Avoid marijuana until of age?

[orangeman]

Well I was always told that marijuana is harmless and really poses no harm but should be avoided until the brain is done developing. I just was wondering why exactly is that? I always heard that but never got an explanation for it. Does anyone know why? Does it stunt anything like growth or what...

[40oz]

In undeveloped brains it can possibly cause something called Amotivation syndrome. I don't know how far science has come being able to explain why or even if amotivation syndrome is 100% real, but basically it robs kids of their ambitions and makes them just want to smoke pot.

[CannabisHappiness]

I think it's probably more of a general precaution. Could be wrong thou, but I think it's something like they're still learning new things about our brains, so until their done developing we shouldn't fuck with em. Know what I mean? I read somewhere that a females brain stops developing around age 24 & a males around age 26. But everybody's different.

[orangeman]

Oh I don't have all those years to waste (lol that sounds backwards doesn't it) but yeah I guess I get it. Hopefully I don't develop that syndrome if I haven't yet...I dunno all the lies the government has tried to feed us has caused me to believe a lot of things not to be true about weed.

[bhouncy]

In undeveloped brains it can possibly cause something called Amotivation syndrome. I don't know how far science has come being able to explain why or even if amotivation syndrome is 100% real, but basically it robs kids of their ambitions and makes them just want to smoke pot.

One thing I've found out about my motivation is that as long as something is clear in my mind that I want and I believe I can get it and it seems VERY appealing to have it then the immensely good feelings I get from this fantasy drive me to take action. With respect to cannabis the immensely good feelings I got from it are very similar to that of my powerful fantasy but they were not associated to a future image but rather the effects of cannabis in that moment which in turn meant I could reach my final goal (being high) just by taking more bong hits... for Jesus.

As for brain development I have no idea on that.

[bhouncy]

how old until a brain is developed?

For most politicians it's about 100 years.

[bhouncy]

For most politicians it's about 100 years.

The rest of us it looks about 12 according to this article (http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/05/18/childbrain_hea.html?category=health&guid=20070518101500).

[shh.3kingz]

Well I'll tell you that I've been smoking on and off (off and on) for since I was around 12. And my memory is far worse off than my peers today.
I didn't have any motivation to begin with, though, so I can't really comment on the motivational thing.

[GonzoForever]

After reading about Amotivational syndrome I really don't think they have much support for their claims about this.

Sounds like BS...but I could be completely wrong.

[birdgirl73]

That little artcle was about the brain's almost unlimited capacity for learning, which seems to drop off after the age of 12. That doesn't mean kids can't and don't learn after that. They certainly can. But the uncanny, almost spongelike ability to soak up languages and various other verbal and math skills isn't quite the same after adolescence that it is before. Certain neural pathways shut down and dont continue to expand in the same way that they do before the age of 12.

They used to think the human brain was through developing by 17 or 18, but more recent studies have shown that the final finishing touches are still being put on the frontal lobe, the area that governs reasoning and judgment and impulse control, well in to the early 20s. So now they say the brain's probably not to its fully developed state until 23 or 25.

The precaution against marijuana use until a brain is fully formed is because no one really knows what sort of effects it may have on those developing neural pathways and on the final stages of frontal lobe development. There've been some small-scale studies that have shown moderate cannabis use doesn't appear to interfere with learning or memory. But no one with any sense is going to do a large-scale study of the effects of cannabis on the brains of teenagers simply because it could be too risky. What if, in large-scale testing, they discovered cannabis did indeed affect intellectual development? Ethical scientists don't test substances on teenaged kids, just as they don't test them on fetuses, babies or small children. The stakes are simply too high.

I wish kids would wait to smoke weed till they're 21 or so, but hey, I didn't. And I turned out pretty well in the smarts department. Who knows, though? I might have been an absolute whiz-kid if I'd laid off the grass till was finished with college!

[skatin_foo15]

I havent done any research on it but I have seen some young kids get "burnt out" real bad if they smoke weed alot when there younger. Its pretty sad actually. And I do believe that kids should wait awhile to be atleast 16 to start heavily smoking. But thats just my opinon and I could care less when people start smoking.

