Cannabis is probably the world’s most popular casual use drug that is illegal in most nations. It has become so widespread that many people wouldn’t think twice about asking to light up at a friend’s or to smoke in public places. It is an ancient drug that has been used throughout history for medical, magical, and pleasurable purposes. Thanks to the scare-tactics of propaganda in the 1960s and 1970s, there are many myths surrounding the drug – this list intends to put things straight once and for all.
Myth: Cannabis’ active ingredient THC gets stored in body fat and its effects can last days or even weeks
Fact: It is true that cannabis (like many other drugs) enters the body’s fat stores, and it is for this reason that it can be detected long after use, but that is the only part of this myth which is true. The fact is, the psychoactive aspects of the stored cannabis are used up quickly and while the residue of the drug remains, it no longer has any effect on the person. Furthermore, the presence of THC in body fat is not harmful to the fat, the brain, or any other part of the body.
Myth: Cannabis use causes memory loss and a general reduction in logic and intelligence
Fact: This is another myth which has elements of truth to it – no doubt the reason it is believed by so many. Laboratory tests have shown that cannabis diminishes the short term memory – but only when a person is intoxicated with it. A person who has taken cannabis will be able to remember things learned before they took it but may have trouble learning new information during intoxication. There is no scientific evidence whatsoever to suggest that this can become a long-term or permanent problem when sober.
Myth: Cannabis has been scientifically proven to be harmful
Fact: Let us start with a quote: “the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health.” This quote comes from the peer-reviewed British medical journal The Lancet (founded in 1823). There is certainly no scientific consensus on cannabis use, and certainly no scientific proof that casual use is dangerous to health.
Myth: Cannabis use causes apathy and a lack of motivation
Fact: In fact, studies done on test subjects in which they were given a high dose of cannabis regularly over a period of days or weeks found that there was no loss in motivation or ability to perform. Of course, abuse of any intoxicating substance over long periods will reduce a person’s ability to function normally, but cannabis is no better or worse. Furthermore, studies indicate that cannabis users tend to have higher paid jobs than non-users.
Myth: Cannabis causes crime
Fact: Some people believe that cannabis use leads to violence and aggression, and that this, in turn, leads to crime. But the facts just don’t stack up. Serious research into this area has found that cannabis users are often less likely to commit crimes because of its effect in reducing aggression. Having said that, because of the number of nations that have outlawed cannabis, most users in the world are technically classified as criminals merely for possessing the drug.
Myth: Cannabis kills brain cells
Fact: Cannabis does not cause any profound changes in a person’s mental ability. It is true that after taking the drug some people can experience panic, paranoia, and fright, these effects pass and certainly don’t become permanent. It is possible for a person to consume so much of the drug that they suffer from toxic psychosis, but again this is not unique to cannabis and is very rare.
Myth: Cannabis is a gateway drug – in other words, it leads to abuse of more potent drugs
Fact: For most people, cannabis is a terminus drug, not a gateway drug. Users of high strength drugs such as heroin or LSD are also statistically more likely to have used cannabis in the past, but this is just toying with statistics; when comparing the number of cannabis users with hard-drug users, the numbers are extremely small – suggesting that there is no link at all.
Myth: Cannabis is more potent now than in the past
Fact: The reason that this myth has come about is that samples taken by drug enforcement agencies are used to test for potency but they are a tiny sample of the cannabis on the market. The vast majority of cannabis taken today is the same potency as it has been for decades. In fact, even if the potency were greatly higher, it would make little difference to the user as cannabis of varying potency produces very similar effects. Furthermore, there is statistical data on cannabis potency dating back to the 1980s which is more reliable than present methods of detection, and that shows little or no increase.
Myth: Cannabis is more damaging to the lungs than cigarettes
Fact: First of all, people who smoke cannabis but not cigarettes tend to smoke far less frequently – thereby limiting their exposure to the dangers in the smoke. Furthermore, smokers of cannabis are not inhaling the many additives that go into commercial cigarettes to make them burn down faster or to stay alight. There has even been some evidence that marijuana smoke does not have the same effect on the bronchial tubes as cigarette smoke, so even heavy use may not lead to emphysema.
