# Is marijuana harmful? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 1999, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464 "1999-08-20T16:29:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/1 "1999-08-20T16:29:00Z")
what are the bad effects of pot… some people have said its harmless * * * Chief’s Domain - [http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~ravi](http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~ravi) ---
**Author:** ![sly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@sly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sly)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/2 "1999-08-20T16:35:00Z")
First, you lose the use of capitalization and punctuation … ---
**Author:** ![CatInHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@CatInHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInHat)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/3 "1999-08-20T16:40:00Z")
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). * * * The Cat In The Hat ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/4 "1999-08-20T16:43:00Z")
sly it has not been scientifically proven that you lose the powers of capitalization and punctuation * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/5 "1999-08-20T16:44:00Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![sly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@sly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sly)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/6 "1999-08-20T16:46:00Z")
i knoW ikE its bAs,ed on mY own. stu’DIes ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 1999, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/7 "1999-08-21T05:02:00Z")
I used to know the answer to this…damn! quit staring at me! ---
**Author:** ![Holly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/48db29/32.png) [@Holly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Holly)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/8 "1999-08-20T20:02:00Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/9 "1999-08-20T21:15:00Z")
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 * * * Work like you don’t need the money… Love like you’ve never been hurt… Dance like nobody’s watching! …(Paraphrased) ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/10 "1999-08-20T21:18:00Z")
Umm…oh shit. I forgot what I wuz gonna say. You gonna finish those nachos? ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/11 "1999-08-20T21:19:00Z")
Oh, yeah. I remembered. Getting arrested sucks. ---
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/12 "1999-08-20T21:21:00Z")
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. * * * “Something inciteful that some one else once said”- Suhm Wonn (1397-1334) ---
**Author:** ![Dirty\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Dirty\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Devil)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/13 "1999-08-20T23:57:00Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Bluepony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Bluepony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluepony)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 1999, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/14 "1999-08-21T00:03:00Z")
…your idea of heavy reading becomes anything written by Dr. Seuss * * * “…send lawyers, guns, and money…” ``` Warren Zevon ``` ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 1999, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/15 "1999-08-21T01:59:00Z")
Pot is relatively harmless. It’s all those Cheetos that really add up. Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![OldBroad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@OldBroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldBroad)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 1999, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/16 "1999-08-21T02:27:00Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 1999, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/17 "1999-08-21T02:52:00Z")
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. * * * Carpe hoc! ---
**Author:** ![1420Vel.GN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/35a633/32.png) [@1420Vel.GN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1420Vel.GN)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 1999, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/18 "1999-08-21T06:23:00Z")
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 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 1999, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/19 "1999-08-21T21:22:00Z")
I thought the paranoia was from wondering if the narcs were going to catch you. ---
**Author:** ![Sonic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Sonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonic)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 1999, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464/20 "1999-08-21T21:32:00Z")
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??? * * * 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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-harmful/3464.md?page=2)