[bhouncy]

Well I'll tell you that I've been smoking on and off (off and on) for since I was around 12. And my memory is far worse off than my peers today.
I didn't have any motivation to begin with, though, so I can't really comment on the motivational thing.

I would have a guess that you have a perfect memory but that is just a guess so if you will hear me out I shall explain that tapping into your phenomenal memory is only a matter of practicing activating your recall muscle. I bet you can remember how to roll a joint. I bet you can remember what a bong looks like. When you smell weed smoke how do you know that what it is? If you forgot you would be like "wtf is that smell!" every time you toked. Things you remember are stored as senses. Pictures... sounds... feelings etc. Practice enriching your internal world and your memory will wake up. When you go into a dark room and you can't see anything does that mean there is nothing there? Turn on the light and there are shapes colours and objects. Turn on the stereo and there are rich sounds. It's all there you just got to flick the switch.;)

As for motivation you just have to find out what you really want in life. The people who are highly motivated know exactly what they want and the thought of having it makes them so juiced that they are like a whirlwind in pursuit of their goal.

[FreeVenice]

Do u really want to mess with something as it grows? It's like blowing smoke at your crops before the harvest lol

[orangeman]

Meh I don't know maybe heavy smoking at a young age does have something to do with my learning ability. But I doubt it, I think it just has to do with what I like. I learn about Cannabis easily and it sticks in my brain but I hate school because it just seems like all bull shit. And as for blowing smoke on a plant before harvest..I dunno sorta bad comparison lol. A couple of weeks ago I was smoking in my room blowing smoke through my odor filter to see if it would filter the smoke. That room was very cloudy, I let it clear out though, they are fine lol.

[bhouncy]

That little artcle was about the brain's almost unlimited capacity for learning, which seems to drop off after the age of 12. That doesn't mean kids can't and don't learn after that. They certainly can. But the uncanny, almost spongelike ability to soak up languages and various other verbal and math skills isn't quite the same after adolescence that it is before. Certain neural pathways shut down and dont continue to expand in the same way that they do before the age of 12.

They used to think the human brain was through developing by 17 or 18, but more recent studies have shown that the final finishing touches are still being put on the frontal lobe, the area that governs reasoning and judgment and impulse control, well in to the early 20s. So now they say the brain's probably not to its fully developed state until 23 or 25.

The precaution against marijuana use until a brain is fully formed is because no one really knows what sort of effects it may have on those developing neural pathways and on the final stages of frontal lobe development. There've been some small-scale studies that have shown moderate cannabis use doesn't appear to interfere with learning or memory. But no one with any sense is going to do a large-scale study of the effects of cannabis on the brains of teenagers simply because it could be too risky. What if, in large-scale testing, they discovered cannabis did indeed affect intellectual development? Ethical scientists don't test substances on teenaged kids, just as they don't test them on fetuses, babies or small children. The stakes are simply too high.

I wish kids would wait to smoke weed till they're 21 or so, but hey, I didn't. And I turned out pretty well in the smarts department. Who knows, though? I might have been an absolute whiz-kid if I'd laid off the grass till was finished with college!

I often look back and think how different things would have been if only I'd known what I know now! I think that's a fairly common phenomenon. OK if I'd spent 15 of my first 20 years studying electronics I would be building super computers by now. But it's pretty pointless thinking that way for me because it gives me an internal sigh. So I think "what can I achieve in the next 15 years?". Might as well start now while I've still got my marbles;)

[MacWQ33]

When I was smoking heavily around 15-16, I noticed a bit of a drop off in motivation I guess, but very little. Short term memory was affected as well, but still did great in school, so I didn't care. 5 years later, and I don't really regret it...I don't smoke as much now though, but my memory is unbelievably good, especially my long-term memory. I think it's just when your younger, because there's not much to do anyway, so smoking might just be used as a scapegoat, who knows.

