Comments on: Negative Effects of Marijuana: Is Pot Smoking Harmless

By: Zrael

Zrael — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:34:45 +0000

The human brain doesn’t stop growing until you reach age 25. Repeated use or input of any chemical substance can “rewire” the brains functions to depend on an outside source for balance (i.e. dopamine). In addition, a person under 25 typically has not realized how to properly deal with stress or difficult life experiences. The ability to become calm and be at peace without outside chemicals is an essential element to discovery and personal growth. Once a person has reached this, through experience, meditation and balance, then marijuana, can take them to new and interesting places. The problem isn’t weed, its impatience. Its a matter of self control and mastery. Weed makes you more of who you are; just be ready to become who you are.

By: Karl

Karl — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:42:28 +0000

I think you all have done an excellent job of exposing the truth about MJ. I have been a smoker for 25 years; I am 41. I have stopped many times, once for 4 years. I live in CO and for over a year I was a professional in the MMJ industry and out of it now. I’ve seen just about everything and heard it again here in this forum. I definitely agree that the worse thing that happens with overuse is NOTHING. Nothing happens, nothing gets done, motivation can run low . . . . I do know several patients that can work/think like mad but, generally that is the exception.
I am a VERY motivated, active, intelligent, athletic person and was while I was taking my college finals high, 3.2 GPA from CU. Pot is NOT to blame!!!! People are to blame for their actions, pot never forced anyone to do anything. If you see your life going badly because you can’t handle smoking pot, OMG, take charge and pull yourself together. Quit. Take some personal responsibility. Personally, I think we as Americans lack discipline and easily give in to impulse. Pot is right up there with junk food as far as dangerous. Go blind crazy with it and you’re going to be screwed up. Use it in moderation, and you’ll be fine. Use your head, think about your future and your goals and chase them with a passion. If that means quitting, QUIT. It’s your life, GO BIG! I was an extreme athlete for many years and still rock climb lots.
Personally, I enjoy a pot cocktail before bed and I missed it when I was not having it, even after year 4 of no use. Alcohol did not sit well with me, I abused it in college, saw the wreckage of my life from it and that was it, I quit drinking more then 2 drinks at a sitting, now it’s perfect.
Take personal responsibility for your actions and do not enable either, don’t buy a lazy loser pothead pot or encourage them to use it, do not buy a super fat guy a big mac. . . A drunk a drink . . .
There is one very important point I have to reveal. As long as pot is illegal you will be in the company of “criminals” when you buy or use it. At least as our federal Government currently defines it, major BS and a real problem and here’s why. Your illegal drug dealer likely sells more than pot and THAT can be a problem, he could get you some meth or coke or some other very dangerous drug that can hook you physically and really try and kill you. A bit of an issue, no? Pot should be legal and that is the main reason why not to mention the fact it is a VERY safe drug as compared to most of the rest of them, IMO that includes alcohol and the VAST majority of prescription drugs. I doubt I would have done well taking my finals drunk or on oxycodone! There are many political and $$$ reasons pot is illegal that I’ll leave unsaid, you’re welcome Uncle Sam. Pot users need rehab and be forced to pay for it. . . .OMG Please, a bit of impulse control is all you need, MAN UP and quit if your falling behind or being left behind, have some self respect . . . help those people by telling them so and not enabling or feeling sorry for them. It is not a tough habit to quit and, IF it is done in responsible moderation with respect to personal physiology, I think it added to the quality of my life. There has to be a little truth to that since this forum is about negative effects and what we have written is not all negative.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:35:02 +0000

