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Rand Paul: Marijuana users lose IQ points and lack motivation

danarhea

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“What I think is that if your kid or one of his friends goes out and gets caught with marijuana, sticking them in prison is a big mistake,” he told Peter Robinson of the Hoover Institution. “So I don’t really believe in prison sentences for these minor non-violent drug offenses, but I’m not willing to go all the way to say it is a good idea either. I think people who use marijuana all the time lose IQ points, I think they lose their drive to show up for work.”

And, with that statement, Rand Paul's base of midnight tokers is gone.

But, seriously, I have a real issue with what Rand Paul said, and I strongly disagree with him. Why? Oh, I dunno. Just not motivated to explain, and besides, I forgot the question.

Article is here.
 
Meh, my score dropped 30 points in roughly a year "albeit I was taking an online test, it was the same one as the first take", without any usage of drugs asides from alcohol use. IQ fluctuates with psychological health, if you say using marijuana is immoral, you might as well say that acquiring depression is also immoral.
 
Maybe not gone, as he said,

What I think is that if your kid or one of his friends goes out and gets caught with marijuana, sticking them in prison is a big mistake

Smart pot smokers, even though there are legions of idiots out there, would find that to be the more important takeaway.
 
While he may have exaggerated, there's no doubt that smoking pot is not a life advantage. Quite the opposite.

The real point is that is should be legal. Lots of things aren't so great for you but they are legal and a personal decision. I'd hate to see marijuana glorified - just legalized.
 
I agree with Rand Paul completely on this subject. If people want to sacrifice their sharp wits to marijuana, let them do so legally.
 
Who cares what his opinion of marijuana side effects are?

It's irrelevant.

What matters is will he legalize it or not - which he apparently will.
 
I make money, I employ people, I pay taxes (albeit against my will), and I smoke marijuana daily. It evidently hasn't affected my motivation.
 
And, with that statement, Rand Paul's base of midnight tokers is gone.

But, seriously, I have a real issue with what Rand Paul said, and I strongly disagree with him. Why? Oh, I dunno. Just not motivated to explain, and besides, I forgot the question.

Article is here.

He should look to the careers of (e.g.) everyone who'e ever made money in Silicon Valley. Pretty much everyone out here smokes pot, and we have by far the strongest economy in the country. Clearly Mr. Paul has managed the remarkable feat of sticking his head entirely up his own arse.
 
He should look to the careers of (e.g.) everyone who'e ever made money in Silicon Valley. Pretty much everyone out here smokes pot, and we have by far the strongest economy in the country. Clearly Mr. Paul has managed the remarkable feat of sticking his head entirely up his own arse.

From the occasional users, sure. The pot culture surrounding them? Deserves its ass kicking.
 
How would you possibly know what your real potential was if you smoke every day? You might have accomplished twice as much as you have. Or not.

...and don't get mad at me. I smoked pot regularly for - believe it or not - 56 years with only a couple of breaks. I still have some for when I have visitors although I rarely smoke alone anymore. But I have experienced growing aphasia - and i suspect the pot. I also wonder what might have become of me if I hadn't loved it so damn much. I did fine - but could I have done finer? A mystery...


I make money, I employ people, I pay taxes (albeit against my will), and I smoke marijuana daily. It evidently hasn't affected my motivation.
 
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From the occasional users, sure. The pot culture surrounding them? Deserves its ass kicking.

Fair enough. Of course it depends on what you mean by pot culture. I'm fully aware that there are plenty of utterly useless people who get baked all day and play video games, but there are quite a lot of people who regularly smoke pot who we shouldn't think of as being meaningfully different from the people who like to have a nice cocktail after work.
 
How would you possibly know what your real potential was if you smoke every day? You might have accomplished twice as much as you have. Or not.

...and don't get mad at me. I smoked pot regularly for - believe it or not - 56 years with only a couple of breaks. I still have some for when I have visitors although I rarely smoke alone anymore. But I have experienced growing aphasia - and i suspect the pot. I also wonder what might have become of me if I hadn't loved it so damn much. I did fine - but could I have done finer? A mystery...

I founded a company in my very early 20's with practically nothing, and within three years we were running 24/7 with over 100 staff in total. If I could have done any better, it wasn't for lack of motivation or effort. I credit marijuana for helping keep me calm and stable throughout the whole thing, there were some very stressful times.
 
Fair enough. I credit marijuana for much of my creativity that made my business successful but still...I'll take a guess and say that you're really, really intelligent so you'll still never know :) for sure if it was because of or spite of.

I'm a Discount Philosopher. This is what I do. No harm intended.



I founded a company in my very early 20's with practically nothing, and within three years we were running 24/7 with over 100 staff in total. If I could have done any better, it wasn't for lack of motivation or effort. I credit marijuana for helping keep me calm and stable throughout the whole thing, there were some very stressful times.
 
I'll take a guess and say that you're really, really intelligent so you'll still never know :) for sure if it was because of or spite of.