Anyway, I've read Amotivational Syndrome was a myth, but I do definitely think some people can be affected motivation-wise, I just don't think it's an actually 'syndrome' with a name...more like a temporary thing if at all. I think 18 should be 'the age', but the vast majority of people start earlier, so it's whatever. It's up to the individual to figure out if they should start/stop/continue/cut down, because only they know how it positively/negatively effects them.

[beachguy in thongs]

I didn't smoke weed in high school (except three times), and, when I did, everyday, at a college, I made the dean's list. Never tried in high school to make the honor roll. Made it to the college on a baseball scholarship.

[WhereDaBudAt]

well i started smoking at 12 or 13 and i think it just makes people alittle slower.

[Spoken Word]

I started young, so I know how fuckin stupid it can make you. Sometimes I feel like I robbed myself of so many oppurtunites because I was fuckin stoned. And also, the come down feels harder at a young age. The burnout feels stronger too. I could have studied and excercised(sp) my mind and maybe even learned more about it like I am now. No instead I abused the weed and it became more important than school or any resposibility. I showed no discipline(sp??) and worst of all i shit on my mother and family.

not only me, every pothead i ran with.

i do not condone underage weed use.....or any drug....
i know most teens smoke anyway though..:rastasmoke:

[Nailhead]

I learn about Cannabis easily and it sticks in my brain but I hate school because it just seems like all bull shit.

This is completely off topic, but that bull shit is what separates those that work shitty jobs they hate all their life, and those that retire early and don't have to rely on social security to take care of them when they are old. Trust me, I had the same attitude as you have and every day I get up for work and deal with the morons in 100 degree weather I wish I took school more seriously than I did.

As for when to start smoking, it's one of those things that everybody says you should start at 18 or 21 or whatever....but nobody does. Most probably start around 15 or so, and it's hard to know exactly how it will effect your life. I would say don't go too heavy on it until you're 23 or older, and pot, (or any drug/substance), should never be the center of your life. Focus on friends, family, your career, and let pot tag along but don't allow it to be the main thing in your life.

[orangeman]

Yeah, I'm going to try and change. This thread sorta made me see a lot of things I never even noticed or thought about before. Maybe I should slow it down..No I'm not going to stop smoking but I'm going to try and regulate it and not do it as heavily as I was doing before. I already stopped smoking heavily but now I think it's only good if I do.

[Oil_Man]

I think it's probably more of a general precaution. Could be wrong thou, but I think it's something like they're still learning new things about our brains, so until their done developing we shouldn't fuck with em. Know what I mean? I read somewhere that a females brain stops developing around age 24 & a males around age 26. But everybody's different.


Probley with waitin till 26 to smoke pot is......

They say that the good die young
Thats why I think that you should have fun when your young
Cos time won't wait for no one
When god calls, you gotta go home...

[Oil_Man]

I started young, so I know how fuckin stupid it can make you. Sometimes I feel like I robbed myself of so many oppurtunites because I was fuckin stoned. And also, the come down feels harder at a young age. The burnout feels stronger too. I could have studied and excercised(sp) my mind and maybe even learned more about it like I am now. No instead I abused the weed and it became more important than school or any resposibility. I showed no discipline(sp??) and worst of all i shit on my mother and family.

not only me, every pothead i ran with.

i do not condone underage weed use.....or any drug....
i know most teens smoke anyway though..:rastasmoke:


My Drug teacher told us that you can smoke weed twice a week an it wont affect your body, but if u smoke everyday like me, the thc will stay on ur braincells.. but if u stop smokin the thc will go off ur braincells.. so weed doesnt kill the cells like alcohal....

[Spoken Word]

That's fine. I don't see your point but it's all good.
School first. Weed's a reward in life. In your case it should be a reward for studying and passing that test:thumbsup:

[Oil_Man]

ya, i learned that from towlie... cuz his gettin high kept gettin him in trouble so he got high to reward him self instead hahaha awsome..

but i was just sayin.. if u smoke weed twice a week.. it wont have any affect on ur body.. so it would be fine to smoke at a young age as long as u dont do it to much

an when ur 20 somthin then smoke all ya want after you have a good job an shit

[40oz]

but i was just sayin.. if u smoke weed twice a week.. it wont have any affect on ur body..


you sure about that one?

