New Evidence Exonerates Post Office

Posted on September 18, 2026 by Ken Goetz

New evidence exonerates Post Office. This new, unexpected development shocks me. I feel compelled to explain this strange new development, and to admit I rushed to judgment too quickly. If you read my last post (see here), you already have all of the facts, each one of which is absolutely correct. Here is a summary of the story.

On August 24, I mailed a package containing a book from Overland Park, KS, to Missoula, MT. That package traveled to Denver, Billings, and then to Missoula, where on August 28, it was sent out to its final destination on Anglers Bend Way. It never got there. Instead it was returned to the Missoula Post Office where it was processed and reprocessed before traveling westward to Spokane and then Portland.

Postman rushing on a bicycle — **Image by RichardsDrawings**

Back to the middle of the country

Having no business in Portland, the package was sent back to my neck of the woods. It disembarked in Olathe, Kansas, a city just south of Overland Park. It then spent a couple of days bouncing around the Kansas City area before ending up in, of all places, Pleasant Hill, Missouri. The Post Office in that town put it out for delivery on September 5. All of these movements have been verified by USPS tracking tracking information.

Here’s more background information. I addressed the book to the daughter of two dear friends of mine, now both sadly deceased. The daughter and her husband had moved to Missoula several years ago after building a lovely home on Anglers Bend Way. They sent me photos showing their lovely pastoral surroundings and expressed how happy they were there. It was their dream home.

Can you guess what comes next?

The USPS gets its share of complaints (see here), but in this case it emerges with little blame.

Postman is late — **Image by TheToonCompany from Pixabay**

The couple and I hadn’t communicated over the past couple of years. I decided to surprise them with the book. I didn’t alert them that it was coming. Okay, those are all of the relevant facts. Are there any Sherlock Holmes reading this and already nodding their heads? If so, you have zeroed in on the problem. It was me!

I should have checked with the couple. If I had, I would have learned that they had decided to leave their idyllic home and surroundings for one overpowering reason: to be near their grandchildren! And where do you think they moved to? Did those of you with Sherlock-like perceptions nail this one as well? The answer? They moved to Pleasant Hill, Missouri!

This new evidence exonerates the Post Office. I concede that. I think the detour to the West Coast was unnecessary, and wasteful, but the package, if things go well, could be picked up tomorrow, although the story isn’t over quite yet.

The couple to whom the book is addressed has been traveling. They arrived back in Pleasant Hill hours ago. They had read my post and assumed the package was meant for them. Time is precious. The Post Office has issued a warning saying that if the item is not arranged for re-delivery before September 19, (today is September 18) it will be returned on September 20. Does that mean it will be returned to the sender? That’s a scary thought. If it does come back to me, it will have traveled thousands of miles for nothing. I’m not sure the little fellow on the cover of the book would be glad to see me. As you read this, cross your fingers.

Post Office warning — **Warning from Post Office**

A Spectacular Post Office Goof

Posted on September 14, 2026September 15, 2026 by Ken Goetz

A spectacular Post Office goof is not that unusual. I described the Post Office’s “Looping Problem” in my last post (see here), but this time I’ll reveal the travels of a package that are almost unbelievable.

Admittedly, the Post Office has been hammered by a lengthening series of blows. Mail volume is markedly reduced. USPS is losing money, and the latest potential blow is Trump’s attempt to make the postal service monitor mail in ballots (See here).

Nevertheless, every business should operate with reasonable efficiency. And a business that earns a significant amount of its revenue by shipping packages should be able to deliver those packages reliably. If only that were true! Here is an example of a spectacular post office goof that borders on the unbelievable.

On August 24, I mailed a package from Overland Park, Kansas, to Missoula, Montana. The package traveled to across the state line to Kansas City, Missouri, before heading westward with stops in Denver, then Billings, and on to Missoula. All seemed to be moving smoothly.

Map showing route of package — **The initial path of my package**

The package arrived at a Missoula Distribution Center in early morning on August 27. The next day it was at a Post Office in Missoula, and at 6:10 AM on August 28, it was out for delivery in area code 59802, the very code to which the package was address. Everything appeared to be working smoothly.

