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HOW DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT THE BRAIN?

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Biology 202
2004 First Web Paper
On Serendip

HOW DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT THE BRAIN?

AKUDO EJELONU

Pot, weed, grass, ganja and skunk, are some of the common words used to describe the dried leaves drug known as marijuana. Marijuana is a cannabis plant that is "usually smoked or eaten to entice euphoria." (1). Throughout the years, there has been research on the negative and positive effects of marijuana on the human body and the brain. Marijuana is frequently beneficial to the treatment of AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain. However, researchers such as Jacques-Joseph Moreau have been working to explain how marijuana has harmful affects on the functions of central nervous system and hinders the memory and movement of the user's brain. The focus of my web paper is how the chemicals in marijuana, specifically cannabinoids and THC have an effect on the memory and emotions of a person's central nervous system.

Marijuana impinges on the central nervous system by attaching to brain's neurons and interfering with normal communication between the neurons. These nerves respond by altering their initial behavior. For example, if a nerve is suppose to assist one in retrieving short-term memory, cannabinoids receptors make them do the opposite. So if one has to remember what he did five minutes ago, after smoking a high dose of marijuana, he has trouble. Marijuana plant contains 400 chemicals and 60 of them are cannabinoids, which are psychoactive compounds that are produced inside the body after cannabis is metabolized or is extorted from the cannabis plant. Cannabinoids is an active ingredient of marijuana. The most psychoactive cannabinoids chemical in marijuana that has the biggest impact on the brain is tetrahydrocannibol, or THC. THC is the main active ingredient in marijuana because it affects the brain by binding to and activating specific receptors, known as cannabinoid receptors. "These receptors control memory, thought, concentration, time and depth, and coordinated movement. THC also affects the production, release or re-uptake (a regulating mechanism) of various neurotransmitters."(2) Neurotransmitters are chemical messenger molecules that carry signals between neurons. Some of these affects are personality disturbances, depression and chronic anxiety. Psychiatrists who treat schizophrenic patient advice them to not use this drug because marijuana can trigger severe mental disturbances and cause a relapse.

When one's memory is affected by high dose of marijuana, short-term memory is the first to be triggered. Marijuana's damage to short-term memory occurs because THC alters the way in which information is processed by the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory formation. "One region of the brain that contains a lot of THC receptors is the hippocampus, which processes memory."(3) Hippocampus is the part of the brain that is important for memory, learning, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivation. It also converts information into short-term memory. "Because it is a steroid, THC acts on the hippocampus and inhibits memory retrieval."(4) THC also alters the way in which sensory information is interpreted. "When THC attaches to receptors in the hippocampus, it weakness the short-term memory,"(5) and damages the nerve cells by creating structural changes to the hippocampus region of the brain. When a user has a high dose of marijuana, new information does not register into their brain and this may be lost from memory and they are not able to retrieve new information for more than a few minutes. There is also a decrease in the activity of nerve cells.

There are two types of memory behavior that is affected by marijuana, recognition memory and free cells. Recognition memory is the ability to recognize correct words. Users can usually recognize words that they previous saw before smoking but claim to recognize words that they did not previously see before smoking. This mistake is known as memory intrusions. Memory intrusions are also the consequence of THC affecting the free cell of the brain. "Marijuana disrupts the ability to freely recall words from a list that has been presented to an intoxicated subject."(6) For example, if a list of vocabulary words presented to the intoxicated subject and few minutes later, they have to recall the words that were on the list. The only words that they remember are the last group of words and not the words that are in the beginning of the list. This is an initiation that their memory storage has been affected. "The absence of an effect at short term delay times indicates that cannabinodis did not impair the ability to perform the basic task, but instead produce a selective learning and/or memory deficit."(7) I did a study with two college students (Student A and Student B) who both smoke marijuana every other week. This particular study was done an hour before, while and after they were under the influence of the drug. Student A was watching television before she smoked marijuana, was asked which advertisement was splayed before the show started and she got four out of five of her answers correct. After this first section, she smoked a small dose of marijuana twice within an hour. Fifteen minutes after she smoked her last blunt, she continued her regular activity of watching sitcoms. When a commercial would come on, I would ask her simple questions like what happened before the show went to a commercial break. Her responses would be macro-answers about what was going on but when I asked her what the main character was wearing, she did not remember. This was ironic because the protagonist wore a bright yellow suit that my friend commenting on earlier when the show began ten minutes ago. Her short-term memory is weakening because she was only able to remember big picture information and not small picture. Though the results are interesting, I know that I would have had different response on someone else because it depends on how often the user smokes and if they have good memory prior to smoking weed.

Marijuana also impairs emotions. When smoking marijuana, the user may have uncontrollable laughter one minute and paranoia the next. This instant change in emotions has to do with the way that THC affects the brain's limbic system. The limbic system is another region of the brain that governs one's behavior and emotions. It also "coordinates activities between the visceral base-brain and the rest of the nervous system."(8) I am now going to use Students B to describe how emotions are affected by marijuana. Students B is an articulate and well spoken young woman who has a troublesome relationship with her best friends which gets her upset and tense up. But after she smoked one high dose weed, her body was relaxed however, she had trouble formulating her thoughts clearly and would talk in pieces and was jubilant. It has been researched that a person needs to have high dose of marijuana would be in the state of euphoria. High dose of marijuana is measured as "15mg of THC can cause increased heart rate, gross motor disturbances, and can lead to panic attacks."(9) Thankfully, Student A did not experience any of these extreme examples.

College students usually smoke marijuana because they are stressed over schoolwork and feel that marijuana can help them unwind. I have encountered marijuana smokers who are chilled and have no worries in the world but after the effect of the drug wears off, they're sometimes capable to tacking their problem or at the original state that they were in before the drug. The effects of happiness that marijuana usually cause to the user is not a lasting effect because even though a user smokes weed to get away from the troubles of his/her own life, they still have to face these problems after the effects of the drug wears-off. In a survey with college student, an organization called, parents: the Anti-Drug interviewed college students and found that "compared to the light users, heavy marijuana users made more errors and had more difficulty sustaining attention."(10) This was evident through my second experiment with Student B but not everyone who smoke high doses of marijuana experience the same affect.

The chemicals in marijuana bring cognitive impairment and troubles with learning for the user. "Smoking [marijuana] causes some changes in the brain that are like those caused but cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Some researchers believe that has changes may put a person more at risk of becoming addicted to other drugs such a cocaine and heroin."(11) To prevent such harm, one must be cautious of their actions. Those who do not do drugs do not risk harm. So please the next day you light up, remember you that you central nervous system and brain will be at risk.