Myth: Cannabis is highly addictive
Fact: Less than one percent of Americans smoke cannabis more than once per day. Of the heavy users, a tiny minority develop what appears to be a dependence and rely on the assistance of drug rehabilitation services to stop smoking but there is nothing in cannabis which causes physical dependence and the most likely explanation for those who need assistance is that they are having difficulty breaking the habit – not the “addiction”.
This list was inspired by the excellent work of the Drug Policy Alliance Network.
Sources:
1. Mellinger, G.D. et al. “Drug Use, Academic Performance, and Career Indecision: Longitudinal Data in Search of a Model.” Longitudinal Research on Drug Use: Empirical Findings and Methodological Issues. Ed. D.B. Kandel. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1978. 157-177.
2. Johnson, L.D., et al. “Drugs and Delinquency: A Search for Causal Connections.” Ed. D.B. Kandel. Longitudinal Research on Drug Use: Empirical Findings and Methodological Issues. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1978. 137-156.
3. Schreiber, W.; A. M. Pauls and J. C. Kreig (February 5, 1988). “[Toxic psychosis as an acute manifestation of diphenhydramine poisoning]“. Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift 113 (5): 180–183. PMID 3338401.
4. Degenhardt, Louisa, Wayne Hall and Michael Lynskey. “Testing hypotheses about the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis,” Drug and Alcohol Dependence 71 (2003): 42-4.
5. King LA, Carpentier C, Griffiths P. “Cannabis potency in Europe.” Addiction. 2005 Jul; 100(7):884-6
6. Turner, Carlton E. The Marijuana Controversy. Rockville: American Council for Drug Education, 1981.
7. Stephens, R.S., et al. “Adult marijuana users seeking treatment.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 61 (1993): 1100-1104.
Contributor: JFrater
***** you listverse, don’t make ***** look like it’s a good thing. i can’t judge because i used to take prescripted drugs, which are drugs anyway and i dont consider them to be good, in fact, i know i was really *****ed up when i stopped taking them and it costed me a lot to give them up; all drugs are bad, so STFU
your just angry because you *****ed up and want to blame it all on something other then yourself. you took pills dumb ass. different effect.
They tried that remember? It Failed miserably. Prohibition doesn’t work!
This is going into one of my next rants, some of these comments are too good. Others are just giving me a reason to smoke again.
By the way, great pineapple-carrot pipe there on #9
Actually FAS is caused by alcohol!!!! MTATAZELA-you do not know what you are talking about. Sorry grammer nazi-we shall bow down to you perfect one. I will smoke pot forEVER!
Londonafter: you forgot to say “Mmkay”
best listverse list ever
and im stoned right now.
I can’t understand how or why some people get so fired up over this topic. Case and point, MTATAZELA. Now, I agree with them that FAS is a problem most everywhere. But, they are saying it like the alcohol and ***** are SOLELY to blame for these problems.
Wrong Answer. Period.
The problem is, as mentioned many times in this thread, the people who have no sense of self control, moderation, or common sense. People are always looking for something else to blame their problems and screw-ups on other than themselves. And more often than not, they blame the pot that they smoke on a daily basis, or they blame the booze that they drink at all times of day every day. Go Figure.
Moderation and Common Sense! That’s all people need.
so many dumb people judging us, without any fact to base their opinions on. anyone on here who has said “all potheads are lowlifes/losers/liars/thieves” are judging a LARGE percentage of North America citizens (look it up, lots of people smoke weed) off their biases. i smoke weed every day, have a job, play on two soccer teams, go to university and keep up an active band and social life on top of that. so what if i want to come home and relax and get stoned? as many people have said, it’s much better than coming home, getting drunk and throwing up all over the place. alcohol leads to anger, fighting, drunk driving (not all drinkers, but more common then you’d expect) and not to mention hangovers. dope makes me tired and hungry, and that’s about the worst of it. you need to think that, even though some pot smokers may be lowlifes/losers/liars/thieves, but to judge every one like that is offensive and ignorant. take a hoot, relax, and enjoy the listverse!
patgod: “But the Man is stepping on me, Wearing me Down.” How do you really get past a thought like that?
