Young cannabis smokers risk their intellect...

[California Girl]

According to new longitudinal research undertaken by an international team, including both the US and UK, young people smoking cannabis risk lowering their IQ by around 8 IQ points.

Deny it all you want people, the research is there - and this just adds to the evidence... cannabis is not harmless, quite the opposite.

I would draw particular attention to words like "significant" and "irreversible" when talking about the reduction in IQ.

Maybe that's why certain posters here keep defending and denying... they started smoking young and are now too stupid to understand the evidence.

BBC News - Young cannabis smokers run risk of lower IQ, report claims

Young people who smoke cannabis for years run the risk of a significant and irreversible reduction in their IQ, research suggests.

The findings come from a study of around 1,000 people in New Zealand.

An international team found those who started using cannabis below the age of 18 - while their brains were still developing - suffered a drop in IQ.

A UK expert said the research might explain why people who use the drug often seem to under-achieve.

For more than 20 years researchers have followed the lives of a group of people from Dunedin in New Zealand.

They assessed them as children - before any of them had started using cannabis - and then re-interviewed them repeatedly, up to the age of 38.

 

[Swagger]

I read this in the Telegraph this morning. I still smoke a joint now and again, but what these articles continuously fail to mention and/or concede, is that the "cannabis" that's supposedly doing all the damage are the hybrid strains of skunk, which is tenfold more potent than the homegrown weed you can also lay your hands on. Though I admit that experience reminds me that skunk's the preferred product offered by street dealers, and the less powerful stuff has declined in popularity.

 

[bobcollum]

So what?

There are plenty of harmful things everywhere.

 

[martybegan]

According to new longitudinal research undertaken by an international team, including both the US and UK, young people smoking cannabis risk lowering their IQ by around 8 IQ points.

Deny it all you want people, the research is there - and this just adds to the evidence... cannabis is not harmless, quite the opposite.

I would draw particular attention to words like "significant" and "irreversible" when talking about the reduction in IQ.

Maybe that's why certain posters here keep defending and denying... they started smoking young and are now too stupid to understand the evidence.

BBC News - Young cannabis smokers run risk of lower IQ, report claims

Young people who smoke cannabis for years run the risk of a significant and irreversible reduction in their IQ, research suggests.

The findings come from a study of around 1,000 people in New Zealand.

An international team found those who started using cannabis below the age of 18 - while their brains were still developing - suffered a drop in IQ.

A UK expert said the research might explain why people who use the drug often seem to under-achieve.

For more than 20 years researchers have followed the lives of a group of people from Dunedin in New Zealand.

They assessed them as children - before any of them had started using cannabis - and then re-interviewed them repeatedly, up to the age of 38.

Interesting, but correlation still does not prove causation.

 

[Warrior102]

Bobcumminmouth - perfect example of a doped-up stooge.

 

[California Girl]

I read this in the Telegraph this morning. I still smoke a joint now and again, but what these articles continuously fail to mention and/or concede, is that the "cannabis" that's supposedly doing all the damage are the hybrid strains of skunk, which is tenfold more potent than the homegrown weed you can also lay your hands on. Though I admit that experience reminds me that skunk's the preferred product offered by street dealers, and the less powerful stuff has declined in popularity.

Not actually true, but I do see where you're coming from. The major thing with this research is that it's a longitudinal study. That's quite hard data to refute.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Gee, stoners are stupid.

Next thing you know, they'll tell us water is wet....

 

[California Girl]

According to new longitudinal research undertaken by an international team, including both the US and UK, young people smoking cannabis risk lowering their IQ by around 8 IQ points.

Deny it all you want people, the research is there - and this just adds to the evidence... cannabis is not harmless, quite the opposite.

I would draw particular attention to words like "significant" and "irreversible" when talking about the reduction in IQ.

Maybe that's why certain posters here keep defending and denying... they started smoking young and are now too stupid to understand the evidence.

BBC News - Young cannabis smokers run risk of lower IQ, report claims

Young people who smoke cannabis for years run the risk of a significant and irreversible reduction in their IQ, research suggests.

The findings come from a study of around 1,000 people in New Zealand.

An international team found those who started using cannabis below the age of 18 - while their brains were still developing - suffered a drop in IQ.

A UK expert said the research might explain why people who use the drug often seem to under-achieve.

For more than 20 years researchers have followed the lives of a group of people from Dunedin in New Zealand.

They assessed them as children - before any of them had started using cannabis - and then re-interviewed them repeatedly, up to the age of 38.

Interesting, but correlation still does not prove causation.

It kind of does when it's a longitudinal study. That's the point.

 

[martybegan]

According to new longitudinal research undertaken by an international team, including both the US and UK, young people smoking cannabis risk lowering their IQ by around 8 IQ points.

Deny it all you want people, the research is there - and this just adds to the evidence... cannabis is not harmless, quite the opposite.

I would draw particular attention to words like "significant" and "irreversible" when talking about the reduction in IQ.

Maybe that's why certain posters here keep defending and denying... they started smoking young and are now too stupid to understand the evidence.

BBC News - Young cannabis smokers run risk of lower IQ, report claims

Interesting, but correlation still does not prove causation.

It kind of does when it's a longitudinal study. That's the point.

It may make it a stronger point, but there are still many factors that could lead to other things causing the IQ drop, one of which is how IQ changes in measurement between someone who is a child, and someone who is an adult. An 8 pt swing is just above the statistical significance, assuming an average IQ of 100.

