Is marijuana harmful?

[chief]

what are the bad effects of pot...
some people have said its harmless

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Chief's Domain - http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~ravi

[sly]

First, you lose the use of capitalization and punctuation .....

[CatInHat]

Well, it impairs your judgement and your ability to process short-term memory, and it plays hell with your coordination. These things may not be bad, per se, unless you're trying to operate heavy machinery (i.e., a car) or do something that requires judgement or short-term memory. You're probably OK in the privacy of your own home.

Pot also makes some people paranoid; this could affect your judgement even more.

Another thing: according to studies (no, I don't know which ones; this was told to me in a psych. class), habitual marijuana users don't think that their judgement and memory are impaired. If I remember correctly, the study had people add up columns of numbers. The habitual users overestimated their ability to do the task; the "virgin" users didn't.

I don't know about specific long-term health effects (e.g., cancer, brain damage), but smoking anything isn't good for your lungs (imho).

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The Cat In The Hat

[Ukulele Ike]

sly it has not been scientifically proven that you lose the powers of capitalization and punctuation

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Uke

[According to Pliny]

At the very least, it can't be good for your lungs!

It may well be a fairly benign, physically, but what about the social aspects. Once a kid learns how to find and buy pot, he won't have much trouble finding out how to get his hands on crack or horse. I look at the "pot heads" I knew in H.S. and none of them have been what I would call successful. For the most part they are employed in video stores or delivering pizzas or newspapers. These are guys in their 30s who's only aspirations in life are to get high and watch Bevis and Butthead!

[sly]

i knoW ikE its bAs,ed on mY own. stu'DIes

[Holly]

I'M NOT STARING AT YOU! WHY DO YOU KEEP ACCUSING ME OF THESE THINGS???
Wait... what was the question?

OH! You know, Cat in the Hat, I doubt that occasional pot use causes any sort of awful consequences. I'm curious to know what sort of potheads they studied.

You want a drug that tears you up with only moderate use, and causes more death and mayhem than anything else, look at alcohol. If I had to choose between my kids turning out to be either potheads or alcoholics, I'd buy 'em the dimebag myself. (I'd also share it with them, if I didn't have to worry about random drug testing at work.)

Anecdotal "evidence": I have seen many dozens of people die in the ICU as a direct result of alcohol. I've never ever seen anyone die from smoking pot or by being attacked by someone else who was smoking pot. I've never even seen anyone hospitalized for smoking pot.

[mangeorge]

I've smoked pot pretty regular since I was a young adult, but had to quit a couple of years ago due to random testing at work. I hate that.
The only benefit I've realized is that I have a little more money. Most of those savings are spent on food (I've gained 40 lbs).
The downside is that I eat more, and some things just don't seem to be as much fun.
Also, pot could help me mellow out after an especially hard day.
So, no great loss, but really no benefit either. What I really resent is being told what I cannot do in the privacy of my home.
Peace,
mangeorge

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Work like you don't need the money.....
Love like you've never been hurt.....
Dance like nobody's watching! ....(Paraphrased)

[Babar714]

Umm...oh shit. I forgot what I wuz gonna say.

You gonna finish those nachos?

[Babar714]

Oh, yeah. I remembered. Getting arrested sucks.

[mr john]

There are some,chief,chiefly it.. heh..heh chief chiefly heh heh haw HAW HAW chief and chiefl.. hehheheh uhhhhhmmm one of the...heh hehhheheheheh.

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"Something inciteful that some one else once said"- Suhm Wonn (1397-1334)

[Dirty Devil]

I've smoked pot pretty regularly for about 12 years now. I have a wife, two wonderful children and a very good career. I do occasionally have short term memory issues, but it usually involves stuff that I don't really care much about, anyway. I have never had any problems with coordination, unless I get really baked (stay away from the gravity bong, it'll kill ya'). I do admit that I get rather apathetic about some things sometimes, but never anything that really matters (never my family or my job, for instance). Hey, it keeps me from sweating over the small stuff that I usually take way too seriously. Being naturally high strung and intense, I like what the drug does to me. I don't babble, I don't drool, I don't stare at the ceiling for hours. It just mellows me out a little, something that I'm sure my family appreciates. I understand that it isn't like this for everybody. But for me, and for a lot of people I know, it is really no big deal. I can turn into a real asshole sometimes when I've had too much to drink. But the worst that would happen when I'm stoned is I might do a little damage to some powdered doughnuts or NutterButter's.

