The University of Iowa actually wants to pay you to smoke weed. It’s part of a study by the Department of Anesthesia into the developmental effects (or lack thereof) that marijuana has on the brain. Those who are awarded a screening interview (for a deal like this, it’s hard to get in the door) get an easy $20. People lucky enough to be selected for the actual study go home with $600. Yes, you really can get paid to do something that normally costs money. And this ain’t just schwag, we’re talking government buds here.
I have some possibly accurate anecdotal information about the program. This is a long-term enterprise, and I ran cross-country in college with a guy who worked on the study in recent years. I also know a couple people who went through as test subjects. Although this may not be current information, and experiences probably vary, some subjects smoke either marijuana or a placebo and spend a night in a hospital. Food and refreshments provided. They go through some standardized written tests (sort of like the SAT), and then cash out. The only complaint: people who smoke the placebo totally know it’s a placebo. Not much fun there. But then again, that $600 buys a lot of non-placebo.
Perhaps the best part is this:
Block [the head scientist on the study] said that, depending on the results, the study might ultimately be used to support political positions on marijuana. Those could include whether there should be harsher criminal penalties, whether it should be decriminalized, or whether it should be allowed for medicinal purposes.
Of course, I oppose attempts by scientists to manipulate findings for political reasons (see the Bush administration). However, assuming that these studies can contribute to the massive body of knowledge we already have about marijuana’s utter harmlessness, it could help bring some needed political change.
Now, go, you worthy citizens. Do something for your country. Collect a public check for smoking teh weedz.
Steve Wieland
fsford
timhilton
smahieu
Morgan N. Engling
maryiowa
jaimiesuzi
jarens
kevinjames
brieanne
lcm
Andrew
enwinfield
is there a “but i did it for science!” box you can check when filling out the application to the state bar? if not, count me out.
I still love how all the lawyers in school are worried about getting a speeding ticket (and having to report it to the big bad bar) or doing something totally legal and ethical (i.e. this study) and yet we look at the utter lack of morality and ethic in some of our practicing peers that is “common practice” and its pushed aside.
That said, am I the only person who would do this study and then if asked by the bar say “I participated in a federally funded study on the effects of marry jane and really enjoyed my contribution to science” .
While the bar may be the ethical police at some level (which is why people are afraid of them because societies ethics almost certainly never completely translate into a person sense of ethics that are applicable to any one person) they are also governed by the law, and if you check out case law and past instances of reprimand etc, it is NOT the case that they arbitrarily apply their own ethic upon applicants, they are bound within the framework of law and their own rules and act accordingly. You actually have to be a fairly “bad” individual to get smacked real hard by the Iowa Bar.
Check out the case where the guy was an accused child molester and people actually came forward and said as much, yet the Supreme’s in Iowa overturned the bar when they rejected him because there were no articulable convictions of fact on record etc.
I would be completely down for this if I wasn’t so afraid of becoming an addict.
the cliff notes for brian’s comment: it’s totally not cool that this would reflect poorly on a bar application, because attorneys participate in much shadier shit all the time.
in other thoughts: students often overlook the opportunities to participate in research studies here at UI. It’s for a good cause! and sometimes you get paid!! alot!!! and sometimes you receive vaccines for deadly illnesses (woo!woo!)!
check out opportunities at:
http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/clinicaltrials/volunteer.html
Thanks for the heads up Steve.
Two more points to add.
1. The UIHC has an excellent movie selection that you can watch while participating in these studies.
2. For those of you who don’t enjoy pot but would still like to make an important contribution to the medical sciences, feel free to shop around a little for other studies.
For instance, I was paid 500 dollars to participate in a morphine/codeine study in undergrad and it was by far the BEST JOB I’ve ever had. The staff was amazing, the food was passable, and I got to make my contribution to science while watching “12 monkeys” and salivating on my collar.
Highly recommended.
There is a Professor at the law school who was shameless in his admission that he attempted to sign up for a similar study, but was rejected due to his advanced age.
I’ll say nothing more.
The university also contacted me to participate in an MDMA study (MDMA = ecstasy). Turns out I was ineligible.
Sandista - Thanks for the cliff notes. When I see a long comment I tend not to read it, much like the docket.
i understand the impulse. i haven’t read it in almost 2 full years. as it turns out, sometimes there IS important stuff in there!
as a safety precaution, i suggest asking a friend to leave you a post-it note when there’s an important deadline approaching. it’s like having a personal assistant, except you don’t have to pay them!