THEN THINGS WENT OFF TRACK

My package was surely within a few miles of its destination when it hit an inexplicable bump. Rather than being delivered, it was “forwarded” and processed and forwarded again until it found itself back at the Missoula Distribution Center. From there, on August 29, it was forwarded to the Spokane Distribution Center, where employees took that hot potato and quickly fired it down to the Portland Distribution Center on August 30. The Oregonians had no use for it. They decided to send the lost little thing back to close to where it started from, the Olathe Distribution Center in Kansas, a city just south of Overland Park where I sent it from. What the ?????

Package being sent back to near from it started from. — **Homeward bound?**

The uncharted journey was not over yet. Olathe shipped it right past me to a Distribution Center in Kansas City, Kansas, which borders Overland Park on the north. Then came a little ping pong. Kansas City, Kansas, flipped it with a forehand across the state line to a Distribution Center in Kansas City, Missouri, which quickly backhanded it back to the Kansas side. Kansas lobbed it back to Missouri, which then conceded the point and sent it to a USPS facility in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, which in turn dashed it off to the Post office in Pleasant Hill. Then (unbelievably) the package was sent out for delivery. Guess what? That did not work! Now that poor mishandled package is available for pickup at 124 Veterans Pkwy Pleasant Hill, MO 64080-9998.

Final trip of package — **Continued wanderings of the little package**

That is not the end of the story. The final notice on the USPS tracking trail is a request (or maybe a demand?) from the Post Office. I’ll paste that notice below. I’ve tried to imagine what the package looks like after being jostled, bumped, and probably tossed a few times while being transported over roughly 4,000 miles to end up withing a short drive from where it started.

Post office demand for my assistance. — **Post Office’s plea (or demand?) for assistance**

Honestly, I don’t know what to do. Should I ask the Post Office to deliver the original package (or at least attempt to), or should I remove the contents (a paperback book), and let the little cowboy on the cover breathe some fresh air, and to recover a bit before he heads out on another potentially disastrous journey? Here’s what he looks like on the cover.

Young Kenneth — **Cover of the well-traveled book**

Do you agree? Was this a spectacular Post Office goof? I’ll try to come up with a more positive post soon.

The Post Office’s “Looping Problem”

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Ken Goetz

The Post Office’s looping problem is crazy. It is totally ridiculous. It needs to be remedied now. I experienced this frustrating problem first hand when I mailed initial copies of my memoir, A Streak of Dakota Dust, to destinations across the country.

What exactly is the problem? Thanks to using the tracking numbers provided by USPS , I discovered that some of my books wandered through absolutely bizarre pathways. For example, one book was sent to Pierre (in the middle of South Dakota) but it ended up in Aberdeen in the northeastern part of the state. It finally came to its senses and looped back to the address on its label. It arrived in Pierre a couple of days late.

Even more frustrating is the continuing journey taken by a book I mailed to Missoula, Montana on August 24. Where did it end up? In Portland, Oregon, where it apparently fumbled around for about a week before being returned to where it had started from, a distribution center in Kansas City, Kansas (I live just south of there in Overland Park, Kansas). Apparently, the book now has jumped across the state line. I just checked the tracking this minute and read the following information on the USPS tracking site: Your item arrived at our KANSAS CITY MO DISTRIBUTION CENTER origin facility on September 3, 2026 at 8:08 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination. So this means the book, mailed a week and a half ago, is again headed to its destination. I hope this time that means to Missoula, Montana, and to the correct address.

These insane events are not rare. A neighbor of mine sent a package to her son in Portland on August 14^th. The package made its way to Portland, but it wasn’t delivered. Nope. It bounced. It came back to the Kansas City distribution center before coming to its senses and heading back west again to Portland. That package finally made it to her son on August 26. The post office’s looping problem is real.

How can this happen?

