NEWS FLASH: Marijuana Isn't good for you

First of all, I am all for marijuana, its a wonderful medicine and great fun all at once. This is all about debunking marijuana myths, and basically glorifying marijuana while trying to reveal all of its downsides. I'm not going to go around citing sources because plainly I'm lazy; even so, I'm 95% sure all the information I will be spouting off is fact and I read studies and did tons of research over the last couple years.

MYTHS

There is a shitload of myths, all which exist because of either ignorant and unlearned people.

Marijuana is addictive
Yeah, everyone seems to want to say this. First of all, lets figure out what the active ingredients in marijuana are (the ones that make you high). Mainly, THC. THC is delta 9 tetrahydocannabinol. Another ingredient is the cannabinoids in the weed itself. Neither have any tendency to be abused and neither have any withdrawal symptoms after years of smoking it. The government released a study talking about different drugs and possibilities to become addicted, cocain, heroin, meth, all at the top. Caffeine was second last, and then there is marijuana. At the very bottom of the list was marijuana, below caffeine. I'm sure a lot of you drink coffee, think how you feel after you drink coffee and how much you feel like you want another one. Marijuana is less than that.

Think of it as if you really like snowboarding, and you go snowboarding every day. Your not addicted, why do you do it though? It enhances your quality of life and you love to do it because its fun mainly. Its about the same feeling with weed, and even weed doesn't override anything like snowboarding, you do what you want to do and if your responsible extracurricular activities will have priority. I smoke pot, and I have for 4 years and god damnit no matter how much I smoke it, I don't feel its necessary to smoke the next day; and if I do smoke the next day, then I still don't feel any different about it. Its next to nothing.

There is a possibility of abuse, as with anything, it could be a crutch for something in your life, such as depression, in that case your doing it for the wrong reasons and you will become mentally addicted instead of physically, meaning you feel like you can't function without it. Means you won't feel any physical effects. You can abuse cheeseburgers, you don't go around closing Burger Kings because you eat them too much. I can take a fork and jab myself in the eye, should forks be illegal? I can jump off a bridge, should we outlaw bridges? I've done it all, the big 3, marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco, and I'll tell you, marijuana is the least of the 3.

Marijuana kills your brain cells
This got started back in the 70's I believe when a study using monkeys showed lots of brain cells dying. Everyone was scared, it was a big deal. Everyone thought pot made you stupid, and now they had proof. After 6 years of people asking how the study was conducted, they told us. They attached gas masks to their faces, and pumped concentrated THC and cannabinoids, equivalent to 63 Columbian strength joints in 5 minutes with no additional oxygen. Needless to say you know what happened. They suffocated the monkeys essentially. Minimal oxygen for 5 minutes will destroy brain cells. Holding your breath destroys brain cells. They redid the studies in a more decent way and found that it does not in fact kill any brain cells at all. A more recent study has shown that it is possible that it may aid in brain cell regeneration, needless to say no anti-marijuana person would want to parade this around, its gotten a lot less attention.

Marijuana causes cancer and emphysema
No, it doesn't. This is basically said by people who are completely ignorant to the fact that its not quite the tobacco thats giving people cancer, its the radioactive fertilizer and soil and insecticides that they use to grow it, at least thats one of the reasons. The same doesn't apply for marijuana because its completely organic and you could grow it yourself and you'd know exactly what went on it. Cannabis smoke isn't harmful to your lungs because of anything in the plant itself, its because your inhaling heated plant matter. Even then, the worst that happens is the cilia in your lungs paralyzes for a short while, which are the things that clean your lungs. That is why you wouldn't want to over do it, but because the smoke is not radioactive you are unlikely to get cancer.

The smoke is absorbed into a different portion of the lungs where it appears that you cannot get emphysema or cancer. Think about it, you've seen all those commercials about cigarettes, talking about how it gives you cancer, how meth kills you, all things like that, but if there was ever a cancer case (or a few hundred) related to just smoking marijuana then don't you think they would parade it around and show everyone that it will kill you?

