Does drugs make you "cool"?

[Razor]

Razor, you're being a total ass. Its clear you're not very socially experienced because there are lots of really cool and intelligent people who also happen to smoke pot. You're living a sheltered life, son. Now I'm not saying to try anything,. but you'd certainly do well to open your mind and heart to some people who do.

Judging by your prejudice (irony!), you're clearly sub-20,. and most likely 15-17 years old, 'because you cant help but be exposed to that stuff in college. Thats sure to open your eyes.

Honestly, pot does make you stupid. For about 3 hours. Then you go back to normal. I have been quite supprised at how much pot some people can smoke (and I mean years and years of it) and how sharp and intelligent they can be afterwards when clean and sober. If a pot smoker seems stupid all the time, then he probably was that way before he began.

I am 21, i went to school with cannabis users and they weren't particularly nice people. They used cannabis to escape from their problems, both in school and at home, and for a few hours, yes they could escape, then they just go back to having just as many problems, only now, they have less money in their pocket. I also went to college with a cannabis user and he was lazy and good for nothing. One of my best friends also smoked cannabis, he was a nice guy when he wasn't smoking the stuff, but when he was...he looked like - :bonce:

Yes, fine, i have to agree that not all cannabis users are retards, but you have to look at why people smoke cannabis in the first place. To me, a mentally sharp and intelligent person should know that cannabis can cause dementia (sp) and memory problems later on in life to not smoke it.

edit: but then, everyone knows that drugs are bad, if they feel they need to smoke it and cause no harm to me, what right do i have to tell them not to.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

and get pissed.

naturally fun and interesting thing to do.

Getting pissed is not fun -- especially if your pissed, and loose.

 

[f|uke]

To me, a mentally sharp and intelligent person should know that cannabis can cause dementia (sp) and memory problems later on in life to not smoke it.

Dementia? Thats a new one by me. Continued, heavy use of marjiuana can affect the memory, but the effects are not due to damage to the brain. Its more a combination of less memory being formed while stoned, and henceforth a lack of 'practice' for the brain. After over a decade of smoking pot, and now clear headed for many months, I have a better memory then most, have a 3.8 GPA, and finish tests with lightning speed and accuracy (I regularly am the first one done with the highest marks).

edit: but then, everyone knows that drugs are bad

They are? They can be bad.. but they also can be good for mental and physical health.

if they feel they need to smoke it

The need to smoke? Ok, some people feel the need to smoke. I have even felt that way when stressed. But what about simply wanting to for the fun of it?

Truth is pot does ruin lives. Several of my friends are nearing 30 and have done nothing and want to do nothing but smoke pot. But conversely I know several legitamate medical marijuana users, as well as some rather successfull people who are recreational users. Its just not as simple as "drugs are bad"

 

[Razor]

Dementia? Thats a new one by me. Continued, heavy use of marjiuana can affect the memory, but the effects are not due to damage to the brain. Its more a combination of less memory being formed while stoned, and henceforth a lack of 'practice' for the brain. After over a decade of smoking pot, and now clear headed for many months, I have a better memory then most, have a 3.8 GPA, and finish tests with lightning speed and accuracy (I regularly am the first one done with the highest marks).They are? They can be bad.. but they also can be good for mental and physical health.The need to smoke? Ok, some people feel the need to smoke. I have even felt that way when stressed. But what about simply wanting to for the fun of it?

They can be bad? they are bad. And it isn't just what the drugs will do to your body, but what they do to society as well. Look at what people do just to get money to use drugs, murder, rape, prostitution, robbery? Fine cannabis won't drive you to prostitute yourself to get money for your drug habit, but cocaine and heroine will.

Drugs are not cool, they are bad and they are illegal for a reason.