123. pot not dope head
Actually FAS is caused by alcohol!!!! MTATAZELA-you do not know what you are talking about. Sorry grammer nazi-we shall bow down to you perfect one. I will smoke pot forEVER!
I rest my case.
Cant read, cant spell, forEVER dumb!
Is there anyone who is actually going to state WHY they think “The Weed” is bad, instead of screaming for it’s demise?
Bucslim: “LIke Denis Leary said, ***** doesn’t lead to harder drugs, it leads to carpentry. Why do pot heads feel the need to make bongs out of everything?”
Ahahaha, I love that bit. Watch out for people driving their
bongs down FDR drive!
I’ve never really understood the notion that weed is a gateway drug, to be honest it seems pretty rediculous when you consider the other perfectly legal drugs that people use every day. Tobbacco, alcohol, and coffee are more logical choices fro gateway drugs, and they are readily available. If you ask a group of people who smoke weed if they started drinking before they started getting high 99% of them are going to say yes. The mild mannered suburban watchdogs really blow things out of proportion when attacking weed, alot of people forget about the prozack, oxycotyn, percocet, vicodin, or demerol that are handed out like candy by doctors. It’s kind of funny how treating a “problem” legitimises the use of far more powerful, and dangerous drugs. I geuss everyone has their own little addictions.
http://norml.org/ Get educated people.
I don’t understand why people get on here and talk *****!! If the title of the list or opening paragraph doesn’t sound like an interest to you- don’t read the list!! And just because someone makes a list about drugs and your opinion is different it doesn’t make the person who wrote the list a ‘drug addict trying to justify their cause’. this site is for entertainment!!! I understand jfrater wants everyone to express their opinions and thoughts but you guys don’t have to be so hateful to those that have a different opinion. I see calling someone a loser pot head just as bad as calling someone heavy fat or someone smart a nerd!!! opinions are like *****s, everyone has one!! but be respectful!!!
happy birthday Pixi
You forgot the most common myth. That it is a valuable drug to be used for pain management. With a half-life of 5 days it is completely inaffective.
I still think its a bad habit
srichards: so is smoking a cigarette. why is one legal and one not? Propaganda and stereotypes. If people took it a little more seriously, it would be easier to legalize.
For those who are wondering – I don’t use ***** (or any drugs for that matter) – I just thought this would be an interesting list and it shows the side that is less often heard from. Carry on…
Er, MTATAZELA – wtf are you on about? This list is about *****, not the effects of alcohol and/or ***** on unborn children. Did I miss the portion of this list that said ‘Dude, you can totally get ripped without it affecting your baby. Its, like totally safe. Oh, and drinking too, that’s way cool.’
I’m pretty sure you’ve missed the point. I don’t think anyone here would advocated drinking or smoking (tobacco or *****) during pregnancy so your knee-jerk, panty-twisted, preachy response is pretty much irrelevant. Plus, you link drug use almost entirely with alcohol abuse which is, again, not the topic up for discussion here (though it would appear that a great many people view it as being far more destructive than *****, both to the individual and society.)
Plus can we please stop implying that listverse is making weed smoking look like a ‘good thing’? That is NOT what is happening here…. it is simply dispelling some frequently sighted myths. I’m sure there are others risks involved that are true and relevant, but they aren’t listed here BECAUSE THEY AREN’T MYTHS! Please ‘londonafter’, try to back up your statements with something other than ‘stfu’.
i just want to point out that there is a major difference in potency of weed even just 20 years ago compared to now
my dad and my friend’s parents refuse to use the ***** of today. they say it is way way way too strong
and its true
just growing and harvesting has changed to allow for more potent plants. plants that produce so much more THC and way more crystal naturally.
smoke ditch weed from the 70′s and some purple kush from now and tell me they’re the same potency. NO.
also.
cigarettes are the real gate-way drug. people who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to experiment more liberally and frequently with other harder drugs.
munro: i’d avoid generalizations during this debate.
“people who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to experiment more liberally and frequently with other harder drugs.”
