DOJ Memo on Marijuana Use

[houndawg]

Like I said - been doing exactly that for over 50 years...there's a whole generation's data happening every day.

Yes we can tell. And that would explain things lol..

So what's your excuse?

[kalm]

Yes we can tell. And that would explain things lol..

So what's your excuse?

A few of the most successful and intelligent people I know are dudes in their 70’s who can still smoke my lightweight ass under the table.

I fly fish, play golf and guitar with them or have coffee and learn about the works of Jose Saramago and Cormac McCarthy or discuss the geology of the PNW and ice age floods.

[houndawg]

So what's your excuse?

A few of the most successful and intelligent people I know are dudes in their 70’s who can still smoke my lightweight ass under the table.

I fly fish, play golf and guitar with them or have coffee and learn about the works of Jose Saramago andCormac McCarthy or discuss the geology of the PNW and ice age floods.

Holy shit did he ever change the way I look at the world. That is one bleak mofo...When I read All the Pretty Horses I didn't realize what a light-hearted romantic comedy it was compared Outer Dark, Child of God, and.... Blood Meridian

[89Hen]

https://www.city-journal.org/article/po ... th-hazards

Gosh, if only someone pointed all this out in this thread....

Legalization has now spread to half the country, but these promises have fallen short. Usage, addiction, and mental-health issues are surging, while a violent new black market, dominated by foreign gangs, has emerged, underselling the legal industry.

The study observed that the long-term decline in teen marijuana use had suddenly halted, leading one of the authors to suggest that legalization may be undermining efforts to reduce teen consumption.

Along with higher consumption levels comes a significant increase in pot-associated physical and mental problems, especially among frequent users. About 10 percent of new marijuana consumers will suffer from cannabis-use disorder, and roughly 30 percent of current users show signs of it—an addiction characterized by constant cravings, an inability to cut back, restlessness, dwindling motivation, and difficulties with relationships.

Emergency-room visits for cannabis-related issues, including psychosis, have skyrocketed.

Rather than ending the black market, as proponents claimed would happen, recreational-pot laws have incentivized a new illicit trade—what some call the black market 2.0—notable for the involvement of global criminal gangs.

[kalm]

https://www.city-journal.org/article/po ... th-hazards

Gosh, if only someone pointed all this out in this thread....

Legalization has now spread to half the country, but these promises have fallen short. Usage, addiction, and mental-health issues are surging, while a violent new black market, dominated by foreign gangs, has emerged, underselling the legal industry.

The study observed that the long-term decline in teen marijuana use had suddenly halted, leading one of the authors to suggest that legalization may be undermining efforts to reduce teen consumption.

Along with higher consumption levels comes a significant increase in pot-associated physical and mental problems, especially among frequent users. About 10 percent of new marijuana consumers will suffer from cannabis-use disorder, and roughly 30 percent of current users show signs of it—an addiction characterized by constant cravings, an inability to cut back, restlessness, dwindling motivation, and difficulties with relationships.

Emergency-room visits for cannabis-related issues, including psychosis, have skyrocketed.

Rather than ending the black market, as proponents claimed would happen, recreational-pot laws have incentivized a new illicit trade—what some call the black market 2.0—notable for the involvement of global criminal gangs.

So a financial guy has opinions about weed. Some people have chocolate cake and ribeye substance abuse issues too.

Still far less dangerous than booze. My entire medical team are fine with its use, including my gastroenterologist/transplant surgeon. This is true of many doctors. Heck, both my wife’s and my PCP prescribed it for chronic pain and sleep issues.

[GannonFan]

https://www.city-journal.org/article/po ... th-hazards

Gosh, if only someone pointed all this out in this thread....

So a financial guy has opinions about weed. Some people have chocolate cake and ribeye substance abuse issues too.

Still far less dangerous than booze. My entire medical team are fine with its use, including my gastroenterologist/transplant surgeon. This is true of many doctors. Heck, both my wife’s and my PCP prescribed it for chronic pain and sleep issues.