That being said I can totally see pot affecting brain development of a person prior to maturity. I guess my pickiness is my general skepticism of studies as a whole.

 

[bobcollum]

Bobcumminmouth - perfect example of a doped-up stooge.

Comparisons between you and me would put some major holes in that study.

 

[California Girl]

Interesting, but correlation still does not prove causation.

It kind of does when it's a longitudinal study. That's the point.

It may make it a stronger point, but there are still many factors that could lead to other things causing the IQ drop, one of which is how IQ changes in measurement between someone who is a child, and someone who is an adult. An 8 pt swing is just above the statistical significance, assuming an average IQ of 100.

That being said I can totally see pot affecting brain development of a person prior to maturity. I guess my pickiness is my general skepticism of studies as a whole.

I suggest you read the actual research - not just the media link that I provided. Do you think researchers are too stupid to factor in the issues you raise? Seriously? I know some of these people... they are not dumb, they do this shit for a living. Denial won't help... it's bad for ya. Simple.

 

[Swagger]

I read this in the Telegraph this morning. I still smoke a joint now and again, but what these articles continuously fail to mention and/or concede, is that the "cannabis" that's supposedly doing all the damage are the hybrid strains of skunk, which is tenfold more potent than the homegrown weed you can also lay your hands on. Though I admit that experience reminds me that skunk's the preferred product offered by street dealers, and the less powerful stuff has declined in popularity.

Not actually true, but I do see where you're coming from. The major thing with this research is that it's a longitudinal study. That's quite hard data to refute.

What's not true?

 

[martybegan]

It kind of does when it's a longitudinal study. That's the point.

It may make it a stronger point, but there are still many factors that could lead to other things causing the IQ drop, one of which is how IQ changes in measurement between someone who is a child, and someone who is an adult. An 8 pt swing is just above the statistical significance, assuming an average IQ of 100.

That being said I can totally see pot affecting brain development of a person prior to maturity. I guess my pickiness is my general skepticism of studies as a whole.

I suggest you read the actual research - not just the media link that I provided. Do you think researchers are too stupid to factor in the issues you raise? Seriously? I know some of these people... they are not dumb, they do this shit for a living. Denial won't help... it's bad for ya. Simple.

Its bad for you if you use it prior to maturity, and yes its bad for you as an adult, but its always the degree of badness that is the tipping point.

I know that researchers qualify the data and use statistical methods to check it, as well as other methods to rule out any other effects. I've used data from plenty of studies and models in my line of work, and you always have to be careful in trusting the numbers too much.

Its just to me a result of 8 IQ points, while substantial, is not a big enough drop to me to prove causation. If you had a 20 pt drop then you would have something.

I do agree that the stoner brigade will have fits over this study though, as it does warrant further research. I always find it comical how much they feel the need to make Pot look like some wonder-drug to rationalize using it. I rationalize using it (a few times a year) by the following:

"It mellows me out, and makes me poop more regularly. "

 

[California Girl]

It may make it a stronger point, but there are still many factors that could lead to other things causing the IQ drop, one of which is how IQ changes in measurement between someone who is a child, and someone who is an adult. An 8 pt swing is just above the statistical significance, assuming an average IQ of 100.

That being said I can totally see pot affecting brain development of a person prior to maturity. I guess my pickiness is my general skepticism of studies as a whole.

I suggest you read the actual research - not just the media link that I provided. Do you think researchers are too stupid to factor in the issues you raise? Seriously? I know some of these people... they are not dumb, they do this shit for a living. Denial won't help... it's bad for ya. Simple.

Its bad for you if you use it prior to maturity, and yes its bad for you as an adult, but its always the degree of badness that is the tipping point.

I know that researchers qualify the data and use statistical methods to check it, as well as other methods to rule out any other effects. I've used data from plenty of studies and models in my line of work, and you always have to be careful in trusting the numbers too much.

Its just to me a result of 8 IQ points, while substantial, is not a big enough drop to me to prove causation. If you had a 20 pt drop then you would have something.

I do agree that the stoner brigade will have fits over this study though, as it does warrant further research. I always find it comical how much they feel the need to make Pot look like some wonder-drug to rationalize using it. I rationalize using it (a few times a year) by the following:

"It mellows me out, and makes me poop more regularly. "

I do get what you mean by not accepting studies. To me, the word gets bandied around so much as to make it meaningless.... but... this is an actual academic study - undertaken by an international team (which means they constantly check each other's work and it is impossible for external influences to play into the findings).... It's longitudinal... which makes it much more solid as the data is more substantial. It's peer reviewed so other researchers have been through it looking for errors... and, its published in a very respected journal. That's pretty solid shit. And... it's not the only research that shows serious impacts on mental health and agility of pot smokers.

But, I don't smoke it so I am much more rational about the outcomes.

 

[Ravi]

There's already a thread on this.

 

[California Girl]

There's already a thread on this.

I did two searches and a 'by eye' search and I couldn't find one.

 

[bobcollum]

http://www.usmessageboard.com/curre...elligence-this-doesnt-surprise-me-at-all.html

 

[California Girl]

http://www.usmessageboard.com/curre...elligence-this-doesnt-surprise-me-at-all.html

Serves me right for having TPS on ignore.... and why the fuck is it in 'current events'? It's not a current event, its a health topic. That woman is bat shit crazy.

 

[California Girl]

I must spread some rep before I bitchslap Ravi again. Dammmmmmmit.

 

[Uncensored2008]

There's already a thread on this.

Yeah, but the op got stoned and forgot she started the other one....

(Just kidding Cali)