The point is studies have shown that there is no increased risk for lung cancer when you smoke marijuana. I will say that it is harmful to the lungs, but there are ways to smoke marijuana such as vaporizers and even eating it which have absolutely no negative health effects.

Marijuana causes crimes and violence
Cops have said time and time again that they have seen first hand the devastating effects of alcohol and the increase of crimes and domestic violence and the complete absence of any of that from marijuana. Think about it, marijuana makes you relax, makes you laugh, makes you mellow. You never hear about someone smoking a joint and going home and beating their wife. Get real.

Marijuana is a gateway drug
Its all about responsibility. Who the fuck cares if its a gateway drug, it could be said that I started out on milk and moved onto alcohol. If you smoke marijuana there is no deep down necessity to go ahead and do harder drugs. Fuck no, when I smoke I want to sit around and talk about bullshit and eat, I don't think I want to go do some meth. If your responsible, if you have control of your life, you will never have to worry about moving onto harder drugs. Its your decision and if you make the wrong one, its your fault. Of course its a gateway drug people aren't going to do meth first and move onto weed, its a stupid argument and a stupid phrase. Don't tell me it is, I've smoked weed, and if your so stupid as to try something else, even while your under the influence of marijuana, you deserve whatever you got.

If you smoke marijuana you will become unproductive and a useless member of society
Yeah, if you were destined to be that in the first place. Usually its the drugs that find those kinds of people, not they find the drugs and it made them like that. Marijuana is something to do on weekends with friends to relax and have fun and talk shit. Its not something to do while you work if your concerned about your job, or your life puts other people at danger. Even if you smoked weed all the time you get used to it, and you learn to do things while high. I have family members who smoke it medicinally 24/7 and they are the way they are, and I wouldn't have them any other way. They aren't stupid and they definitely aren't lazy. And I'm not saying that if you smoke marijuana you'll feel like you have to work, yes it will put you on your ass if your that high and your not used to doing stuff while high, in that case, its all about being responsible.

The creator of CNN smokes pot daily, Bill Clinton used to smoke pot, Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, from the Beetles to Led Zeppelin, lots of people in every day life smoke pot and you'd never know it. Tommy Chong, he may look like a stupid stoner in his movies but you'd never guess that he directs them too.

Marijuana causes car accidents
Rarely. Yes, it slows reaction time, but its nothing like alcohol, nothing like it at all. You try driving drunk, your an idiot. I've driven high, and I know people who do it every day all day and some of them have perfect driving records. Therefore you simply cannot say it does, because I've driven high, I know what its like. Basically if your way out of it, yes you will zone out and yes its possible to crash, but its nothing like alcohol. With weed you basically drive more cautious and driving really slow doesn't bother you, you drive slow all the time.

Marijuana impacts your judgment and makes you not conscious of what your doing
Again, don't tell me this. I've smoked pot. I am much more aware than if I were to drink alcohol. I can refuse other drugs, and I have lots, while completely stoned. It does not give you a hangover and the next day after smoking weed its completely normal as the day you never did it.

Marijuana kills you
Oh really? Show me one case. Let me break this down.. All numbers are annually.
Deaths by tobacco - 400,000
Deaths by alcohol - 100,000
Deaths by caffeine - 10,000
Deaths by aspirin - 7,000
Deaths by marijuana - 0

In 10 thousand years of using marijuana, there has not been a single death directly related to marijuana. Not one. You can't find one. Unbelievable, isn't it?

Marijuana contains 4 - 5 times more tar than cigarettes
Not true at all. This is only measuring the most tar-filled leaves, which no one smokes, people smoke bud, and I'm not sure how much the bud has compared to cigarettes but its not much different. Either way, no one smokes 25 joints a day and tar is not the reason people get cancer.
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If that wasn't a big enough reason for anyone to shut up about marijuana being horrible and listening to the propaganda that the media feeds us I don't know what will.

