Korean Job Discussion Forums

[paperbag princess]

i don't smoke, but thought this was interesting:
Old ideas up in smoke, pot might help the brain

CTV.ca News Staff

While most addictive drugs, legal or illegal, have been proven to slow down or inhibit the growth of brain cells, a new study shows that marijuana might do just the opposite.

It might still be too early to claim pot smoking makes people smarter, but a new study from the University of Saskatchewan shows that some of the ingredients that make up marijuana can actually stimulate brain cell growth.

The study, headed up by Xia Zhang, an associate professor with the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan, will be published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation in November.

The findings suggest controlled marijuana treatments can increase brain cell growth in the hippocampus area of the brain. The region is associated with learning and memory, as well as anxiety and depression.

The U of S study was performed on rats. They were injected with HU-210, a synthetic "cannabinoid" similar to a group of components found in marijuana, known as THC, but about 100 times the strength. THC is the compound of marijuana that produces the 'high,' sensation in users.

Zhang found that rats treated regularly with HU-210 experienced neurogenesis—they grew new brain cells in the hippocampus area.

Zhang's team believes depression and anxiety may be caused by a lack of brain cell growth in the hippocampal region. If that is true, marijuana, or at least HU-210, could offer a treatment for both depression and anxiety disorders by stimulating the growth of new brain cells.

The reaction is unique among drugs, both legal and illegal, such as alcohol, cocaine or heroine, which actually suppress the growth of new brain cells.

"Most 'drugs of abuse' suppress neurogenesis," said Zhang. "Only marijuana

promotes neurogenesis."

But Zhang is quick to caution the findings don't mean marijuana is a miracle drug. His research has shown that using the drug comes with lots of side affects that aren't positive, such as memory impairment, addiction and withdrawal symptoms. And the version used in the tests was potent and pure. Nothing on the street would compare to it, he said.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051014/marijuana_study_051014/20051014?hub=Health

[Rteacher]

Let's see, "neurogenisis" - that must be Genesis when they were led by Peter Gabriel instead of Phil Collins (...nah)

My experience as a heavy consumer of THC containing products (mostly hashish, Columbian, Jamaican and Acapulcan grass) from 1968-'73 (and none since 11/'73...) is that initially I felt they aided the creative process, but the side effects seemed to be cumulative (and sometimes included paranoia...). Eventually, I felt that the volume of smoke inhaled was somehow blocking oxygen from getting to my brain; and, ultimately, I realized I could attain a higher level of thinking and consciousness (without "mind-altering" drugs) through bhakti yoga's mantra meditation... (The rest is history...)

[endo]

[Rteacher]

I remember the exact date because I joined the Krishna temple in Coconut Grove (Miami) in November of '73 and I stopped all my major bad habits (including smoking cigarettes). I was too busy getting up by 3:30 am, taking cold showers, chanting, reading, attending classes, etc...

THC experiences made me realize that there were different levels of consciousness, and somehow enabled me to really get absorbed into music, art, and philosophy, but the effects varied, and I became too dependent on it (and often paranoid, confused and lethargic...)

LSD was a much more intense "mind-blowing" hallucinatory experience... I would sometimes think that I was getting profound realizations and write them down ... Then - upon re-entry (or "crash-down") to normal consciousness - I'd be disappointed to find that whatever I'd written down essentially had no meaning... On one particularly heavy trip I did have a sense of certitude that my real self - and source of consciousness - was localized in the region of my heart, and that my body was like a mechanical vehicle that was being remote-control driven - while I was just going along for the ride...

Overall, I think that my drug experiences helped me realize that there was something higher than mundane reality - but it came at a high price in terms of increased confusion, physical and mental dangers, and diminished material prospects... Much better to get high naturally through a suitable yoga process that first helps one to control his (or her) own mind and senses - on a gradual, steady path of self-realization and God consciousness...

[endo]

Thanks for sharing your experiences Rteacher. Very interesting.

