I don't recall much about Jamaican studies at the moment.

I absolutely agree caffeine has medical value, but it without a doubt carries more risk than cannabis. I use it for migraine headaches myself as well as in special circumstances when I'm genuinely fatigued. Most of the time I use it, it just gives me overwhelming anxiety which is why now I only take it with GABA modulators.

You are speaking of hyperactivity as in ADHD I presume which I have also studied extensively. ADHD is an umbrella diagnosis, but there is a genetic variant of it which arguably falls under the autistic spectrum category, another umbrella condition. As proposed by such models, hyperactivity does not persists into adulthood and ironically the only time caffeine would theoretically be beneficial is during childhood development when hyperactivity is present.

You as a professional adviser can not predict how a user will respond to caffeine. Cannabis effects are very consistent despite the actual experiences people have while using it.

Any pyschoactive drug whether it be cannabis or caffeine is going to influence brain development by definition. It is too early to say for certain, but along with you I think we should be cautious and aware of developmental plasticity and its consequences regarding substance use.

I must say that cannabis anecdotally has been said to be therapeutic for children who have genetic conditions which manifest as developmental conditions such as Autism. I'm optimistic about what the future holds regarding the legality of medicinal cannabis and it is a damn shame individuals with again say Autism are denied effective and relatively safe treatments. Hopefully in the future we will understand cannabis effects on the brain and body more through studying its effects in individuals with autistic spectrum disorders.

As it says in the caffeine wikipedia, there seems to be at least one gene which effects caffeine metabolism. I have sought for explanations as to why individuals experience cannabis differently and aside from their personalities, mood, sate of mind, what-have-you, I'm not aware of an physiological differences amongst individuals that would effect cannabis "tolerance" aside from body mass and fat percentage.

Why would anyone need to detox from cannabis? It isn't toxic.

Even heavy cannabis use doesn't seem to do any sort of harm what so ever. Hell, even ridiculously use of cannabis which only occurs in a laboratory settings with rats isn't dangerous.

	A 2008 study suggested that pregnant women who consume 200 milligrams or more of caffeine per day have about twice the miscarriage risk as women who consume none

Now the ball is in your court.

Cannabis, "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man." “Marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume”
Francis Young American Federal Judge

How is caffeine more dangerous? How is it more likely to cause harm?

It is addictive. Over dosing can be fatal. It has long term effects.

It causes nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching (hyperreflexia), insomnia, headaches, respiratory alkalosis, and heart palpitations.

An impairment of short term memory is not inherently an impairment of long term as you have implied. They are distinct systems.

The effects of cannabis use on short term memory are temporary and entirely reversible.

Cannabis actually has been observed to aid in the creation of new cells in the hippocampus region.

Citation: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/25509

There is a 1,000 character limit to these posts so I can't really link snippets.

Make sure you check out the over use, intoxication, withdraw, and effects on memory of sections on the caffeine wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis

Here is a snippet..

The study allowed the researchers to suggest that caffeine could aid short-term memory when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought, but also to hypothesize that caffeine hinders short-term memory when the train of thought is unrelated. In essence, caffeine consumption increases mental performance related to focused thought while it may decrease broad-range thinking abilities

While cannabis is active in the brain it absolutely does effect memory, but it does not cause dementia thus your wording "memory losses" is not justified. Regardless of what the effects on memory are; how are they harmful? Have you have stopped to think that the such effects are a reason why many people chose to use cannabis as medicine?

There is not a single credible and significant study that suggest cannabis has any long term effects on the brain what so ever. The best studies to date all suggest that if a habitual user abstains for several weeks their brain chemistry changes to a state in which no scientists could determine if they had been a user even if the use was for several decades.

Anyway, I stand firm behind my statement that cannabis is far safer than caffeine.

Actually, I am not funny at all. Seriously, people think I'm too serious, when I'm just having a blast amusing myself. It's a defect in my personality.

It's like this: someone put a picture of swarming locust on the web, saying that it's Alaskan mosquito attack. I've been to Alaska and know that there is no such thing. I reply by saying, 'dude, is that for real? that's so SCARY!!! ' I understand it may not be funny for others.

Hehe I was aware. I am fond of witty ironies, not sour ones, so I was playing on that. Thank you for crediting me for missing the point.

It will get better when/if certain people reply to my post.....

Hello Booko !

Oh, lol, I didn't catch that before.

	Yes, people-watching is one of the most diverting pastimes there is

True :D

How old are your children now? What's been the hardest part about raising them?

And I am still curious about what you said - about your grandmother's and co worker's dreams :P Still wondering..But I'll leave the subject alone if it makes you uncomfortable.

Do you just not say anything? Are you giving them the infamous INTJ stare while they talk? Or are you staring at their "third eye" and nodding your head?

Just read your comment about staring at the third eye when dealing with someone difficult. I once read a book written by a police officer. He said that doing this will unnerve some lawyers in the courtroom too. What effect have you noticed?

	I am overweight, so I much have a lousy diet and no willpower.

You posted this under stereotypes thread.

People are stupid if they assume such things =O

By the way, I just posted a clip from the movie "Constantine" on Jefferson's topic. Even though it's dubbed I think you'll get the gist. Liked the movie, but this clip is particularly witty.

Thanks. I tend to get rather fired up on the topic (third-generation feminist), so in general I avoid forum debates on the subject... but I couldn't let that article slide. Total bilge. Glad to know that the post was well-received. I sometimes get a little over-aggressive when I'm pissed off...