Bottom line: it makes me happy, it isn't hurting anybody else, and it doesn't seem to be hurting me much, either. And that's good enough for me.

[Bluepony]

...your idea of heavy reading becomes anything written by Dr. Seuss

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"...send lawyers, guns, and money..."

Warren Zevon

[DoctorJ]

Pot is relatively harmless. It's all those Cheetos that really add up.

Dr. J

[OldBroad]

Hangovers. I know, I know, you're not supposed to have hangovers with pot. But I always did. Now I get them from cognac, too. My advice: don't get old.

[MrKnowItAll]

I think I heard once (and I am really hating myself for starting a post with that phrase) that marijuana has higher carcinogen levels than even tobacco. OTOH, there aren't that many people who chain-smoke joints.

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Carpe hoc!

[aseymayo]

I used to know the answer to this...damn! quit staring at me!

[1420Vel.GN]

I know several people who earned masters degrees while smoking daily; two with Phd's. I have askedheavy smokers that have quite if they feel different. Many say short-term memory is different. If I question them in-depth, they agree that they still forget their keys, or to pick-up an item at the store. It was easy to say, damn, if I did not get high , I would not have...Point is that everybody occasionally has brain farts (medical term)pot use is easy to blame for *norml* problems.
Of course when one is high, there will be some slackin', but it is kinda pointless to test cognitive and motor abilities under such conditions - unless they are grading the quality of the smoke :)

[Lumpy]

I thought the paranoia was from wondering if the narcs were going to catch you.

[Sonic]

Besides losing all your grammer skills, pot does have some bad long term effects. (Probably only for habitual users though) Theres slow motor skills, memory loss, kills brain cells, can mutate sex cells (eggs or sperm), and yes, according to my health teacher pot is even more carcinogenic (I probably spelled that wrong) than cigarettes. There's more short term effects, but in the long run- it's bad for ya. Hey! Did that cop just take my Doritos????

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Remember- If you're angry it takes 42 muscles to frown, and only a few muscles to smack the idiot that mad you angry in the first place.

[mangeorge]

Impairs judgement.
Remember the cop mooching the hot dog in "Up in Smoke?". Great movie.
Peace,
mangeorge

[Big Iron]

[[Besides losing all your grammer skills,]] Sonic


Grammar.


[[ pot does have some bad long term effects.]]

Virtually none for the run-of-the-mill toker, though.

[[ (Probably only for habitual users though) ]]


Thanks. ;)

[Ringo]

I don't take any illegal drugs, but I've long felt, based on my observations of friends who have been smoking for 30 or 40 years now, that is probably not harmful enough to merit the legal ban, but it is definitely a sapper of motivation in some personalities. And you don't need to be driving under the influence (boy, if my college roommates could hear me now).

AP ran a story today noting that Carl Sagan was a lifelong dope smoker.

http://www.tampabayonline.net/news/news100g.htm

[falcon2]

That helps explains the "billions and billions" thing he had going.
I seem to remember that dear old Carl died of complications of a nasty form of cancer.

I also remember that MJ is 100% more carcinagenic than tobaco. This seems bad if you smoke roughly 10 joints per day, it meens you in just as much danger as a pack-a-day smoker.

In argument for it, I've heard it does not cause hang-overs, liver damage or reach leathal concetrations in your blood like alchohol can.

[DoctorJ]

Falcon2 said:
I also remember that MJ is 100% more carcinagenic than tobaco.

I've seen numbers ranging from marijuana being less carcinogenic than tobacco all the way to ten times moreso. The problem is that the term "carcinogenic" is malleable--are we talking about absolute numbers, relative amounts of known carcinogens, or what? People pick the definition that leads to their point.

