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HOW DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT THE BRAIN?
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.
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
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| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
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Comments
then you need more weed lol
then you need more weed lol
Well!! .....
Hmm i think weed is great & i agree with alot of peopl who wrote on this, & what everyone seems 2 think about weed unless you do smoke it ya shuld really just fuck up get out there try it live a little..There's nuffing wrong with it i did my best work at school when i would go stoned if i went sober i didnt give a fuk about school weeds the only thing that kept me there as long as i was there, when i'm stoned i think about more about stuff figure out most of my problems whem i'm like that & i admit yer my memory is screwd i dont remember anything unless i want2 my paretns & all blame Weed,, BUT my memory was like this way before i started it, It sometimes puts me on a hell downer but most of the time it puts me in a Real happy & better mood at the worst of times. I LOOVEEE IT, its got me thru some shit really i'm more with it when i'm stoned i think better, it shuld so be legalized its not gonna stop anyone smoken it anyway! Likee SMOKEE IT UP!!! (:
smoking weed obviously didnt
smoking weed obviously didnt help you in english class.
I find, when im high i keep
I find, when im high i keep my head down and focus on my work. When im not high i'm looking around for someone to get high with.
I'd like to just say that
I'd like to just say that this page is BS. I've been smoking marijuana everyday for the past year, literally everyday. I'm a junior in high school, and I started smoking everyday when I was a sophomore. I started smoking when I was 12 (which I know is way to young), and have smoked since then, but sophomore year is when I really got into it. Anyway, weed doesn't hurt you at all as far as I'm concerned. My grades are excellent, I'm the first one finished to run the mile in my gym class, and my memory is what it always has been. As a matter of fact, when I'm high, weed makes me want to achieve things such as getting my homework done, studying, doing house work, etc. It's definitely a stress reliever. For example, I was so fired up when this kid called me a "faguet" (that was his spelling of the word) and threatened to kick my ass. I then smoked some weed, and poof. I didn't care what he had to say anymore.
I will say this however. Weed seems to have an affect on my skin. It seems when I smoke, my skin gets irritated, but once the high comes down, my skin goes back to its normal looks.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE weed! It's GOOD, not bad!
Kthanksbyeee.
You will neva kno!
Its not how the weed reacts to you , but its how you react to the weed . everybody is different ! So you will never know unless you try it !
Heyy Everybody Read This v v v v
Its fuuny how everyone wrote alot but only because this is talkin abouut weed! HAHAHA ; ANyways - i used to smoke when i was upset about something but after my high went down i didnt really think about the problems anymore. While i was high i knew how to slove my problems THANKS WEED. i also think faster . i have more comebacks for people. im not a shy person like i used to be. like even hippies smokedd and wanted peace in the world. Besides how many deaths a year comes from somking WEED? comp[ared to drinking,cigerets and all that? Everything eles is worse so Why is Weed not legal, but everything eles is. okayy but wait their talkin about llegizing Medical weed.. what the f**k is that! Mann forget that matter as well make all weed llegal.. its only right! but i wish i could agree with these other people about school. since i started smokeing school wasnt the best it could be frome me. hey but only because asoon as i got home i saw my smoking buddies ndd forgot all about homework and studing.but that can easliy be changed!Smoke after homwork and stuff. hey this is a good idea diffently if your in school like me. How about only smoking on The Weekends? what do you think ? - ohh yeahh by the way im a 14 year old girl . so sorry bout the spelling errors
Your RIGHT i smoke on the
Your RIGHT i smoke on the weekend and i imm still passesin the 8th grade with A and B's
Weed is the drug for me
Im in 8th grade to and ive only been smoking since november. people say that you don't get high on your first time but I did. Anyways, i got into it just cause my friends said that it relaxes you, and I need that because I get bitched at by my parents because of my shity grades.
