never like that first time. Really more of a downer than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/40 "2018-08-15T12:31:09Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > I know you’re dubious of theories about the human mind but what do you think causes that effect? No idea. The workings of the human mind are very poorly understood and most models have little actual scientific evidence behind them. It’s just one of those brain things, I guess. It is a commonly reported experience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549.md?page=3)