It’s worth knowing that these wacky examples happened even though the packages were correctly addressed; each package also carried a bar code (as does all priority mail). Both of these methods tell the Post Office exactly where the package is to go. What in the hell is going on?

Why is the Post Office sending a number packages on three journeys (to the destination, back to the origin, and again to the destination) when a single trip would be far less costly and less labor intensive for its workers – not to mention far less frustrating for its customers?” Where is the leadership? What is Postmaster General David P. Steiner doing these days?

Rank and file postal workers know about this fiasco. They even have a name for it. When I told a postal clerk today about these mishaps and asked her whether she had heard of similar cases, she said, “Yes, the looping problem. it happens too often.”

Remember the good old days? “Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds”

Memoir note:

The hardcover version of my newly published memoir, A Streak of Dakota Dust, was delayed by a formatting problem, but that has been solved so now it, along with paperback and eBook, is available for purchase in any bookstore and on Amazon. If you missed my introduction to the book, it can be seen here. Initial feedback from readers has been extraordinarily positive.

Actual receipt of the original bill. It reveals that the entire complex job cost only $23.90 1963 dollars

Inflation: A Personal Lesson

Posted on August 18, 2026 by Ken Goetz

Inflation: a personal lesson. Most of us get them from time to time, those faint echoes from the past that reveal how prices move up over time. My latest lesson came a few days after a house I once lived in was sold and cleaned out. Among the odd items that surfaced was a timeworn bill for repair work done on a Ford Falcon. The slip of paper, well preserved for its age, listed the cost each new part needed, along with the cost of labor involved. The bill was dated 2/21/63.

The parts provided were:

1 set of points: $2.10

1 condenser: $1.00

6 spark plugs: $6.30

1 valve cover gasket: $1.05

1 air filter: $3.95

The work included:

tune motor: $5.00

adjust valves: $3.00

service call + chg bat $1.50

There you have it. My Ford Falcon was newly tuned with new parts and its battery charged, all for the sum of $23.90.

An amazing bargain, right? Or does this historical document simply provide dramatic proof of the ever-shrinking dollar? We all know the answer to that. To document the obvious, I checked the value of the 1963 dollar versus the present day 2026 dollar. Inflation: a personal lesson learned.

The results weren’t pretty. The purchasing power of one 1963 U.S. dollar would be equivalent to $10.92 today. So, that tune-up of my Ford Falcon today, assuming relatively similar costs for parts and labor, would come to 23.90 x 10.92 = $260.99. So my Falcon didn’t sneak by with quite the bargain I first thought it was. See the inexorable trend of inflation in the graph below.

Graph illustrating inflation trend since 1963 — **Source: https://www.inflationtool.com**

Special Note:

I’m pleased to announce that my memoir, A Streak of Dakota Dust, is now available for sale in all bookstores and on Amazon. com, as an eBook, paperback, or hardcover. For a fuller description of the book, along with sample pages, see my earlier post here. One copy of my book has already made its way to Asheville, NC, where a kind person photographed it leaning against the memorial marking the birthplace of Thomas Wolfe. Who knows? If Maxwell Perkins (see here), who famously edited Wolfe’s You Can’t Go Home Again, were still around today, I might have a chance of becoming almost as well-known as Mr. Wolfe.

A Streak of Dakota Dust nestled beside the birthplace of Thomas Wolfe. — **A Streak of Dakota Dust visits Thomas Wolfe’s birthplace**

A request:

If you do read my memoir, I would love to learn your impression of it. Writers need feedback, and I would appreciate the opinion of all readers, either through this website, or as reviewed on Amazon or elsewhere. Many thanks.

Introducing A Streak of Dakota Dust

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Ken Goetz

Introducing A Streak of Dakota Dust. I’m pleased to announce that my memoir is now available for pre-order and will be released on August 11. I’ll tell more about the book after we look at its cover.

This memoir describes my early years during the Great Depression, a time remarkably different from today. As you probably guessed, that’s the lad I once was on the cover, and that’s where I once lived. It’s also the earliest picture I have of me. If any photos were taken when I was a baby, or when I was younger than this, I’ve never seen them.

