I had a friend who was self-medicating her anxiety and bipolar disorder (as I understand it, she only found out about the bipolar disorder some time after she quit smoking). She was pursuing a bachelor's degree at the time and was highly promising in her field, according to her supervisors. But after six months of use, all her academic achievements turned into failures. Plus, during depressive phases, cannabis sometimes made her feel even worse. In the end, after a year of smoking weed, she quit because she realized it was seriously affecting her brain and abilities. And that she could end up completely screwing up her life.
Weed might not directly ruin people’s cognitive ability in a dramatic way, but it can definitely contribute to stagnation, especially for people who are already on the edge of disengaging from life
I knew from my experience that heavy or recent cannabis use can mess with working memory. When I quit smoking, my brain bounced back. So if you need to be sharp for something important, maybe lay off the weed for a bit.
And I think there's also a psychological angle here, for instance when people see that something claims to be zero sugar or low carb, it can trigger a sense of relief or permission to indulge.
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