Marijuana's Effects on Short-Term Memory Are Short-Term Only

One of the biggest knocks against marijuana use since President Dick Nixon's (emphasis on the Dick) call for a "war on drugs" over 30 years ago has been its deleterious effects on what they call "short term memory." As a seasoned high-on of several years, I want to come out in defense of the truth in this matter, and of course in defense of this mostly harmless (and hopefully eventually legal), completely natural substance.

Pot does not affect the effectiveness of your short-term memory in the long term, as many believe. I have not observed this, none of my stoner cohorts have observed this (at least that I can remember asking), and as far as I know, no studies have confirmed this. What it does do, however, is totally obliterate your ability to remember things while you're high.

This is why one can continue to be a perfectly productive member of society while regularly using this drug that isn't nearly as addictive or dangerous as alcohol or tobacco. Do it in moderation, do it on your own time and certainly don't do it while you're trying to write your final for 20th Century American History.

You can, however, continue to do it while you're... say... ordering pizza. Hello? I'll have two deep dishes with mushrooms and green olives. 15 minutes? OK, thanks!

Oh, sorry. I'm using one of those devices that automatically types out what I say. My hands are a little busy doing something else right now.

But what was I talking about? Oh yeah, that's right. The ganja.

It's 4:20 right now as I'm writing this. Isn't that funny?

But anyway, I really don't think weed has had any serious impact on my mental faculties. Sure, I'm a little absent-minded, but I've been that way for as long as I can remember. And I still do really well in school and in work. Ironically, I think it may have actually helped me in life; it serves as a pretty efficient stress reliever at the end of the day.

But as those humorous public service announcements on T.V. emphasize, there certainly are a lot of outright losers who burn the bud. What they fail to realize, however, is that these lazy bums would likely be living in their parents' basement 30 years into their life without any sense of direction with or without cannibus. It's just that the stuff perfectly suits someone who likes to spend the bulk of their free time on the couch. It's a case of correlation, not causation.

If you disagree with me, I'll be happy to debate you on the matter. Perhaps you could come over to my place and hang out with me. You can take a few hits if you like. If not, it's cool. No pressure. But could I perhaps interest you in a slice of pizza or some potato chips? I also have like three flavors of ice cream.

Ice cream.... That sounds good... I'll be back in a couple of minutes.

So in conclusion, one cause of the Great Depression that is usually forgotten and deserves more consideration is the structural weakness of banking in rural American communities. Small banks, especially those with a close relationship to the ailing agriculture industry, were in a constant crisis in the 1920's. The banking system at large was not prepared for this, and this reality was certainly a major contributing factor to the greatest economic crisis in our nation's history.