I have been smoking pot off and on for years and I agree that it’s best worn on occasion. For me it had ended up being my best friend I find myself not tending to my friends & becoming more of a loner. It very well could have postponed me from finding the one marijuana stopped me from looking for. I think that if it’s going to be legal that it needs a label just like any other drug in the medical industry. Do they not want to spend the money to study it. For me health wise it’s a regulator, & a food suppressant very odd I know so dietary supplement? Also it creates tension & I cannot focus on real hard problems, but often find myself starting a new organizing or decorating project that is not in my priorities. It makes me sometimes stiff as a board & immobile. I like using it alone so I can act how I wish that’s why it can become a friend to so may. I to have a strong conviction about it, mainly because with my beliefs it tells us to treat our bodies as temples for God to dwell. So that being said weed is an herb, but not for eating purposes. I believe it is very physiological & with forming a connection with alcohol & or smoking I believe if we can separate them in our heads then we can master tackling each one individually. Let’s do it! One more thing they are making weed to potent with the hybrid & the separation of the male & female plant. The 70’s weed isn’t what we are smoking now with the female only we are almost smoking crack! This is unnatural weed & more & more I’m liking it less & less! Where are the Male plants I just only need one of those. That idea will be lost & Marijuana is now a new bread just like all our amped up foods we eat. lest be careful.

By: Shaun

Shaun — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 07:31:18 +0000

I’ve got a friend, well he used to be a really good friend of mine, he smoked weed since like 7th grade, just whenever and it wasn’t a big deal, but freshman year in highschool he started doin’ it all the time, and started hangin out with bad people. Sophomore year now, and he’s not showin any signs of stopping,and it got worse, his friends got expelled from our school, and now he wants to join them. He says weed isn’t addicting, and that there’s proof that it isn’t, it may not be physically addicting, but he does depend on it, and cares more about it than all of his old friends.

By: TJ

TJ — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:46:56 +0000

Cameron - Too true… I used to smoke pot every day of my life, sometimes multiple times a day, and i agree with some discussions saying it’s not something everyone should smoke… But just because someone smokes pot and fucks up their life doesn’t mean the pot’s bad… It means that they’re a person with no motivation and can’t get their life together… Just saying

By: Bret

Bret — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 03:40:35 +0000

My two cents,
First and foremost after reading through these comments I’ve noticed people are using alot of assumptions, social stigma, etc. instead of actual medical studies. Marijuana does have some adverse effects on the brain while also having its useful effects as with any medicine. The anti-psychotic Lamictal is used for people who display and/or are diagnosed with various psychological diseases such as Bi-Polar, schizophrenia, and epilepsy primarily. While it has been proven to be very effective it has some pretty serious negative effects. These can include a rash which can be lethal, chronic migraines, etc.. While I’m only going to list off one medicine because you can quite literally go on all day about various medications that can be lethal that are legal and are large quantity of people take, the case in point here is that every medicine has positive and negative effects. Marijuana causes a decrease in short term memory. The average human brain can retain short-term memory for 30 seconds before it has to be committed to long-term or forgotten, the chemical THC (typically found in marijuana but actually found in many things) causes this time to decrease sometimes dramatically (depending on the subject). Also there has been various inconclusive tests performed that show that Marijuana can be a possible cause of lung diseases. This is due to the burning of the plant. Now I want to note: ANY plant will cause this. Marijuana itself does not cause to much of an increase in the amount of carcinogens ingested. There was a medical study done that was also labeled “inconclusive” but it all but proved that controlled use of marijuana can activate naturally occurring receptors in the lungs that have been known to “fight” cancer cells.

Now on to my main point. Marijuana in my opinion should be legalized as a prescription-only medication. It is not typically safe for your average person and should not be sold or allowed to be sold as such. However it has been tried and true to assist with sleeping and eating disorders, depression and other psychological instabilities, among other things. It may not be the one-stop shop so many people claim it is but it is also not the heathen life ruining killer others state it is. There is no reason why it should not be controlled marketed and effectively used. It is a plant that has been put on this great planet for a use and why not utilize a resource that has so many uses?