[Oil_Man]

you sure about that one?

No im not, thats just what the drug teacher told me...

i never did any studies or anythin.. but i should

[40oz]

Drug teachers don't know anything. They just know what the government tells them they have to tell kids...

Even though it probably good news for the drug culture that smoking weed twice a week every week has no effect on the body, that is seemingly impossible to be true. I'm no doctor or anything either, but it has to do something, even if it is minimal. I'm not saying it is a bad thing either, eating KFC twice a week every week will probably make you fatter, THC will probably make you more mellow.

[Oil_Man]

Well, ya i know its probley not the truth.. but this guy isnt workin for the school, or the gov't he has no connection he used to be a druggy then quit before high school was done an became a hard core alcohalic till 7 years ago or somthin.. an he accually knows his shit

[40oz]

Well I guess when you compare smoking weed twice a week to being a drug addict then yes, it probably won't effect you very much.

[Oil_Man]

lol, he didnt say very much he explained that ur body has time to clean out the thc if u smoke twice a week... cuz weed doesnt kill the cells.. it covers them, but if u smoke everyday or so.. the thc will cover them an eventually will suffocate the cell an kill it.. so if u stop for a few days ur body cleans the cell an the cell lives.. thats just what i was told tho lol so if any one has the 100% truth please do tell

[orangeman]

I don't think it matters how many times you smoke while growing, just need to keep it at a minimum and not heavily. That's what I've came to a conclusion of overall. And I don't believe that smoking heavily causes the chemicals of the cannabinoids to "stay" in your brain, the minute you stop smoking that's when the THC levels decreases. I mean it only makes sense. And wtf did that song that D12 made have anything to do with smoking young lol?

[CRIME IN STEREO]

One thing I've found out about my motivation is that as long as something is clear in my mind that I want and I believe I can get it and it seems VERY appealing to have it then the immensely good feelings I get from this fantasy drive me to take action. With respect to cannabis the immensely good feelings I got from it are very similar to that of my powerful fantasy but they were not associated to a future image but rather the effects of cannabis in that moment which in turn meant I could reach my final goal (being high) just by taking more bong hits... for Jesus.

As for brain development I have no idea on that.

haha thats the funniest thing ive ever heard...and so true....it makes you think alot... or maybe im just too baked...

[ceecee79]

I think it just depends on the person. I didn't start smoking until age 15, which by today's standards, is late. There are kids in my hometown on crack at 12 or 13 now, which is really sad. I can say that I wish I hadn't smoked in high school. I was always good in school, and it came easy for me. Weed just made me care less about it though. I was more worried about who I was going to smoke my next blunt with. I ended up quitting school after 10th grade, but took my GED test and passed with flying colors. I then enrolled in college at 16, but at that stage, didn't take it seriously, and never went to class. Later in life, after having a child, I finished a medical administration program with a 3.81 GPA, and smoked throughout. I am currently enrolled in a biotechnology transfer program, and have a 4.0 after 2 semesters, and I still smoke. I plan to get a B.S. in biology and chemistry with a concentration in pharmaceutical science, and go work for the devil, aka the legal drug companies, but hope to get some things changed in the industry. I have found that I really enjoy chemistry, and the only difference I can tell you is that I am older. I am 28 now, and I'm not obsessed with smoking. I do still enjoy it, just on a different level, and honestly, I think it helps me concentrate when studying for a test. So again, I think it can vary from person to person, but it was not a good thing for me when I was younger. I also debate the memory loss issue, because it has not affected me in that manner. Perhaps those symptoms will come on later, but as of now, smoking 13 years, I have not noticed any memory impairment.

[Gorlax]

its the same as age for alcohol consumption. Alcohol can destroy the brain with abuse if your brain has not fully developed. The brain stops developing around age 21 hence the reason legal drinking age in US is 21. Its not going to change I can guarantee that. So if bud was to be legal expect 21 for legal consumption age!!!

[orangeman]

haha thats the funniest thing ive ever heard...and so true....it makes you think alot... or maybe im just too baked...

No it does make you think a lot, that's for sure :p.