Fluke, when you talk about drugs, do you just look at cannabis or do you look at illegal drugs in general, including alcohol, etc? Like i said, cannabis is one of the "nicer" drugs that won't mess your life up as much as some of the harder drugs, but when someone asks "does drugs make you cool", they don't just mean "harmless" cannabis, they also bring cocaine, extasy, heroine, opium, lsd, speed, etc into the equation as well.

Does taking hard drugs make you look cool? no, it makes you look like a retard.

Does taking cannabis make you look cool? no, it doesn't.

 

[Tr0n]

Stay in school kids and don't do drugs.

Because McGruff the crime dog says so.

 

[Absinthe]

It's really funny. For all the effort my US education put into making drugs and drug users look dangerous, they instead came off as insanely cool and incredibly badass.

And yeah, the government and education system do not tell the whole truth when it comes to cannabis.

 

[Raziaar]

It's really funny. For all the effort my US education put into making drugs and drug users look dangerous, they instead came off as insanely cool and incredibly badass.

And yeah, the government and education system do not tell the whole truth when it comes to cannabis.

Hey. if you wanna smoke it, smoke it. But keep it to the privacy of your own home. That goes for many things. When you start taking that stuff out in public, thats when it causes problems.

 

[f|uke]

Remember, I'm talking pot here,.

They can be bad? they are bad. And it isn't just what the drugs will do to your body

Nothing. Weed does esentially nothing to your body.

Look at what people do just to get money to use drugs, murder, rape, prostitution, robbery? Fine cannabis won't drive you to prostitute yourself to get money for your drug habit, but cocaine and heroine will.

Right. Weed. Also people dont steal for phychadelics either.

Drugs are not cool [...] they are bad

didnt say they were cool, but again, they're not bad.

and they are illegal for a reason.

Ahh, yes,. But what is that reason?

I'll give you a hint: it has nothing to do with science. Time for a little history lesson.

In the early 1900s, the western states developed significant tensions regarding the influx of Mexican-Americans. [..] Then, the depression came and increased tensions, as jobs and welfare resources became scarce.

One of the "differences" seized upon during this time was the fact that many Mexicans smoked marijuana and had brought the plant with them.

However, the first state law outlawing marijuana did so not because of Mexicans using the drug. Oddly enough, it was because of Mormons using it. Mormons who traveled to Mexico in 1910 came back to Salt Lake City with marijuana. The church was not pleased and ruled against use of the drug. Since the state of Utah automatically enshrined church doctrine into law, the first state marijuana prohibition was established in 1915.

Other states quickly followed suit with marijuana prohibition laws [...] These laws tended to be specifically targeted against the Mexican-American population.

When Montana outlawed marijuana in 1927, the Butte Montana Standard reported a legislator's comment: "When some beet field peon takes a few traces of this stuff... he thinks he has just been elected president of Mexico, so he starts out to execute all his political enemies." In Texas, a senator said on the floor of the Senate: "All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff [marijuana] is what makes them crazy."

So yes, its illegal for a reason. The reason? Racism.

 

[Absinthe]

"Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." -HARRY J. ANSLINGER aka "The Father of the Drug War".

And let's not forget the paper monopoly that hemp threatened.

 

[f|uke]

"Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." -HARRY J. ANSLINGER aka "The Father of the Drug War".

And let's not forget the paper monopoly that hemp threatened.

Yep. There are so many good reasons why marijuana is illegal.

 

[gordons_crowbar]

When you start taking that stuff out in public, thats when it causes problems.

i guess vancouver and amsterdam have different definitions of "causes problems" then.

/hash bars and all...

 

[Raziaar]

All psychological effects aside concerning marijuana, do you people who use it really believe that you are safe and unharmed in the longterm when using it? Marijuana is just as cancer causing if not more than cigarettes, and that fact alone certainly doesn't make me want to risk it. Just try not to act surprised when you develop cancer some day :smoking:

I think Cigarettes as well should not be allowed for that very reason, because not only do they put themselves in danger, when they smoke the cigarettes, but also others to an even greater extent by the second hand smoke, which is scientifically proven to be much more harmful than the person actually doing the smoking.

http://vidyya.com/archives/1017_3.htm

Q: What are the long-term effects of marijuana?