I loved it and now I smoke every weekend with my friend. Then I got into deeling them, and I tried pills for a week (morphine and melitonin) but I quit pills and now Im good. I like dealing but im just scared of gettin cought, but I make up to 40-50 bucks a week so its really hard for me to stop. So what im saying is that weed don't fuck you up like pills do. then I tried alchahol but ive only gotton tipsy. But above all, weed is the drug for me.
weed
im 15 ive been smokin for 4 years i agree with a lot of what you say.i only smoke after school not before so i get decent grades.O ya just reading what you said made me think hyper chill out smoke a joint
Yeah. weed is good. im 17 and
Yeah. weed is good. im 17 and have been smoking consistantly for the past 3 years but had my first bowl at 12. If weed was truly something that is harmful to your brain, it hasnt effected me, or it doesnt show in a negative form. I am graduating this June salutatorian of my class. I dont think that green is the problem, i think the corruptness of our government is the problem(no reason to give detail, im sure you get what im getting at). As several posters before me have stated in some context, that "its not how the weed reacts to you, but the consumer's body/brain's reaction to the plant." All of the symptoms in the brain which mary has been accused of disappear after one has come down from their high. Smoke some bud, get a lil high, enjoy yourself and relax. For me the green is an amazing plant that helps me feel great. I love weed!
hhm.
It's different for different people
There may be harmful effects of marijuana on others, I can't say for certain.
For me, it was a discovery late in life (I'm 35 and have used it for 3 years now). It's helped me quite a lot -- I can relax and read and study much easier. I'm in an intensive second-language immersion program right now, and I don't find my memory is impeded at all, and overall, marijuana helps me learn by calming down my "I CAN'T DO THIS!!" frustration and anxiety.
I've become a more productive and well-adjusted person since beginning marijuana.
I realize there are many people who get high and play video games, and who lose their memories, and their motivation. I know these people, I've been frustrated and let down by some of them on occasions.
For me, whether it's because I have a different physical chemical reaction, or because I began trying it with an adult mind, or because I have a great deal of mental stress resulting from child abuse, or because in general I don't do very heavy doses of it, as compared to your "research" subjects, but I can say my life has been improved by marijuana. I'm still the same person today, but I have a more can-do attitude with myself in times of stress - because of marijuana.
I don't support abusing any drug, but I believe marijuana can be used safely and productively. I have a lot of successful, creative, dynamic friends (some of them entrepeneurs) who use marijuana successfully - like me, they don't experience memory or motivation loss.
Marijuana can be abused like anything, but it's unwise to brush it off as harmful and without advantages -- especially if the judgment is based on observation of drug abuse, as opposed to drug use.
I agree!
Bravo! I too get happy and motivated with marijuana use. Unfortunately, none of my family and relatives endorse it.
I can remember what I do when
I can remember what I do when I'm high more that when I'm not, also I smoke to relax and get to sleep as I suffer with insomnia
diffrent for everyone
I am 16 years old and have been smoking weed(marijuana) for nearly a year now. I may not sound as scientific as the rest of you, but I do have a positive and a negative personal experience.
sometimes I will smoke a relatively heavy dose up to 4 times a week. for a couple of weeks. then I can stop for weeks, recently I went on holiday for close to a month and didn't experience any withdrawal symptoms or anything like that. I have noticed an "increase" in my academic performance and I am better behaved at school(I used to always be in "trouble"). This may just be because of increased maturity in this last year, but it shows weed hasn't had a negative affect on me. before I smoked week I was heavily into huffing petrol, which is very very "bad for you" I was actually addicted to the stuff you put in your cars. I then did some research on the Internet and found out how stupid I was to start huffing in the 1st place. Whenever I craved petrol I would light up a joint of weed, and I would be as happy as could be, utter bliss. I now haven't huffed petrol for over a year, and could stop weed if I wished, but see no reason to. So weed solved a rather big problem in my life permanently. I have also made many friends through smoking weed whom I never would have spoken to if it hadn't been for my little friend weed.
On the other hand...
One of my best friends started weed at the same time as me, in fact we smoked our first joints together. He dropped out of school a year after we started smoking. Weed has led him into "Tik" (a form of crystal meth), coke, and probably loads of other things I am unaware of, I am now in the process of trying to dig him out the proverbial gutter, but I fear I may have already failed and lost one of my best friends to drugs.
I have much more to say both for and against weed, but if I did I would have written an entire book.
I am still for Marijuana's legalization, but feel action needs to be taken towards the annihilation of other drugs.
You can do anything just as
You can do anything just as good when your high as you would if you were sober, you just realize there would be no point in doing it lol.
But seriously, I'm 14, I've smoked cigs for three years and pot for 7 months and weed is the best thing I've discovered. I have amazing memory when I'm sober but when I'm high, I swear I have Alzheimer's.
