Another update

[zoocoyote]

So...life continues, and with it another election. In short, I was neither surprised nor elated; my overwhelming reaction was "oh thank dog". While I am unhappy with many of Obama's policies, Romney would have been no better in regard to those policies, and struck me as arrogant and morally bankrupt enough to be completely untrustworthy. He comes

Comments

[citrakayah]

Wait, how is it more benign than alcohol? I always thought that, due to the smoke involved, it was less benign than alcohol (but still way more benign than tobacco).

[zoocoyote]

It's definitely true that, if smoked, marijuana increases the risk of lung cancer; any volatile and combustible substance will do that. And it does have negative effects on short-term memory, motivation, and IQ (the latter shown in at least studies of adolescent smokers, whose use of marijuana I don't support anyway). However, when consumed or vaporized, there are only the mental effects

[citrakayah]

Hmm. But very moderate alcohol use also seems to cause in increase in longevity. I read the CBS article on the study involving increased risk of cancer, though, and that involved moderate drinking...

Very interesting. I didn't plan on drinking alcohol in any noticeable amounts in the first place, but I think I need to do some research.

[zoocoyote]

IIRC from that recent study, it stated that there's no threshold effect in this study--apparently the risk of cancer, like with radiation exposure, is elevated in ANY amount above zero. But no, that's not going to stop me from drinking alcohol (or hiking, for that matter