A: While all of the long-term effects of marijuana use are not yet known, there are studies showing serious health concerns. For example, a group of scientists in California examined the health status of 450 daily smokers of marijuana but not tobacco. They found that the marijuana smokers had more sick days and more doctor visits for respiratory problems and other types of illness than did a similar group who did not smoke either substance.(13)

Findings so far show that the regular use of marijuana or THC may play a role in cancer and problems in the respiratory, immune, and reproductive systems.

Cancer
It is hard to find out whether marijuana alone causes cancer because many people who smoke marijuana also smoke cigarettes and use other drugs. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same cancer-causing compounds as tobacco, sometimes in higher concentrations. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.(20)

Tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke may work together to change the tissues lining the respiratory tract. Marijuana smoking could contribute to early development of head and neck cancer in some people.

Immune system
Our immune system protects the body from many agents that cause disease. It is not certain whether marijuana damages the immune system of people. But both animal and human studies have shown that marijuana impairs the ability of T-cells in the lungs' immune defense system to fight off some infections. People with HIV and others whose immune system is impaired should avoid marijuana use.

Lungs and airways
People who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have. They have symptoms of daily cough and phlegm (chronic bronchitis) and more frequent chest colds. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections such as pneumonia. Continued marijuana smoking can lead to abnormal function of the lungs and airways. Scientists have found signs of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.

So if you want to kill yourself with the smoking, from the cancer, more power to ya.

But i'll be damned if you lower my life expectancy in the process. Thats why I say, keep it private, don't do it in the presence of others because you will be shortening their lifespan.

 

[gordons_crowbar]

raziaar, for everyone of those you find saying it MAY cause damage, you find arguments that say it MAY NOT...

 

[Raziaar]

raziaar, for everyone of those you find saying it MAY cause damage, you find arguments that say it MAY NOT...

Are you telling me that you HONESTLY BELIEVE that smoking cannabis doesn't cause or promote cancer? You're fooling yourself buddy. I won't pity you when you're diagnosed years down the line. Yes, i'm that evil

 

[gordons_crowbar]

Are you telling me that you HONESTLY BELIEVE that smoking cannabis doesn't cause or promote cancer? You're fooling yourself buddy.

read your own post again. It is hard to find out whether marijuana alone causes cancer because many people who smoke marijuana also smoke cigarettes and use other drugs.

if you smoke sparingly (once or twice a day) then yes, i HONESTLY BELIEVE smoking pot doesn't cause you cancer...

 

[Kommie]

Are you telling me that you HONESTLY BELIEVE that smoking cannabis doesn't cause or promote cancer? You're fooling yourself buddy. I won't pity you when you're diagnosed years down the line. Yes, i'm that evil

Nowadays almost everything causes or promotes cancer. And there have been only links or correlation, to quote my science book "correlation does not equal causation"

 

[gordons_crowbar]

kommie, where are you in kentucky? i'm in lexington...

/threadjack

 

[StardogChampion]

That's an interesting thing gordons_crowbar, practically all of the people that I know who smoke cannabis all smoke cigs too. I never thought about that until now.

 

[gordons_crowbar]

i smoke cigarettes too. it almost goes hand in hand like drinking and smoking do.

although, i wish i could give the cigarettes up. :smoking:

 

[Raziaar]

read your own post again. It is hard to find out whether marijuana alone causes cancer because many people who smoke marijuana also smoke cigarettes and use other drugs.

if you smoke sparingly (once or twice a day) then yes, i HONESTLY BELIEVE smoking pot doesn't cause you cancer...

I'm not basing my opinion on factual merits. I'm basing my opinion on the common sense that I think anything that contains harmful chemicals that you ingest into your body by smoking it can and probably will cause cancer.