That's a weird take. Heck, almost any medicine, prescribed properly, with the correct dosage and the correct weaning, is fine. Opioids would fall into that classification too. It's where people misuse the drug, or where prescribers misapply the drug, that things go off the rails. IMO, marijuana should be legal - as you say, just like alcohol. But we're certainly turning a blind eye to the negatives of doing so, especially the impact on youth who who really shouldn't be having access to and using the drug. Just like with alcohol. There's a price to pay for legalization, it doesn't come without some significant negatives.

[kalm]

So a financial guy has opinions about weed. Some people have chocolate cake and ribeye substance abuse issues too.

Still far less dangerous than booze. My entire medical team are fine with its use, including my gastroenterologist/transplant surgeon. This is true of many doctors. Heck, both my wife’s and my PCP prescribed it for chronic pain and sleep issues.

That's a weird take. Heck, almost any medicine, prescribed properly, with the correct dosage and the correct weaning, is fine. Opioids would fall into that classification too. It's where people misuse the drug, or where prescribers misapply the drug, that things go off the rails. IMO, marijuana should be legal - as you say, just like alcohol. But we're certainly turning a blind eye to the negatives of doing so, especially the impact on youth who who really shouldn't be having access to and using the drug. Just like with alcohol. There's a price to pay for legalization, it doesn't come without some significant negatives.

That’s basically my point.

[Bobcat]

A few of the most successful and intelligent people I know are dudes in their 70’s who can still smoke my lightweight ass under the table.

I fly fish, play golf and guitar with them or have coffee and learn about the works of Jose Saramago andCormac McCarthy or discuss the geology of the PNW and ice age floods.

Holy shit did he ever change the way I look at the world. That is one bleak mofo...When I read All the Pretty Horses I didn't realize what a light-hearted romantic comedy it was compared Outer Dark, Child of God, and.... Blood Meridian

Further proof smoking hippy lettuce makes you gay/er

[houndawg]

Holy shit did he ever change the way I look at the world. That is one bleak mofo...When I read All the Pretty Horses I didn't realize what a light-hearted romantic comedy it was compared Outer Dark, Child of God, and.... Blood Meridian

Further proof smoking hippy lettuce makes you gay/er

Thank you for sharing, Bob scat.

[kalm]

Holy shit did he ever change the way I look at the world. That is one bleak mofo...When I read All the Pretty Horses I didn't realize what a light-hearted romantic comedy it was compared Outer Dark, Child of God, and.... Blood Meridian

Further proof smoking hippy lettuce makes you gay/er

That sounds like a you problem.

[Bobcat]

How?

I'm neither!?

Oh wait, you're right, I'm obviously a fascist AND a Russian agent

[89Hen]

That's a weird take. Heck, almost any medicine, prescribed properly, with the correct dosage and the correct weaning, is fine. Opioids would fall into that classification too. It's where people misuse the drug, or where prescribers misapply the drug, that things go off the rails. IMO, marijuana should be legal - as you say, just like alcohol. But we're certainly turning a blind eye to the negatives of doing so, especially the impact on youth who who really shouldn't be having access to and using the drug. Just like with alcohol. There's a price to pay for legalization, it doesn't come without some significant negatives.

That’s basically my point.

And oddly, my point too. You want to make light of it, I want to shine light on it.

[89Hen]

https://scitechdaily.com/todays-weed-is ... re-rising/

Cannabis potency is increasing — The concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has increased fivefold in the last 20 years in Canada from about 4% to 20% in most legal dried cannabis.

High-potency and regular cannabis use is linked to increased risk of psychosis — The risk of psychosis is increased in people using high-potency THC (more than 10% THC), people using it frequently, and those who are younger and male. A history of mental disorders (depression, anxiety, etc.) also appears to increase the risk.

Cannabis-induced psychosis and cannabis use disorder increase the risk of schizophrenia — A recent study of 9.8 million people in Ontario found a 14.3-fold higher risk of developing a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder in people visiting the emergency department for cannabis use and a 241.6-fold higher risk from visits for cannabis-induced psychosis.