I can probably find about 100,000 people in downtown that go against that.
also just so we can all be clear on the subject. ***** has never been proven to have ever killed anyone in the history of its use.
cigarettes and alcohol kill tens of thousands in canada alone each year.
whats the real danger yo?
and drugs aren’t bad, thats ridiculous. their misuse by people is bad.
and no
you and i are in agreeance. don’t cut down my argument. thats not a generalization. that is a quote i just read out of a text book.
adolescence 5th ed.
2008
Okay – just finished reading the comments – wow – I can’t believe how much of a hornet’s nest this stirred up – I thought there would be some negative comments but not on the scale we are seeing! I shall endeavor to write a nice jolly list for tomorrow to calm everyone down
Nick is a nice guy
I think he needs a hug though.
munro: do you believe that everything you read in nonpartisan?
I think, Lord JayNu, that this list idea should have come out around the same time as the your view.
Nick=Teddy Bear. HA
Jamie, unfortunately theres a dividing line on this issue that parallels the division of Creationists versus the Darwin supporters. Neither side will ever be convinced of each others argument.
Great list today… if it sparked this much controversy that’s saying something…
MTATAZELA- I have a 4.0 in uni and have ever since I started. Not that great at spelling, but oh well. I am a member of honors society too-so judge if you will.
I am about to graduate with a 4.0. MTATAZELA
MTATAZELA…chill out! Wow. This website has been one of the most entertaining sites I have gone to. For the facts, the fun and the stupid comments! If I don’t like the topic…I won’t read it! Why did you?
For the rest of us, let’s enjoy this list (or the contents…hee, hee)
Reposting this as the first one seems to have vanished into the ether…
OK, I’m going to have to throw my oar in here with a position which is probably not going to garner much support, but one which I think y’alls should hear anyway.
***** is not purely a ‘nice’ drug; ***** is most certainly not purely a ‘safe’ drug. To say otherwise I believe is to whitewash the issue, to err on the side of edginess without recourse to fact. Don’t judge me too harshly here – I intend to expand on this assertion.
The real issue with ***** is that the greatest effect it has on you is to MAKE YOU FEEL HAPPY DOING NOTHING. Why is that such a bad thing? Because when you are happy doing nothing, you don’t take care of yourself. For some people this means that personal hygiene goes to pot (badoom-tschh). For others it can mean gaining weight, losing the desire to take care of or cultivate relationships, losing the desire to leave your couch. It allows an escape from personal issues which should be confronted and dealt with. It encourages losers – I say again, LOSERS – to accept their lot in life, to relax, to stay on a plain as it might be – and to resist having to deal with their problems, with having to make more of their lives, to do the things which lead to natural happiness. I know a lot of stoners, indeed I used to be one myself, and I’ve never known any of them to be the type of person who tends to go out and have a good time – to party, meet people, get laid. Humans are social creatures, and I believe through my experience that relationships with people are a greater way to have fun than by relationships with a plant, with smoke or with a glorified vase.
Culture. The culture behind ***** is no doubt one of its major draws (I did it again, please pardon the pun). Well, unless you’re the type of person who aspires to be a hippie douchebag with a bicycle and a ‘smoke-da-bowl’ t-shirt, the culture is probably perfectly easy to embrace without recourse to drugs – ***** is of course a substance which is used in conjunction with (the aural abortion that is) reggae – but surely anything which requires a numbing agent to enhance one’s enjoyment of it probably isn’t something you’d want to get into in the first place. ***** makes the dullest, most pathetic forms of entertainment (and I’m not talking about reggae here) seem OK. ***** makes *everything* seem ‘OK’. And personally I don’t believe that one’s life should be just ‘OK’.
A point on the article:
“Of course, abuse of any intoxicating substance over long periods will reduce a person’s ability to function normally, but ***** is no better or worse.”
Than what? Alcohol? Highly debatable. Tobacco? False. Caffeine? False. Heroin? Obviously true. Crack cocaine? True, but it has also been demonstrated through studies that ***** IS a gateway drug in most crack-afflicted areas. If you want figures on this I’ll be happy to dig them out, because I’ve got ‘em.
“Furthermore, studies indicate that ***** users tend to have higher paid jobs than non-users.”
And why? Because hash costs cash. People with low-paying jobs cannot afford ***** because it’s such a god-damn waste of money. It has nothing to do with more successful people having a greater predilection towards *****, and ***** certainly doesn’t help you rise to the top of your game.