1)Online Dictionary

2)Marijuana: The Brain's Response to Drugs, A Good Web Source

3)Mind Over Matter: Marijuana Series, A Good Web Source

4)Alcohol Addiction & The Limbic System, A Good Web Source

5)Marijuana: The Brain's Response to Drugs, A Good Web Source

6)Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Learning and Memory Impairments Produced by Cannabinoids, A Good Web Source

7)Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Learning and Memory Impairments Produced by Cannabinoids, A Good Web Source

8)Marijuana and the Brain by John Gettman. High Times, March, 1995, A Good Web Source

9)Alcohol Addiction & The Limbic System, A Good Web Source

10)Parents. The Anti-Drug. -- Drug Information, A Good Web Source

11)Marijuana: Marijuana Brain Effects, A Good Web Source

 

 

Comments made prior to 2007

I smoked pot straight now since I was 13 years old Im 25 now I smoke it everyday literally through a Bong. I do not smoke well im at work but as soon as im off and for the remainder of the evening till I end up going to bed I do smoke. Now I read your page about the effects pot has on short term memory and brain function, Since I started smoking pot my asthma has vanished my grades went up in school my mind learns at quicker rates and my short term memory is far from gone There isnt much I forget about, unless it is because of my selective memory. Were the people that you tested on already marijuana smokers and also there are diff things to be taken into consideration when testing a substance for example the way it was grown marijuana has to be grown with nutrients and fertalizers to become potent enough to smoke for a high but when people use these fertilizers and such they sometimes do not leech the foods out from the plants which could lead to all kinds of bad side effects Im wondering if this kind of inforamtion is taken into consideration when giving test subjects marijuana to smoke or ingest.

I have no side effects other than a burnt out feeling after smoking all nite, and in teh morning of course but no brain problems like teh ones your website describes ... Chris, 7 July 2006

 

 

Yeah...i disagree on a lot of things that you have to say about this. Like for one some of the things you mentioned only happen while you're high, but after the high goes away those things do as well. Marijuana is not addicting like other hard drugs or alcohol. Also marijuana helps people with ADD, makes them focus better, and sometimes learn better. Sometimes when you smoke your nerves are more dull, but sometimes they can be more alive, so to speak. You need to know that everybody reacts to marijuana differently. So these test that your doing don't go for everybody. You need to let people know that or else thats kind of false information. Something that really got to me is when you were talking about how people do it to relax and get their mind of things and once the highs gone all the problems come back. Well once again everybody reacts differently to marijuana. A lot of people when there high talk a lot about there problems and life in general. What I'm getting at here is that while their high they can figure out there problems because being high brings you into a new type of world and you think about everything more carefully. It's like it opens up your brain and lets you think more into your thoughts and about whats going on. A lot of times they can solve their problems like that, especially when there is someone there with them to talk to. Marijuana also brings people together. I know someone who hated a bunch of people, but then one day ended up smoking with them. Next thing she knew, they were all the best of friends. I know a group of people and within that group you've got your "gangster" type, Punk type, goth type, preppy type, hick type, and the list just keeps going. All of them probably wouldn't even talk if it wasn't for marijuana bringing them together. I have a lot more to say but, I'm not going to because I have pretty much proved my point. Also marijuana brings the creativeness out in people. Some of the greatest authors, poets, music artist, painters, and so on, get their great ideas or create there masterpieces by being high.

 

P.S I would also like to add that I am a chronic user and I could remember your whole entire report on it. I also have excellent grades in school, in fact better than when I didn't smoke. I also would just like to add one more thing: You will not understand or ever be able to know how or what marijuana does to you unless you do it yourself. Trust me I once was all anti-marijuana and always said that it does all these bad things to you and blah blah blah. Well now I actually know how it really does make people feel because I have experienced it and everything there is in that type of world.

 

P.S.S I do agree with a few things that you had to say ... Jen, 9 November 2006

 

 

Hi, I really found this information very useful because it IS a misconvention among most of the college/university goers that marijuana increases concentration and increases the work capacity of an individual. I personally believe that it DOES increase the work capacity of the abuser to some extent, that's when the drug abuser is not in a "stoned" state of mind, but then too, what is at stake is the brain and central nervous system malfunctioning, which degrades the intellectual, job and social skills. So in my opinion, it's not a good deal ... Ankur Gupta, 25 February 2007

 

 

allright tell me something if you say a list of say 20-30 vocabulary words and you were asked to read them over, then you were asked say 5 minutes later to remember as many of those words as you can, do you really think you'll be able to do that? no i bet if you asked 100 people to do that that around 90% of them wouldnt be able to do it.

 

also riddle me this batman, how many people die each year from drunk driving accidents? now dont im pretty sure you've been drunk, and maybe once smoked pot in your life right? well which had a more sever affect the weed or the alcohol? yeah the alcohol!

 

im a stoner i will proudly say that. but if i have the choice between alcohol and weed i'd take weed anyday. i've driven high that isnt a problem. when im high i drive a little slower then normal and im lookin for the nearest 7-11.

 

weed isnt a drug it has no addictive characteristics what so ever!!! ciggaretes kill more people then alchol,guns,and pissed off husbands who come home early.

 

now weed doesnt lead to other drugs what so ever, i've been smokin the stuff everyday for the past 4 years and i have yet to even think about trying other drugs. if mother nature didnt want us to smoke it she wouldnt have put it here!

 

its as simple as that!! ... Reader on the web, 21 July 2007

 

 

Hello, I was told about this site as a friend of mine was completing a research paper. As I looked over it, there seems to be lots of misinformation involved, and my friend has abandoned this site. I wouldn't mind if you read through all of my message carefully. To start off, the following statement is not backed by any scientific evidence what so ever. "Marijuana impinges on the central nervous system by attaching to brain's neurons and interfering with normal communication between the neurons." This has been proven to be false on multiple occasions since the 1970's. Cannabinoids to not not impinge on the nervous system what so ever, this isn't lysergic acid we're dealing with. "Marijuana plant contains 400 chemicals and 60 of them are cannabinoids" This quote right here is misleading. Every plant is comprised of hundreds of chemicals. In fact, they're not even chemicals, they're just substances that comprise the plants' structure. Also, the majority of cannabinoids that are also found in cannabis are produced by the body naturally. Also regarding cannabinoid receptors. "These receptors control memory, thought, concentration, time and depth, and coordinated movement. THC also affects the production, release or re-uptake (a regulating mechanism) of various neurotransmitters." This is simply false, I do not know where this source came from. Your brain does not use cannabinoid receptors for memory, thought, or concentration. Next,saying that "When one's memory is affected by high dose of marijuana, short-term memory is the first to be triggered." is also blatantly false. Marijuana does not directly impact memory, but short term memory only when high off of THC or CBD is affected because the user may be 'distracted' if you will from the plant it self. Also, referring to a 'high dose' of marijuana is ridiculous. There is no such thing as a high dose of Cannabis because there is no possible way to overdose. It is strictly impossible. The most obnoxious quote that i've read from this site is, "Marijuana also impairs emotions. When smoking marijuana, the user may have uncontrollable laughter one minute and paranoia the next." I cannot believe that this would even be published. MARIJUANA DOES NOT CHANGE A USERS STATE OF MIND. PEOPLE CAN MAKE THE SAME RATIONAL DECISIONS AS THEY WOULD WHEN NOT USING THE PLANT. PERIOD. I am actually appalled by what I've read here, and I'm even more appalled by the sources you've used. Unlike true informational sites, you've only used web sources. That is completely absurd. If you look at any reasonable fact site about Cannabis you will see that the sources that are used are mainly from published books and factual citations. Please realize that much of what is on this web page is completely false and misleading. I wouldn't mind hearing a response soon to defend your case ... Spiros Thomas, 7 November 2007

