This is a discussion thread about Marijuana, Cannabis, Weed, Dank, 420, Pot. It is currently legal in a few states, though they are regulating the usage of it.
contrary to popular belief, weed doesnt cause cancer, it's like alcohol, impairs your motor skills. that's about it.
I figure you young kids will be eventually come into contact with it once you hit your college/high school years, and it would be good to dispel some wrong and wayward thinking brought on by the government.
so please have fun, ask questions, keep it lighthearted.
For others who partake in god's choice smokes please give me some of your favorite dank
Weed is legal in a couple of states, cali, colorado. up in Canada, Vancouver has legalized weed. Amsterdam too.
It's a great experience really, not advocating you should try it, since it is also quite the expensive plant (prices are artificially inflated in legalized areas also for government control purposes)
Right, because the NIDA, (a department of the National Institute of Health, and part of the Department of Health and Human services) a scientific organization for the study and promotion of all health issues, is so biased and against everything.
I didn't say they were against everything, they are following society and out of date studies.
If you look through their information the link to the studies which show the positive and negative effects of drugs on the human body, and show clearly what studies were performed.
I have read several, most recent ones indicate that marijuana itself causes little to no damage to the body. The smoke can cause problems but the drug itself does not except in rare cases.
Right, because the NIDA, (a department of the National Institute of Health, and part of the Department of Health and Human services) a scientific organization for the study and promotion of all health issues, is so biased and against everything
not everything, just drugs, or alcohol. seriously though, weed is fine, i know tons of people, even colloge professors that smoke weed, its all a matter of moderation, i get drunk, i get high, im still totally fine, just had my annual checkup, the doctor told me that smoking cigs is bad but other than that, nothing!! plus, i am still able to REMEMBER things just fine.
I have read several, most recent ones indicate that marijuana itself causes little to no damage to the body.
Then let me link you to some recent ones which show that cannabinoids, and particularly THC, have well documented and observed detrimental effects on the brain.
Oxford Journals - Also refer the numerous works which cite this article in their own research into other effects of cannabinoids. (Toward the bottom of the page)
As you can see from these independent studies the negative and long term effects of cannabinoids, and THC in particular, are well documented. I am not claiming that there are no positive effects, as there are. However to say that there are no negative effects, especially no negative long term effects, is incorrect.
well were im from its not legal but many people smoke it i my self have been caught with it holding it for a friend stupid decision never will i do it again but we learn from our mistakes.
Oxford Journals - Also refer the numerous works which cite this article in their own research into other effects of cannabinoids. (Toward the bottom of the page)
Its all may, or can, its not definitive on anything.
Wiley InterScience
I was kinda lost on this one, but it doesn't seem to say anything for either side of our discussion.
Cambridge Journals You have to be registered to view the full article or request a copy, but you can read the abstract (summary) of the study
nevertheless, our results indicate that there might be decrements in the ability to learn and remember new information in chronic users, whereas other cognitive abilities are unaffected. However, from a neurocognitive standpoint, the small magnitude of these effect sizes suggests that if cannabis compounds are found to have therapeutic value, they may have an acceptable margin of safety under the more limited conditions of exposure that would likely obtain in a medical setting.
That seems to aid me in that it says the effects are minimal.
British Journal of Psychiatry
Whether or not there is permanent cognitive impairment in heavy long-term users is not clear.
Tolerance, dependence, withdrawal effects
This part did not look into(from what I read and understood) the physiological aspect of it. I'm having trouble finding the article I remember reading, I will continue to look later. What it talked about was that marijuana addiction is usually not an actually addiction, as in they are not physically dependent on it. It is their addictive personality that makes them want, but not need, marijuana. Thats not to say physical addiction is not possible, but it is very rare.
Effects on the respiratory system
This area is ignoring the additives in tobacco that is in cigarettes. There are many more dangerous things added to tobacco than are in marijuana. It also assumes that everyone smokes marijuana heavily, which is also not true. And once again I can't find the article, although I can't find any article on how much people smoke marijuana.
However to say that there are no negative effects, especially no negative long term effects, is incorrect.
I have not said there are none, I have said they are few and far between. None of the effects of marijuana are common among average people with no other health problems. The long term effects also require both smoking and heavy use, both of which are easy to avoid for the average person.
Basically the gist of all the research into the use of marijuana suggests that mild, infrequent use for therapeutic purposes has benefits that may outweigh the detrimental effects. However the majority of users are not using it for therapeutic purposes, but for recreational purposes. When this occurs people tend to use more and more frequently which decreases the positive benefits and increases the negative effects.
Again, I'm not saying that marijuana is a terrible drug, in fact I'm all for legalizing, regulating, and taxing it just like tobacco and alcohol. However numerous studies show conclusively that marijuana, when smoked, is just as (if not more so) harmful as tobacco usage. Yes, there are more positive effects compared to cigarettes, but there are more negative effects as well.
The bottom line is that if you wish to smoke marijuana then be aware of the risks and side effects, don't just jump in with both feet thinking there are no risks, which I hear time and again from many users.
However numerous studies show conclusively that marijuana, when smoked, is just as (if not more so) harmful as tobacco usage. Yes, there are more positive effects compared to cigarettes, but there are more negative effects as well.
Is this compared to the same methods of intake? I'd like to see a longitudinal study where the method of intake is either ingested or vaporization.
Is this compared to the same methods of intake? I'd like to see a longitudinal study where the method of intake is either ingested or vaporization.
Yes. Look at some of the information in the links I provided earlier. It is clear that smoking, either with a pipe, bong, or joint, is harmful to the lungs, often times more so than cigarettes. To limit this damage a vaporizer is much better on your lungs, although the detrimental effects on the brain are still present.
Hey MRWalker since you seem to know alot about this is smoking it okay if you only smoke a tad bit.
Any form of drug use will eventually have you build up a tolerance for it. While you may only smoke a tad bit, that will eventually build up to heavy smoking, as you believe that what you originally smoked didn't affect you as much. So to counter it, you would smoke more to feel the effects. Then a little while after that, you will build up a tolerance to that. So you will incrementally smoke more and more weed.
Hey MRWalker since you seem to know alot about this is smoking it okay if you only smoke a tad bit.
Not sure how you define 'okay'. No matter how much or how often you smoke, there are still going to be detrimental effects.
Rarely, that happens to extremely heavy users and people who already have some problem.
Again, please read the information I provided. It is not only extremely heavy users who experience detrimental effects from THC ingestion. Another misconception which is entirely all too common.
