You hit it right on the head. Not everyone responds the same to its effects. The brain is so vast and complex, we have no idea how each individual person will respond to it over time. In my experiences working with youth everyday, I get to see the negative end of pot.
I agree with everything you said here and above, especially re: the complexity of the brain and the unique way in which marijuana may be addictive. I won’t be surprised, once more studies have been done, if pot turns out to be slightly less addictive than alcohol, though not for the same reasons. We just don’t understand it, the brain, or addiction that well, and my stance has always been we need more studies to better understand marijuana. (It’s hard to do studies on a substance that is illegal, especially one that is laughably categorized as a Schedule 1 drug, but I’d expect our understanding of marijuana to increase greatly in the next two decades.)
Do I think you’re taking a risk of you start using pot regularly? Absolutely. It’s a mind-altering substance that is enjoyable and it’s no secret that prolonged use can affect motivation and memory. If you’re suffering from a mental illness where motivation is already a problem, it’d be a very bad idea to start smoking pot (certainly certain strains).
I also get the perspective of someone working with at risk youth who constantly sees the negative effects of marijuana use in teens. But no one, of course, is advocating its use in teens, and again, I wouldn’t be looking at a developing brain to draw conclusions about whether a substance is safe for adult consumption, or addictive for adults. I could point to many other examples of its safe and responsible use among adults, but any evidence I would give would be anecdotal. Again, I’m leaving it to scientists and mental health professionals to figure out.
What I do not go around doing, as many in this thread are wont to do, is draw conclusions based on little more than hearsay and a superficial view of addiction, as if we can draw grand conclusions from particular cases even when we are not in full possession of the facts. In this particular case, there is no good evidence to suggest Butler actually even uses marijuana, or used it the night before the Super Bowl. As I hope is obvious, what some people take to be evidence for their stance on marijuana is at times laughable.