I think they're probably about the same, except that MJ is a little worse since cigs are generally smoked through a filter.

This seems bad if you smoke roughly 10 joints per day, it meens you in just as much danger as a pack-a-day smoker.

I don't have any numbers handy, but I don't personally know anyone who smokes ten joints a day. (I could be wrong--I don't smoke myself, but I know many who do.)

The average cigarette smoker, on the other hand, smokes 20 a day, every day. That's the difference. If you could smoke two or three cigarettes on the weekend, they wouldn't cause much damage--but most people can't, because they're addictive. Pot is not.

Dr. J

Any smoke is probably not good for the lungs. That is one reason I quit both marijuana and tobacco. But I don't think any
responsible person has said that marijuana is "harmless." What they may have said is that marijuana is "relatively harmless." I agree with this statement. One joint a day is certainly not as damaging as 20 cigarettes a day. Pot is not anywhere near as damaging to the brain and liver as alcohol. It does stay in the system longer, which is something worth considering. While it may, in heavy doses, cause some paranoia (partly because it is illegal?), it never causes the extreme personality changes and coordination problems that severe drunkenness causes. The association with other illicit drugs is a direct result of its being illicit. Keep in mind that people who enjoy getting high are likely to be experimental anyway. All things considered, marijuana is one of the least dangerous of drugs. Any substance can be abused, usually with negative consequences. Use and abuse are not the same thing. The prohibition of marijuana causes more problems than the weed itself.

P.S. Any substance can also be psychologically addictive, if not physically. I smoked the stuff morning, noon, and night for 15 years. One day I quit and never looked back. No problem. Alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine? Different story.
Struggled with the first 2 for years. Still can't quit coffee. (I.V. cocaine use was easier to quit than cigarettes)

[Doobieous]

At my university, quite a few people smoke pot. In fact over the intranet for my school, people were celebrating 420 day (ask me later :)).I have been around people smoking pot but i dont like it because the second hand smoke gives me a headache (i dont smoke it, but have been at friends houses whose roomates do). I generally leave the room with my other friends who don't. From what i have seen, it is relatively harmless (not absolutely benign mind you). People mellow out and mind their own business, or become quite generous (in the form of "you want a hit?"). Unlike with alcohol where the drunks are slobbering all over people, stumbling all over, or ready to vomit all over. The only problem with it, is people I know smoke it every day.

[mguy]

Tobacco has slightly more carbon monoxide than marijuana, a fact offset by the cigarette filters. Marijuana pulls ahead in acetaldehyde, acetonitrilebenzene, and other ominous-sounding carcinogens. The biggest difference between the two is that marijuana has no nicotine and tobacco has no THC. And tobacco's legal. Sorta.

[typertrphy]

Just some unscientific thoughts.
1. In the 3 years I have driven an ambulance, I have seen some tragic examples of why one does NOT drink and drive. Not ONE time have I seen an accident as a result of pot.
2. The sheer belligerence ( sp?), fury and sickness caused by drink can't even be approached by pot use. Different animal.
3. I used to smoke, through HS and College, now, once a year is a big deal. Personal choice ( and athsma ). Hooked? Never...I dont REMEMBER the 11th grade, and I wasn't hooked then, I just dug it bigtime. It led to NO stronger drugs, although the whole shebang was available to me.

I do miss seeing comedies stoned, though.." Animal House" had me in tears. I suspect that a lot of that was the pot....

Typer ( who always rolled with a $1 bill )

[Nickrz]

Cecil on the health effects of pot use:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_225.html

[handy]

Even water has its drawbacks.

Pot has its own drawbacks too.

I don't smoke it cause it doesn't have any or much effect on me, that I notice. Just wanted to say that cause sometimes I, too, have memory lapses.

[Therealbubba]

Although dope has a moderatly higher concentration of carcinogens than cigs, many dope smokers dismiss that because they smoke smaller amounts than the average cig smoker.

The problem is that dope smoke is usually much hotter, is inhaled much deeper, and held in the smaller airways (the most vulnerable) for longer periods than cig smoke.