I just say. Why risk it? Cause it makes you feel good?

Lets continue this conversation twenty years from now. We'll use it as a basis on whether or not you have developed cancer from your drug use

 

[gordons_crowbar]

raz, i'd just blame it on the cigarettes.

 

[f|uke]

Everything causes cancer

http://seer.cancer.gov/publications/raterisk/riskstoc.html

Air and water pollutants
Alchohol
The Sun
Genetics
Prescription drugs - all kinds including hormone drugs, immunosupressives, and even anti-cancer drugs

So if you want to kill yourself with the smoking, from the cancer, more power to ya.

If you want to kill yourself from breathing city air or going outside during the day, more power to you.

Risk factors do not equal cancer. It just increases a possiblity that was already there. With occasional pot users, I doubt the increased margin is even worth noting. And hell, for those who consume cannibus orally, there is no such risk at all.

 

[Recoil]

Though I basically share your opinion, Raziaar, this won't work. If you're confident that something will happen to someone... it'll probably happen to yourself. :|

...one of life's experiences I already made.

 

[Raziaar]

Heh. You remind me of one of those people who claim cigars don't cause cancer.

"It doesn't cause cancer! It makes you distinguished and powerful, and successful"

Fact is, there's not enough evidence to even link cigar smoking to cancer, but that doesn't mean it isn't true. I'll change my stance once there is undeniable, factual evidence supported by doctors throughout the world that smoking cannabis indeed, will not cause cancer at all, ever.

Until then. Why risk it. Its like playing russian roulette with a gun containing thousands of barrels. Some day it's going to get you.

 

[Farrowlesparrow]

Don't do drugs, mmkay, because drugs are bad. So don't do drugs mmkay, because...they're bad mmkay. Drugs are bad, mmkay, so don't do drugs.

 

[Absinthe]

Until then. Why risk it. Its like playing russian roulette with a gun containing thousands of barrels. Some day it's going to get you.

Or maybe it never will.

I could equate walking across the street, breathing in air, or eating margarine to a game of Russian Roulette. To go even further, I could say the same for riding a bike, going snowboarding, bungie jumping, sky-diving, or a multitude of other things that people do for enjoyment yet could have very serious reprecussions should something go wrong.

The fact is that life is full of risks.

 

[Raziaar]

Or maybe it never will.

I could equate walking across the street, breathing in air, or eating margarine to a game of Russian Roulette. To go even further, I could say the same for riding a bike, going snowboarding, bungie jumping, sky-diving, or a multitude of other things that people do for enjoyment yet could have very serious reprecussions should something go wrong.

The fact is that life is full of risks.

Then do the drugs ya nut :-P

Enjoy your life with them, and i'll enjoy my life without them.


EDIT:

o and raziaar, it has been proven many times undeniably that marijuana will not cause cancer, unless the person has a certain type of gene, but then it wont even cause cancer it will cause glaucoma... the only problem your having not believing it is b/c ur hearing 2 different stories, u have the gov't doctors sayin it's bad , then you have the activists doctors sayin it's good. Well **** the doctors just for a second, think about it this way... NO ONE HAS EVER died from smoking marijuana, their has never been a single case ever reported that marijuana causes cancer... how ever it can cause glaucoma, which is a lot less severe then cancer but obviously still sux. Now what do u use to cure glaucoma?? why the same thing that gave it to u... You personally dont ahve to do marijuana to tell it wont **** w/ u, but it is better to get that experience before u speak :/

Show me the proof! And I don't believe that noone has died from marijuana. I can't be sure, but with all the hundreds of thousands, even millions of cancer deaths that go on all the time, i'm likely to believe many of them are caused by marijuana. Call it suspicion if you will, but i'm satisfied enough to go on that.

EDIT2: Wait a second, how can you say Marijuana causes glaucoma!? Isn't it used to TREAT glaucoma!?