People make weed look like it's meth or something and it's SO annoying.
I smoke weed like it's cigarettes. It's so normal and easy to obtain. Parents need to realize that.
I'm diagnosed with bipolar and I don't have medication, I have WEED! And it's the best treatment.
I'm actually very mature for my age and very smart. I mediate on a daily basis and weed makes it better.
Weed makes everything better.
PEACE
Dude. I don't want to tell
Dude.
I don't want to tell you what to do. But if you are bi-polar, be very careful with weed. I promise you it will mess you up. I am not anti-weed, I smoked it every day for ten years, now I try to keep it to one night a week.
I have mild depression and constant exposure to weed has made it hard to manage, not in the first few years but increasingly since.
If you are bi polar weed will almost certainly lead to some kind of a break down in the future.
mostly everything you said
mostly everything you said has been happening to me.
and i have been toking up everyday and high doses for awhile now.
and there have been times when i used to smoke low doses every once in awhile and i never noticed these effect.
then i started toking everyday,after day after day.
i am not myself i noticed its hard to talk to somebody cause i feel anxiety, specially around big groups. i also forget things even when i am talking to someone i forget a simple word even that i have known for, for all my life.
and i sit there looking like an idiot trying to think of this word and this is when i am not even high.
a lot of smokers say there so smart and nothing effects them, but i am wondering these effects only effect some smokers. cause i notice some smokers seem to be normal, chill, focused.
unless they are just so in denial about the negative effects, and hide the fact that weed does create negative effects to there mind and memory.
but i do agree with everything that you have said, thanks for the information
Same effects
I started smoking every day 6 months ago and recently I gave it up because when i would sober up i would get depressed about everything and now when im around people i have anxiety and trouble keeping up conversations. I never had anxiety in my life until now so i know its caused by the heavy weed smoking. I will never smoke like this again, and i am hoping the anxiety will go down now that im quitting. So i agree that weed has alot of negative effects once you permantly sober up..... I used to deny all the negatives people would tell me about weed now i understand them..but i have friends who dont have these side effects and they smoke big so idk everybody is different
Absolutely true.
Absolutely true.
WEED=goood!!
Hii ive been smoking 4 6 years and yhh i doo 4get tings when im high but datz becoz im high when im high i jusss chill no questions sit back and relax..:) if i doo 4get datz coz i wasnt payin attention!! sooo come on ppl a plant nature has give uss we have got to take advantage of it...jussss like we do to trees 4 paper!!! ooh i sound clever! peace
marijuana users will defend
marijuana users will defend it because they feel good when their high. the high will last for only so long. it doesn't make things more enhanced though. it might make you laugh alot and feel good. the reality is these people who get high can't stand being sober. if a chronic runs out of weed and their dealer is dry, the chronics I know get all mad because they can't get high. it's like their dependant on it. like they always have to smoke up after work to reward themselves from a long day work and it relieves their stress. isn't that being dependant on it? im trying to be objective about this issue. I don't know if the chronics who smoke up everyday can justify this but that is how i truly see things.
you should all just get a
you should all just get a life smoke weed dont smoke weed but the truth is weed has never killed any one it helps with pain and they only say bad things to scare you you cant get so called hooked eather you just want it theres no need that meens it not addictive so stop haselin and chill the fuck out
RE: cannabis users 'need for weed'
i underdtand you comment with regards to a user NEEDING weed, however, you would need to look at the reasons why people smoke this. firstly, yes, in one way it could be seen as addictive, however, the majority of people needing to have a joint, will only do this as it has become a part of there daily routine. if you train your body to work to a routine, then it will feel deprived if it does not get it's fix. this could be linked to many different areas; it is known professionally as PSYCHOSYMATIC (all in your head) secondly, if you allow cannabis to become a part of your life for reasons such as 'to shut things out', then you will display problems with your daily functioning, as the drug has a tendancy to make you feel more relaxed and able to shut things out. my advice to this for people who use it for these reasons would be to not use it. thier are many services which can help you in getting answers to what you need to know without finding drugs to help you shut matters out, 'trust me i know what i am talking about'!