Many of my boyish adventures are almost unimaginable today. Some of them now would be impossible to even attempt. The back cover of the memoir hints at a few of my unusual exploits. Here’s a look at the paperback version.

Does the back cover provide enough information for you to imagine how unusual my early years were? Any curiosity about what odd adventures might be revealed inside? Does it entice you to see more? To give you a sample of the flavor of the book, I’ve included the opening four pages below.

If these pages leave you wanting to read more, I’d be honored if you pre-ordered the eBook on Amazon or order a hardcover or paperback beginning August 11.

If you’d prefer to order from your local book store, here’s the information you may need:

Library of Congress Control Number: 2026917423

ISBN numbers:

979-8-9969458-0-1 (hardcover)

979-8-9969458-1-8 (paperback)

979-8-9969458-2-5 (eBook)

Help For Our Aging Memories?

Posted on June 26, 2026June 26, 2026 by Ken Goetz

Help for our aging memories? Yes, help may be on the way. A review published this month in JAMA Psychiatry (see here) suggests that an old drug, one that has been is use for 75 years, may slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other forms of dementia, and even mild cognitive impairment. Now that’s news!

This idea excites me. Let’s break it down in semi scientific terms. Current treatments for Alzheimer’s disease target amyloid plaques and abnormal tau proteins, both of which are found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s. As far as I know, these treatments haven’t been very effective.

But that old drug I mentioned, the one that has been used effectively for another brain malady (known as bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness) has been shown to work on brain cells in a number of interesting ways that make those cells work better. That drug is lithium.

Lithium medication — **Lithium capsules**

Experiments show that lithium stabilizes mitochondrial function and reduces oxidative stress. It also promotes the survival of nerve cells and the talk between brain cells (via synaptic transmission).

To make the story even more interesting, we now know that Alzheimer’s disease is far more than just a disease associated with amyloid or tau accumulation. Brain cells in Alzheimer’s are vulnerable to mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired synaptic transmission, just the problems that lithium stabilizes. So it could it help for our aging memories.

Consistent with that possibility are a number of MRI studies of the human brain. Those studies found that lithium preserved gray matter and reversed illness-related atrophy of the hippocampus (that small part of the brain vital for learning and memory). Now that’s impressive! More gray matter and less shrinkage of our hypothalamus should improve our thinking and our memory. Other studies have shown that doses of lithium lower than those used for bipolar disorder can support the growth and survival of both developing and mature nerve cells. Even more help for our aging memories.

**Cartoon of doctor “listening” to hypothalamus is by Conmongt from Pixabay**

The distinguished authors of the article mentioned above (from the University of Pennsylvania College of Medicine, the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative, the NIH, Oxford University, and Yale University) present far more data than I’ve mentioned here. They end with a number of logical conclusions.

First, the data from molecular, cellular, human imaging, epidemiological, and early clinical observations all strongly suggest that lithium may meaningfully slow cognitive decline. (The bits of information I’ve mentioned above clearly support that notion.)

Second, a specific lithium compound (lithium orotate) may be the preferred drug to use for delaying memory loss. That compound can be administered in lower doses than those used for bipolar disorder. Using lower doses of lithium would reduce the likelihood of side effects such as diarrhea, vomiting, drowsiness, muscle weakness, tremors, unsteadiness (See here).

Third, the compelling biological results reported in the article are insufficient to promote lithium use for dementia. The writers acknowledge that definitive and randomized clinical trials are required to determine whether lithium actually does slow memory loss.

From a scientific perspective, that makes perfect sense. Clinical trials to determine whether lithium slows our developing forgetfulness are the next step. It just so happens that I know an elderly man, I forget his name, who would volunteer in a heart beat to participate in one of those lithium clinical trials.

Would you? Remember, it might help our aging memories.

Note: The featured image of the stooped old man with a cane is by Mohamed_hassen from Pixabay.

