Long-term marijuana use changes brain's reward circuit


So. Now, let's just be clear here. You're comparing the indicators for dependence between weed and a banana? I think even the most ardent of pot heads will give you that one, Einstein. File that shit somewhere super important. But, I'm not even sure that's it. It sounds like at some point they were showing pictures of fruit to nonusers with brain injuries, and then rating their urge to smoke weed. "How about this cantaloupe. Nice, huh? On a scale of 1 to 10, how high do you want to get right now?"

The last sentence of that story is brilliant. "Police may never know what the birthday cake looked like." That cake may as well be Atlantis.

What that implies to me is that if given choice A (marijuana-related) or choice B (non-marijuana-related), users are going to increasingly opt for A because their brain is telling them that this is the more valued reward. That pot use will after time reinforce itself. Should I smoke pot, or go out with my friends? I think I'll smoke pot. Should I do a bong, or look after my kids? I'll do the bong. Smoking cues start to mean more.


The cues are triggering them to want to seek out the "reward." Maybe their body isn't craving it, but their brain is steered that way.

Yeah, I understand the gist of the method, but again, I'm just not sure if we need to test those indicators against the baseline of a banana. Everyone on the planet is probably already willing to give you that one. It may have also concluded that the more you show a stoner a picture of a bong/weed, or suggest marijuana to him, that his urge for marijuana will progressively rise each time...but again: duh?

I'm certain that the study would have the same results if you replaced marijuana with candy, cigarettes, alcohol, nudity, coffee, firearms, high-sodium processed foods, and probably popular retail goods, which doesn't do anything to question or dismiss it's validity, but it does seem a few paces behind plain common sense.

I would guess they are trying to study the argument "pot isn't addictive." And it may be true that addiction is rare in a physical sense (as opposed to nicotine, alcohol), but like the other examples you point out, addiction can be mental. That may seem obvious, but things are studied to actually test common beliefs (which could well be wrong).

Yeah, good point. I guess marijuana advocates could even take it as a good sign if the fed's compass has moved to "it's more addictive than fruit" rather than "it drives the negro men sex mad!"

From another site: "...maybe smoking weed just makes me hate fruit?" I larfed.

Vladimir Putin arrested at Publix

"Should we all be including sperm in our diets?"

Gonna say no.

What the fucking fuck... strange, sad and this woman should be put up against a wall and shot

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/25/health...ent/index.html

What a shitty mom, doing that kind of crap.

Police in Canada have a new punishment for suspected drunk drivers: Listening to Nickelback

I guess Canadia doesn't have the equivalent of the 8th Amendment?

Open defecation is bad for individuals' and society's health. It has been responsible for spread of several diseases and in many cases, crimes against women.


Ummm. I can't figure out if that's meant to imply that a woman will get a beating for shitting in the street, or seeing a woman taking a shit in the street sends Indian men into a rapey lust. I'm assuming both.

Rape, Child Molestation Allegations Would Require Outside Corroboration Under Ridiculous New Hampshire Bill - Hit & Run : Reason.com

Seems like a solid idea.

Already we have a candidate for lede of the year:


https://apnews.com/b26268d1b1714de38...=APSouthRegion

Whoa whoa whoa whoa!!!

I grew up in Columbus. Victory Drive put the "seed" in "seedy."

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlou...wFullText=true

How one 31-year-old paid off $220000 in student loans in 3 years



"If I can have my mother give me a job and condo while my grandparents let me live with them rent free then anybody can do it!"

That is precisely the example that I would give in trying to explain privilege to someone. I mean, look at all she accomplished and how hard she worked versus someone who had to pay rent, work 2 jobs, and take public transportation to try get ahead. It's not even close.

Someone once asked me why should I considered privileged because I've worked hard to get where I am? I explained that if my parents hadn't have laid it out there and supported me when I needed it I never could have. I'd have failed simply because I would've missed too many opportunities.

How in the bloody blue HELL have I never seen this before it was texted to me a few minutes ago????

Leprechaun News Report - YouTube

I joyously remember this video, and then immediately forget about it, every St. Patty's day. It has so many layers. "I want the gold, give ME the gold!"

Sharknado!

Cyclone Debbie dumps bull shark in middle of Queensland road

I'm probably not the only person who IMMEDIATELY thought of this place when I first saw that

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.3159660

New Jersey man high on PCP busted after he stops car in the middle of the Lincoln Tunnel to masturbate

That's a headline that your mood progressively worsens as you go left to right reading it.

Do they really have to have a picture of a pig drooling?

Severed human cocktail toe stolen from Yukon hotel pub - BBC News

It's a cattoestraphy

Bill Cosby to Teach Young People How to Avoid Sexual Assault Charges

Not the Onion.

Man gets run over by bus, gets up, dusts himself off, carries on into bar

CCTV footage shows man hit by bus in Reading - BBC News

That could have ended really badly. He did the best thing and ride the momentum up off the ground; if his feet stuck on the ground it would have been game over.