in closing, if you enjoy weed purly for the pleasure of just relaxation for working hard or socialising, then that would be fine to do. however, if you use weed as a tool for escaping from problems of issues that lay un-resolved, then you are placing yourself in a situation that will only progress for the worse, as you are adding more pressure to a probblem that could well be resolved by other means, enabling you to function more positivly. ask yourself one question, do you smoke weed to shut things out? or do you smoke weed purly to just relax and unwind? if you answer yes to the latter, then you should face no real concerns if you smoke this substance in moderation; however, if you say yes to the first question, then you need to ask yourself if you need professional help, as shutting matters out can lead to further problems that could lead to permenant psychological affects.
have a happy and enjoyable life guys and use what nature gives in moderation, dont take the piss!!
I agree!
That's it! Very well said and intelligently viewed if I might add! There's nothing else to it! Ask yourself these two questions: "Do you smoke weed to shut things out? Or do you smoke weed purely to just relax and unwind?" In my opinion too, answering NO to the first and YES to the second is the ideal reasoning for marijuana use. The discussion can end here! This guy deserves a round of applause!
Peace, Unity, and Love!
yeah
that is bullshit....cancer affects Ur appetite if your on chemo you will start breaking down. marijuana can bring your appetite back and give you the nutrients you need to get every vitamin....chemo kills and radiation...marijuana doesn't lets get the facts straight...Thank you
I do agree, and Im a long
I do agree, and Im a long time user, It dose effect your memory,its notaddicting but it is habit forming and that is a fact, if you have to smoke it everyday to relax and forget about the bad day you just had or whatever it is that you have to smoke it, that is habit forming and is no different then the drunk that drinks everyday for the exact same reasons. there is still no proven fact that it can effect your brain but look around people you cant tell me that it dosnt just look around! I could name dozens of people that are complete stoners that completly abuse this plant and could I could say that it does effect them, maby not everyone is effected the same but the majority of you smokers are in denial and thats a fact. and you who thinks that driving and smoking is not a problem your wrong, your still under the influence of a drug, Ive smoked for many years and have sayed all these things like it dosnt do anything to you and everybodies wrong what is sayed about this plant, but the fact is YOUR in denial that you are infact reling on this plant as a crutch for whatever your reason is. If you do anything in repetition, anything, you are addicted! thats a fact! drugs,gambling,drinking whatever your addicted. so have a reality check people and think about it alittle more. Im addicted to pot that is a fact and aleast im man enough admit it!
In denial?
True.
alcohol sigarets or weed what is better ? you tell me .....
well hello people be honest i am on this web site by accident and i start to real , just to see what people say about weed , because i also smoke weed so opinions of others are interesting 4 me . i agree on some stuff what this guys try`s to say about effects of marijuana that you forget things some things its true , but some of this comments are rite you have to smoke it to know what it does to you ,i smoke weed for about 4-5 years and i have to say that i like it much better then sigarets or alcohol !!( i have to say i love it!!! ) i am also smoke sigarets and drinking since i was 13 and now i am 23 years old now, and i have to say about smoking sigarets:its bad !!!!! firstable how i feel after smoking sigarets its bad ,what it does to my body and wat are taste i have in my mouth after, be honest sigarets have no effect to you wat so wver, like 4 example , alcohol gets u energy you become all hiper and makes you look at things different , i would say that makes you more violent , weed also have its own effect 4 every one different (you can lough you can just talk spend time with people have fun because you feel grate)some people like it some dont, like one of the lades said that she had an hard attacks and she didnt even know that b.c she took one toke (my self i dont belive taht but its ok) , well like i said its all different 4 every one. listen to this guys most of the people are ether smoking sigarets (some 2 pac a day ) ether drinking(some are heavy duty drinkers, daily)ether smoking weed . now look sigarets have no effect what so ever !!! drinking is plajerble but it can get dangerous !! big time , like geting in to a fight , killing some one,ending up being caught by police , or drinking and speeding because when u drink you cant drive normal not at all = (death). So i havee to say that i would rother smoke weed stay happy and dont get caught , one word enjoy !! but i have to say that i dont understand why people say that the weed is bad ! it does not bothered any one so far,it didnt cause anything valiant action , no fights no death accidents . just to put it out there i quit smoking sigarets i said to my self if i will be able dont smoke for thirty days or one month i will be able to stop it 4 ever!! and im on my 28th day and i feel amazing i have to say its abit hard but not that bad like people think and i am proud !! i found out that there is no point of smoke sigarets what so ever !!! and we all know how its hard to quit sigarets !! well at less what some people thing/say ,its not not!!!not 4 me i have to say !!