[GannonFan]

https://scitechdaily.com/todays-weed-is ... re-rising/

Cannabis potency is increasing — The concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has increased fivefold in the last 20 years in Canada from about 4% to 20% in most legal dried cannabis.

High-potency and regular cannabis use is linked to increased risk of psychosis — The risk of psychosis is increased in people using high-potency THC (more than 10% THC), people using it frequently, and those who are younger and male. A history of mental disorders (depression, anxiety, etc.) also appears to increase the risk.

Cannabis-induced psychosis and cannabis use disorder increase the risk of schizophrenia — A recent study of 9.8 million people in Ontario found a 14.3-fold higher risk of developing a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder in people visiting the emergency department for cannabis use and a 241.6-fold higher risk from visits for cannabis-induced psychosis.

And when you consider that weed even 20 years ago was significantly more potent than the version that came to the forefront in the heyday of the '60's, well, that could certainly be a problem for those who partake.

[UNI88]

https://scitechdaily.com/todays-weed-is ... re-rising/

And when you consider that weed even 20 years ago was significantly more potent than the version that came to the forefront in the heyday of the '60's, well, that could certainly be a problem for those who partake.

Yes, THC in excess is dangerous and should be consumed in moderation, just like alcohol (my son just had a friend of a friend die from alcohol poisoning).

I don't have a problem if the government wants to limit THC potency or require labeling but they shouldn't be in the business of legislating the morality of and access to THC anymore than they should legislate the morality of and access to alcohol.

This is America, not russia or Afghanistan, people should be free to make their own choices on THC usage just like they do with alcohol. Sometimes those choices put them in harms way.

[kalm]

And when you consider that weed even 20 years ago was significantly more potent than the version that came to the forefront in the heyday of the '60's, well, that could certainly be a problem for those who partake.

Yes, THC in excess is dangerous and should be consumed in moderation, just like alcohol (my son just had a friend of a friend die from alcohol poisoning).

I don't have a problem if the government wants to limit THC potency or require labeling but they shouldn't be in the business of legislating the morality of and access to THC anymore than they should legislate the morality of and access to alcohol.

This is America, not russia or Afghanistan, people should be free to make their own choices on THC usage just like they do with alcohol. Sometimes those choices put them in harms way.

It’s stronger but much of it is due to edible use (it hits differently as it’s processed through the stomach, then liver and is usually more of a deeper body type high) as well as a bunch of newbies not knowing how much is enough and/or mixing it with booze.

On the few times I’m higher than I want to be, like many, I just fall asleep.

[GannonFan]

And when you consider that weed even 20 years ago was significantly more potent than the version that came to the forefront in the heyday of the '60's, well, that could certainly be a problem for those who partake.

Yes, THC in excess is dangerous and should be consumed in moderation, just like alcohol (my son just had a friend of a friend die from alcohol poisoning).

I don't have a problem if the government wants to limit THC potency or require labeling but they shouldn't be in the business of legislating the morality of and access to THC anymore than they should legislate the morality of and access to alcohol.

This is America, not russia or Afghanistan, people should be free to make their own choices on THC usage just like they do with alcohol. Sometimes those choices put them in harms way.

Hey, I've never said differently. But yes, going to likley need a lot of labelling going forward, warning stickers, etc. At least more than today.

[houndawg]

So what's your excuse?

A few of the most successful and intelligent people I know are dudes in their 70’s who can still smoke my lightweight ass under the table.

I fly fish, play golf and guitar with them or have coffee and learn about the works of Jose Saramago and Cormac McCarthy or discuss the geology of the PNW and ice age floods.

Snoop Dog, Willie Nelson, and Cheech & Chong are ducking my standing challenge.

(Btw, our little music scene here in the Shawnee supplied the guy playing pedal steel for Wille's son )

[89Hen]

There isn't anybody else to worry about, 89 Clueless; everybody who wants to smoke already does. There is not a pent-up demand 0f potential customers just waiting for the stuff to become legal before they start having a puff. Good grief, son, how do you manage to stay so out of touch?