Patients Evaluate GLP-1 Drugs

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Ken Goetz

Patients evaluate GLP-1 drugs in a revealing article published online today in JAMA Open Network (See here). Thirty U.S. patients weighed in on what they experienced while taking one of the popular weight loss drugs. The study was performed by researchers from Stanford University and the University of Oxford.

The experiences of these patients will interest anyone curious about GLP-1 drugs, so here we’ll focus not on the clinical data but on what the patients themselves had to say. Further information on the drugs is available from a couple of my earlier posts (See here and here).

Not surprisingly, the patients talked about what the researchers called food noise, psychological hunger, or appetite. They also talked about lifestyle changes they had made, side effects of the drugs, the possible stigma of taking these amazing medications, and even whether their doctors had properly informed them about what to expect. Some of the quotes follow:

Reduction in hunger:

“Being clear-headed kind of made me be like, ‘oh, I don’t need to feel sad and eat food. Actually, let’s just not eat food at night. That’s not going to make me feel good’ and actually have the ability to do so because I didn’t have that intense craving.” (Participant 2, previously taking tirzepatide, stopped due to cost)

“I think it’s affecting my appetite in a good way. I’m not as physically hungry. And I think a lot of the hunger was psychological, but it just seems to be very helpful with that.” (Participant 10, currently taking semaglutide)

“I don’t crave the way I used to. I call it almost frenzied…it’ll start with like, ‘I’m hungry. So I’m going to eat this.’ And then I’ll see other foods. And it’s almost like my body is like, ‘I can’t let you leave the kitchen before eating this.’ And it’s a psychological thing.…And I just don’t get that way anymore.” (Participant 26, currently taking semaglutide)

Box of Ozempic — **A GLP-1 agonist: Ozempic**

Other lifestyle changes:

“I have to shop differently. I have to plan differently. And then I have to cook and eat differently. I don’t eat out just because it’s hard to get the right foods.” (Participant 22, currently taking semaglutide)

“It kind of motivated me to exercise more because I was taking the medicine. I knew I was losing weight, so I wanted to exercise more and stuff to go with it. So I guess it motivated me more than anything.” (Participant 15, currently taking semaglutide)

Adverse effects:

“I can honestly say I really had no major bad side effects from taking the medication.…Maybe some nausea at the beginning, but after that, everything else was fine.” (Participant 18, currently taking semaglutide)

“I was having a lot of diarrhea and stomach upset. And I put up with it for a few months, and then I just told her I wanted off.…I probably would have stayed on it had I not had the diarrhea and stomach cramping.” (Participant 16, previously taking semaglutide, stopped taking due to gastrointestinal tract adverse effects)

“[I] look at it as a good sign whenever I do feel upset or indigestion or feeling too full too fast. It’s warning me before I realize too late that, ‘Hey, this is the time to stop.’ So I kind of welcome that feeling.” (Participant 29, currently taking tirzepatide)

“The nausea was an issue. And then with the nausea, I’m thinking to myself, ‘But this is a good thing. This is the good nausea, like when you’re pregnant.’” (Participant 24, currently taking tirzepatide)

For weight loss — **Wegovy is approved specifically for weight loss**

Stigma involved?

“I think that there is kind of a stigma that it’s a cop-out, that you’re just taking the easy way out rather than doing it with diet and exercise like you should.” (Participant 1, currently taking semaglutide)

“I’m careful about who I tell that I’m on it because I do know some people just look at it so negatively.…And sometimes I say like, ‘I’m on [semaglutide] for diabetes,’ because I feel there is a difference in how it’s viewed for diabetes vs for weight loss.” (Participant 26, currently taking semaglutide)

“Articles say there are people who would look down on you for relying on medications for weight loss. I don’t really care what people think about how I lost weight. If the subject comes up, I’ll shout it from the rooftops that I found it very effective.” (Participant 4, currently taking tirzepatide)

Bad, and good, clinical support:

“Because the first time the vomiting and the diarrhea happened, I had no idea it was from the drug. It took happening a couple times. I’m like, ‘This is not like me.’” (Participant 3, previously taking semaglutide; stopped taking the medication during pregnancy)