so dude get lost !! and stop scaring people!!! sigarets and alcohol kill more people on daily baises . weed dont its actually helps people in their own way and so far no one died from it . it help me when i smoke i feel more open not so cornered like some times i would like to say somethng but when im sober iwont say that but if i am high i will b.c its still wat i thing . when i talk with my mom while im high i thing a lot better and open and thats when she tell me : oooo i can tell that you already smoket weed b.c u talk to much !!! lmao , but she dont get that its me and b.c weed helps me explain my self better and i like to talk . she dont get it she think weed make me some stranger not me . But it is me exactly how i wanna to feelor be ! so ya weed is good !!! better then alcohol or sigarets .
One thing I can say for
One thing I can say for sure.........you are not out of your mind after smoking reefer. You can make conscious choices but
you choose to do things that you feel you really should.
Is marajuana baD?
Well I too am a cannabis smoker and have just read all of the above comments, some which I agree with, others I dont!Urs was by far the best description I came across. I think one of the things that people must agree upon, whether for or against Marajuana, is that it is different for different people. Sure there are people out there who have had bad experiences for whateverreason but it ccan't be denied that a large amount of users find it extremely beneficial and that's a FACT u cant deny if uv read all these comments. I have so much I want to say on this matter so here goes: I am ectremely fed up of only the people whov had negative effects from smoking marajuana being asked their opinion in the media about legalisation. May I say, my mother is an alcoholic, and THAT is hard to live with and in my opinion a far worse thing for u than weed is. I only wish she'd smoked that instead and maybe we wouldnt have had the heartbreak we have with the effects of alcohol on our lives. However, has it stopped me ever having a drink again - ABSOLUTELY NOT! Im not a big drinked, just socially, cant say i care for the taste or the effects it has on me personally, but how arrogant would I be to tell people, hey this is what happened to my family with alcohol, dont drink, ban it. I would be extremely arrogant in my opinion, cause most pople are able to drink in mderation and enjoy it. Not everybody who has a drink is going to become an alcoholic!!! FACT!!!! So please people dont tell me that im going to go onto bigger and better drugs because I smoke pot! THATS ARROGANCE! Yeh I appreciate what those people who have had negative experiences with friends etc are going to be concerned, but i bet if ud had these same experiences with friends and alcohol was the cause u wouldnt be campaigning for alcohol to be illegal and all public houses to shut down would u? NO i didnt think so. What r public houses by the way - go on ask urselves all of u who r so dead set against me sitting at home (functioning perfectly, migh i add!). They are rooms where a substance is sold to peolple who then drink that substance, generally to relax and unwind and socialise and have some fun for a few hours or just unwind, etc etc, u get my point - Now is everybody in that pub a no hoper whos going to end up dying from alcohol abuse? NO DONT BE RIDICULOUS. Personally I think its either in u or it isnt to look for anything more than alcohol or weed, r we'd all be either alcoholics or heroin users wouldnt we?
I am certainly not underestimating or poo pooing any negative experiences people have had with weed, and am sorry it was that way for u, but it doesnt mean itsevil and shouldnt be used by those it helps. Im 35 and started to suffer from clinical depression when i was 29. I just wanted to curl up and die. Antidepressants were okish, but I still wasnt better, i wasnt ME anymore. Then I smoked a joint with a mate and my life changed. I cant explain how much more like the old me I feel now! Realxed, happy, unworried about the samll things, just the big ones like a normal person ( as contrary to popular belief, we are actually normal people who still feel , wer not in a constant state of stoned!) I can get out and enjoy life, and am a much better mother and wife to be around than I was for the first 3 years of clinical depression and i discovered it. In fact all i wanted to then was die. Now I love life again and am so grateful that I discovered it for these reasons. My husband is very happy too. Not least of all for the fact that its giv en me my sex drive back.! (soz for sharing that, but its important for m to get through how important it is that people realise that it has some good points too as well as the negative they surroind it with all the time).,xxx
cmon
marijuana was made legal for one reason, money. in 1937 Sen. Anslinger used it as a propoganda resource to get elected as a senator. put it this way, MARIJUANA itself does nothing, all it does is trigger your body's NATURAL release of DOPAMINE, which is the high. marijuana should be one of the wonders of the world, not a crime. i have smoke pot for a year now..not regualry...but probably once a week on saturdays. you smoke, your heartrate increases, you laugh, you play video games, you fall asleep. legalize marijuana obama, cmon.