A point on potency – the issue is not the potency of the strain, the issue is that nowadays most ***** sold contains skunk, a powerful chemical psychoactive substance which causes greater effects on the brain than its more benign ancestors. There is some circumstantial evidence being noted by doctors and psychologists that prolonged ***** use, due to the increasing potency of modern strains of *****, can exacerbate and even bring on the symptoms of clinical schizophrenia, depression and psychosis, meaning that the victims of this drug are those who are most vulnerable. Heavy usage causes damage to the area of the brain which regulates emotional responses (the amygdala) and to the area responsible for mood and spacial awareness.
To rein this in now, I should clarify my position still further – I think that people should feel free to try pot. People should feel free to use it responsibly in a social situation. I still do on occasion. However, ***** culture should not be encouraged or sought after, the life of the stoner is a pathetic one, not a glamourous one, and no powerfully psychoactive substance should ever be considered benign or friendly.
All i can say is that there is already a legal substance that does all the same things you stated in your second paragraph… ALCOHOL. Alcohol ruins peoples lives, people who are not responsible with it, and for that matter i say why should alcohol be legal and ***** not? The fact that yeah it makes some people complete slobs who don't take care of them selves is true, but when you say "some people" that leaves it up to personal interpretation, no cold hard facts. I would also like to know how you think that ***** would take away a mans strive to "get laid" as you put it… I didn't know that was even possible. I agree that yes there are some smokers out there that flaunt their use of ***** to the point of douchebagery, but seriously how many people do you see like this? And if they're not your kind of person, well then don't affiliate your self with them. As for the gateway drug part of things, think about it this way: If you didn't have to get your greens from a dealer, who more than likely deals more than *****, would you really ever be subjected to anything else other than *****? Take the underground market out and bye bye dealers.
Oh and by the way you contradict yourself when you say that quote "I've never known any of them to be the type of person who tends to go out and have a good time – to party, meet people, get laid." then later you go on to say "I think that people should feel free to try pot. People should feel free to use it responsibly in a social situation." Partying/having a good time are social activities, in which you say people should try it then, but if people who smoke don't do those things (meaning they wouldn't even be at the party/having a good time) then how would people try them in the first place?
Everything in moderation man, once it becomes your life its gone to far. You have much to learn my friend, it seems like your times in the good life were either short lived or you just can't live them anymore so since you aren't one why not hate on it.
139. jfrater -
yup, J says nope to dope but yes to gardening! LOL
personally-
it should be legalized as should other so called ‘sins’ and then institute regulation and ‘sin’ taxes so Americans can gain monetary profit from the so called ‘sins’ of those who partake or do whatever..instead of being hypocrites in public and ‘sin’ning behind closed doors. better to have revenue from those taxes than from court costs/prisons for profit for prosecuting ‘sinners’. (and what about the ever escalating # of rehab for profit centers? lotta money in rehab too. into private pockets.)
this is also directed at our American politicians. the ‘do as i say not as i do’ idiots.
good traffic/comment generating list to start off the week
as for the commentors – please keep the FAQ in mind. it is a volatile subject but that does not mean being nasty to each other.
Just wanted to point out a FACT about THC. Firstly, THC is both approved for human use by the FDA and is listed as a schedule III drug by the DEA. It’s generic name is Dronabinol and is sold under the name Marinol. THC is prescribed as both a pain reliever and a anti-nausea drug. It has never been found to have any long-term adverse affects, and there has never been any link found between THC and cancer. The reason I point this out is to show the FACTS about THC. Now, moving on, THC is not the only chemical in *****. There can be up to 400 other chemicals, several other canabanoids, such as CDB which has shown promise in fighting breast cancer. The FACT is that ***** does contain many chemicals and every single leaf of every plant has a different affect on the body. I could start hacking on the whole gateway drug myth also, but will save that for later. Recap: THC IS LEGAL BY PRESCRIPTION, is used for pain relief and anti-nausea, and has been deemed safe for human use by the FDA.
Thanks Jamie for this list – it is well known amount users of this plant – and highly ridiculed by those who don’t. As a casual smoker for many years, the plant was a god send when I got divorced a few months back. I tried alcohol – that made me feel lonely and down about the breakup, but to use the plant in the evening lifted my mind up and away from self pitty.
