# Negative aspects of marijuana **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 13, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549 "2018-08-13T21:28:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/41 "2018-08-15T13:10:50Z")
I have a slightly irregular heartbeat sometimes - nothing dangerous, a few doctors have told me. But weed aggravates that, so I stay away from weed. But for people who want to use it and don’t have medical issues like that, I don’t mind. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/42 "2018-08-15T13:18:42Z")
My main objection to legal weed is the _smoking_ - on general principal, inhaling smoke of any kind is not good for you and given that I have asthma I really, really don’t want to inhale anyone’s second-hand smoke. But we more or less hashed that out with tobacco and I see no reason to change the current rules regardless of whether what’s smoked is tobacco, marijuana, or anything else. I’m not really interested in trying pot, but if I did, I think I’d be more inclined towards edibles simply because I don’t want to \*\*\*\* up my lungs. ---
**Author:** ![CrimeThink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90db22/32.png) [@CrimeThink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrimeThink)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/43 "2018-08-15T14:11:20Z")
Most people that I know who still smoke use oil concentrates with a vape pen. I can’t smell it even when I am sitting 5 feet away from them. I imagine it’s better for the lungs than traditional methods. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/44 "2018-08-15T14:32:49Z")
I know a fair few people who still smoke the stuff. Many users I know, though, have switched to devices like the [Iolite Vaporizer.](https://www.iolite.com/our-vaporizers/iolite-vaporizers.html) They prefer inhaled forms rather than consumable forms for the quicker high. Devices like the Iolite require nothing special in terms of weed. The herb is just ground up and loaded into the heating chamber. ---
**Author:** ![Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/section_maker_jupe/32/1424_2.png) [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Section_Maker_Jupe)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/45 "2018-08-15T15:21:15Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I too have felt the ‘dead and insane’ effect of being high. Now I also had lots of positive experiences too, but at least one time in four I’d get paranoid. All that was well over 30 years ago. Now I don’t use it anymore. > > Note that while growers push strains that they claim have specific effects, those claims are very anecdotal. No matter what strain you smoke, you will get at least 100, and possibly as many as 300 **different** types of cannabinoid and other psychoactive molecules, most of which have never been closely examined for their specific effects on humans. It is definitely a ‘shotgun’ type of drug, and one strain that works one way for one individual may have very different effects on another. > > So take all advice on pot with a grain of salt. There are many unknowns, and just as many unknown unknowns about what’s in it, and how it works precisely, etc. > > Note that I don’t oppose legalization. But people need to realize that many claims made about pot are not based on objective scientific study. You pays your money and you takes your chances with it, just like so many other things in life. I agree. I also think that with the user base expanding, and the breeders and people who make new products, we will probably see more good discoveries, for peoples health and well being etc, but also we will see its bad side, where an “overdose” causes problems, or finding that daily use in young people can really fry some circuits etc. I never thought I would have a panic attack off weed, but when it happened to me,due to an edible mistake, (my fault) I realized, “oh THIS is why people can have problems”. Prior to that, for 40 or so years, well, lots of consumption 😃 but never had that happen before. I was a long time user 24/7/365, but the strains we had access to were very weak, so it was more like drinking a bit of tea, getting a bit of energy, then back to work or sport. My metabolism has changed, I think, so now it seems to affect me differently, I dont really like it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/46 "2018-08-16T02:07:04Z")
> [@Mr.Bill](#): > > This seems likely to me. > > When I was a teenager, I was unable to get high. No matter how much pot I smoked with my friends, I never felt the slightest effect, even though the folks I was smoking with were utterly stoned. > > Then, during my freshman college year, my roommate got some pot from a connection in Long Island and we smoked some before going to a jazz concert (Oregon/Gary Burton if you’re interested). About a half an hour into the concert, I realized that I was SEEING the music as beautiful, flowing colors. > > My roommate also had an atypical response to the pot. We figured that it had been laced with something, probably PCP, which was popular at the time. > > After that experience, I could get high, but it was never like that first time. Really more of a downer than anything else. I think it was just because Gary Burton is the man. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mr.Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Bill)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/47 "2018-08-16T04:37:29Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > I think it was just because Gary Burton is the man. I won’t argue with that, although I am a bigger fan of Ralph Towner. This concert was not too long after their duo album, so they did a third set of only Burton/Towner. It was a great concert, even without the chemical enhancements. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/48 "2018-08-16T12:49:18Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I don’t think you’ll see smoke free areas allowing pot smoking. That hasn’t happened in the states that have legalized it. > > As to the hazards of the smoke, keep in mind that very few people smoke pot the way they smoke cigarettes. The intake of smoke is much lower in most cases. Yes, I know there are exception, but there were people that smoked 4 packs a day also. You have a point. But I’m old enough to remember widespread public smoking, when every bus stop, gas station, and street corner reeked of stale cigarettes. I don’t get that anymore. But I _do_ smell weed at least once or twice a day. And I live in a state where it’s still illegal. Makes me think that the wafting aroma of skunk will only get more pervasive, if we ever legalize it. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/49 "2018-08-16T14:18:30Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Makes me think that the wafting aroma of skunk will only get more pervasive, if we ever legalize it. Denver: hasn’t so far. Sure every now and then, but you still encounter it nowhere near as frequently as tobacco or…whatever it is the fogbank vapers are doing. (Man, I can remember when people could smoke on airplanes. Unthinkable today.) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/50 "2018-08-16T18:57:05Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > My problem with smoking weed (which, full disclosure, I’ve never done) is not the weed _per se_ but the _smoking_. Regardless of how benign THC is, compared to nicotine, you’re still inhaling superheated toxic gasses. I’ve brought this up before, and other Dopers (heh) have cited studies showing that marijuana smoke is less toxic than tobacco; but no one’s ever shown me a study that says smoking weed is less toxic than not smoking anything at all. Plus, you’ve got all the same issues of second-hand smoke and annoying people around you with the smell. > > Obviously, I have less concern about edibles. But I like my smoke-free restaurants, theaters, and airlines, and would hate to see us revert to a nation of puffers. Heh - same here on pretty much all counts. As an asthmatic, I’ve never even been tempted (plus I didn’t hang out with that crowd, being as socially inept as they come). I have long argued that all else being equal, smoking maijiuana can’t be any worse than tobacco - BUT there are differences in how they’re used: - Most people who smoke cigarettes are lighting 'em up 20-40-60 times a day whereas most MJ smokers (I assume!!!) use far less than that -so there’s a matter of total exposure (3 joints at night vs 20 cigarettes = less overall smoke). - On the other hand, tobacco cigarettes are _usually_ filtered, and joints are usually not… - And commericially-produced cigarettes have all sorts of other nasty chemicals added to affect their burning, taste, etc. whereas wacky tabacky does not (as far as I understand). I am concerned over the correlation between MJ use and development of other mental illnesses. Whether it’s causative, or a symptom of someone self-medicating for early symptoms, it’s not good. Aside from that, the negative aspects I can cite are: - Employment (many employers forbid using it even in places where it’s legal; mine is one such) - The law - if it’s not legal where you are, or the Feds decide to override the locality and enforce Federal law, you’re at a legal risk you would not be in if you were having a drink or two. - Whatever degree of dependency you might develop: I know it’s not addictive in the same way as, say, opiates, but there are certainly people whose use of it sure looks like dependency. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/51 "2018-08-16T19:48:49Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I have long argued that all else being equal, smoking maijiuana can’t be any worse than tobacco - BUT there are differences in how they’re used: > > - Most people who smoke cigarettes are lighting 'em up 20-40-60 times a day whereas most MJ smokers (I assume!!!) use far less than that -so there’s a matter of total exposure (3 joints at night vs 20 cigarettes = less overall smoke). > - On the other hand, tobacco cigarettes are _usually_ filtered, and joints are usually not… > - And commericially-produced cigarettes have all sorts of other nasty chemicals added to affect their burning, taste, etc. whereas wacky tabacky does not (as far as I understand). The manner in which marijuana is smoked differs, though. The traditional method that - er, I heard about - was to take a toke, draw it way deep, and then hold it for several seconds to get the maximum absorption. So the smoke is going to be in contact with the lungs for much longer per joint as compared to per cigarette. Obviously that would be less of a factor with vaping, or the marijuana equivalent. I still think they should make the stuff legal at the federal level, and let the states decide. People want to get toasted. If you’re an adult and you don’t drive, knock yourself out. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/52 "2018-08-16T20:28:32Z")