By: Abe

Abe — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:20:42 +0000

I used to smoke some pot during first two years of college. I haven’t really smoked for about 6 years. I loved that drug, but my belief was that it is a kid’s drug. I wish I would have smoked more when I was younger. But as of now, I am afraid of marijuana affecting my memory negatively. And I am afraid of getting pulled over in my car by the police with some bud in my system.

But the thing is, marijuana is illegal (and a sin) not for people like me or “Dontbelievethehype”, but its a sin for dumb people who can’t handle it. Most of the population is pretty dumb and have no self control… so do we want to arm them with the ability to fixate and lose themselves with an awesome plant? How would they cope in their lives, how will they be productive and survive?

Would you hand out loaded guns in a shopping mall for anyone to come and take? No, because what if a child or a retard takes a gun and shots someone. Will you blame the retard for being stupid? Or will you blame that idiot who thought the entire cross section of the community could handle a potentially dangerous instrument.

By: Claire

Claire — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 01:11:57 +0000

I started smoking weed in 8th grade every so often.. now i am in 10th grade and I am a more frequent smoker (maybe 3 times a week and almost every friday and saturday) I am worried that my marijuana use is effecting my work ethic and my motivation to do things. I sleep a lot more than i used to, and my way of thinking is more “spiritual” than it used to be. I am concerned that even if I stop smoking, I will never be able to return to my old way of life.. (being less lazy, working harder in school etc) Once you start is there no turning back? Can I change things around for myself? I don’t want to stop smoking completely, but I will if it is ruining my future. Any thoughts?
Thank you

By: Solutionman

Solutionman — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:47:03 +0000

Newbie to it, I think it truely opens your mind for different views, all and all , I enjoy being able to meditate and focus on my life having the peace that most dont truely realize. Drugs are bad. But im sure that it is one that cures pain,and, many other benifits. Grows out of the ground like a weed. It spreads god intended it to be all around. And for some of us with more chalenges, maybe that is supposed to be here to help get through. Dont buy it illegally get a permit and grow it legally. Use it for a tincture for headaches anxiety pain stress, I have many medical conditions and this one plant cures them. It makes me better at everything I do, better hubby friend father. I agree it needs to be regulated. And taxed it would pull this country out of the whole we are in

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:07:33 +0000

It’s funny to ses all the biased pot advocates go writing comments about how pot is the greatest thing ever and how it will help you become an extremely focused person and possibly become the President one day. But the thing that irks me the most is how most of them say that people against pot are religious. I’m an atheist myself and I don’t support pot at all. Personally, I just don’t think it’s worth the money for such a temporary uplift. Not to mention often when you buy pot you are supporting violent cartels who kill women and children. But if you wanna spend your days buying weed to smoke alone in your basement, that’s your right. I’d rather spend it to go on vacation or something that will create lasting memories. Also I find most pot smokers judge people who’ve never smoked pot, saying we’re all “close minded bigots.” Statements like that actually make the pot smokers close minded bigots who judge non pot smokers.
Peace.

By: Dontbelievethehype

Dontbelievethehype — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 19:52:38 +0000

I’d like to interject, if I may. I have smoked steadily for about 20 years. At this time, I am self-employed (have been successful in my business for 15 years now), own my home, run several other businesses from rime to time, and manage to remember everything I need to maintain my career. My reasons for smoking are medical (chronic pain, appetite and insomnia). I have experienced very little side-effects aside from hungry, tired and happy. I am regarded in the workplace as an expert and authority whose knowledge base is relatively extensive. Not all marijuana is created equal, as different levels of thc and cbds will have significantly different effects onthe mind and/or body. Personally, my biggest impetus for smoking is pain, so I choose based on my needs. It does not interfere with my ability to perform any duties of life. I feel the information made available for public consumption is largely false. Don’t believe the propaganda, folks. Do real research. When I do periodic searches on the subject, I find MOST “authorities” on the matter are either misinformed or misinforming. It is not for everyone, in the sense that it can have very adverse side-effects for some, and nearly none for others. This is also true of such substances as milk or peanuts. Sometimes, I wonder if people that package and label potheads really have any clue what they are talking about.