Comments

Paul Grobstein's picture

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Anonymous's picture

if you didn't notice, or just

if you didn't notice, or just didn't bother to read the article you're commenting on, all those people who have been saying it's awesome and stuff? They DID mention it had positives, they DID mention it can be helpful and they DID mention that it affects everyone differently. I'm not saying it's good, i'm not saying it's bad, i'm saying it can be both. I for one have only been high twice, once it was one helluva good time, other time it made me depressed. It affects everyone differently this article is to make people aware who are thinking about chronic use that there CAN be bad side-affects, not that there ARE bad side-affects. People wiegh the pros and cons then decide, and if they don't weigh pros and cons then they probably do a whole bunch of other drugs anyway and are rotting on the street using the $10 they begged to buy just another gram.
weed is good. weed is bad. cigs are bad. so is alcohol. war is bad. i could go on all day about "bad" point is weed is a choice, so let people choose.
(i'm kinda against it but w/e)

Anonymous's picture

Marijuana is good on occasion...

I've smoked Marijuana on occasion...I'm half Jamaican and half white - I live in the UK. My grades aren't too high or too low. Averaging B's & C's.

Well whether you like it or not pretty much all Jamaicans smoke marijuana and enjoy it and are able to moderate it correctly and enjoy themselves without moving up to more serious drugs such as crack, cocaine. etc.
I'd personally never move up to a higher 'stronger' desperately addictive drug like that. Marijuana can affect you positively and negatively. 'POT HEADS' Who are known to be stupid and just high all the time were most likely just retarded before they started smoking marijuana.

Simplified, Marijuana is a lovely herbal plant which has strains which are grown all over the world with pleasures which vary - alcohol IS worse, tobacco isn't as bad. Marijuana should be legalized it's a waste of police time wasting up to $1B On cannabis arrests, charges etc.

If your reading this and thinking i'll never smoke marijuana, then dont do it. Most Jamaicans smoke it for a reason, because it's bliss and allows you to think purely whilst being calm and chilled.

I know people who when smoke, can think clearly and act fine whilst others just act dozy. it has different effects on different people.

Anonymous's picture

What about the after effects??

See the thing is this article talks about the effects while on marijuana, rather than what it can do to you in the long run. Ive been smoking for a little over two years now (used to be like once a month, now its almost every weekend) and I havent experienced too many problems. My memory is still as sharp as it used to be, it just maybe that now summer was rolling around that my grades suffered last quarter of the school year. Otherwise I had been able to make excellent grades through my high school career. I have to say some to most of these facts are true, but I was expecting to read about the after effects as well.

J riz's picture

alright, to start off, I

alright, to start off, I smoke the best weed I can get my hands on, about every day or everyother day, but the days I do it's 1-3 times that day. so I smoke a lot of weed. but yeah, I smoke about every day, yet I get the best grades I've ever gotten, and I'm in the best physical shape I've ever been in. competing at the state level as a "pothead" is a great way to show people that it's not bad for ya. some people say it's bad if you smoke weed too often, but all I can say is, what isn't bad for you in large quantities? alcohol is legal, yet deadly. even water can be dangerous in large amounts(not talking about drowning rotfl). I rmember hearing about a woman during from drinking too much water in a contest.

hi dro's picture

BLUNTS

I smoke weed everyday... lol im 17 i started when i was like 15.. i pretty much smoke blunts everyday .. i'd say a good 3 swishers a day with my buddy's.. now im in highschool goanna be a senior. I wrestle and have been since i was in 2nd grade. im a 2 time for ohio. wrestling is a damn hard sport. it's like 4 months long and its nothing but rough shit and the worst conditioning, that shit is like fuckin hardcore bootcamp.. lol not kidding. and yeah its a little hard at the start cause im out of shape during the off season.. but after a week of it im in perfrect shape and my lungs are fresh.. lol idk it might affect me later in life?.. dont know. dont really care really? because i feel excellent. lol thanks for reading..

Brandon Smith's picture

My life..

haha my life story through those 2 pieces of brown paper not gonna lie i aint the smartest mutha fucka on the block but guess what.. "i just dont give a fuck..."-eminem-
and to all those haten nerds out there feelin like they on a higher lvl "imma be wat i set out ta be without a doubt undoubtdly and all those who look down at me im tearin down ur balcony..."-eminem- and to all those str8 gangstas check out eminem hes tha shit ight pce ima lite up haha (brandon smith 14 year old can beat ur ass :P)
"it must be tha ganja the marijuana thts creepin up on me while im so high"-eminem- :)

Anonymous's picture

This is exactly....

This is exactly the kind of propaganda that alcohol and tobacco lobbyists love to see and make. Marijuana is a naturally recurring plant, which is composed of chemicals, as is everything else. Although inhaling cannabis can be bad for your lungs simply because inhaling smoke is bad, the bad effects are counteracted by some of the "chemicals" in the plant which instigate healthy cell decay within the lungs. This healthy cell decay reverses the detrimental effects of smoke. Another funny thing is that cigarettes, which are legal, do not offer this same healthy cell decay inducing chemical.
Secondly, you state that in recall marijuana users have trouble. When you give someone a list of words, i guarantee they remember the ones in the beginning and the ones at the end. This is because of the "serial position effect" which is a documented phenomenon. The amount of recall a person may have is largely due to their ability as a person, not their interactions with pot.
I was ranked 68 out of a class of 676 before I smoked. Now, smoking multiple times everyday, I have ameliorated my rank by dropping to 48 by mid year. I assume I will have dropped even more by the end of the year. Also, I am one of two sophomores in an AP class offered by my school. One of the students in the class is going to Yale and got a 2350/2400 on his SATs, guess who gets better test scores than Yale boy? You guessed it, the pothead in the class.
I have a restless mind and anxiety, marijuana use helps to better these conditions. But, in no way do I NEED marijuana. If I stopped smoking right now, after months of chronic smoking, I would experience no symptoms of withdrawal as is the norm with abusive drugs such as heroine or cocaine.
Lastly, the only reason that marijuana is characterized as a gateway drug is because it is a harmless drug that people first try. It is the person that chooses to do harder drugs, it is not the drug that forces the person onto harder drugs.
Sadly enough, I drink much less than many of my peers, because I know the terrible side effects of alcohol, and alcoholism; yet I am looked down upon by society because I enjoy toking the reefer.
Legalize it, regulate it, make money off of it, help people.