[nene]

my experience with THC was similar - initially i felt it was helpful for creative endevors and "raising my consciousenss", but after several years of heavy use, it become an energy drain. i also developed side effects including paranoia after several years. and i do feel my memory has been compromised.

i'm not at all anti-drug, but i wanted to post a counter the OP just so folks can make informed decisions. i've read studies (see Chiu-Kai, G. Journal of Neuroscience. 18(14): 5322, for example) that show, in rats, that THC is neurotoxic to hippocampal neurons. the hippocampus is the part of the brain we use for forming and transferring memories to long-term storage, and it's not known whether we can replace killed neurons, so this could be pretty serious. of course, polital factors are always at play in science - i read one study in which, i kid you not, light use was defined as 11 joints per week, moderate use was 44 joints/week, and heavy use was greater than 131 joints per week.

[Hollywoodaction]

[jinglejangle]

Weed made me quite stupid at least.

Obviously enough, I never recovered. ^^;

Of course, I was smoking way way way too much back in the day.

Let's bear in mind, most medicines are also poison. It's all in the dosage.

[Tiny_Tibbo]

Well I'm feeling a little odd about re-joining pot smoking society in a month.

When I first came here I had to get used to losing my nightly routine before bed. I would have dreams of being home and first thing I would always do is make the phone call.....

The dreams eventually stopped and I got used to my new routine. I find it much easier to wake up in the morning now. However, I see no improvement in my memory.

A year ago if you asked me what I wanted when I got off the plane....I would have said you better show up with a fat one....now it's alot further down the list...

Now I'm feeling a little weired...kinda culture shocked about the drastic change of availiblity....

My mind has calmed down alot since comming here....but I find it kinda boring now without the stimulation......

I thought my memory would get better with this year off.....but maybe its my lack of caring that causes me to forget things.....

[eamo]

[peemil]

I'll just go find out for you all.

[Xerxes]

Man, that HU-210 simulation of THC sounds like something else, though.

[Axl Rose]

When ever i smoked pot for the first time in ages, the effects were fantastic for creativity and if I was really lucky it'd produce an almost acid-like experience - certainly in terms of the kinds of thoughts I'd have. Plug in my guitar or keyboard and I'd truly impress myself sometimes! However, the desire to repeat the experience always led to heavy usage and you can kiss goodbye to those trippy, cool effects when you smoke heavily. I guess it's a tolerance thing like with the hard drugs. It doesn't only stop affecting you in those great ways; it turns you into a braindead moron. It was almost like an addiction for me at two or three points in life - toking a pipe or bong as soon as you wake up! Weed + TV or computer games = recipe for having no life whatsover. It really is the lowest form of existence. But....having a smoke with your friends and girlfriends after a night out is SUCH a great thing. Moderation I guess, right?

Needless to say I graduated onto harder stuff in more recent years - heroin, addiction, injecting, overdose, near-death, terrible debts, poor relationships, homelessness, needing to beg junkie friends to sleep on their sofas, which is such a miserable existence it only makes you want to do more gear to block the misery.

whilst I'll almost definitely enjoy drugs again in my life as a one-off or brief flirtation, I'd encourage kids/others generally to stay away. Don't have your first spliff, don't even get started. If I could have my time over again, I'd do my homework, behave in class, show up to work on time, save money, not get fired from all my jobs, basically be a good kid. Thank GOD I can't score in Korea.

[kermo]

That's pretty refreshing guys-- I appreciate your honest perspective. I was sure this was going to be a love-in for the ganja. My perspective, for what its worth, is that marijuana has benefits in terms of pain management and social lubrication (I'm not so sure about the creativity) but its long-term effects are probably undesirable, possibly irreversible.

[Satori]

I note that the folks with negative things to say about pot all smoked heavily for a certain period. I`ve always smoked moderately, socially, eg once a week at most, and in many phases of my life a lot lot less. Consequently I`ve enjoyed each and every joint I`ve had, and have no plans to stop. Sorry! I don`t fit the mould!!!