Things That Make You Go "Far Out, Man"

[davidschroth]

From the most recent Science News, a report on some otherwise suspect research from NIDA claiming that excessive consumption of cannabis might cause heart problems.

The most interesting bit from the research was the definition of heavy consumption - 78 to 350 joints a week.

I really have a difficult time picturing anyone smoking 50 joints a day...

Comments

[webbob.livejournal.com]

You could probably find somebody who'd smoked 50 joints a day, but they probably wouldn't admit to it -- because they wouldn't remember that they'd done it!

[galacticvoyeur.livejournal.com]

You probably wouldn't know them, they never leave their apartments. Or the couch. Dig this: there are both high-functioning potheads and non-functioning potheads, all on this very same planet!

(At current prices, nobody I know can afford to roll joints anymore anyways... )

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

That's actually kind of hilarious. Whoever made up this study (and it MUST have been made up, complete with the imaginary results) must have been basing the definition of "heavy consumption" on studies of cigarette smokers. A cigarette pack has 20 cigs in it, right? So a 2-3 pack a day smoker actually CAN smoke that many cigarettes.

It's these guys...

[madtruk.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkRKY6K47vA

[barondave.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, that much cannabis is likely to cause problems... back problems when you try to pick up your stash.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

Fifty joints a day... Wow, man, I can smoke that... Uh, what were you saying? I think I need a Twinkie... What time is it, dude? Did you hear that? I thought I heard something...

[davidschroth.livejournal.com]

Rather more detail from the item....
Habitual marijuana use increases the blood levels of a protein that has been implicated in heart disease, according to new research in the May Molecular Psychiatry. Down the line, that could mean increased incidence of stroke and heart attack for frequent marijuana users.

The study looked at 18 chronic marijuana users and 24 matched volunteers who did not smoke weed. The heavy users, who were mostly in their early 20s, otherwise healthy and used no other drugs, reported smoking anywhere from 78 to a whopping 350 joints per week. “Basically, that’s what they did all day long,” says Jean Lud Cadet of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Bethesda, Md.

Cadet and his colleagues took blood samples from each group and tested for the presence of multiple disease markers. Those who regularly got stoned had significantly higher levels of apolipoprotein C-III, a protein that prevents the body from breaking down fatty molecules called triglycerides, than the non-users. ApoC-III stops enzymes from chewing up triglycerides and prevents the liver from processing the smaller fragments of the fat. This can boost levels of triglycerides, which have been implicated in heart disease.

My own take is I'd expect some kind of problem to result from smoking that much of anything on a regular basis...

[guppiecat]

Dude, want a joint?
Sure, I've only had one so far today.
-smoke-
Dude, want a joint?
Sure, I've only had two so far today.
-smoke-
Dude, want a joint?
Sure, I've only had, uh, four? so far today.
-smoke-
Dude, want a joint?
Sure, I've only had um, well, six, maybe?
-smoke-
Dude, want a joint?
Sure, why not, the first 10 were good.
-smoke-
Dude, want a joint?
This has got to be my 25th so far today!
-smoke-
Dude, want a joint?
Mumble, burble, 78.
-smoke-
Dude, want a joint?
Gah, 349.24574 joints today!
-smoke-
Dude, want a joint?
No thank you, 351 might mean that I have a problem.
-smoke-


In other news, stoners might not be keeping accurate totals of their consumption. :)

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

Yup. As one health-fanatic friend suggested, that much carbon dioxide would knock out enough red blood cells to do measurable heart damage, precisely as smoking tobacco does. Of course this is, obviously, a Theoretical Study, not a long-term one showing actual results in real people. After following the political situation (as I've been doing recently), I'm almost tempted to volunteer for the long-term version, provided I'd not be in the Control group, and didn't have to pay for the ...errrrm... Medications. Unfortunately, I'm probably not Qualified, on various grounds. *sigh*

[mmagidow.livejournal.com]

DUDE! No problem, man. Have you seen my papers?

[mplspunky.livejournal.com]

Well, now even I think that much is excessive. And when it comes to reefer, I find almost nothing excessive.