Anonymous's picture

definately experienced memory

definately experienced memory loss and some other downs...but thats the least of our worries amirite

Anonymous's picture

Iv been smoking for so long

Iv been smoking for so long your brain is all ready fuckup?Theres no answer to That? your aready fuck afther so long you been smoking. Your not your self anymore you aready chang. your body, mine,and your actions Chang.

Anonymous's picture

everything in moderation.

I smoke weed occasionally, and first off I am definitely not addicted to it. I have smoked it several times and never felt like I had to have it. second, it is not near as bad for you as eating processed food every day is. that shit is what is going to give you cancer. sure smoking weed all the time may mess with your memory (I have seen this first hand with my some people who smoke it at least 3 times a day) but smoking it like once a month or even once a week is not going to do much to you. both my parents smoked weed a lot when they were in college and they are both perfectly healthy. the only thing my mom said she had problems with was she would get bronchitis a lot but that was just temporary. the media is going to twist every single bad thing that weed does to you, to scare you. because its illegal. crack, meth, and heroin the drugs that you should be worried about not some weed that hardly even does anything to your brain compared to what some other drugs do.

Anonymous's picture

it effects the brain

Hey folks, Marijuana should be banned, except for medical reasons , under supervivion of a professional, to avoid exposure to children from pot head parents who dont have a clue. That reason alone is all that should matter, Morally its wrong to expose kids to any type of smoking or drugs. Grow up smokers, common sense and to those who sit here looking for excuses, don't bother, your missing the whole point . It should stay illegal to protect our kids , plus its an expensive habit for low income families who somtimes buy the shit rather than put food on there kids table DUH!!! TOTAL POT HEADS WITH NO CLUE OR MORALS and if you still defend it please dont ever have children your not fit

RoseKaye Wade's picture

how does marijuana affect the brain?

It is amazing to me that everyone responding put their names but the one person who believes potheads have no morals. I have been smoking for 35 years. I am an active member in my church, former Girl Scout Leader,Pop Warner cheerleading coach, Military Base Little League Coach and oh, yeah, after being out of college for 20 years I have a 3.4 GPA attending FULLTIME(15 credit hours).
I am a former spouse of a member of one of the elite programs in the military and I have witnessed numerous of these "SO-CALLED OFFICERS" violate every moral code there is but because they do not smoke marijuana people like ANONYMOUS will continue to applaud these people as heroes...LMFAO...get a grip America. The only truth that will be accepted is when the government decides to finally legalize marijuana and recants all the negative hype (just like they did with tobacco and alcohol).We know it is going to be all about the money at that point. They aren't as concerned about the papermills now as they were when marijuana was first made illegal to pacify the timber lobbyists...do some research we potheads do...REAL research, not just you and yourself trying to hash it out in YOUR head.
ANONYMOUS=STUPID

Anonymous's picture

you are ignorant and likely

you are ignorant and likely uneducated. you are wrong to associate a lifestyle choice with morality, and claim to be protecting your children from a naturally occurring substance with numerous psychological and medical benefits which happens to be less damaging than both alcohol and tobacco (which are both legal and widely used, perhaps even by you). please don't write about something you know nothing about.

Jordan G's picture

Dude you need to calm down and read this

Ok first off buddy, alchol is perfectly legal, it kills more people a year than any other substance (besides cigaretts) and its perfectly legal, do your parents drink? some parents drink, well then it should be illegal, cigaretts kill more people than any other drug , do your parents smoke? some parents do, then it should be illegal, do guns kill people, yes, should they all be illegal? Parents arguing in the home can lead to children suicide, should family arguments be illegal? Your missing the big picture, Weed never killed anyone, someone MIGHT have made a judgemnet error and died while high(i never heard of it) but i know people who died from alchol, i know people who died from cigarets, guns, and i know people who have killed themselves because of a bad home life not to do with drugs or alchol still they are all leggal. You tell me how thats right, you dont know what your talking about so get off this page and dont ever speak agian. My parnets fight all the time and my Severe ADHD is what led me to trying it, and it mellows me out so i can concentrate and not be sad or suicidal, i got high once and cleaned my entire basement alone, i would have never done such a thing when i was "sober". But one time i got drunk, didnt even have that much, lost control, threw up for hours and pissed my self wwhile i was asleep (alchol can kill you faster than you realise, i was close to death)and i lost my ipod, never done anything that stupid or life threatning while i was high. Its only $10 a gram dude, alchol cigarettes they cost more than that, not expensive at all. "TOTAL POT HEADS WITH NO CLUE OR MORALS" So tell me Mister Anonymous where are your presiuos morals now? .So the next time any of you "Pot" hatting IDIOTS thinks he can come up in here and say "Dont raise kids in a pot eviroment" or whatever you said, think twice, or maybe just go jump off a bridge

Anonymous's picture

Actually, I have been smoking

Actually, I have been smoking weed for about 6 months, not so often now, and I really want to quit. It makes me more lazy, I feel more blah, less alert, less motivated. I'm a lot slower at work, and well my job requires a lot of multitasking and brain exercise. Not to mention my lungs are killing me. So I guess it affects everyone differently, beause it's afecting me negatively. I'm not trying to argue with anyone, and weed may not be the worst drug, but honestly by personal experience, it's stil not healthy for you. I feel a lot more dumber now then when I didn't do it.

Guns and lipstick's picture

it does good too!

I don't know how they can bash the effects of weed that much and not mention some of the positive.It's so typical ....

“If you don't think drugs have done good things for us, then take all of your records, tapes and CDs and burn them. Cause you know what? The musicians that made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years? Real fucking high on drugs." said the man himself bill hicks

And the same could be said for any for of art!!