Pure speculation on your part. If you honestly don't think that there are a bunch of folks who don't smoke pot because it's illegal you are full of shit or stupid. Take your pick.

And I was right on this too. You can call it anecdotal all you want but EVERYWHERE I go these days I smell the stanky weed. Yesterday in my work parking lot... on the way home I stopped by the grocery store, dude smoking in the parking garage... went to a Maryland bball game and walked behind a group of kids smoking... on the way out of the game saw and smelled three more groups on the walk to the car. I have a couple dozen friends that never smoked/vaped/gummied on golf trips, now nearly every one of them does.

[89Hen]

Cannabis companies kicked out of Colorado after reports of liver injuries

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/c ... -injuries/

[89Hen]

https://www.sfgate.com/cannabis/article ... 112945.php

The dire financial status of the city’s cannabis stores — with more than 500 out of LA’s 738 pot companies owing outstanding taxes — has forced the city to take the extreme step of proposing an amnesty program to bail out the industry...

The city’s cannabis companies currently owe the city $400 million in outstanding taxes, with 48 businesses individually owing more than $2 million.

[UNI88]

Study challenges negative cannabis stereotypes, claiming link to brain benefits

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus analyzed cannabis usage, brain scans and cognitive test results for more than 26,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 77, using data from the UK biobank.

The study found that cannabis users — particularly those who reported moderate lifetime usage — showed larger volumes in several brain regions.

"Compared to individuals with no history of cannabis use, those who reported using cannabis showed larger volumes in several brain regions characterized by a high density of cannabinoid (CB1) receptors — regions involved in processes such as memory, information processing and emotion regulation," lead study author Anika Guha, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, told Fox News Digital.

The cannabis users also scored better on cognitive tests that measured learning, processing speed and executive function.

This outcome differs from many previous studies, which have focused on short-term cognitive impairment during or shortly after cannabis use, the researcher pointed out.

[BDKJMU]

It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem

The United States has some of the greatest and most interesting cities in the world — New York, Chicago, San Francisco — and, over the last five or so years, almost all of them have become unpleasant to walk around in thanks to the ubiquitous smell of weed. Truly, it is everywhere — including, most distressingly, wafting through open-air restaurants and sidewalk cafés. There is a reason that the colloquial name for marijuana is “skunk,” and there is a reason that one tries to avoid skunks: They are not, in any circumstance, nice to be around. . . .

Nobody seems to believe that the omnipresent smell of weed is the inevitable consequence of their viewpoint. And they’re right: It’s not. Toleration of the public consumption of marijuana — whether explicit or implicit — is a choice that exists wholly independently of the underlying legal status of the drug. Indeed, when one stops to think about it for a moment, it’s rather peculiar that we have ended up in this position in the first instance. The go-to comparison for cannabis is alcohol. And, in almost every major city in the United States, it is illegal to drink alcohol on the street. How can it possibly be the case that we are more permissive toward a drug that has just been legalized than toward the one that has been a mainstay of our culture (including during Prohibition!) since the beginning of the republic?….

….. In our editorials, we described marijuana addiction and dependence as “relatively minor problems.” Many advocates went further and claimed that marijuana was a harmless drug that might even bring net health benefits. They also said that legalization might not lead to greater use.

It is now clear that many of these predictions were wrong. Legalization has led to much more use. Surveys suggest that about 18 million people in the United States have used marijuana almost daily (or about five times a week) in recent years. That was up from around six million in 2012 and less than one million in 1992. More Americans now use marijuana daily than alcohol……

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/opin ... juana.html

The New York Times Changes Its Tune on Marijuana, at Last
https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morn ... -last/amp/

Channeling 89..