As a mind opening drug, it has also helped me personally quite a lot – if only in a live and let live (or ‘let it be’) capasity in a way that I have never come accross before. It has also help in my work in media, and with my enthusiasm for philosphy in that so many inspirational ideas come from this source.
Drugs are everywhere, and we are all drug users. I have known incredibly worse results with Prozac and other chemicals created in pill form. I have also seen people get hooked far more severely on caffine and even chocolate.
Is taking in this plant a ‘bad’ thing? Well, that depends on the individuals point of view. One thing I do know is that folks can get psychologically addicted to just about anything (even addicted to ‘being right’). Finally, I believe that anything which is abused – no matter what it is – is bound to be detremental in some way to the abuser.
I have a question for everyone…I have a woman in my complex that smokes pot regularly and says that pot doesn’t in anyway mess with the human body…Ok, I don’t agree but whatever, its’ her body… Well this woman had a baby 2 month premature and he of course has some medical problems. When asked if she smoked pot while pregnant she said yes….but she said that it had absolutly nothing to do with the baby being born premature and in fact the baby would have been worse off then he is if she hadn’t smoked pot while pregnant…What do you all think of her theory?
I came of age, that is I entered my adolescence, in the 60′s in Hollywood, CA.
Drugs, mainly *****, but also lots of LSD, speed, downers, heroin, heck *anything* you really wanted was available.
I tried *****, several times, but it wasn’t pleasant for me. I couldn’t understand why everyone was so keen on it. Then I tried LSD.
That was my drug!
It was beautiful and playful and I became part of some cosmic whole, dancing among the stars, a definitive piece of the universe.
Of course, one couldn’t do it often. I had a 4.0 gpa to keep up and a job to keep doing, and photography to keep churning out, and concerts to attend, friends to keep up with, family to attend to…
In other words, a life to keep on track.
So I rationed myself to those times when I could be free of any other obligations, times I could soar.
I know one of my adult children uses ***** receationally. She also holds down an executive job, earning extremely good wages, and has an active social life. She’s brilliant and funny, and if a toke after work does her better than a beer or a scotch, then more power to her.
I’ve always believed the laws against ***** were absurd, and brought about by the lobbyists for the tobacco and liquor companies…no one else would be impacted by legal weed.
Okay, I’m off my rant.
im a stoner. weed is good
I hate it when people justify smoking pot by pointing out how bad alcohol, etc is for you. And its horribly annoying to hear about how many doctors and lawyers you know who smoke pot. Getting your degree in medicine or law does not make you infallible. Its a juvenile rationalization. Also, I can’t fathom that smoking anything is not unhealthy. Taking smoke into your lungs, regardless of additives, cannot possibly be without harm. To suggest this is asinine. Also, the first ‘myth’ is related to drug testing. The thought is that the THC stored in your fat cells will show up in your urine, not that it will have a lasting impact on your brain. Pot smokers certainly aren’t concerned about health issues unless its to bring up these ‘facts’ and ‘statistics’ to justify their lifestyle. I have been hearing all of these factoids since I, myself, smoked pot. I can tell you from firsthand experience that this is not healthy physically or mentally and to suggest otherwise is irresponsible. I dont give a crap if you smoke pot or what you have to tell yourself in order to make it okay. Sit in your parents basement with your multitude of PhD’s, your piles of money and your ‘can do!’ work ethic and smoke away. But for craps sake, stop trying to justify it like a twelve year old and just own up to it.
*****…
good times =)
Re: #3. I’m a lot older than you and have been smoking since “back in the days”, my father also smoked pot since he was a kid. It is definitely different now, it sure seems stronger. Perhaps the profile of the buzz is different. My Dad and I speak about this often, today’s weed is like taking a downer, in the 50′s & 60′s it was more of a high. Any other old timers agree?
jfrater -
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned it yet, but the pictures you used were hysterical! Great job!
