Cannabis smoking 'permanently lowers IQ'

The Telegraph ^ | 8:00PM BST 27 Jul 2012 | By Stephen Adams, Medical Correspondent

[DannyTN]

Teenagers who regularly smoke cannabis are putting themselves at risk of permanently damaging their intelligence, according to a landmark study.

[crazydad]

Ditto. I am not to stupid and I was a hop head in my early years. And my brother now a cop, hop head. So this is pure BS!

[Jemian]

Yes, apparently I do. Subjective, anecdotal stories do not scientific research make.

As for my quick typing and leaving out the key word “have”, I can only plead laziness. Missing that key word completely obscures my intention.

I don’t have the credentials. I never smoked pot or did any illegal substance. Those who have the credentials now, 40 years later, were totally bombed.

[publius911]

Cannabis smoking 'permanently lowers IQ'

I have witnessed the life of quite a few of these who qualify and I don't buy the conclusion.
What is affected is not so much intelligence, but damage to whatever area of the brain handles reasoning power and judgement.
The result often is very intelligent but unpredictable flighty personalities, unable to focus on anything, good or bad, for any length of time.

Frightening personalities result.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Well, it is what it is.

I can't imagine any adult who smokes regularly now would want their own teenager to smoke weed, unless they are utterly depraved.

[Pox]

Absolute nonsense.

[publius911]

So how long have you been using?

[publius911]

But every pot head I know sits on his ass telling me how smart he is....

And always how harmless the stuff is.
The definition of cognitive dissonance, reinforcing the conclusion of the study.

[southernnorthcarolina]

Are they stoopid becuz they smoke, or do they smoke becuz they are stoopid?

Coincidence does not necessarily mean causation.

[Truth is a Weapon]

So that explains California.

[MrEdd]

It is true.

People who never used knew right away that “too stupid to type and “brilliant inventor” on opposite ends of a binary spectrum were not what is posited here.

[ottbmare]

Over on Facebook, one of my friends posted this article. And one of her friends answered, "This is like so completely untrue. I mean, no, really, it does not affect your IQ. It's totally out of your system in some time like 28 days or whatever. I can't remember but you know it really is good for you and Steve Jobs and Bill Gates both smoke all the time and so its stupidddd to think smoking could keep you from thinking cleary and doinganything"

[ottbmare]

Taking a closer look at that photo: that’s not exactly the hand and arm of a straight man, is it. And that bracelet—whoever heard of a heterosexual man wearing a bangle bracelet? Queer as a three-dollar rainbow.

[Cruising For Freedom]

I actually think pot use is largely behind the rise in “mood disorders” that are flooding the disability claims.

I agree with the premise of the article.

Your assertion can be empirically proven. Are the bulk of those new SSDI claims coming from CO and WA?

IMO, Occam's Razor dictates that in an economy that has locked a large pool of people from meaningful employment possibly ever, there are a lot of people desperate to play & win the SSDI lottery on bull claims.

[AlmaKing]

Not getting enough sleep actually really does permanently lower your IQ and dampens your ambition and leads to impaired driving and a number of other things. Let’s make lack of sleep a crime.

[fr_freak]

I actually think pot use is largely behind the rise in “mood disorders” that are flooding the disability claims.

Really? Because I think the rise in claims of "mood disorders" is due to the fact that our ridiculous welfare system hands out free money for having a mood disorder. When it comes to government, any system created to offset a problem will be abused until it becomes a bigger problem than the original one.

[DannyTN]

There does seem to be some correlation there. 1.3M collecting federal disability for ‘mood disorders’; NH second highest percentage (Mass first)

Percentage Pot Use

[Cruising For Freedom]

Oh wow... okay, you’re onto something.

[JediJones]

When it comes to government, any system created to offset a problem will be abused until it becomes a bigger problem than the original one.

I love that line. A really succinct statement of the ineffectiveness of socialism if I've ever heard one.

[Ken H]

You're losing the public on this. From Rasmussen, May 2012:

____________________________________________________________

56% Favor Legalizing, Regulating Marijuana (36% opposed)

A solid majority of voters nationwide favor legalizing and regulating marijuana similar to the way alcohol and tobacco cigarettes are currently regulated. Most also don’t believe it should be a crime for people to smoke marijuana in the privacy of their own homes.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/may_2012/56_favor_legalizing_regulating_marijuana

[Vasilli22]

The Dude abides.