A study in Germany (no I don't have it) done by one of the medical journals showed an alarmingly high rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in very young US soldiers stationed in Germany in the late 70s, where hashish was readily available. These symptoms included wheezing (asthma) and productive coughs (bronchitis), correlated by chest x-rays and pulmonary function tests . These symtoms were being found in otherwise healthy 20 year olds that were usually found in 60 year old 2 pack per day smokers. Back in those days, there were no drug tests available to the government to rule out dope smoking and the GIs weren't volunteering any information.

This reminds me of the old Cheech and Chong bit where the guy takes a big bong hit, coughs and chokes for about a minute, and then immediatly fires it right back up.

Hash is more concentrated than pot, and that has to be taken into account, you can draw your own conclusions. Pot smoke that is heated to as close to body tempreature as possible (ice water in a bong stresses the airways more) and 100% humidified should do the least amount of damage to your bronchioles and alveoli.

There was something else I was supposed to tell you guys but I can't remember what it was....

Therealbubba

[Ken]

The active chemical in Marijuana, THC, is not harmful. However there are many harmful chemicals in in Marijuana smoke. There are ways to extract THC from the marijuana, so that you can get the high you want without the bad stuff. These methods include extracting the THC into pure THC oil, or dissolving it into a butter or alcohol. www.lycaeum.org (http://www.lycaeum.org) details several methods.

[Enormous Richard]

Pot is addictive, it is unhealthy, it can impair short term memory, destroy motivation, and it can cause paranoia......but dude, getting stoned is fun! The marijuana high is like life itself, changing, variable and flux, the only certainty is that it will not last forever. If Willy Wonka had a THC enhanced Everlasting Gobstopper, he'd have made it big. Sure pot is bad for you...but what was my point again?

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perhaps it was the result of anxiety?

[Louie]

It does more good than harm for me. It cured my case of nausea in an instant, but it did make my throat sting for a few days. (yeah yeah, I'm a little weak)

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"The more beautiful the rose, the more thorns it hides underneath." - Louie

The Devil-Weed, mary-jah-wanna, is ab-so-smurfly proven to cause <font color="red">COMMUNISM</font>!

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We have met the enemy, and He is Us.--Walt Kelly

Misconceptions, rumors, and straight-out lies
cloud the issue of marijuana's health effects, thanks mostly to the U.S. government.

Ever wonder why the gov't is so vehemently anti medical-marijuana? Could the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is the 2nd largest campaign contributor in the U.S. have something to do with it? Me thinks so.

A World Health Organization study a couple years ago determined that marijuana was safer than alcohol or tobacco. Why didn't you hear about this report? It was suppressed for fear that the legalization movement would gain strength. A researcher leaked the report to Britain's New Scientist magazine and it is available at http://marijuana.newscientist.com

I have smoked pot for 6 years. I have an excellent memory, a high IQ, and I don't like cheetos. I find pot far less addictive than Coca-Cola, of which I drink about 3 or 4 44oz cups a day. When I quit the soda, I get headaches, and I'm irritable, and have since learned to feed my caffeine addiction, rather than break it. As far as pot goes, if I have a little extra money after the bills are paid, I buy a sack. If not, I don't. I'm not robbing little old ladies for pot money.

Also, I've yet to meet a violent pothead, whereas you'll find wife-beating, bar fight-raising alcoholics on every corner. I hear them hooping and hollering every night at precisely 2 AM. I don't hoop. I don't holler. I stay at home and smoke a joint and I'm the criminal. Go figure...

Another interesting note : 3 different studies, one in Australia, one in Canada, and another conducted by the U.S. gov't concluded that the effects of marijuana on driving are negligible. Some studies even concluded that pot smokers are SAFER drivers than those not under the influence of any drug, the theory being that users drive slower and more carefully to compensate for the effects of the drug. The studies concluded that pot users drove excellently while thinking they were driving horribly, while alcohol users drove horribly, thinking they were driving excellently.

About half of auto accident fatalities are solely alcohol-related. 6% of fatalities were found to be caused by drivers with a high concentration of THC in their systems, BUT a high percentage of that 6% were also found to have alcohol in their systems as well.

