[sam345]

Really poor example for grandchildren etc. Particularly now that plenty of evidence that marijuana can cause psychosis, depression in a subset and a decrease in ambition and drive, and increasingly a cause of traffic accidents.

[mkaic]

Heavy and chronic usage of cannabis is associated with some of these things. I think "plenty of evidence that marijuana can cause {effects}" is somewhat overstating the consensus on the topic.

Like many things in life, cannabis can be enjoyed responsibly or irresponsibly. Irresponsible use is inadvisable and can absolutely ruin your life and the lives of others around you. I see no issue with responsible use, though. All things in moderation. Alcohol, social media, and caffeine all come to mind as examples of other drugs that can be largely safe and enjoyable if used responsibly, but which become dangerous/harmful when moderation is abandoned.

Signed,

a responsible/occasional cannabis user :)

[fpauser]

Even responsible use of cannabis does not per se prevent cannabis psychosis.

[labrador]

This is a narrow minded take. I come from a family of Irish alcoholics. Most of the younger generation uses cannabis instead of drinking and avoids the devastation from alcohol that my generation and older experienced.

[aurareturn]

Counter:

I'm going to guess that it's easier to get addicted to weed than to alcohol due to price, pleasure, and no alcohol hang over.

Kids especially can get addicted to weed much easier than alcohol in my opinion.

I like alcohol but I see alcohol as a social drug. I never drank it alone. I also physically can't drink it too much due to hang over and complete inability to do anything useful after. During covid lockdowns, I was absolutely addicted to weed after I tried it. It had none of the draw backs of alcohol and even more pleasure in the beginning.

I was addicted for a while. It was horrible. I became unmotivated, fat from munchies, didn't talk to family or friends, always asked people I met if they wanted to smoke weed with me, was high during remote work, couldn't remember anything because my memory got very poor, had horrible acid reflux from all the smoke.

Thankfully I was able to remember what life was like before weed.

If you read https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/ you'll see just how many people have been smoking since they were teenagers and are not 30 or 40 and don't remember what life was like.

[almosthere]

If you don't like losing half your IQ points, then I guess this is a narrow minded take.

[echelon]

Lots of substances cause depression, loss of motivation, and lead to mental health issues.

A large percentage of the population enjoys and venerates the activity.

Not everyone is a type-A overachiever. Not everyone is a Puritan who treats their body as a temple.

Some artistic folks thrive on it.

I think it's okay to let people do what they want with their limited time here, but I also think it's okay to call out the potential consequences. We shouldn't be nannies, but we also shouldn't embrace irresponsibility.

I'm something of a prude when it comes to myself, but I don't think I'm better than people who drink or do drugs.

Sometimes it's not bad at all, sometimes it's devastating.

But so are some academic and professional careers.

Circumstance, genetics, situation, and volume all play a role.

We really have no place intervening unless it has gotten out of control and damaged their lives.

[vladms]

Worded like that does not sound very convincing. A lot of things "can cause" the things mentioned (overwork, bad weather, etc.). Maybe the risk is high, but clearer numbers would help. There are countries were smoking marijuana is not that special (The Netherlands) and it is full of depressed people and is quite safe from traffic perspective.

[Apocryphon]

Don’t worry, some of those issues can be addressed with MDMA-assisted therapy and clinical psychedelic treatments.

[oompydoompy74]

I used weed to quit alcohol, lose 50 pounds, and lower my stress after dealing with nerds like you at BigCorp all day. Hush and let people enjoy things. We all end up as worm shit at the end of the day.

[mrits]

I prefer to get all that from alcohol

[5upplied_demand]

Better stop eating all that sugar.

[techblueberry]

You sound fun at parties.