Kristian 's picture

In respect to Creativity

Im sorry, and I don't mean to offend, but this statement is some what ridiculous. Creativity has nothing to do with drug use, and allot to do with the natural or learned gifts of the person. Creativity and intuitiveness have much more to do with the frontal right hemisphere of the brain, and even the hearts magnetic field (which draws in feeling, and intuitiveness). You think Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare, Mary Shelley, Van Gogh, Michael Angelo, or Davinci got high, and thats why they made all the master pieces they did? Let me guess they all kept there drug use a secret right? Drugs have nothing to do with enhancing anything. Yes many artiest, and especially todays age use drugs allot. But it doesn't create astounding inspirations. Just look at Ozzy, he was amazing, and now you cant even hardly understand the man. He still can sing fairly well but not nearly as good as he use to. And honestly does any one even think anymore? I mean just look at this discussion page. Isn't anyone else alarmed at the fact that one feels the need to induce himself into a state of impairment to enjoy life? I mean if you really like and apprentice life, and i mean really see and feel its beauty then why in heavens name would you ever want that experience to be hindered? I find that people don't think at all. And its a damn shame to.
-all the best, Kristian

Mary Jane's picture

I wanted to add to this

I wanted to add to this awesome assortment of comments with my personal views…

I grew up with two very important mentors in my life who strongly affected the person I have turned into today. It was not until age 18 that I learned that both of them smoked pot on a very frequent basis. Had they never told me I would have never known because they were the hardest working, most inspiring people I knew growing up. I wanted to explain that they turned out to be more than your average person even after years of marijuana use. I never noticed any signs of unusual behavior that this article suggests marijuana causes. It was not until a couple of years later that I started to smoke marijuana myself. It was life changing to say the least. Smoking now is something I personally truly enjoy. One of the most enjoyable things that have come out of smoking is a major boost in creativity among other aspects.

Something that makes me sad is that the original illegalization of marijuana can be related in part to the greed of tobacco companies who fought for its illegalization. They now have a super addictive product that keeps users constantly begging for more even though the box states in bold letters that the product will eventually lead to their death if they continue to smoke. I know this from personal experience. People, who smoke cigarettes and develop disease such as cancer, do so from chronic use. Theoretically, if one cigarette was as harmful as one joint, in an area such as cancer, and an average person smokes ten cigarettes a day as opposed to one joint a day, that person is ten times more likely to generate cancer. Not that you have to chose one over the other or that they are equally harmful, but I feel that most people relate smoking marijuana to smoking cigarettes when comparing harm to the body. Ponder: What if there was a marijuana company that was created before the tobacco companies which lead to the illegalization of tobacco instead of marijuana.

There is at least one true fact about marijuana and that is that it is harmful in its own ways. I feel though, that if I had to choose between a Twinkie a day and a joint a day in the long run I would be in better health if I chose the joint a day. I do have such a strong support for marijuana that at age 21 I have given up alcohol in my life. Now when an anti marijuana person tells me to stop smoking weed, I would like to tell you to stop drinking alcohol. Is it possible to stop consuming alcohol without good reason? Marijuana is a good enough reason and I promise you that every person who smokes will instantly pick marijuana over alcohol. I believe that if alcohol and marijuana switched places in our world we would live in a better place… that is my personal opinion. The world might be a little slower, maybe less motivated, but who cares. Why do we have to be super productive, why do we have to be super motivated? If you sit down and think about what you want in life when it comes to the end of our time, we will come to the final conclusion that we want to be happy. The only thing that governs what we do in our lives is happiness. Sadness is the opposite of happiness which comes from things such as death from drunk drivers or cancer. I would rather live in a world that was less productive but allowed the million or more people to survive annually from alcohol or tobacco related deaths. The thing I find most funny in our world today is the struggle to become more advanced as the world continues in time. When we will reach the end, and when we do what will we do with our addiction to advancement? How can we stop the only thing we know how to do anymore? I feel like a lot of the people who blame other people for the ever decreasing knowledge of our society related to marijuana use are the very people who are addicted to the materialistic society of the world today. How can you blame them though, it’s all they know and all they will ever know until they open their mind to what our world has turned into. They are related to the person who thought they could make oil drilling more productive and lead to the largest oil spill in world history.

I think the legalization can provide many positive aspects. The first, which will appeal to the government, is taxation. All the money that illegal marijuana dealers are making is money that could be taxed by the government in more than two ways: marijuana tax on marijuana itself, which could be a 100% tax of commercially produced marijuana and still equal the going rate of marijuana today, and tax such as income tax on the jobs that commercial marijuana will open up. With trillions in debt I think the US could use a little boost in income. I have heard arguments of people saying how the DEA will have to lay a lot of people off if marijuana is legalized, but my personal opinion is to concentrate the extra power on the removal of hard drugs like cocaine, heroin ect. The DEA is wasting a lot of man power trying to eliminate a drug that is less harmful than tobacco or alcohol from the streets when it needs to be use efficient use of its power and eliminate the true drugs in America. Also since drug tests are a large part of society today, people who are mainly looking for a high will be more inclined to use a hard drug over marijuana because it takes less time to detox. On average hard drugs will take about three days to come out of your system while marijuana can last from “3-90 days.” Even my average detox recommendation of one month can still be sketchy for very habitual users. In the end I believe the pros outweigh the cons by a long shot.

Many people have brought up the point of how marijuana should be used in moderation. I do support this concept as well. Anything can consume a person’s life and it makes me very sad to see marijuana consume some people’s lives because I believe marijuana is such a beautiful thing. Enjoy marijuana in moderation and you can balance the happiness that life and marijuana bring together.

es kiezzy's picture

I smoked weed everyday for

I smoked weed everyday for the last 2 years and it hasnt really harmed me all i ahte is when my family who doesnt smoke chron thinks its bad for me to be doing all day its not my fault weed is so tempting if a friend offers me free chrons imma toke that sh*t up stright up hits from my trip perkulator pisser

cendy's picture

well the thing is that people

well the thing is that people are not gonna use marijuana in resonable portions!!!!!!!!!!!

MustBeStoned!'s picture

weed weed weed i b smokeing

weed weed weed i b smokeing the darkest chronik
medical or simply the strongest
iv been toking it for the longest!
its like im geting vagina
or like takeing down the bombest hina!
ill be tokeing my fat blunt up from behind ya!
ILL DITCH ALL THE DIRTY SLUTS
FOR TOKIN NUGZ SMOKEING DUBZ
WHERE THE FUCK IS THE BUD?!
T.H.C. RULES MY BLOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is FOR MY STICKY BLUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tehehehhehehehehehe ;D

Anonymous's picture

weed isnt the end of the world

a few people were saying that weed gives yu cancer,,
buht i doubt anyone can actually prove a case that sum1 came up with cancer from smoking weed. im in the 11th grade and i smoke weed occasionally, maybe once a month
ilike the feeling, and ican think a lot better and make the right decisions.
so far there arent any side affects to me smoking weed and ive been smoking on and off since freshman year.

iagree that weed open up the mind and allows yu to think better,, yur creative side expands and yu do a lot of thinking

Alex's picture

All things in Moderation. Including Pot!