MTATAZELA -
I have a degree in Psychology, and did a special study on FAS. I agree it is a horrible, heinous thing to do to a child, who will suffer for a lifetime. But, as the name “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” implies, it is caused by the mother’s ingestion of alcohol while pregnant. I don’t know why you keep bringing it up on a list about *****. I would never recommend that a pregnant woman smoke pot, either, but it is NOT the pot that is causing the FAS.
For myself, pot smoking has always made me paranoid, so I never really enjoyed it. When I was going through chemo, we couldn’t find any drug that helped my nausea or that would enable me to eat. My oncologist suggested *****, but I told him how paranoid it makes me. He gave me a prescription for Marinol, which is synthetic THC, and it worked really well without the paranoia. The only problem was the price – $500 for a month’s supply! Thank God for insurance!
Circles:
I may not smoke weed but I’m not ignorant about it! I have seen to many people I am good friends with screw up their lives with drugs to be swayed to the “it should be legalized” side by some statistics in a list on a site I occasionally visit.
xoHollyHomicidexo (early comment): Well said.
Amy: I agree…how can inhaling smoke NOT be bad for you?
Typically when something is made illegal it’s for a good reason.
lifeschool: Well said.
It all depends on who’s smoking the weed. So don’t judge the poor innocent plant. And who has the right to judge anyone else?
Conclusion: Weed is awesome.
I’m high.
I used to work closely with prison guards. To a man and woman, they would love it if the prisoners were allowed to get stoned, to keep them docile and sleepy. The irony of course is that many parolees flunk the drug test for pot. It’s much less likely that they’ll have coke or meth(the bane of all law officers) in their system, but weed is detectable for months afterward.
If need drugs to make yourself or your life more interesting you might as well kill yourself. There are millions of things you could do that are funner than *****ing you head up with some drugs and sitting there being a lazy *****.
If you use a vaporizer you are not actually smoking pot, inhaling yes, but it’s not smoke, it’s mist.
Jackal, pull the cactus out of your ass. You can’t judge what you’ve never tried
Yeah, it’s bad. So are a lot of things people always do. Weed is just one on that list.
Good points, but not all are true in my eyes, Bob marly, a big stoner died at age 42 of cancer. Don’t get me wrong I love smoking dope, but damn lets not make it sound that there’s not a price to be paid for putting excess chemicals in are body, and expecting their will be no results!
Interesting fact: Weed in the 1920′s was known as the poor man’s whiskey, lets not get into the affects of whiskey on man, just pointing out live by the sword die by the sword.
from the National Center for Disease Control (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/alcoholdrug/index.htm
Alcohol is used by more young people in the United States than tobacco or illicit drugs.1 Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with approximately 75,000 deaths per year.2 Alcohol is a factor in approximately 41% of all deaths from motor vehicle crashes.3 Among youth, the use of alcohol and other drugs has also been linked to unintentional injuries, physical fights, academic and occupational problems, and illegal behavior.4 Long-term alcohol misuse is associated with liver disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological damage as well as psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, and antisocial personality disorder.5 Drug use contributes directly and indirectly to the HIV epidemic, and alcohol and drug use contribute markedly to infant morbidity and mortality.5 As of 1988, all states prohibit the purchase of alcohol by youth under the age of 21 years. Consequently, underage drinking is defined as consuming alcohol prior to the minimum legal drinking age of 21 years. Current alcohol use among high school students remained steady from 1991 to 1999 and then decreased from 50% in 1999 to 45% in 2007. In 2007, 26% of high school students reported episodic heavy or binge drinking.6 Zero tolerance laws, in all states, make it illegal for youth under age 21 years to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in their system (i.e., with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) ≥0.02 g/dL).7,8 In 2007, 11% of high school students reported driving a car or other vehicle during the past 30 days when they had been drinking alcohol. In addition, 29% of students reported riding in a car or other vehicle during the past 30 days driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol.6
***** is the most commonly used illicit drug among youth in the United States.9 Current ***** use decreased from 27% in 1999 to 20% in 2007.6 Current cocaine use increased from 2% in 1991 to 4% in 2001 and then remained steady from 2001 (4%) to 2007 (3%).6 Lifetime inhalant use decreased from 20% in 1995 to 12% in 2003 and then remained steady from 2003 (12%) to 2007 (13%).6 Lifetime use of ecstasy among high school students decreased from 11% in 2003 to 6% in 2007.6 Lifetime use of methamphetamines decreased from 9% in 1999 to 4% in 2007.6 Lifetime heroin use did not change from 1999 (2%) to 2007 (2%).6 Hallucinogenic drug use decreased from 13% in 2001 to 8% in 2007.6
While illicit drug use has declined among youth, rates of nonmedical use of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medication remain high.9 Prescription medications most commonly abused by youth include pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and depressants.9 In 2006, 2.1 million teens abused prescription drugs.9 Teens also misuse OTC cough and cold medications, containing the cough suppressant dextromethorphan (DXM), to get high.10 Prescription and OTC medications are widely available, free or inexpensive, and falsely believed to be safer than illicit drugs. Misuse of prescription and OTC medications can cause serious health effects, addiction, and death.10,11
CDC References:
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2007.