EDIT3: Ooh, lots of edits. Reread what you said. heh. Yeah.

and damn, i'm tired of potheads trying to tell me to do drugs to get a taste before I judge. Peer pressure is so retarded.

 

[Absinthe]

Show me the proof!

Showing proof for something that never happened? :rolling:

I've read of one case where the cause of death was supposedly marijuana. But the man that did the autopsy was so outrageous that I doubt he's trustworthy.

If people can die from marijuana, the number of deaths caused by it is so low that it's not really worth mentioning. More people die from allergic reactions.

and damn, i'm tired of potheads trying to tell me to do drugs to get a taste before I judge. Peer pressure is so retarded.

Well, I personally think that people should try pot at least once before they knock it. This doesn't apply to harder drugs though. The harder ones can be seriously addicting and can kill on the first try.

Not too sure about LSD though. Does anybody know what serious physical side effects can occur from extensive LSD consumption aside from the usual reprecussions incurred by actions under the influence?

 

[Raziaar]

Showing proof for something that never happened? :rolling:

I've read of one case where the cause of death was supposedly marijuana. But the man that did the autopsy was so outrageous that I doubt he's trustworthy.

If people can die from marijuana, the number of deaths caused by it is so low that it's not really worth mentioning. More people die from allergic reactions.



Well, I personally think that people should try pot at least once before they knock it.

Dude, learn to read. lol. I was talking about him proving the following by showing me the proof.

o and raziaar, it has been proven many times undeniably that marijuana will not cause cancer, unless the person has a certain type of gene, but then it wont even cause cancer it will cause glaucoma

EDIT:

Well, I personally think that people should try pot at least once before they knock it.

See, I just can't respect people who say that. The same things are said of cocaine and harder drugs as well. Don't knock it if ya haven't done it!

 

[f|uke]

The fact is that life is full of risks.

Seriously. You gotta risk a little to live. Auto accidents have killed far more people then weed ever will,. but I bet Razier doesnt think twice about getting in a car. Snowboarding is a perfect example, has killed plenty of people. Razier, do you think you're a better person for never having ridden a snowboard?

We're all going to die. You'd better damn well live while you can. And yes, for some that may mean smokin a doobie here and there.

 

[Raziaar]

Seriously. You gotta risk a little to live. Auto accidents have killed far more people then weed ever will,. but I bet Razier doesnt think twice about getting in a car. Snowboarding is a perfect example, has killed plenty of people. Razier, do you think you're a better person for never having ridden a snowboard?

We're all going to die. You'd better damn well live while you can. And yes, for some that may mean smokin a doobie here and there.

I have a whole list of far more interesting things to do in my life than do drugs. If I took marijuana, i'd probably be to damn lazy and slumped on my ass to do those things anyways :E


EDIT:

And of course marijuana is bad for ur lungs it's smoke... duh. So why dont we stop using the arguement that it's bad for ur lungs blah blah blah... obviously people know that before they do it... it's just common sense. of course it will damage them, but it's not going to make it so u cannot breath... nor will it get so bad that u have to go to a doctor for it. My dad's 45 and he hasn't seen a doctor for no chest related problems.

Why stop the argument? The very people who do the drugs on these forums are indeed denying that marijuana will cause any harm at all to your body from the smoke when smoking it.


EDIT 2:

o and im not telling u to do them, im saying if u haven't then how can u comment on something u have never experienced and know little about?

I haven't killed a person, but I can easily tell you I know it wouldn't be a pleasant experience for me. Maybe I should go out and slit somebody's throat to see what its like, before I knock the serial killers who say it produces a high of unimiginable quality.

 

[f|uke]

I have a whole list of far more interesting things to do in my life than do drugs. If I took marijuana, i'd probably be to damn lazy and slumped on my ass to do those things anyways :E

You dont know how interesting marijuana is. But thats besides the point. Its fine that you dont want to try it. Just dont get judgemental on those who do. We're not being foolish or ignorant of the facts.