The stereotypical pothead may very well exist,but for every one of them, there's 10 of us that you would never in a million years
guess that they partake of that most sacred herb. We feel that what we put into our own bodies is our business, and the idea that the possesion of a plant is punishable by being thrown in jail and butt-raped is ludicrous.

The only way pot will ever be legal is if it is taxed heavily and half of that money is put directly into congressmens' pockets. That's the sad truth...

[Kiralyn]

Also, guys, have you ever heard of "The Emperor Wears No Clothes"? It's been years since I looked at it, but it gives an amazing historical account of marijuana production, uses, and legal/political issues..If anyone else doesn't know what I'm talking about to give this enlightened soul more info, I'll dig a little and get you the author and publisher info...Tried to do a little search before this post, but didnt come up with anything, going to try more engines....

PUFFINGTON: Enjoyed reading your post!

[Sofa King]

Dude, marijuana is bad only if you, like, smoke it every day for a month.

[DenverMoxy]

Well, I still have yet to find ANY medical evidence that remotely confirms that pot is harmful, except the obvious reasons that if you inhale smoke, you can damage your lungs. Its like anything today people want to, or enjoy doing; there will always be opposition to activities that are controversial. I don't agree it is a gateway drug, my personal experience has never found a link for other substances (other than Hostess Raspberry filled doughnuts!) Also I can argue that it does not harm the body in ways that alcohol can. I have been an avid smoker(marijuana, not tobacco)for 18 years, with no plans to discontinue use. I have a college degree(3.667 gpa), a great career, homeowner, new car every 2-3 years, and yet I spend my leisure hours getting so high I pass God from time to time. I have never suffered from memory loss (short term or long term)except for an occasional "damn it, locked my keys in my car" or similar situations that are normal. I play Ice Hockey, and I have not had trouble catching my breath or performing at peak performance levels. So am I an exception to the rest of the "anti-drug" users that claim smokers are underachiever, brain dead loser if you toke? I have found that it calms my soul, and keeps me eating regularly. I have never, nor do I know of anyone who has acted in a violent manner while high.However, I cannot say the same thing for people who drink. In regards to motor skills, I have discovered a new pastime that by far is the most exciting and addictive thing to do while getting "fried" in the privacy of your own home. Nintendo 64 has a game called The New Tetris, it is fantastic. Now, for those of you who are familiar with the game, you definitely have to maintain a high level of motor skills to be successful at playing. I have found I do better while "baked" than I do "sober". I also have no problem performing activities like driving, sports, social events and even sex (by the way, my orgasm is 20 times better when I am stoned). In conclusion, after years of field study, using different strains and amounts of marijuana, I have found that most claims of pot being harmful are ridiculous. Of course that is my opinion, and based off of my personal studies, it is fact and cannot be challenged.

[aseymayo]

Luckily, the loss of the ability to paragraph is limited to certain individuals.

Here's my idea - let's get Big Tobacco companies interested in legalization. They must be looking for new opportunities now that tobacco is on its way out.

And what to do with all those tobacco growers, tobacco buyers and tobacco factory workers who will be put out of a job? They go to work growing and processing hemp! Those factories are designed to roll something, and I'm sure the gov't would give the tobacco companies a nice tax break in order to retool.

I think it could work. Now if we could work out a way to get the Oil companies involved - we'd have it made.

[mangeorge]

ASSEYMAYO FOR PRESIDENT!!! :)
Peace,
mangeorge

[PunditLisa]

If you are in the need of a Euchre partner, don't ask a frequent flyer. I nearly throttled my brother-in-law one Christmas during a family game when he asked for the 300th time, "Hey, what's trump?" AAAAAAH!

On a side note, Jim fell down the stairs recently after he got out of bed in the middle of the night and turned the wrong way in the hall. Bathroom on left, stairs on right. Thump, thump, thump, thump. You get the picture. BTW, the master bath adjoins his bedroom. The last house he's lived in where you had to use the hall to get to a bathroom was 18 years ago.