The found THC in his blood so he must have driving stoned when he killed all those children the school bus 🚸

That’s what the click bait headline blurted out.

But anybody who knows anything about drugs knows that is not how cannabis works. THC is a fat soluble chemical like dioxin, it binds tightly to fats in the body and can be detected long after exposure. This is why it’s so hard to chemically test drivers for intoxication as THC in the blood stream can be detected as much as a month after consumption, long after any intoxicating effects exist.

It’s actually kind of interesting how dioxin and THC are related – their binding mechanisms to fat are similar and the result of the decomposition of certain chemicals after exposure to moderate amounts of heat. Both are carcinogenic and cause cancer too though like anything with cancer it’s one risk factor in many. But that’s beyond the point.

There isn’t a lot of scientific evidence that residual THC as found in the blood bound to fat is acutely intoxicating. But does it have other more subtler impacts? I’ve wondered that a lot. There is little evidence that cannabis is addictive anymore then any other pleasurable activity though it is known in heavy long term usage to dull the minds, especially of the youth.

But can it also make more subtle changes to the brain chemistry? That’s more of a mystery because the human mind even in the modern times remains largely a mystery to the advanced science of today. I know I have really gotten into wildflower identification and pictures this year and really enjoy deep rich colors. While cannabis certainly enhances this by increasing focus and perception on color, I think the impacts are far longer lasting. Is it because of perception gained while high or because something has changed in my brain? Maybe I’ve always been taken aback by beauty but now I find it much more necessary to study the wildflowers and nature every day.