How has long term weed smoking affected your productivity and cognitive abilities?

you are much better off being stoned from pot then addicted to the body destroying pharmaceuticals.

it keeps me stable after having mental issues develop from SLE - aka LUPUS (took years to get to this diagnosis)

IMHO opinion it is due to the pain relief I get for a few hours after medicating, (for years prior I toked on weekends being so busy working and all...) anyhow... it gives me more relief then I can get off ibuprofen/aspirin/Tylenol, yet I resort to the vicodin in times that doesn't help (Dr advised I not take the OC stuff due to my GI issues) BUT mmj does help me enough to stay off them for a couple months at a time, then only use vicodin for a week or two sporadically..hate the idea of getting a physical addiction but those weeks restore me from the amount of rest from not suppressing the pain and nausea..it's exhausting work on the will power.

could be, if you are using a indica heavy strain, those couch lock sessions can tend to dull your sences...but no long term effects (a toker of 35 years, IQ still going up despite SLE)

find a strain with a bit more sativa in it and see how things go...I like a 40/60 hybrid (S/I)

smoking anything long term can cause problems, no ifs ands or buts about that...even vaping all the time could cause problems IMHO, most I can think on edibles is, all the fiber if you ate the buds, could help your GI......but nothing from mmj usage in moderation/needs for relief otherwise

being concerned says to me you will try to keep things in perspective and not just sit around getting high all the time...best of luck to you.

 

A lot of that is myth. I'm a medical marijuana patient and am still able to shred on the guitar repair electronics do web design/graphics design.

 

how can weed make you stupid? some of the most intelligent conversations ive ever had in my entire life, i have my little "stoner moments" where i'll zone out and seem a little retarded at times, but i look at it this way, as long as the pain isnt there and i can lead a somewhat normal life, then so be it. find a hobby, dont just sit around and smoke all day. or medicate later in the evenings. you have to manage your medication just like any other doctor perscribed medicine. i mean seriously, you wouldnt load up on vicodin and go fly a jet eh? or would you?

 

Unfortunately, chronic pain causes memory loss
Chronic Pain May Dim Memory

So, your back pain itself may cause cognitive decline. Narcotic pain relievers also cause memory loss.

 

I would say my work ethic is worse but my memory/physical abilities are far superior.

 

Ive been toking every day since i was 16 and started when i was 12, and so far i havent seen any downsides to it, i actually pulled a 3.3 GPA in my first semester of college, whilst toking every day

 

I'm at the same point as you right now... I take about 5 or 6 rips of hash oil a day and it's barely working anymore. I also have been feeling kinda lazy / lethargic lately. I think it's time for a break for both of us... nothing can always stay good if you do it too much

 

Marijuana has affected me ZERO long term. I have been smoking on and off for over 13 years, and it has not impacted my memory, my productivity, or my immune system.

 

I've been using for over 40 years, that's about as long term as you are going to find at GC!

I have a dang good brain- the fact that my List (1st link in my sig) exists, and that I read and understand the medical studies in them, says to me that cannabis has, at worst, a negligible negative effect on my brain.

I also do genealogy, quilt, write for a newspaper occasionally, and my field of employment is education! Each of which requires different sections of the brain to be used- so far everything is working just fine. I am descended from Charlemagne and 3 medieval (rich, built-a-church-type) saints, my quilts take first or second prize when I enter them, the paper loves my articles and wishes I'd write more, and have you ever started your morning explaining algebra to an absolutely clueless 8th grader?

And about the memory loss, cannabis prevents the buildup and deposition of amyloid plaque- the physical evidence of Alzheimer's. The latest studies indicate cannabinoids actually help the body REMOVE amyloid plaque! Tokers may forget where they put the car keys today, but we will remember our grandkids names tomorrow! I can deal with that!

I find cannabis also "lubricates" my mind- I become more creative. In addition to the quilting and writing, I paint, sculpt in wood and clay, and am a pretty fair cook! (I make great pizzas from scratch!)

There are also several studies in my List (that 1st link in my sig) on "LONG TERM USE" which should reassure you. Hope that helps!



Granny (63 and still tokin' )

 

I have been a daily user for years and I have found that heavy cannabis use does make you feel stupid, but as soon as you stop smoking for a while you're just as mentally sharp as before you started smoking.

 

Can't say I've noticed any negative cognitive changes. If anything, my reading of issues related to medical cannabis opened a whole new way of viewing the world. I have 3 chronic diseases, and have continued to work throughout, no matter how sick I was/am. I have a very involved sports hobby that I partake in and write about. I try not to overdo my amounts of mmj that I use. I don't have any choice in strains, living in a non-mmj state, but if I had that available to me to go to a dispensary, I'd choose a lower THC, higher CBD strain if possible so that I didn't feel too "out of it."

My "motivation" in life to chase material goods has changed. My "trust" of government has changed. All the things they WANT you do blindly do/accept has changed. Is that lack of "motivation" or a realization of what is truly important?

I was never sure if I should even try mj again for my health issues, as I really did abuse cannabis in my younger years. But in a medical application, and trying to use more of a "dose" versus all-out overuse, it has not made me feel too "slow." Some coffee when I wake up has me up to speed. Anything in excess is not good, and I try to remember that with MMJ as well.

My employer cut my hours not because I was a bad/unmotivated employee, but so that they didn't have to offer me benefits and I could be a "cheaper" employee. More and more, there is more wrong with the world than there is anything "wrong" related to cannabis use.

I dunno...I need it for pain too to sleep at night, but 2 grams a day is a lot. Can you use less?? I'd feel pretty out of it too if I used that much a day. Especially if it was really strong stuff.

Your post/writing sounds very "with it" compared to a lot of what I read from supposedly "sober" people or those who drink, etc. Quickness of though does not trump quality of thought. You seem OK to me! Try less. Try a break. If you don't like something, change it if you can.

 

Here is a huge list of over the counter drugs that can cause memory loss


Leo Galland, M.D.: Memory Loss Can Be Caused By Over-The-Counter Drugs

Anticholinergic Medicines and Memory Loss - The Tangled Neuron

 

I have been smoking weed off and on for 38 years, and I honestly do not feel like weed has given me any mental or physical side affects.
I have been prescribed zoloft, simvastatin, and other medications that have affected me far worse than pot ever could have began too, also I have someone close to me that was on morphine(prescribed by the VA), and went through hell trying to get off of it.

 

No. Sativas actually increase my cognitive ability. Reg Pharm drugs are far worse. Brain cells that diminish from green grow back as well.