Why stop the argument? The very people who do the drugs on these forums are indeed denying that marijuana will cause any harm at all to your body from the smoke when smoking it.

Absinthe and I are not disagreeing that it may carry a small cancer risk. We just think you're blowing it out of proportion.

 

[Raziaar]

Anyways. I'm gonna try to stop posting on this subject. I'm not doing a very effective job of debating, so i'm just causing spam. I'll just read from here on out. The urge to post something, anything can be overwhelming.

But, I still believe marijuana and other drugs are bad for ya. You don't need to smoke to get the benefits of the drug. Doctors can use thc pills and other substances to treat the same things.

 

[f|uke]

absinthe lsd can lead to basically u going insane, if u take too much or are weak minded it can take over basically ur brain and u can end up going completely insane.

Truth (although I wouldnt really say it 'takes over your brain',. LSD its a catalyst, not a controller). One just may lose their grip on reality and not be able to regain it. But even still, its much harder then you may think. I have a friend who fried for three weeks straight without coming down. By the end, he really was messed up in the head ( he thought the TV was watching him, etc ), but he got it all sorted out after a few months and is pretty much sane now. LSD also has the potential to make you more sane, but the conditions have to be right.

Basically tho, if you lose your grip due to LSD, your grip was never that tight to begin with. Never take LSD to escape reality. Only take it if you're willing to face reality. Thats when it has the potential to do great things.

 

[Reaktor4]

All psychological effects aside concerning marijuana, do you people who use it really believe that you are safe and unharmed in the longterm when using it? Marijuana is just as cancer causing if not more than cigarettes, and that fact alone certainly doesn't make me want to risk it. Just try not to act surprised when you develop cancer some day :smoking:

I think Cigarettes as well should not be allowed for that very reason, because not only do they put themselves in danger, when they smoke the cigarettes, but also others to an even greater extent by the second hand smoke, which is scientifically proven to be much more harmful than the person actually doing the smoking.



So if you want to kill yourself with the smoking, from the cancer, more power to ya.

But i'll be damned if you lower my life expectancy in the process. Thats why I say, keep it private, don't do it in the presence of others because you will be shortening their lifespan.

Yet another prohibitionist lie.
Tobacco smokers can get cancer because tobacco smoke is radioactive (cannabis smoke is not). Its got practically **** all to do with carcinogens. And afaik there has NEVER been a case of cancer attributed to cannabis (which, ironically, may be used to treat or even cure cancer in the future).
http://www.webspawner.com/users/radioactivethreat
http://www.acsa.net/HealthAlert/radioactive_tobacco.html

 

[Raziaar]

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/marijuanap.html

Exposing the Myth of Medical Marijuana
Marijuana: The Facts

Q: Does marijuana pose health risks to users?

* Marijuana is an addictive drug1 with significant health consequences to its users and others. Many harmful short-term and long-term problems have been documented with its use:

* The short term effects of marijuana use include: memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety2.

* In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of emergency room mentions of marijuana use. From 1993-2000, the number of emergency room marijuana mentions more than tripled.

* There are also many long-term health consequences of marijuana use. According to the National Institutes of Health, studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.

* Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, including most of the harmful substances found in tobacco smoke. Smoking one marijuana cigarette deposits about four times more tar into the lungs than a filtered tobacco cigarette.

* Harvard University researchers report that the risk of a heart attack is five times higher than usual in the hour after smoking marijuana.3

* Smoking marijuana also weakens the immune system4 and raises the risk of lung infections.5 A Columbia University study found that a control group smoking a single marijuana cigarette every other day for a year had a white-blood-cell count that was 39 percent lower than normal, thus damaging the immune system and making the user far more susceptible to infection and sickness.6

* Users can become dependent on marijuana to the point they must seek treatment to stop abusing it. In 1999, more than 200,000 Americans entered substance abuse treatment primarily for marijuana abuse and dependence.