I'm not so sure about being really intelligent, but I'm certainly good at what I do, and highly motivated to do it. I guess you're right that we'll never know if that's because of or in spite of my smoking, but either way the point still stands. I smoke lots and lots of weed, and I still work and lead a productive, fruitful existence. :)
 
Yup. Likewise. I still can't bear to recommend it though. I've seen far too many stoner losers to be confident that the pot wasn't a major part of the problem. Let's be grateful that we got away with it.



I'm not so sure about being really intelligent, but I'm certainly good at what I do, and highly motivated to do it. I guess you're right that we'll never know if that's because of or in spite of my smoking, but either way the point still stands. I smoke lots and lots of weed, and I still work and lead a productive, fruitful existence. :)
 
Yup. Likewise. I still can't bear to recommend it though. I've seen far too many stoner losers to be confident that the pot wasn't a major part of the problem. Let's be grateful that we got away with it.

Different strokes for different folks. I'm quite certain if alcohol did the same thing to other people as it does to me, it wouldn't be legal anywhere, ever. Whatever works I guess ;)
 
Yup. Likewise. I still can't bear to recommend it though. I've seen far too many stoner losers to be confident that the pot wasn't a major part of the problem. Let's be grateful that we got away with it.

I'm not so sure about being really intelligent, but I'm certainly good at what I do, and highly motivated to do it. I guess you're right that we'll never know if that's because of or in spite of my smoking, but either way the point still stands. I smoke lots and lots of weed, and I still work and lead a productive, fruitful existence. :)

I smoke a lot as well. The difference is if you do it responsibly, or it becomes a problem. I use it as a reward at night after long days of work, studying, working out, etc. When I'm done for the evening and have no further responsibilities, it's me time.

I haven't seen it effect my brain in a negative fashion at all.
 
I smoke a lot as well. The difference is if you do it responsibly, or it becomes a problem. I use it as a reward at night after long days of work, studying, working out, etc. When I'm done for the evening and have no further responsibilities, it's me time.

I haven't seen it effect my brain in a negative fashion at all.

I'll be honest and say I have a joint at lunchtime occasionally too, depending on how the day is going. I often work in the evening too from home, so the separation between work and play isn't as distinct as it might be for some people.

One thing to note that may be relevant: Everything I described in terms of smoking daily and getting stuff done has been while living in a country where weed is very cheap, but not very strong. There is no hydro here, electricity costs would make it unprofitable compared to the stuff that gets grown in the fields with old fashioned sunlight and water. It's exactly what the name suggests; weed. I get a bit high, but I don't get as physically sedated as the stuff I smoked as a teenager growing up in the UK. I can see how that stuff wouldn't be great for productivity.
 
And, with that statement, Rand Paul's base of midnight tokers is gone.

But, seriously, I have a real issue with what Rand Paul said, and I strongly disagree with him. Why? Oh, I dunno. Just not motivated to explain, and besides, I forgot the question.

Article is here.





Anyone who, like Rand Paul, would have voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act, will never get a vote from me.

That's not the kind of people that I want to see running the USA.

They will never run the USA.

There's just not enough voter support for their wacky ideas.

"Better days are coming." ~ But not for today's out of touch, running out of time, GOP.
 
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I'll be honest and say I have a joint at lunchtime occasionally too, depending on how the day is going. I often work in the evening too from home, so the separation between work and play isn't as distinct as it might be for some people.

One thing to note that may be relevant: Everything I described in terms of smoking daily and getting stuff done has been while living in a country where weed is very cheap, but not very strong. There is no hydro here, electricity costs would make it unprofitable compared to the stuff that gets grown in the fields with old fashioned sunlight and water. It's exactly what the name suggests; weed. I get a bit high, but I don't get as physically sedated as the stuff I smoked as a teenager growing up in the UK. I can see how that stuff wouldn't be great for productivity.




High productivity is only good if you are producing something that is good for humanity.
 
“So I don’t really believe in prison sentences for these minor non-violent drug offenses, but I’m not willing to go all the way to say it is a good idea either. I think people who use marijuana all the time lose IQ points, I think they lose their drive to show up for work.”

That could have just as easily read:


“So I don’t really believe in prison sentences for these minor non-violent alcohol offenses, but I’m not willing to go all the way to say it is a good idea either. I think people who use alcohol all the time lose IQ points, I think they lose their drive to show up for work.”
 
High productivity is only good if you are producing something that is good for humanity.

What sort of communist nonsense is that? High productivity is good if it allows me to make more profit and create more jobs.
 
And, with that statement, Rand Paul's base of midnight tokers is gone.

But, seriously, I have a real issue with what Rand Paul said, and I strongly disagree with him. Why? Oh, I dunno. Just not motivated to explain, and besides, I forgot the question.

Article is here.

I didn't know you dopers had the mental capacity to form opinions anymore. The communist pot zombies of today seem to be a different breed.
 
I didn't know you dopers had the mental capacity to form opinions anymore. The communist pot zombies of today seem to be a different breed.
LOL...

Do you realize your implication?

I suppose you also support prohibition...
 
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