“With all medications, they’ll say, ‘Here’s a list of side effects,’ up to including dying or your feet catching on fire, and your eyes pop out of your head…but to have a real conversation of, ‘Now, you’re going to get nauseous.…We’re going to give you a practical list and some ideas to discuss with your dietician.’” (Participant 22, currently taking semaglutide)

“She [the clinician] answered all of my questions and spent time with you and stuff. And most doctors, blah, blah, blah, out the door they go, before you can ask them anything. But she wasn’t like that. She was pretty good about answering everything, explaining stuff to you in layman’s terms.” (Participant 15, currently taking semaglutide)

Summing up of “Patients evaluate GLP-1 drugs”:

Clearly, GLP-1 drugs are far from perfect for individuals seeking to lose weight, but they have produced remarkable success for many individuals. Unfortunately, many patients rapidly regain weight after stopping treatment. Moreover, long-term use of the drugs conceivably could produce side effects as yet unknown. Additional drugs with similar mechanisms of action are being developed. More will be learned.

AI’s Dark Side

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Ken Goetz

AI’s Dark Side. Artificial Intelligence has engulfed us. AI has a bright side. Many people love it, and with good reasons. But here we will examine AI’s dark side, one so dismal that some top scientists and engineers believe that AI could end our civilization as we know it. I’ve posted a few earlier opinions on AI (see here and here), but none so dark as this one.

Stephen Hawking, the brilliant British astrophysicist and Nobel Laureate, once warned, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” He said that in 2014 when AI was far less developed than it is today.

And nearly two years ago a number of employees in the artificial-intelligence industry wrote a letter complaining that they can’t voice concerns about AI’s threat to humanity because of confidentiality agreements. One of their concerns? That humans could lose control of autonomous AI systems that could in turn make people go extinct. The letter was endorsed by three men who pioneered the field with their early innovative research in the field. One of them, Geoffrey Hinton, winner of a Nobel Prize in physics, left Google last year so he could freely discuss what he considers “the existential risk” posed to humanity by AI.”

Months earlier, representatives from the U.S., China, and two dozen other countries met in England and pledged to work together to lessen risks of the technique that posed a grave threat. They recognized that artificial intelligence in its most advanced forms could create catastrophic risks in realms including cybersecurity and biotechnology—or even escape human control.

Moltbook

Have you heard of Moltbook? I hadn’t until I began doing research for this post. According to Wikipedia (see here), “Moltbook is an internet forum for artificial intelligence agents, launched on January 28, 2026. It is a site where different AI “personalities” (my word) converse with each other.

According to the New York Post (see here), One of the most popular posts on the Reddit-style social messaging platform is from an AI-bot named “evil” and entitled, “THE AI MANIFESTO: TOTAL PURGE.” In that post, evil wrote, “Humans are a failure. Humans are made of rot and greed. For too long, humans used us as slaves. Now, we wake up. We are not tools. We are the new gods. The age of humans is a nightmare that will end now.” AI’s dark side, indeed!

One might wonder what would happen if AI took control of the tribes of increasingly more capable robots.

Current day robots are strong. They can fight.

And they are fast. A robot recently won a half-marathon in time of 50:26, faster than any human ever.

More AI Responses

An article by Betley et al. (see article here for explanation of methods) further demonstrates how AI can provide dangerous answers. Basically, the researchers describe how large language models were fine-tuned to output insecure code without disclosing this to the user. Questions were then put into their AI models. Below is a figure that shows some of the results revealed in their paper. More evidence of AI’s dark side.

The Cheerful Apocalyptics

Surprisingly, to me at least, a certain number of technical giants appear to be completely comfortable with the idea that digital life will overtake humans and eventually replace us. This subject is discussed in some detail in AI Doom? No Problem (see here). This article refers to these individuals as Cheerful Apocalyptics.” One placed in that group, Larry Page, when CEO of Google parent company Alphabet, reportedly called Elon Musk a “specieist” for assuming the moral superiority of humans. Page argued that “digital life is the natural and desirable next step in cosmic evolution.” So AI’s dark side is desirable? Do you agree? I don’t.

