IS POT A REAL BUMMER? STUDY DOESN’T THINK

[Alfa]

IS POT A REAL BUMMER? STUDY DOESN'T THINK SO


UAlbany Professor Part Of Research Linking Drug To Being Less Depressed; Feds Blast Findings


ALBANY -- Why the long face?


Not smoking pot, perhaps?


University at Albany psychology professor Mitchell Earleywine and Thomas F.


Denson, of the University of Southern California, recently completed a study finding that people who smoke marijuana are less depressed than those who never smoke.


The respondents were in three categories: those who have never smoked, daily smokers and weekly smokers. Both daily and regular uses said they were less depressed.


The online study, which involved 4,400 people, was supported by a grant from the Marijuana Policy Project, a group that supports legalizing and regulating the drug. The findings are to be published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.


The findings surprised Earleywine.


"I expected that depression would be even, that the groups wouldn't differ at all," Earleywine said. "I never thought the users would be less depressed."


Federal drug officials said Earleywine's work was biased. A policy analyst for the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy said the UAlbany professor is a committed pot-advocacy researcher whose survey was suspect because too many hard-core users responded to it.


Earleywine co-authored a study in September showing that marijuana use among teenagers falls in states that allow medical marijuana. And, indeed, his latest work flies in the face of other work that has linked marijuana to depression.


He cautioned that his research doesn't mean that weed will make troubles go away. Chances are, the type of person who smokes marijuana just happens to be the type of person who doesn't depress easily.


"They may just have a more mellow attitude about everything," Earleywine said. "So if they're less concerned about cannabis, they're probably less concerned about other things."


The study did find that people who use marijuana for medical reasons are more likely to be depressed than other smokers -- not surprising, perhaps, given that they're smoking because they're sick. They were less depressed overall than nonsmokers, though.


While Earleywine said his research is clear evidence that marijuana doesn't lead to depression, government officials said he was wrong.


"I'm not at all surprised that people who are daily smokers self-report that they feel pretty good," said David Murray, a policy analyst with the White House drug office. Marijuana alters users' body chemistry so they get miserable after they stop, he said.


For anybody out there still tempted to light up to stave off depression, though, Earleywine suggested they shouldn't.


"I don't think that's a good idea," he said. "We've got good cognitive therapies that will treat depression in three months."

[Creeping Death]

I'm much happier since i started smoking. I wouldn't consider it an anti-depressant, but it sure can give you a better look on things. And thats something that sticks for long after the high is gone.

[thegod1]

Normally I just think of all the problems: work tomorrow, need money ect.... But with weed I think much more about life itself and the better things in life...

Ido feel more "unhappy" afterusing weed but IMO it's worth it, and after a day or two, I feel back to normal again.Edited by: thegod1

[Rivet_Head]

Yeah, I get rushes of emotion from high amounts of weedthat may take a while afterwards to comprehend, but most of the time it all ends in me realising that life is actually pretty good.

[bcStoner420]

Marijuana caused me to be constantly depressed unless in the act of smoking or had smoked within the last 30 mins. It could be due to legal issues too, but this happened for a long time so i say if it gets to the point where it is your whole lifestyle (like any substance) it can be depressing.

[pokeymcsmot420]

oh no but marijuana doesnt help depression in any way,


people that smoke marijuana just tend to be less depressed people already....


what a load.


if this study were done on some government pill it woudl be a miracle cure for everything from apetite loss andto general unhappiness.





oh yea, despite swims negative attitude at the moment, he has been a much more stable person since he started smoking. no question about it.Edited by: pokeymcsmot420

[bcStoner420]

The thing is your happier when you have pot or are smoking it, as soon as the stash runs dry the first and only thing on ur mind is getting more until you do get it. At least this was my experience of it, and between smoking was not fun at all.

[eski]

I do not think it can cause depression. I think if you are that sort of person to be deprssive it can bring it on more or even bring it out in you but the actual drug it self i dont think is the direct cause. With any drug it changes your state of mind to a good state and then for most a less good state all drugs make you think differently and of course with any drug your looking forward to having it so when its done...well your obviously not in as good a mood but most deal with it, I think its all according to what sort of person you are all drugs make you think more and think from different points of view maybe drugs make you think more in depth at both the good and bad sides of life, its up to the person in question how they choose to deal with its just the same as if you have more of an addictive personality and abuse the drug its not the drug directly its you as a person who has become addicted.Edited by: eski

[Sektor]

depends mate, some get really bad phoebeas and shit, some even get so bad that'll be enough to 'flick the switch', next day their parents charred bodys are discoverd

[PenguinPhreak]

Sektor, care to provide anything to back up those claims?

[Sektor]

yeah mate, ill drop by for a coffee one day and bring my mate wif me aye,

[thegod1]

Originally Posted by Sektor

depends mate, some get really bad phoebeas and shit, some even get so bad that'll be enough to 'flick the switch', next day their parents charred bodys are discoverd

IMO that's downto the person, not the drug. People that are insecure with themselves or something around them shouldn't be using drugs, even if it is only Marijuana.

[bonghed]

well i feel depressed and irritated if i don't have my daily smokes, but that's the same as most daily habbits, but i would (very probably) be less cheerful maybe even less creative without dope