I have to side with the greater majority of people who read your article Akudo. Marijuana IS a drug,....no doubt. But then, So is alcohol. So is Heroin, so is Crack. Heck,...I've met a few beautiful women in my life that could have been conceivably considered a drug. However,...If life dictates one thing,...it's this: "too much of anything is a bad thing!" This is why, as humans we try NOT to gamble all the time,...This is why we try NOT to drink all the time. This is why we try not to eat 24 hours a day. We'd blow up if we did ! Chances are,...if you got the crap beat out of you by seven guys in a parking lot yesterday,....you've just created your own safety net in a sense,....If that were to happen to anyone,...."Chances are" that person will never find themselves in a situation where they're staring into the eyes of a seven foot tall ape calling him a big hairy moron!!! ya just wouldn't do it! We just know better. (common sense) This is why we try not to etc,..etc,..etc,...If you take too much Ibuprofen it'll thin out your blood,...(the human heart doesn't like that),...If you jump in front of a bus too many times,...eventually ,.."SPLAT!" Akudo,....NO two people on this rock of ours called Earth are exactly alike. Maybe smoking too much pot "Does" have adverse side effects on the human body and brain. We all have different metabolism's. We all have different "EVERYTHING!" Your findings however, are very ,....hmmm how do I say this without offending,....Akudo,...I ask you this: "How many times have you done something that you knew was wrong for you,....but it helped at the time?" If you say "Never," you're a liar. If you admit to it,...and know that doing that thing over and over again is eventually going to lead you down the road to ruin,....you either don't do it at all anymore,...or you "ease up!" and know your limitations. THAT is human nature my friend. If you're suffering from an ailment that can be succumbed by simply smoking a joint, who is it hurting?
I can honestly relate to several things that your readers have posted with regards to your article. Just a little Factoid here,..: Out of all the automobile related deaths last year,.....See if you can guess how many people died on our highways last year as a direct result of "Marijuana." Can you guess?,....I know the answer! "0%." 85000 people died last year because of the adverse effects of alcohol. Tobacco took 435,000 lives. Marijuana took "0." So, in essence,...we, as humans are victims of our own decisions. When we cannot control the repercussions of our actions,...."Something BAD usually happens!!" Duh! The sad truth is this Akudo,...If anyone needs to cope in some way with life,...Weed is one of the tamest ways to do it! It doesn't hurt anyone,...It doesn't make anyone drive off the road into a telephone pole,....(if you think that you're an idiot,...not a scientist)...It enhances,....it does not Degrade the senses. I actually drive better when i have a buzz. I communicate better when i have a buzz,...I've been smoking since i was 13 years old and it has not detrimentally affected my life in any way, shape or form. I heard an interview years ago,....not that long ago but maybe 3 or 4 years. A reporter from fox news was interviewing a Hawaiian woman because she was, at that time the "Oldest living female" on the planet. She was 114 years old. The reporter,...regardless of his skepticism, and of the fact that she had a perfectly valid birth certificate,....asked her what the secret to her longevity was. The woman "snapped-to" attention without hesitation and told the reporter that the secret to her long life was simply this. and I quote: ("I drink wine and smoke pot every day") she said in a voice that screamed intelligence. She was 114 Akudo. I can honestly say I don't know any 114 year old people. Do You? Maybe you should take the advice of billions of people Akudo. Smoke a joint,................it might do ya good ! Love ya man,....but you got it all wrong! Why do we condone what kills,....and condemn something that creates peace, tranquility,...harmony, and general overall bliss?, because we don't make the rules,....
Society does,....Government does,.....If 435000 people didn't lose their lives to cancer last year,...created by cigarettes,....created by the people that make cigarettes,...the same people living in mansions on the hill that don't know what it's like to go through a day without clean clothes,....there would be 35 fewer hospitals on the planet! LOTSA MONEY LOST!!!! The poor souls would have to live with Fillet Mignon' instead of Cracked Crab for their 3rd course of their 7 course meal. It just breaks the heart! :(....I wouldn't want all those Doctors and lawyers to move into one bedroom apartments because of that now would you ? Going from a Bently to a ford would just be human cruelty. Do you get it yet ? Make your own decisions. Be your own person. Take all things in moderation. You might just live to be 114. I still suggest rolling one up though !
Cya,....it's been real! This is Alex. I'm gone! PS Akudo,....A drunk killed my 6yr old Cousin Maria and her mother. Not a joint. You might want to focus your efforts on "REAL" problems. I'm sure you'll get a nice paycheck either way though.

Anonymous's picture

marijuana

I think marijuana is not as bad as alcohol or legal drugs prescribed by a physician. All drugs taken in an abuse fashion would harm the body. However, I haven't seen marijuana affect the body the way vicodin or any other pain medication prescribed by the doctors. Which these and any other medication prescribed legally has found to be more addicting than marijuana any day. Therefore, marijuana is not harmful in any way, shape or form. This is from a person experience 30 years experience watching people on cannabis. Put it this way, sweet n low more harmful than marijuana or soda and different foods we are eating. We have to research everything we put in our body even if it's legal to use. Just because it's legal (like alcohol and etc...) it doesn't mean it's good. I watched a loved one deteriorate from alcohol. I watched a loved one kidneys go because of excess use of vicodin, but not marijuana. I am not a user, but I rather be around pothots then alcoholics, because pothots are calmer, then alcoholics. No offense to alcoholics. I know they have a sickness. However, to each their own, this is just my opinion, I agree with the cannabis users. My father always told me about 35 years ago, everything must be used in moderation.

Neil Blake's picture

weed

ok dude, first off. im a stoner, ive NEVER experienced short term memory loss. yes i do agree that weed can be a gateway drug but it depends on the person. but weed is also healthier than cigarettes and alcohol and most prescription drugs. so get your facts straight buddy

Perico los Palotes's picture

I'm 23 years hold, I been

I'm 23 years hold, I been smonking marihuana at least 5 years. I'm finishig my study for Electric Ingineer, and I want to tell you next:

-"So if one has to remember what he did five minutes ago, after smoking a high dose of marijuana, he has trouble" this is simply ridiculous, thats never never happent to me, or any of my friends who smoke with me, marihuana is not alochol.

-Your experiment with A and B guys,can't be taken by a general rule, becouse the mahirhuana efeccts are never the same por two different guys.

-If the memory trouble is so hard has you put it, I really doubt how can I climb so far in my professional study, and how my carrear partners who smoke considerably more than me has better study performance.

-Finally, my native lenguage is Español and I wrote all of these comments only with my high school English class, and for sure, I'm not forgot it.

Regards.