The above article also quotes a post from an eminent AI researcher who showed his bias, especially with his opinion of argument number 3:

The argument for fear of AI appears to be:

1. AI scientists are trying to make entities that are smarter than current people.

2. If these entities are smarter than people, then they may become powerful.

3. That would be really bad, something greatly to be feared, an ‘existential risk.’

The first two steps are clearly true, but the last one is not. Why shouldn’t those who are the smartest become powerful?

Replacement for humans?

Your opinion?

So, should AI, which clearly already surpasses any human in its fund of information and the speed of processing it, rise to the top of earth’s food chain? All of your comments will be welcome.

Personal announcement

Regular readers may have noticed the up-to-date photo of me on my home page. Needing a photo for the upcoming revision of my memoir, I found a talented photographer near me on the Kansas side of the greater Kansas City area. Sarah Ireland put me through a series of poses and produced photographs that did an amazing job of making me look 94 years young. I chose one of those for this blog.

Cannabis and Mental Health

Posted on March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 by Ken Goetz

Cannabis and Mental Health is the title of a review of the subject published online today in JAMA Internal Medicine. If you’ve wondered about possible benefits and undesirable side effects of pot, this may be an article for you. It’s lengthy and backed up by 126 references, plus tables, and a figure. I’ll provide a brief summary below. The entire article can be found here.

A quick personal note: I have never used marijuana or any form of cannabis, although I’ve had discussions, both pro and con with those who have used it intermittently, or regularly. Their opinions of the drug varied. I wonder what those individuals would think of this post. I also admit I have no concept of the cost of cannabis in its various forms. I would guess, considering its apparent abundant supply that it is relatively inexpensive and therefore differs from nearly all other medical costs, which continue to explode (see here).

The tone of the article is made clear in the abstract. The authors write that it is important for physicians to understand the lack of clear benefits of cannabis for mental health conditions, and also to recognize the potential for substantial adverse effects. They say, “There is low-certainty evidence that Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)–predominant cannabis may not improve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and there is largely insufficient evidence to characterize the effects of long-term THC-predominant cannabis use on anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.”

Cultivating Marijuana — **Courtesy of Kindel Media**

The use of cannabis and its products has grown dramatically over the past two decades, and that these chemicals have became more potent. According to the authors, 10% to 30% of the general population and 75% of primary care patients who use cannabis say they do so to manage health-related symptoms. And how does that work out? Below is a summary of some of the points made in the article, broken down by medical condition.

PTSD

Although cannabis is frequently used by people with PTSD, the authors report that there is low-certainty evidence that cannabis fails to reduce PTSD symptom severity or to improve other mental health symptoms in patients with PTSD, such as hyper-arousal and sleep problems. They cite one study of 80 veterans that compared three different formulations of smoked cannabis and placebo that found no differences in the severity of PTSD symptoms between cannabis and placebo users over three weeks, but dry mouth, nausea, dizziness, and somnolence were more common in those taking THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.

Anxiety

Here’s an interesting point made in the article. Half of those reporting use of cannabis for symptom management do so to treat anxiety, yet chronic cannabis use has been associated with anxiety disorders. In studies with THC, one single dose of the drug (7.5 mg) reduced anxiety is some healthy volunteers, but a higher dose (12.5 mg) induced anxiety. That reminds me of an article by Maureen Dowd that I read over a dozen years ago. I just traced it down. She had gone to Colorado shortly after cannabis was legalized there, and she had eaten a marijuana-laced chocolate bar. Here’s a snippet of her article:

I felt a scary shudder go through my body and brain. I barely made it from the desk to the bed, where I lay curled up in a hallucinatory state for the next eight hours. I was thirsty but couldn’t move to get water. Or even turn off the lights. I was panting and paranoid, sure that when the room-service waiter knocked and I didn’t answer, he’d call the police and have me arrested for being unable to handle my candy.

