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steveSteve Higgins is a psychology graduate student at an online university. He hopes that the three weeks and $29.95 that he is spending on his Ph.D. will get him a job at a Tier 1 research university. Do online universities have postdocs? Ok...just kidding, Steve is a real graduate student at a real school.


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Smokin' Weed. Is it good or bad for you?!

Category: DrugsMental HealthNeurosciencePsychiatryPsychology
Posted on: October 24, 2007 8:24 AM, by Steve Higgins

bpaaxe.jpgThe anti-drug people want you to think pot will make you go crazy, cause cancer, and do every other hard drug on the planet. The pot heads want you to think that its an all natural feel good drug that wouldn't hurt a fly and will single handedly ease suffering for every single chronic illness. This whole thing leaves us with a whole bunch of confusion?! Who do we believe, the short sighted religious right republicans? Or do we believe a bunch of stoned out hippie freaks?!

As usual the answer is a little of both in regards to mental health:

A new neurobiological study has found that a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, is an effective anti-depressant at low doses. However, at higher doses, the effect reverses itself and can actually worsen depression and other psychiatric conditions like psychosis.

So.. here's the take home message - if you're in an in-patient facility for some sort of psychotic break... don't take a lot of bong hits. However, if you're feeling a little down one day take a couple puffs and you'll feel great. Don't forget the Omni Brain disclaimer though:

The authors are not physicians, psychologists, therapists, sociologists or even remotely funny. The content on this website does not, and is not intended to constitute medical or life advice. It should not be relied upon when making medical (or any) decisions. It is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician, healthcare provider, any anti-psychiatry crank, PETA member, religious figure, AIDS denialist, Holcaust Denier, Scientologist or really any crank at all.

You can find the article in the next issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

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Comments

#1

The effects of synthetic THC is in no way representative of the effects of smoking cannabis which contains at least 29 active compounds which have never been the subject of any controlled testing.

Citing these test results as having any relevance to actual cannabis use is patently wrong

Posted by: guy | October 24, 2007 12:32 PM

#2

wait...


what?

Posted by: Sven DiMilo | October 24, 2007 2:09 PM

#3

I agree with guy. There are 29 delicious ingredients in pot that you don't get in these tests. I have a patent.

Posted by: Brian | October 24, 2007 10:32 PM

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