Frankthetank's picture

Smoking bud

All of you who think weed has no effect on you are just wrong. I admit it depends on the person how much it effects you. I have been smoking bud everyday 4 six years the strongest skunk that i grew myself!!! In this time I have experienced short term memory loss,panic attacks, passing out, paranoia, lazyness and weight loss. When I was smoking I always thought that i would come to no harm and had the opinion that alchohol is so much worse but the difference is that the effects cannabis has on you are less visible than alchohol's and obviously an addict is always going to be in denial. For the first few years you dont notice that many effects. But i guarantee it will catch up will you!! I also have a friend who has been smoking for 37 years!!!! He said the one thing iv learnt from this time iv had smoking is that "cannabis isnt good for you and i wouldnt reccomend it!" and all you have to do to know this is true is look at him and see the effect it has had on his body. U can tell hes been smoking for 37 years. I admit in small doses very occasionally smoking bud can be a fun thing to do with your mates, but when its not social anymore and its just you and the spliff then you know youve got a problem. They say cannabis isnt addictive but you become dependant on it. Whats the difference? dependance and addiction? I have just stopped smoking two weeks ago and I loved smoking bud but I advise anyone who is getting more and more into it to take a step back and think, do I really want to become dependant on drugs? needing a spliff to feel hungry so i can eat or needing it to relax. The answer should be no because it will change u I can guarantee that!

A1rh3ad's picture

Another observation

I've known raving potheads who make it all the way through collage with a high GPA so :P

Anonymous's picture

your all hippies

Science HAS PROVED Weed is bad for you in more than 5 ways
it has 400 chemicals naturally found in "organic" weed. over half of the chemicals are used in medications like aspirin and some heart medications.
I have seen personally people who use weed or have used weed were thought of by everyone in our work environment as "slow" "Stupid" "Dumb" "thick" and good workers they are not. they are lazy and unmotivated. people who have never tried pot aren't considered any of the following so if your one who is saying "hey its not bad I do it all the time and look at me" yeah.. look at you, the same filthy slop that the US is becoming. you probably also think white people are racist cops are corrupt and us blacks just rob liquor stores and have babies at 14 years old. so stop being hippies. listen to scientists tell you its bad or become one yourself if your not too lazy. and write some papers on it.. now get off your lazy ass. and go to work, School, or help the so called government clean up that damned oil in the gulf. I can't wait to read the reply on this "oh yeah well I'm doing great lies lies and lies I'm better at life now" ha ha... looser

Drew's picture

Seriously?

Your right scientists have proven there are some unhealthy side effects caused by smoking marijuana. But they have also done tests proving that there are alot of medicinal uses. here is the thing, not everyone that smokes weed are lazy, unmotivated people. You make it out like people who smoke weed are "dumb" or "stupid" when that's not the case. I'm 20 years old and have smoked weed occasionally for about two and a half years. Never made it a habit. I am currently an apprentice electrician that works forty hours a week, and attends night classes twice a week. I haven't the slightest problem with motivation. I'm curtanly not dumb or stupid because of all the math required in my field of work. Also when did it ever become about race? Both blacks and whites smoke it.I just took offence to your comment because you are catagorizing and stereotyping weed smokers. I just think you should be a
little more receptive to the fact that everyone and everyone's work ethics are different. Just
because they are lazy doesn't mean it's directly from smoking pot.

Drew's picture

To your hippies and lazy comment

When I smoke weed, first thing I do is go and work out at the gym, I gained 25 pounds of muscle, in 5 months naturally. I am constantly accused of steroid use and I laugh! Not because I am high but no one would even believe me if I had told them. My work outs are slower but more heavily concentrated, through slow and steady technique. I really am able to feel my body respond to new techniques tried through constantly changing routines because of the level of highness that I am under (not stoned). Though I do not squat nor deadlift when I high. This also helps me with my eating because I have a weak appetite. Then I shoot hoops for an hour a day. Pot will make you lazy, if you think lazily when you smoke but if you have a focus or drive before hand you toke, then you are you ready to do what your ready to do. OH YEAH, about that get off your ass and go to work comment, I love it because when I was smokin about four months ago, I told myself that I did not want to work for anybody because at that time I had labor intensive job. So I bought antique and collectibles books and would smoke a joint and grab a pen and a highlighter and open my mind unlike your closed one. Now I make over $2000 a week with internet sales, and I find the items to flip for profit while I am high! So imagine my euphoria when I find an item I can make a quick extra $1000. I figured out(while high) how to get Rolex by only investing $100 in items and I ended up with a $4000 watch in less than a month. Pot helped me honey because I am sure you are a female who is most likely single or will soon be because of your strong ignorant mind. I am in my early 20s and I bet you did not expect a respons like this.

Anonymous's picture

Hippies??

HAHA just because some younger college students are smoking pot doesn't mean the world is coming to an end. I mean come on get real. both my parents smoked pot all through college and both are successful with no mortgage on our home and have steady jobs. and you can't tell anyone to stop being a hippie, even though there really isn't such a thing as a hippie anymore, sadly. hippies used to be the ones who had the guts to stand up to our government and protest the stupid shit that they do. the best way to be a hippie is to question the government, not smoke a bowl. I can't believe that you could ever call any of these people hippies they have probably never done one thing in their entire life that is hippie like, except maybe get stoned. get. real.

and everything that we eat is bad for us. you know the thing that is probably going to kill us all in the end? all the processed food that we eat. THAT is what is going to get you cancer and kill you. not a little bit of harmless weed every once in while.

prince oba's picture

All i want to know is about it's effect on the mind and sanity

All i want to know is if marijuana can make a person insane?in my neighbourhood,i have seen many youths go insane while their friends and family blame the plant marijuana for this.Even the preachers from jehovah's witness and other denominations tell me that marijuana can have a dominant mental problem like insanity on a person.my role models and mentor was a marijuana user.please what i want to know is whether marijuana can make a person mad? prince oba port harcourt,Nigeria

Anonymous's picture

dosage amount?

there is no certain amount of dosage needed to get high. i can tell u that for a fact. on crappy weed ive smoked a whole blunt and not been high at all. but when i smoked some really good weed and been knocked up on 2 hits. iv'e been smoking for a month and can already tell you that weed ISNT addictive and DOESNT affect memory at all. as for the mixing of words and such, that is true. you wouldnt belive anything you have reported unless youve tried weed.

blaze all day baby!!!!
jon the baby

Chris's picture

Strange things!!!

Its quite unfortunate that such unfounded experiments would be pasted on the web,I do believe one thing that its only those that has never smoked marijuana that will criticised it,marijuana its a plant that its beyound any human reasoning on what its attribute could give to the human health,alot of people,parents and societies,lay some much enphasies about the dangers and harm marijuana could cause to a human,but the news am going to give to you today is that from a clear statistics,there has never been any recorded death caused by Marijuana,but loads of death cases has been attributed to the excessive intake of alchohol,tobacco(cigarrette)and the society sees this as a normal way of live.

Talking about memory loose,every human suffers memory loose at one point or the other,there are loads of Old people in nursing homes who are suffering from Dimensia(severe brain damage with complete memory loose),did they ever smoked marijuana?No. Was there ill health causeed as a result of marijuana intake?No

I believe we should start facing reality if you have smoked marijuana and its of no use to you please I will advise you deceit from it but to those like myself that believes marijuana its the best plant on earth Created by God to be discovered by man,with all delights go on brothers and enjoy your good smoke,cause only Real Men that understands its values dont need to be lectured on what it will and will not do to you.

