A number of my friends on Facebook are decrying the over regulation of the legal cannabis market in Colorado and elsewhere. They seem to overlook the fact that every tool the government uses to regulate gets taken over by the regulated. Regulatory capture.
The answer of course is:
It is ironic that legal pot is giving my leftist friends an education in how government actually works. Well, I’m all for it. Legal pot and deregulation.
Comments
5 responses to “Deregulation”
More dope talk! Dope is for dopes!
I take it your system is devoid of endocannabinoids. That would explain a LOT.
Heaven knows this nation needs more unmotivated slackers willing to indulge in govt benefits and smoking dope.
Scott,
The unmotivation meme has been debunked.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1435998/
Thus, daily use of cannabis does not impair motivation. Its impact on subjective wellbeing is small and may actually reflect lower wellbeing due to medical symptoms rather than actual consumption of the plant.
and:
Yet empirical research on the effects of cannabis on users’ motivation suggests a low incidence of these negative outcomes and numerous alternative explanations for their appearance [3-5].
and:
A review of the laboratory performance research, education data and employment statistics demonstrate little support for symptoms associated with amotivational syndrome. Research on the most straightforward constructs associated with motivation (e.g. goals, focus and general productivity) fail to offer consistent evidence linking cannabis to any deficits.
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Further. Suppose a significant number of outlaw cannabis users are self-medicating for PTSD. PTSD is known to affect motivation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/memory/understand/post_traumatic_stress_disorder.shtml
Bremner’s work is one of most cited papers in PTSD research and he has since shown similar results in victims of child abuse and other non-combat related traumas. What’s clear from these studies is that prolonged exposure to severe stress – and the specific brain chemistry that goes along with it – can cause major structural damage to our brains. The structural damage is probably irreversible though the sufferer may be helped with their symptoms.
PTSD – the symptoms
PTSD can affect people in different ways. Symptoms include:
Changes in sleep patterns or a lack of sleep
Flashbacks – recurrent vivid dreams about the event
Feeling or behaving as if the event were happening again
Changes in behaviour (e.g. short temper)
Changes in feelings about your self-image (e.g. feeling useless, vulnerable)
General numbed senses
Total lack of motivation and feelings of detachment.
Poor concentration
Feeling of Paranoia and guilt
Avoiding any location or activity which could spark recollections of the event
Amnesia for certain aspects of the trauma
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Sound like the description of “typical” pot smokers to you?
Now suppose pot fixes (ameliorates) these symptoms:
Changes in sleep patterns or a lack of sleep
Changes in behaviour (e.g. short temper)
What are you left with?