* More teens are in treatment for marijuana use than for any other drug or for alcohol. Adolescent admissions to substance abuse facilities for marijuana grew from 43 percent of all adolescent admissions in 1994 to 60 percent in 1999.

* Marijuana is much stronger now than it was decades ago. According to data from the Potency Monitoring Project at the University of Mississippi, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of commercial-grade marijuana rose from an average of 3.71 percent in 1985 to an average of 5.57 percent in 1998. The average THC content of U.S. produced sinsemilla increased from 3.2 percent in 1977 to 12.8 percent in 1997.7

Q. Does marijuana have any medical value?

* Any determination of a drug's valid medical use must be based on the best available science undertaken by medical professionals. The Institute of Medicine conducted a comprehensive study in 1999 to assess the potential health benefits of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids. The study concluded that smoking marijuana is not recommended for the treatment of any disease condition. In addition, there are more effective medications currently available. For those reasons, the Institute of Medicine concluded that there is little future in smoked marijuana as a medically approved medication.8

* Advocates have promoted the use of marijuana to treat medical conditions such as glaucoma. However, this is a good example of more effective medicines already available. According to the Institute of Medicine, there are six classes of drugs and multiple surgical techniques that are available to treat glaucoma that effectively slow the progression of this disease by reducing high intraocular pressure.

* In other studies, smoked marijuana has been shown to cause a variety of health problems, including cancer, respiratory problems, increased heart rate, loss of motor skills, and increased heart rate. Furthermore, marijuana can affect the immune system by impairing the ability of T-cells to fight off infections, demonstrating that marijuana can do more harm than good in people with already compromised immune systems.9

* In addition, in a recent study by the Mayo Clinic, THC was shown to be less effective than standard treatments in helping cancer patients regain lost appetites.10

* The American Medical Association recommends that marijuana remain a Schedule I controlled substance.

* The DEA supports research into the safety and efficacy of THC (the major psychoactive component of marijuana), and such studies are ongoing, supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

* As a result of such research, a synthetic THC drug, Marinol, has been available to the public since 1985. The Food and Drug Administration has determined that Marinol is safe, effective, and has therapeutic benefits for use as a treatment for nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, and as a treatment of weight loss in patients with AIDS. However, it does not produce the harmful health effects associated with smoking marijuana.

* Furthermore, the DEA recently approved the University of California San Diego to undertake rigorous scientific studies to assess the safety and efficacy of cannabis compounds for treating certain debilitating medical conditions.

* It's also important to realize that the campaign to allow marijuana to be used as medicine is a tactical maneuver in an overall strategy to completely legalize all drugs. Pro-legalization groups have transformed the debate from decriminalizing drug use to one of compassion and care for people with serious diseases. The New York Times interviewed Ethan Nadelman, Director of the Lindesmith Center, in January 2000. Responding to criticism from former Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey that the medical marijuana issue is a stalking-horse for drug legalization, Mr. Nadelman did not contradict General McCaffrey. "Will it help lead toward marijuana legaization?" Mr. Nadelman said: "I hope so."

Q. Does marijuana harm anyone besides the individual who smokes it?

* Consider the public safety of others when confronted with intoxicated drug users:

* Marijuana affects many skills required for safe driving: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and reaction time. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and signs on the road.11

* In a 1990 report, the National Transportation Safety Board studied 182 fatal truck accidents. It found that just as many of the accidents were caused by drivers using marijuana as were caused by alcohol -- 12.5 percent in each case.

* Consider also that drug use, including marijuana, contributes to crime. A large percentage of those arrested for crimes test positive for marijuana. Nationwide, 40 percent of adult males tested positive for marijuana at the time of their arrest.

Q. Is marijuana a gateway drug?

* Yes. Among marijuana's most harmful consequences is its role in leading to the use of other illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine. Long-term studies of students who use drugs show that very few young people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana. While not all people who use marijuana go on to use other drugs, using marijuana sometimes lowers inhibitions about drug use and exposes users to a culture that encourages use of other drugs.