I have smoked marijuana from 18 now am 30,am a sucessfull business man with a (BA) in International relation and diplomacy,and a Masters in Business management,did marijuana stoped me from what I want to be?I think not.

Timothy's picture

Weed=Good or Bad? Open your mind on the Subject.

When used correctly weed can be useful and aid you in doing simple tasks much more effeciently. None the less when its 'Abused' It will cause harm, But that same rule applys to everything, like oxygen, fun, or plain life, Too much of those things can be very bad also, But nobody runs around saying those are harmfull.

Put some thought into my comment before you flame it, And I am not saying use of illegal drugs is right nor wrong, Just placing my opion out there for all to see.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed day.

Timothy

Amber Currie's picture

=)

Wow! So true. I hate how people are always accusing "potheads" of not being able to function throughout life, ever since i started smoking it i do so much better in school and i am soo much calmer than before. Before I started smoking weed i used to get so mad over every little thing.
God bless!
Amber

Anonymous's picture

so true!

i am soooooooooooooooo chill now (Y)

Anonymous's picture

the darned grass

Honestly, after extensive research, I agree with 99 per cent of what is written here. Each individual is unique and is affected much differently than the next. I believe a lot of the harmful effects explained here are most certainly accurate, and I've personally experienced some of them, not to mention I know others that also have experienced some of the harmful effects, particularly those on the limbic system.

Primarily, the largest percentage of individuals who smoke may not smoke but just a small amount in their lifetime and do not qualify as good representation of some of the harmful effects of both cannabinoids and THC. This particular group (small sampled in some studies) receive no harmful short term or long term effects.

I'm going to jump to the other side of the ball field because I've personally known many many marijuana users who use high doses of marijuana from the time they wake to the time they've fallen asleep. Some of these individuals do not experience any ill effects of smoking this way. In fact, they are as functional if not exceedingly so. Though this is the case, other individuals who frequently smoke from wake to bedtime experience massive short term memory loss and do have poor word and sentence construction. In other words they are the typical portrayal of the well known term, "stoner."

I've met, on several occasions, people that experience the same harmful short term and long term effects on the limbic system that I do. Notable short term side effects often include paranoia in comparison to the long term effects of increased anxiety (or onset of) and panic attacks. Harmful short term effects can start from a variety of timeframes such as seconds after. Long term effects can last as long as six months.

Although I haven't read any studies on cell death or permanent effects on a person who uses marijuana for any length of time, which I am very curious about, I'm not willing to deny the possibility of things such as the breakage of cellular DNA strands, in the same manner that cigarette tar is thought to cause (http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/18/7/1359.pdf).

There are also, of course, negative effects on the lungs that the tars and resins of marijuana can cause. It has been proven that smoking marijuana can and will contribute to illnesses or disorders such as asthma and pulmonary emphysema. Although no known cases of death have been causal to smoking marijuana, it has been theorized and possibly by now proven, that some types of cancer originate due to agitation of the body alone.

My main belief is that because each person is so very unique, marijuana can affect people in many different ways, depending on the combination of smoking and underlying factors such as chemical imbalances and personality disorders, just as any other chemical known to man.

In conclusion, I believe it should be decriminalized and treated in such a manner so that people are extremely educated about the "possible" dangers of smoking MJ.

Oh, and the author here is misinformed in that the majority of the part of the marijuana plant that is smoked is the female flower, not necessarily "just" dried leaves.

Jordan Carnahan's picture

I smoke weed at least 3 times

I smoke weed at least 3 times a day every day im really a better person when im high i dont believe its addicting either the only thing wrong with it is its illegal and therefore doing it is agaisnt the law but that doesnt stop people. Weed is harmless tobacco is worse then weed why not make cigs illegal and make weed legal. Id much rather have weed. And there is no way weed is a gateway drug im never doing anything like that. Weed is the best shit around all natural. If pots not to be used why was it put on the earth? God said all seed bearing plants are to be used and as i recall weed is definetly a seed bearing plant.
-Jordan Carnahan

Anonymous's picture

HAHA!

I liked the comment below. You smokers man! Redonculous! Cracks me up your reasonings regarding maryjane. It is addicting! My sources are legit. My company just spent alot of mulah to get the head of the drug cartel drug buster in to speak with us from New York. The president calls him so this is high up with the knowledge about Marijuana. Anywho, they have found it to be addicting now. Smoking anthing into the lungs can't be good for ya. Ever think about that? AHHH nooo, cuz your smoking still. Cheese n rice people, just knock it off and quite debating what you loooove to do. Pot heads can go bye bye. There lungs will...sooner or later.

Anonymous's picture

Your not addicted but you

Your not addicted but you smoke 3 times a day everyday. OK

Corrine Bolton's picture

Your not addicted, its all an

Your not addicted, its all an illusion inside of your head. you do it everday, so its a force of habbit. when you start doing something everday its hard to stop. its not an addiction , its more like a force of habbit. but thats just my opinion.

daron M.'s picture

when your stars are baked. and your rivers fly.

Personally I stopped smoking, only because of the physical side effects. I got slower and just was not at the peak of my physical ability. Although in my opinion this is very negative, I do apreciate all the positive side effects. Music,movies , books, comedy etc would just not be the same with out it. Give everyone the right to do what they want.

P.s.Truly I believe the only people who have negative mental side effects are weak minded people and should be advised to not smoke

Anonymous's picture

truu tht brotha

truu tht brotha

Anonymous's picture

Weed and ambition

I have been smoking weed since 15 years of age,now at 52 I have realised that weed is an ambition killer and will ruin your life if you get stoned every day.

Anonymous's picture

Words of MJ therapy

Marijuana does not take anything away. It never has and it never will. You are your worst enemy. Your choosings weren't very wise and quit blaming MJ for your shortcomings. I bet youre still smoking! don't lie... Even though you say it stoled your ambition and goals you aint going to let it get away with it... puf up my friend. Be happy and drink some wine...

Peace out...

Shazza's picture

totally agree

Your ambitions were supressed by you and you aloneI have smoked for 19yrs, during which time I was successful in the Catering trade and then went on to own my own beach bar in Malta, if anything, it was during the deep thoughts I have when stoned that gave me the ideas to go on and succeed. Its a choice to be rooted to a chair or to ride the high and get a life. Free Marijuana worldwide, TODAY??

Tyson's picture

Weed and ambition

So how much is to much if you exercise,eat health drink lots... one bowl every 2nd day? 3rd? once a week? twice a year? Ive beeen smokin daily since age 12 now 23... Once you ruin your Nucleus Accumbens you can either wait 2-7 even 15 years to heal or you can work with the weed to achieve peace thro mental health.