[UNI88]

It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem

The United States has some of the greatest and most interesting cities in the world — New York, Chicago, San Francisco — and, over the last five or so years, almost all of them have become unpleasant to walk around in thanks to the ubiquitous smell of weed. Truly, it is everywhere — including, most distressingly, wafting through open-air restaurants and sidewalk cafés. There is a reason that the colloquial name for marijuana is “skunk,” and there is a reason that one tries to avoid skunks: They are not, in any circumstance, nice to be around. . . .

Nobody seems to believe that the omnipresent smell of weed is the inevitable consequence of their viewpoint. And they’re right: It’s not. Toleration of the public consumption of marijuana — whether explicit or implicit — is a choice that exists wholly independently of the underlying legal status of the drug. Indeed, when one stops to think about it for a moment, it’s rather peculiar that we have ended up in this position in the first instance. The go-to comparison for cannabis is alcohol. And, in almost every major city in the United States, it is illegal to drink alcohol on the street. How can it possibly be the case that we are more permissive toward a drug that has just been legalized than toward the one that has been a mainstay of our culture (including during Prohibition!) since the beginning of the republic?….

….. In our editorials, we described marijuana addiction and dependence as “relatively minor problems.” Many advocates went further and claimed that marijuana was a harmless drug that might even bring net health benefits. They also said that legalization might not lead to greater use.

It is now clear that many of these predictions were wrong. Legalization has led to much more use. Surveys suggest that about 18 million people in the United States have used marijuana almost daily (or about five times a week) in recent years. That was up from around six million in 2012 and less than one million in 1992. More Americans now use marijuana daily than alcohol……

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/opin ... juana.html

The New York Times Changes Its Tune on Marijuana, at Last
https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morn ... -last/amp/

Channeling 89..

That's a marijuana odor problem not a marijuana problem.

I have no problem with marijuana being illegal to consume in public in the same way and places that it's illegal to consume alcohol in public.

Nice job channeling 89.

[kalm]

It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem

The United States has some of the greatest and most interesting cities in the world — New York, Chicago, San Francisco — and, over the last five or so years, almost all of them have become unpleasant to walk around in thanks to the ubiquitous smell of weed. Truly, it is everywhere — including, most distressingly, wafting through open-air restaurants and sidewalk cafés. There is a reason that the colloquial name for marijuana is “skunk,” and there is a reason that one tries to avoid skunks: They are not, in any circumstance, nice to be around. . . .

Nobody seems to believe that the omnipresent smell of weed is the inevitable consequence of their viewpoint. And they’re right: It’s not. Toleration of the public consumption of marijuana — whether explicit or implicit — is a choice that exists wholly independently of the underlying legal status of the drug. Indeed, when one stops to think about it for a moment, it’s rather peculiar that we have ended up in this position in the first instance. The go-to comparison for cannabis is alcohol. And, in almost every major city in the United States, it is illegal to drink alcohol on the street. How can it possibly be the case that we are more permissive toward a drug that has just been legalized than toward the one that has been a mainstay of our culture (including during Prohibition!) since the beginning of the republic?….

….. In our editorials, we described marijuana addiction and dependence as “relatively minor problems.” Many advocates went further and claimed that marijuana was a harmless drug that might even bring net health benefits. They also said that legalization might not lead to greater use.

It is now clear that many of these predictions were wrong. Legalization has led to much more use. Surveys suggest that about 18 million people in the United States have used marijuana almost daily (or about five times a week) in recent years. That was up from around six million in 2012 and less than one million in 1992. More Americans now use marijuana daily than alcohol……

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/opin ... juana.html

The New York Times Changes Its Tune on Marijuana, at Last
https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morn ... -last/amp/

Channeling 89..

Alcohol is not a go to comparison. But you can’t smoke or vape weed in public places including outdoors in WA state just like booze.

None of the weed smokers I know have an issue with this smell. Most actually find it pleasant.

Weed can be psychologically addictive or used to self medicate. However it’s nowhere near as addictive alcohol which is also physically addictive.

An honest article would at the least criticize both but booze cause way more harm on society and the user than weed.

Crap editorial headline and article.