The actual reason it was made
The actual reason it was made illegal was to protect the paper and oil industries. Hemp has about 25,000 uses (seriously, I'm not joking) ranging from food, paint and fuel to clothing and construction materials. In fact, Fords first Model T was 70% hemp plastic and ran on hemp fuel. But I digress.
William Randolf Hearst owned a paper company along with vast tracts of forested land. Hemp, being the miracle plant it is, was a threat because an acre of hemp can produce roughly the same amount of fiber as 4.1 acres of trees. In addition to that, its seasonal, so it only take one season to produce while trees continue to take decades.
Mr. Hearst couldn't let his company go under, so he began his smear campaign within his newspapers. This was soon followed by films such as "Reefer Madness", "Marihuana: Assassins of Youth", and "Marihuana: The Devil's Weed".
Its not a commonly known fact, but Marijuana was a word picked up by these "smearists" to make the plant sound dangerous. It was actually just the word Mexicans would use to call it. In fact, they were the main smokers of it back when this whole conundrum began!
At about the same time, Dupont had patented a process to make plastics from oil and coal.
Andrew Mellon, Duponts primary investor, became Hoovers secretary of the Tresurary. He soon appointed his nephew in law, Harry J. Anslinger, to head the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
During the smear campaign of the 1930's Cannabis was said to be/cause:
a violent narcotic.
acts of shocking violence.
incurable insanity.
soul-destroying effects.
more vicious, more deadly even than these soul-destroying drugs (heroin, cocaine) is the menace of marihuana!
In the 1950s, under the Communist threat of McCarthyism, Anslinger "changed his mind". He stated that Marijuana will pacify you so much that soldiers would not want to fight.
And that is why Cannabis is illegal today. I'm sure there are numerous underlying issues (faulty lab procedures - monkeys died of suffocation) but that can be saved for another day.
Take it easy,
Anonymous
Good for you?
Hell yes!! It is the best stuff out there. If you are one of those people that say it's bad for you, why don't you try it first and then tell us your opinion. MJ is an awesome thing to do. It brings people together throughout the world. All you people that do it, Bravo to u!
ITS GOOD FOR U
I LOVE U MJ ITS DA GREATEST THING OUT THERE
This is one of the best
This is one of the best comments I've seen! The whole reason I smoke is for the social aspect. Meeting new friends, seeing old ones. It's great.
They say alcohol is the social lubricant, but people tend to lose control under the influence. While "high" on Cannabis, a person may be goofy for a bit, but in my experiences, conversations tend to be more intellectual. I'm a musician and an artist, and those aspects of my life didn't flourish until i began to smoke. I have a better understanding of myself spiritually, and I almost feel like I've reached Nirvana at times (all the time, not just when I'm high).
I've heard people say cannabis makes you indifferent (i don't care attitude) but, its not like that. It's not so much a person doesn't care, it's the fact that they understand no matter what happens, it'll be ok. You're life goes on so you should enjoy it. People tend to forget that they are living their own lives, and no matter how good or bad the times are, you'll get through it.
FIRST OF ALL WATCH THE MOVIE
FIRST OF ALL WATCH THE MOVIE 'THE UNION' ITS A HEMP AND MARIJUANA DOCUMENTARY.im 18 and i started smoking pot my junior year in high school. before using it i researched it for weeks to find out that the "myths" or medical problems it gives of are non, except the smoke that enters your lungs. people and the media say that it kills brain cells, bullshit!!!!! it doesnt even kill one flippin brain cells. ill tell you wat kills brain cells, spinning around (dizzy), jumping up and down, alcohol, cigarrettes, ect. So wen god was creating the world did he accidently put Marijuana and say "shit why did do that man i messed up" its 100% natural, not like man made drugs like heroin. every plant should and was made for humankind to use. JUST DONT FUCKIN ABUSE IT!!! DONT SMOKE AND THEN GO OUT AND TRY TO JUMP OF A BUILDING CAUSE YOU THINK YOU CAN FLY. WHAT KIND OF FUCKEN IDIOT DOES THAT. IF YOU THINK YOU CAN FLY START FROMM THE GROUND. IF IT WASNT FOR POT THEIR WOULDNT BE GREAT MUSIC, LIKE LED ZEPPELIN, THE BEATLES, TOOL, JIMI HENDRIX, ECT. THE BEST MOVIE I SEEN ON POT WAS 'THE UNION'.