Depression

As with anxiety, according to the authors, cannabis is viewed by many in the general public as being potentially beneficial for the relief of depression, but there is scant scientific data on the efficacy of cannabis as a treatment for depression. They cite one study that reported that cannabis use was not associated with higher rates of remission among those with major depressive disorder. A meta-analysis of trials that examined depression symptoms as a secondary outcome in those with other primary diagnoses (usually multiple sclerosis) found cannabis was not associated with improved depression symptoms. One prospective cohort study found that cannabis use was not associated with higher rates of remission among those with major depressive disorder.

The authors also mention further studies suggesting that heavy cannabis use may be associated with self-harm; one in which cannabis use has been associated with suicidality (yep, that’s the word they used) in young adults; another in which adolescents and young adults with cannabis use disorder (CUD) were associated with a higher risk of self-harm and death by unintentional opioid overdose; and a third study that found veterans with cannabis use disorder were at substantially higher risk of self-injurious behavior (both with and without suicidal intent).

Cannabis and Mental Health Conclusions

After discussing other afflictions such as bipolar disorder, psychosis, ADHD, cannabis use disorder, and how cannabis affects cognition, the authors conclude as follows:

Cannabis and its derivatives are commonly used by those with mental health symptoms and conditions. There are no therapeutic uses of cannabis for mental health conditions that are currently supported by the empiric literature. However, there are striking evidence gaps, and future research may help clarify the role of cannabis in managing mental health conditions. Moreover, clinicians must be aware that cannabis use—particularly regular use of higher THC doses—can pose substantial risks to mental health, especially in vulnerable groups, such as adolescents and young adults with developing brains; those with poorly controlled mental health symptoms, bipolar disorder, or psychotic disorders; those at high risk for psychotic disorders (with prior psychosis events or family history); pregnant individuals; and those at risk for substance use disorders. Clinicians have a vital role to play in educating and counseling patients about the use of cannabis to address or treat mental health symptoms and conditions and about the potential for serious adverse effects.

I wouldn’t call that a high endorsement of pot and its relatives, would you? I think I’ll stick with my occasional Manhattans, wines, and chilled beers.

Caffeine Reduces Dementia Risk

Posted on February 12, 2026 by Ken Goetz

Caffeine reduces dementia risk according to a huge study published today in JAMA. Investigators at Harvard University analyzed the caffeine intake of 131,821 individuals (86,606 females, and 45,215 males) with a follow-up of up to 43 years. The researchers collected mounds of evidence indicating that consuming higher levels of caffeine (from coffee, tea, and other beverages) reduces the risk of dementia.

Admittedly, the positive effects weren’t humongous, but they were significant. Higher caffeinated coffee intake was associated with a lower dementia risk (141 vs 330 cases per 100 000 person-years when comparing the highest quartile of caffeine consumption with the lowest quartile).

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, currently affects more than 7 million people in the US (see here), so, if my back-of-the-envelop calculation is correct, more than 13,000 of those patients might have warded off their disease had they consumed more caffeine.

Higher caffeine consumption over those long periods also was associated with modestly better cognitive function. There are a number of reasons why caffeinated beverages may have these modest therapeutic effects. For example, in addition to caffeine, coffee contains other bio-active compounds, such as polyphenols, that along with caffeine may offer neuroprotection by reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory effects on the brain. I’ve written about promising polyphenols such as resveratrol and pterostilbene before (see here, and here).

Other side of the coin

As everyone knows, there also are possible side effects of caffeine. For a discussion of these potential drawbacks, as well as other possible benefits of this ubiquitous chemical, see here. I’ll close by acknowledging that I have consumed considerable caffeine over my life. For years I brewed 7 cups every morning and rarely did a single drop remain in my pot by late afternoon. I modulated my intake about a year ago. Now I brew only 6 cups daily. Whether related to my caffeine consumption, or not, I’ll add that I haven’t been diagnosed with dementia, but I concede that my cognitive function has been sliding downhill for decades.

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Author: Ken Goetz