2. CDC. Alcohol-attributable deaths and years of potential life lost—United States, 2001. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 2004;53(37):866–870.
3. U.S. Department of Transportation. Fatality *****ysis Reporting System (FARS) Web-based Encyclopedia.
4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The relationship between mental health and substance abuse among Adolescents. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1999.
5. Naimi TS, Brewer RD, Mokdad A, Denny C, Serdula MK, Marks JS. Binge drinking among US adults. JAMA 2003;289:70-75.
6. CDC. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2007 [pdf 1.1M]. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 2008;57(SS-4):1–131.
7. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. States with Zero Tolerance Laws for Drivers Under Age 21. Washington D.C.: U. S. Department of Transportation, 2002.
8. J.H. Hedlund, R.G. Ulmer, D.F. Preusser. Determine Why There Are Fewer Young Alcohol-Impaired Drivers. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation, 2001 [Report Number DOT HS 809 348].
9. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-32, DHHS Publication No. SMA 07-4293).
10. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Misuse of Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Medications among Persons Aged 12 to 25. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2008.
11. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Research Report Series: Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction. [pdf 589K] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. NIH Publication No. 01-4881, Printed 2001. Revised August 2005.
Wow, I have just realised that this world has a lot of ignorant and biased/judgemental people.I read this list everyday and just want to say keep up the great work JFrater. As for the people that do not smoke weed but says that other people are free to do what they like are ok in my book, but the certan *****s that call ALL pot smokers losers and put down ***** can kiss my family rasing,mortgage paying,full time working,14 year married ass!!I really wish I could have a nice face to face chat with you instead of behind this monitor, it’s so funny how the non smoker comments are far more hostile than the people who smoke. If you don’t like to smoke then by all means don’t, but you have no right coming here and calling everybody that partakes in some recreational pot smoking a loser. The way I see it is YOU who are the loser and YOU should be more tolerant of other peoples choices.KEEP UP THE GREAT LISTS FRATER, WE’RE WITH YA!!!
check the National Center for Disease Control RECENT statistics (2004-2007) for *****, drug and alcohol use and abuse.
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/alcoholdrug/index.htm
it verifies that alcohol use/abuse is worse, growing, and far more dangerous than *****, in terms of related deaths and addiction.
I have tried it, it was a waste of time. And I’m not talking about only pot. Alcohol is so much worse, and there are tons of drugs out there that are worse.
LSD is not a hard drug, but other then that excellent article.
And while we’re at it, let’s point you in the direction of my research professor and all the wonderful things he and other scientists of his ilk have done.
http://www.uccs.edu/~rmelamed/
Thanks for this list. Very important points to be brought up would be, as others have said, ANYTHING done in excess is bad for you.
Joe Rosson: Well said.
Ahem. You’ve put out all the good points, can we get to see the bad ones, too? I’m pretty sure they exist. I’m not willing to believe any of this until I get a balanced presentation of ALL the aspects…
And to compare it with alcohol and tobacco, well, it’s like comparing bad with (maybe less)bad. So it’s still bad, but anyways, everything comes in shades of gray these days. I’m just trying too keep as far as possible from black.
P.S. : I still don’t understand why should one smoke weed. Does it cure wounds, cancer, diseases and other physical afflictions? Because for everything else you have friends. And chocolate.