Its you, not the weed
If you think that smoking weed is effecting your schoolwork you are WRONG. You are most likely experiencing your classes getting harder. That happens when you get older. If anything it helps you if you smoke a bowl at night. I'm 15 and the biggest problem i have with school is falling asleep during classes. Smoke at around 8 oclock and i guarruntee you get a good night sleep. Some people are smart, some aren't. I don't get high expecting my problems to go away. Why shouldn't you be able to escape your problems for a little while?? Most of the time it helps.
p.s. i experienced the intense heart beating my first couple of times smoking, but it goes away.
oya and 3.9 on the semester bitches!
Schizophrenia
What do you say about the research that states that use of marijuana increases the likelihood of developing schizophrenia? If this research is out there, which has been documented in many textbook materials, then how can you say that there is no long-term effects on the brain?
People will always look for a way to justify their addictions - plain and simple!
If you are already schizo or
If you are already schizo or are predisposed to be schizo canabis can exacerbate existing symptoms or increase the likelyhood that you will develop symptoms. Watching scary movies could also do the same thing.
Im 16 and i smoke weed almost
Im 16 and i smoke weed almost everyday. I still have good grades my memory is sharp. People try to make weed sound so harmful. They should be having commercials on how bad Cigarettes are. Not weed! so just smoke a bowl and watch a movie hahaha
Smoking
I agree with what this kid had to say, im 17 and i smoke weed every weekend and my memory has remained as sharp as it was prior to smoking. Society itself seems to portray marijuana as a serious gateway drug that is addicting and can ruin your brain. I highly disagree with that and think that if you know how to control your actions then it isnt even close to being any of those things, granted this kids sounds stupid for saying just smoke a bowl and watch a movie just because thats what everyone portrays the "pothead" as and i dont believe that. I have a 3.2 GPA and am starting college classes soon so how do you explain weed affecting my life negatively?
Gud one .
Superb reply . I like his sense
All this crap!
I can't believe I'm taking time out to write anything here but let me chime in a bit if I may. I just recently started smoking pot after stopping in 1969; due to all the paranoia I started to experience when high. The fear wasn’t police based like most but totally health based, I.E. chest feels numb my heart must not be beating or the pot is going to cause my heart to stop yada, yada, yada!
After 40 or so years I’ve come to the conclusion that these things would have manifested their ugly heads without the inclusion of pot, it’s just the way it is.
My mother had palpitation attacks when I was three or four years old and her fear she was going to die had a profound effect on my young person. This episode happened on countless occasion, as I became older she never mentioned it again, guess she got used to it.
Well, when I turned 17 my heart started to skip beats along with everyone in my family, except my father. This perhaps manifested itself with the use of pot but it matters not really, it would of happened anyway, just too much adrenalin pouring through the body for too long screwed up a few things. The bottom line; I think pot could have been useful had I been smart enough to recognize what was going on at the time and used it to my advantage. I smoke one or two puffs a night now and sleep like a baby that’s just off the tit, something that I have not done in 40 years and no “paranoia”!!!!!!
Let me sum it up this way, too much chlorine you die, just enough you can drink from the well. When you’re young we loved how much we could smoke and still yearn to be that young person again, but things change, some for the better, some for the worst. Just smoke very little, it’s the same as before but you have much more to get high than you did when we were young, once!
