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Comment by tomphoolery | Hacker News Reader

To me it's about as strong as the correlation between schizophrenia and _any_ use of psychedelics. THC's effects have more in common with a psychedelic than they do an analgesic or stimulant. It's not a body drug, even if it sometimes makes you feel that way. If we legalized psilocybin nationwide, I would bet money that these kinds of studies would show "correlations" in schizophrenia use among those who have taken mushrooms as well. And they would probably be the similar, if not follow the same exact curve, as what we see for MJ.

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Yes indeed.

I used to think cannabis was relaxing.

Then I started wearing a watch which doubles as a heart-rate monitor.

To be fair, that could be just normal paranoia from smoking too much, or perhaps your body doesn't agree with that strain.

I have what's called a paradoxical reaction to whatever they use to put you under anesthesia. I wake up in a rage, they have to take me out very slowly.

I have a friend like this with marijuana. She finds indicas make her euphoric and energized and creative, when she should be couch-locked with a body high. Until she swapped types she kept getting super anxious and it led her to bad trips. But the benefits outweighed the downsides for her (she was able to eat and sleep normally).

Also- coughing (which you almost certainly will), will raise your heart rate.

So how do we know what is a bad effect of the plant in general? This is worrying to me, and as a marijuana smoker I would really love more studies to be done on it.

Well, no. So there are the occasional 140-160 BPM panic attacks now, so I approach the substance with caution and respect. But that's quite distinct from going from a resting rate of, say, 80 (about my serum maximum of caffeine rate) to a nice 100, while feeling great and getting a bunch of stuff done around the house.

Euphoria and relaxation aren't identical concepts...

Right I got you, for instance I can't smoke sativas as they may cause me to start panicking as well. I was just saying it may have been the strain and how it affected you particularly. Sativas are more euphoric but can cause paranoia etc. Indicas are nore of a relaxed high good for the end of the day. Had you tried Indicas to see of they had the same effect.

Just saying 'marijuana did this to me' without context of the strain or if it was constant across strains isn't super helpful.

Since we are in anecdotal territory, let me state that I’ve been a heavy smoker since I was 13, and I’m 46 now. I find it difficult to concentrate on coding without weed. I have a very low resting heart rate and enjoy hill climbs on my bicycle and am quite fit, motivated, and not lazy, etc.

I generally suffer exclusively the singular negative effect of others finger wagging and disapproval of a rather pleasurable funcional vice or medication or whatever you wish to call it.

I’ve quit a few times for up to a year and always decided consciously to go back. One of the times I left tobacco behind. Countless studies will only ever have access to what users are willing to divulge, to the degree that it’s not an open regulated or at least informed market.

There is an interesting singular fact. Not one single overdose death has ever been conclusively linked to cannabis. The LD50 is something crazy like 15kg in the span of 15 minutes for a 75kg human.

based on my own anecdata i suspect that you're an indica user and that all the schizophrenia links are from sativas

I would be astonished if, in tracking your first tokes of the day on a heart rate monitor, you didn't get around 20bpm faster. While feeling great, I'm sure! I'm not saying for an instant that it's dangerous or bad, but "relaxing", well not in any straightforward way.

A practical application of this is to suggest that those who want to use cannabis for a good night;s sleep, get started two or three hours before bedtime.

I got twenty excellent years out of regular cannabis use. Tradeoffs there were, but worth it.

I'm a lot more sensitive now and sometimes it gives me panic attacks. But even when it doesn't, cannabis consistently raises heart rate and lowers blood pressure, that's just how it works.

I still employ it, carefully, from time to time.

"I'm a lot more sensitive now and sometimes it gives me panic attacks"

Have you tried using the minimal amount of very low-potency weed?

In my experience negative effects like paranoia and panic attacks come from overdose, either by using high-potency weed and/or smoking too much.

Yes, although it's more like "one small puff on a spliff with company" or "minimum viable hit off a cartridge". Sometimes a half of a 5mg gummy, or even a whole one.

Panic attacks are well under a 1 in 20 response now or I just wouldn't bother, since it isn't any fun at all for about 20 (subjectively very long) minutes.

I've always found that psychedelics are a far far different experience than THC, do you have anything to back this up other than "they both make you sorta hallucinate"?

OP made none of the claims you stated. Only that THC/psilocybin had more in common with each other than THC/stimulants.

The psychedelic effects of pot usually come from using edibles or smoking high potency preparations like hash.

The effects also vary from person to person, and even in the same person at different stages of their life.

Hash is high potency?! I've always found it proper mild.

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