There are plenty of “losers” that eat McDonald’s, but eating McDonald’s doesn’t make you a “loser”. Being a loser does. Capiche?

“Judge not, lest ye be judged.” To quote the book used most frequently in argument. Let Him do the judging, our job is to live and love each other as His family.

Also, I am not terribly religious, but I have read a few religious texts.

By: pothead

pothead — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:27:09 +0000

A lot of you people need to open your eyes, of course smoking is pot is addictive, almost everything is a little addictive. Why do you think America is so god damn fat? its because fast food and junk food is addictive and people just keep eating it until they are obese. To say marijuana is illegal because its less addictive than something like caffeine, in my mind that’s bullshit. I’ve been smoking pot for 2 and a half years and have been smoking everyday for 6 months, a month ago i had to quit for 10 or 12 days for a drug test for a job (which i passed;]) and had some withdrawals but it was no big deal, not very addictive.

Also to say that it messes with how you think and your memory im a senior in high school and have not seen any change in my school or how i learn or anything. I also have friends that have been smoking for 5 years every day and have managed to maintain a 4.0 in school. in fact one of them graduated valedictorian in his class.
(if there is any errors in this comment, get off my back i’ve been out of school for 3 months asshole!!)

Also when you say

By: jia

jia — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:53:55 +0000

ok… honestly everyone who is saying weed causes paranoia and you shouldnt smoke it… have you ever considered the fact that if it was LEGAL people would have no reason to feel “paranoid” and to all of you who say that weed has no negative affects… your dead wrong. i just had to write an 850 word essay on the negative effects on thc. not only is it very bad for your organs because of the resin or “tar” in your blood stream… if your a frequent user… your body becomes dependent on the thc chemicals. thc causes the brain to become cloudy and it temporarily damages the pituitary gland, which controls hunger, thirst, blood pressure and releases a excessive sexual hormones under the influence of thc. in most cases when you get ‘high’ you become hungry because the pituitary gland has sensors on it to tell your body when it is full. if the gland is temporary paralyzed it gives u the sensation of hunger. when u feel hungry you eat. when u keep eating after your full it can cause a feeling of bloatedness and fatigue. laziness is also a side effect long term. forgetfullness.

i have smoked weed every single day for almost 6 years and i will admit i love the way i feel when i smoke, but ever since i got arrested and had to quit… i can tell u first hand it is addictive. whether or not ur body is addicted to the “feeling-good” chemical your brain no longer produces from smokin too much, or if your addicited to the high life. the high life may seem fun and care-free while ur actually living in it. but if you use long term and then quit cold turkey….like me you will see where i am coming from. i havent smoked in about 3 months now and i still have mental cravings for it. now i have had a few months sober after six years i can see how weed has affected me mentally, physically, emotionally and not only that but my bank account would probably have more than $11 if i didnt waste my money on marijuana for six years. yeah the high might have been fun in the moment. but it got me nowhere in the long term outrun.

i do believe marijuana should be legal because alcohol and ciggerettes cause death and marijuanna actually helps those who dont abuse it. not only that im so tired of hearing about the legalization debate. its been going on for years now and not only that it used to be legal. and its a proven fact that when it was legal the death due to crime rate was wayyyyy lower than it is today.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:55:56 +0000

Okay, So marijuana should be illegal, but more body harmful drugs that people depend on can be bought by anyone above the age of 18. Getting lung cancer from 25 years of smoking or alcohol poisoning is way more serious than smoking weed to take the edge off. I’m not spending a lot of money so i can get my fix or wasting away because it relaxes me. I’m intelligent and do well in school. I have a lot of friends that do not do drugs. I’m not desperately trying to find my dose of THC. THIS ISN’T A REAL PROBLEM. THERE ARE THINGS WAY WORSE FOR YOU THAN POT THAT ARE LEGAL AND ABUSED DAILY.