MEDICINAL USES

Marijuana is the most useful pharmaceutical drug in the world. It can be used with more illnesses and ailments than any other medication, and it often works better.

"A number of studies show that THC provides medical benefits for cancer and AIDS patients by increasing appetite and decreasing nausea. It has also been shown to assist some glaucoma patients by reducing pressure within the eye, and is used in the form of cannabis by a number of multiple sclerosis patients, who use it to alleviate neuropathic pain and spasticity. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is currently supporting further research into these uses. New scientific evidence is showing that THC can prevent Alzheimer's Disease in an animal model by preventing the inflammation caused by microglia cells which are activated by binding of amyloid protein."

It also mentions that marijuana is an effective anti-cancer agent, reducing tumor size in mice and in a human study as well.

"Research has also shown that past claims of brain damage from cannabis use fail to hold up to the scientific method. Instead, recent studies with synthetic cannabinoids show that activation of CB1 receptors can facilitate neurogenesis, as well as neuroprotection, and can even help prevent natural neural degradation from neurodegenerative diseases such as MS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. This, along with research into the CB2 receptor (throughout the immune system), has given the case for medical marijuana more support"


Why is it illegal?

The number 1 industry in the world is pharmaceuticals. Marijuana, being the best medication for so many health problems, could be grown in your house and therefore eliminate the need for the massive amounts of pills you are prescribed. The government would lose money. You can't regulate marijuana any better than it is right now, you could just sell it more readily, people would still grow it at their house and they would still get high without the government interfering, only it would be easier if it was legalized.

Another reason is how can so many presidents, prime ministers, whatever, over the years have the same stance, that marijuana needs to be fought, and all of the sudden change it and legalize it. The people would want to know, were you making a mistake? Were you lying to us or were you just stupid? The real killers, alcohol and cigarettes, are still out there and legal, yet they spend 7 billion a year on just catching simple people, simply smoking pot. If they legalized marijuana, the amount of cops and the amount of money being put into the system would no longer be needed at all. Every other drug combined is not even close to marijuana users.

The main question, is does prohibition work? It has never worked. Think about it, no matter how illegal something is people will continue to find ways to do it. The point of prohibition is to limit the amount of drugs available and control it. In marijuanas case, both of those fail terribly. There is 164 million cannabis users in the world. Its a war not worth fighting.

In the Netherlands, where marijuana is legal, there is less marijuana smokers than everywhere else. Thats because its not TABOO! Its because its not a rebellious thing and its not about doing something illegal. Just because its regulated doesn't mean people are going to smoke it more.


Short Term Effects
Dizzyness
Decreased motor skills
Short term memory loss
Rapid heartbeat
Dry mouth
Hunger
being really happy
everythings funny.

Long Term Effects
There is basically none. A study showing the human brain after smoking during development during adolescence throughout shows no difference at all compared to a non-smokers brain. One study showed that after 40 years of smoking 5 joints a day parts of the brain are shrunk and different than a normal brain, but a year after they stopped smoking it their brains returned completely normal. Compared to people smoking for only 15 years the same way their brains are no different, it takes extreme use to show those effects.

I'd assume it would also mess up your memory and make things harder to remember, but I don't have any proof or reason to say this it just seems like it might its my opinion really.

-From fagex-

 

I've been wanting to give it a try for awhile now but everytime my friends get ahold of it I puss out but this helped alot and good job on all the stuff you wrote on here lol

 

Fianlly someone with postive feedback one of my posts rofl

 

I just read everything, and I agree with most of it, but there are a few points that I cannot agree with you on:

All smoke is harmful, even cannabis smoke. One type of smoke is more harmful than the other. Just because you are smoking plant parts, doesn't mean it's healthy. The problem with tabacco is, that it's smoked daily, several times a day.
This quote is from wikipedia, about smoke (in general).

They are talking about indoor fires, but this goes for any type of smoke.

