By Megan Twohey, Danielle Ivory and Carson Kessler The reporters are continuing to examine cannabis policies, use of the drug and the rise of the commercial market.
Published Oct. 4, 2024 Updated Oct. 7, 2024
https://dnyuz.com/2024/10/04/as-americas-marijuana-use-grows-so-do-the-harms/
In midcoast Maine, a pediatrician sees teenagers so dependent on cannabis that they consume it practically all day, every day — “a remarkably scary amount,” she said.
From Washington State to West Virginia, psychiatrists treat rising numbers of people whose use of the drug has brought on delusions, paranoia and other symptoms of psychosis.
And in the emergency departments of small community hospitals and large academic medical centers alike, physicians encounter patients with severe vomiting induced by the drug — a potentially devastating condition that once was rare but now, they say, is common. “Those patients look so sick,” said a doctor in Ohio, who described them “writhing around in pain.”
As marijuana legalization has accelerated across the country, doctors are contending with the effects of an explosion in the use of the drug and its intensity. A $33 billion industry has taken root, turning out an ever-expanding range of cannabis products so intoxicating they bear little resemblance to the marijuana available a generation ago. Tens of millions of Americans use the drug, for medical or recreational purposes — most of them without problems.
But with more people consuming more potent cannabis more often, a growing number, mostly chronic users, are enduring serious health consequences.
The accumulating harm is broader and more severe than previously reported. And gaps in state regulations, limited public health messaging and federal restraints on research have left many consumers, government officials and even medical practitioners in the dark about such outcomes.
Again and again, The New York Times found dangerous misconceptions.
Many users believe, for instance, that people cannot become addicted to cannabis. But millions do.
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https://dnyuz.com/2024/10/04/as-americas-marijuana-use-grows-so-do-the-harms/
decades long daily 24/7 pot smoker. I used it to free myself from even more harmful drinking habits. But for years I lied to myself that I was a nicer person on weed. more peaceful, slept better and enjoyed food much more thoroughly. However I'm almost 1.5 years totally clean and I will say my life is infinitely better w/o the weed. I connect w/ friends and family on a much deeper level. I'm clear headed and present beyond what I've ever known and ultimately I'm not dependent on anything to have a good time.
Yeah, I also have leaned on weed because of being unhappy for other reasons. Now I find although I would like to quit, there are some negative side effects. I have tried a few times for some months but both times 1) I start gaining all kinds of weight. Pot somehow regulates my appetite so I only eat enough to maintain my natural weight. Same exact weight as on my early 20’s. The minute I stop, appetite increases and start getting fat. 2) sexual issues. I find my sex drive crashes and sex is way less enjoyable and performance issues start causing paranoia. With pot, everything works perfectly. And I’m in good shape. Work out six days a week. There is not much I can improve on the fitness side.
If I could figure out how to get around these issues I would quit. Going to give chlorine dioxide a try after I finish a parasite cleanup and see if that can reset things to factory default.
Prayer helped me stop smoking weed, I could not get through the day without it. One night I prayed to Christ and Jesus to help me quit and the next morning my cravings for it were gone.
I have not smoked since then, praise the Lord.
Yes, for sure that is a powerful tool, and I have prayed for direction in quitting without these negative side effects. It’s not cravings or withdrawal or anything that stops me. It’s the negative side effects. I can be pot free tomorrow if I like, but I will also end up fat and impotent lol. It’s not the improvement to my life I am hoping for. So I figure God needs me to help myself so he can help me. So I am eating properly, and working out, and trying to detox my body.
The reason I would like to quit is I just would like everything to work normally on its own. Just don’t like being dependent on something or significant decline in quality of life. Quitting doesn’t have any effect on my relationships with people, my personality, my motivation levels. Maybe I can think clearer, but that only makes a difference if I am being challenged by someone or they are being aggressive or hostile with me and it matters to me like someone important at work. Then my reaction is better, but not so much better that it creates any motivation for me to quit.