i HATE the lies
I am a 15 year old in Bountiful, Utah, and i have to take Health. So obviously we have to talk about drugs. so when the teacher starts talking about weed, its the only time i pay attention. " smoking one Marijuana cigarette is the equivalent of smoking four packs of tobacco cigarettes", yes this is EXACTLY what he said. I REALLY want to just want to walk up to him and slap him in the face and ask where he got that preposterous information. I have been smoking for about a few months, and i have done BETTER in school and i have become nicer, more generous, and i can control anger better. So i love it! And i hate it when people complain about their bad trips, because its YOUR mentality that makes the trip bad. Also, i can't believe people believe the shit that these teachers and the media creates. If you want to know the facts, YOU HAVE TO TRY IT. thats the only way to get the facts
i agree that maybe this is
i agree that maybe this is not 100% factual but you people are defending weed like you defend your child.everyone who smokes weed does this i have even done it myself.the truth is weed does damage the brain but in different ways to different people.
it effects chemical balances which effects moods which you should all agree on or else you are smoking for no reason if you aint effected in anyway
i am 23 smoked weed from the age of 13-14 most nights with friends,had some good experiences eg the laughs,the chillouts the fun but had the bad experiences to go with it. i smoked it up until the age of 19 solid everyday and was increasingly stressed if i couldnt get any,it helped me sleep but helped me oversleep too
i had a phychotic episode at 19 cause unknown,myabe weed caused it maybe not but it certainly contributed.i stoped after spending 4 weeks in a mental institute,6 months later i slowly got back onto it with the usual effects
now im 23 and have been on and off it since the incident.now im not a lover nor a hater but what i have learned is.one man can smoke it all his life and maybe it wont effect him at all
but another man can smoke it and it will destroy his life completly
so to all the youngsters smoke it if you like but dont believe the bullshit that its harmless because its not at all! like alcohol,cigs they all have goods and bads.it will effect your pocket for one fact!some people may suffer paranoia,i have.
its good when your young and carefree but when the stress of real life starts its the best time to stop in my opinion.the paranoia for me its continuing whether i smoke it or not,because it has made me read into the smaller details of life and even more the bigger question of why life is here at all not a good thing but my brain does this automatically now.
i have and am suffering with depression,i cannot blame the weed because i might have been in the same position without it but i cant rule it out.it usually effects ur social side of life aswell as i spent many occasions away from pubs activitys due to feeling lazy etc and most the time you are blatent with the redeye.i think it can make you unsociable at times and thus it is effecting your life because the desicions you make while stoned would have been different on a straight head so the bigger picture is the one to think about
i also think it has a tendency from a young age to change your whole personality for the rest of your life,it does get inside of your mind and the thing is you dont even realise it,some say its the devils drug some say its gods.it has both effects for me,sometimes i feel worser when taking it sometimes i feel better.but in my honest opinion if i could live life again i would never touch it,but its a part of my life now so i will use it when i feel the need
i am not arguing with anyone as iv already said it effects all people differently this is my own experience
couriousity
is there nicotine in a cigaweed
"YOU HAVE TO TRY IT" ? . . .
For the most part, I have nothing against your comment, but the thing about trying it if you really want to know the facts is stupid. Anyone who is going to go out there and try a drug without researching it is a fucking dimwit, and I'd disregard any testimony of the safety of the drug from such an idiot. It does not make sense to suggest that trying out Marijuana will give you more accurate facts than reading different sources from scientists and researchers that have spent decades of their lives on the very same drug.
Go ahead and use it, but don't encourage people to be stupid. There's enough twits in this world.
Don't trust everything you hear
With the way the world is run, its difficult to believe anything. The tests done on marijuana by Dr. Heath were preposterous! Dr. Heath would put an airtight gas mask on the monkey, strap it into a chair and force-toke the equivalent of 63 Columbian-strength joints over the course of five minutes. The conclusion was that Cannabis caused brain damage and death, but that was just the result of suffocation.
Wait till you are older.
My tip for the Kids -> Don't smoke Weed in high school. Wait till you are older, more mature, and your brain and personality has developed more fully before enjoying the many benefits of MJ!
I smoked regularly through high school and early university only to "burn out" and develop paranoia. At the time I blamed this on MJ, and took a 5 year hiatus from smoking.
Recently (5years later) I've started smoking (for 4 months) and much more than I did back in the day. My brain is a lot more mature now and I have found MJ has really helped me realise what's most important in my life and has helped me become more self-fullfilled, generous, and a more well-rounded person.
I've achieved all I can from smoking MJ in the last 4 months and no longer see a benefit in continued regular use so I'll now only smoke on special occasions.