Well, pot does make you unconcious of certain things you're doing. These are just small things, but they dp occur. Example, have you ever looked at something for quite a while, than realizing that you were staring at it, and your mouth was open all the time? These are small things. Or observing things can be totally different. Your mind can play tricks with you, especially in the dark. If you look at an unknown lightsource in the dark, it's harder to identify it when being high, than being sober.

That is why I started drinking less and smoking more. No hangovers, no things you forget about the day before. When I go out and I smoke, I never drink, I always drink cola or something refreshing (also because my mouth is dry as fuck xD).

Marijuana doesn't contain 4-5 times more tar than cigarettes, but joints do (well, not 4-5 times, but it's more than a normal cigarette)! Most joints contain tabacco, more than in a cigarette (I usually put a half cigarette in my joints). You also inhale the smoke deeper than with a cigarette. A joint doesn't contain a filter, like cigarettes do. Marijuana does widen your bronchi, but that also allows more tar to be inhaled.

Marijuana is NOT legal here in Holland (yes, I'm Dutch). Marijuana is tollerated, which means you can have it, but it's not legal. If the police searches you and they find weed, they have the right to confiscate it. And you are also not allowed to have more than 5 grams. Smoking weed is still a bit taboo. Even here in Holland Smoking pot is still a rebellious thing here, and kids (I'm talking about ages 12+) still do it to act tough, just as with smoking tabacco.

 

You are absolutelly right, i smoke marijuana and i enjoy it alot, just don't oversmoke it.

 

Im loving the feedback guys
thank you

 

The more people there are that smoke pot, the closer we are to world peace.

 

It's a little difficult to calculate deaths induced by something which is considered contraband and can easily contribute to a death, such as a crash because of delayed reaction time.

I wouldn't say it's good for you, but I maintain the point of view that it's not particularly bad or detrimental to ones health.

 

Anything that makes you high, in my opinion is bad for you. But I say leagalize it so no more prisoners going to jail for this stupid drug...

 

MR impossible you have a good point
But who reallly gives shit if we want to alter the perception of our minds
and
damien0124
Guru
Fuck you little boy
just because you dont know how to get ahold of it and have no friends

 

At my college's honors dorm mostly everyone smokes weed. Also, almost every engineer I know (me being one of them) is a pothead and they say it helps them relax during their strenuous work schedule. Honor's and engineering and typically associated with smart and successful people so there does seem to be some correlation between weed and it's benefits.

I suggest you get up from your seat, step away from your computer and go look outside, because you sir are an idiot.

 

All mind-altering drugs should be illegal. Sorry the natural state of humans is not good for you. I'm also for restricting/banning tobacco as well though. Early 1900s Cocaine was also seen as the cure all we are kings.

 

I've been thinking about doing it, I've been researching it and everything, but this answers all my questions. Thank you very much for posting this.

 

Yeah! do it! fucking up your life is how you get friends!!!! fuck success!!! am I right?

 

My opinion of this is, if you are at your own residence, what is the big deal with smoking a blunt. As long as no ones health is at risk, it should be fine. I don't encourage people to smoke cannabis whilst driving, but It all depends on the person. I am all against alcohol as well as cigarettes, although I do drink and smoke, but I do not condone with it.

Good job, very well written.
+Citations and have it published. (=

 

According to Seth Rogen, smoke from a bong, it filters the addictive shit.
<3 Dro.

 

Oh okay.........
Then why does the U.S still think its illegal? They didn't ban it for a reason.......
Oops my bad anything that lowers your ability on judgment is bad for you.
Marijuana basically is like Alcohol it removes your ability on judgment. That means when you're using Marijuana you're more likely to do stupid stuff just like Alcohol. No, You sir are an idiot.

 

Viper shush.
And Mr. Impossible then explain to me why alcohol isnt illegal if your all so knowing about weed?

 

i love this =O

 

Alter your mind, i read all that u posted and was about to post with given respect, but i mean come on change ur mind? Thats why people go insane and kill others =/