This isn’t a health thing, but I don’t really like the smell of marijuana. If someone’s smoking it outside, okay, whatever, but if someone smokes it and then gets on a bus and I board the bus, the whole bus reeks. It’s a bit of an annoyance for me, but worse for those who dislike the smell even more. Though I think McDonald’s food is also stinky and capable of smelling up a whole bus, so maybe I’m just too sensitive to certain smells. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/53 "2018-08-16T20:50:03Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > This isn’t a health thing, but I don’t really like the smell of marijuana. If someone’s smoking it outside, okay, whatever, but if someone smokes it and then gets on a bus and I board the bus, the whole bus reeks. It’s a bit of an annoyance for me, but worse for those who dislike the smell even more. > Though I think McDonald’s food is also stinky and capable of smelling up a whole bus, so maybe I’m just too sensitive to certain smells. Taking the subway during the Jazz festival must fun for you. There will probably need to be an improvement in the way people typically consume it. Vaporizing and edibles will gain in popularity so the smell won’t be as bad. Am I the only one who often enjoys the smell of smoked pot? There have been times I disliked the smell and other times I found it quite pleasant whether or not I took part. I’m not sure what could have caused that difference. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/54 "2018-08-16T21:30:38Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Vaporizing and edibles will gain in popularity so the smell won’t be as bad. > > Am I the only one who often enjoys the smell of smoked pot? There have been times I disliked the smell and other times I found it quite pleasant whether or not I took part. I’m not sure what could have caused that difference. [OpenVape](https://openvapeshop.com/) pen. Easily-controlled dosage, no messy setup, no stinky apparatus in your pocket. Couple deep breaths afterward to clear the old lungs and you’re totes discreet. Munch an Altoid if you’re really concerned. Edibles…take practice. I don’t mind the smell of burning weed under the right conditions, but as an adult I rarely find myself in the right conditions. There’s an unopened gram in the safe I’ve had since December. ---
**Author:** ![PapaJoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9adbd/32.png) [@PapaJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapaJoe)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/55 "2018-08-17T14:48:31Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Am I the only one who often enjoys the smell of smoked pot? There have been times I disliked the smell and other times I found it quite pleasant whether or not I took part. I’m not sure what could have caused that difference. The difference is likely due simply to the strain of MJ being smoked. They can vary wildly in strength and quality of scent. I’ve experienced strains that smell strongly of skunk; strains that have barely any skunk smell, but strong undertones of citrus, berry or other fruits; strains that smell of chocolate; ditch weed that smells like burning rubber (this was before burning it). If you’re an individual who is sensitive to scents in general, it’s likely that your experiences of it smelling great are due to someone smoking some REALLY good shit. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/56 "2018-08-17T16:13:19Z")
I think stoners are too wrapped up in the idea of different strains of marijuana. Yes, there are such things. No, if you didn’t grow it yourself from known cultivars, you really don’t have any fucking idea what it is. There is so little actual research on the topic, that I discount anything stoners say that includes the word “strain.” ---
**Author:** ![drivekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@drivekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drivekiller)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/57 "2018-08-17T17:17:07Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Denver: hasn’t so far. Sure every now and then, but you still encounter it nowhere near as frequently as tobacco or…whatever it is the fogbank vapers are doing. > > (Man, I can remember when people could smoke on airplanes. Unthinkable today.) An evening walk through Hollywood smells of pot and stale piss; in Koreatown, it’s barbecue and cigarettes. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/58 "2018-08-17T17:18:57Z")
I live in Colorado. There are not stoners hanging out all over the place. The law is that you don’t smoke it in public. Sure you see it and smell it being consumed in public every so often, but it’s not out of control…well except at Dead & Company concerts. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/59 "2018-08-17T18:19:34Z")
> [@drivekiller](#): > > An evening walk through Hollywood smells of pot and stale piss; in Koreatown, it’s barbecue and cigarettes. I thought nobody walked in LA. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549/60 "2018-08-17T18:23:50Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I thought nobody walked in LA. Sometimes it’s faster to walk next door than deal with traffic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-aspects-of-marijuana/819549.md?page=4)