I have 2 college degrees and work a blue collar job. I love building things and fabricating things and just going out and doing stuff. It’s extremely apparent to myself and those around me that in the past 2-3 years I’ve been a consistent user that those sorts of ambitions have left. I took a tolerance break a year ago and I built a deck and replaced the transmission on truck. When I use it’s just a routine thing. You get trapped in a routine and you become okay with how things are. You’re being irresponsible by not entertaining the idea that it has an effect on ambition.
There’s a reason why the stereotype for marijuana smokers is lazy high schoolers smoking in a basement. It’s called “amotivational syndrome” and it’s been studied extensively. It’s a thing, and science backs it up. Once again, I smoke every day and will continue to do so, but I can recognize and see that it has negative effects on me. Marijuana inhibits dopamine, you get dopamine releases when you have accomplishments or do things, it’s your bodies way of rewarding itself. When you get huge dopamine releases everyday from smoking you’re no longer chasing those accomplishments or achievements to get the dopamine.
It’s not just me, and when I’m high I’m not trying to motivate myself (who the fuck gets high and tries to do work?). It affects you even when you’re not high. There’s numerous studies saying this exact thing and kinda undeniable at this point and people that continue to deny the negative affects only further delay it’s broad acceptance.