* The risk of using cocaine has been estimated to be more than 104 times greater for those who have tried marijuana than for those who have never tried it.12

In Summary:

* Marijuana is a dangerous, addictive drug that poses significant health threats to users.

* Marijuana has no medical value that can't be met more effectively by legal drugs.

* Marijuana users are far more likely to use other drugs like cocaine and heroin than non-marijuana users.

* Drug legalizers use "medical marijuana" as red herring in effort to advocate broader legalization of drug use.

1Herbert Kleber, Mitchell Rosenthal, "Drug Myths from Abroad: Leniency is Dangerous, not Compassionate" Foreign Affairs Magazine, September/October 1998. Drug Watch International "NIDA Director cites Studies that Marijuana is Addictive." "Research Finds Marijuana is Addictive," Washington Times, July 24, 1995.
2National Institue of Drug Abuse, Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of Clinical Phamacology, International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Pharmacology Review.
3"Marijuana and Heart Attacks" Washington Post, March 3, 2000
4I. B. Adams and BR Martin, "Cannabis: Pharmacology and Toxicology in Animals and Humans" Addiction 91: 1585-1614. 1996.
5National Institute of Drug Abuse, "Smoking Any Substance Raises Risk of Lung Infections" NIDA Notes, Volume 12, Number 1, January/February 1997.
6Dr. James Dobson, "Marijuana Can Cause Great Harm" Washington Times, February 23, 1999.
72000 National Drug Control Strategy Annual Report, page 13.
8"Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Institute of Medicine, 1999.
9See footnotes in response to question 4 regarding marijuana's short and long term health effects.
10"Marijuana Appetite Boost Lacking in Cancer Study" The New York Times, May 13, 2001.
11Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health.
12Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health.

 

[Reaktor4]

"Marijuana is an addictive drug"
Stopped reading right there. Go and find something credible.

 

[f|uke]

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/marijuanap.html

No offense, but the US Gov is full of shit. They pay people to come to the proper conclusions.

 

[Raziaar]

"Marijuana is an addictive drug"
Stopped reading right there. Go and find something credible.

So tell me. Why am I to believe people who use the drug more than people who don't? The studies conducted in these tests were not done by the US government, they were done by universities and medical institutions in the united states.

Hello, the Mayo clinic, one of the most reputable medical institutions in the world, said that the beneficial effects of marijuana are matched and exceeded by other medications.

I do google searches on marijuana benefits and 'myths', and all the websites that come up are websites selling and promoting the drug, so how is that any more credible than those who try to stop the drug. If you're not willing to read stuff from other sources other than the people who are pro weed, then whats the point, may I ask?

No offense, but the US Gov is full of shit. They pay people to come to the proper conclusions.

Yep, the US gov pays all these universities, who have professors who oppose the government, to make findings in favor of them over the drug providers. Riiiight. I'm sure the US government also influences and pays the Mayo clinic to make these same findings, and the reason VIP's from all over the world go to it is because of this reason, not for the fact that they are one of the most reputable and talented clinics in the world. Alright. I'm convinced!

 

[Raziaar]

actually the gov't does do that shit raziaar, maybe u dont see it but it's pretty much obvious... and it really doesn't matter, like i've said 100 times, what facts u give us and vice versa... WE WONT BELIEVE EACHOTHER! it dont matter for everything we say is or isn't true theirs something contradicting it, same w/ your side of the arguement. Both sides are prolly wrong and it's somewhere in the middle. But even if u look at common sense, and the fact that those people in the emergency room aren't their for marijuana it was just brought up b/c that may have been 1 drug the person was on, it still shows that ourside just seems right... i mean let's take away all the bs facts and all the negative shit just for a second... now who the hell should have the right to tell me that i cannot use that certain plant that i grew w/ my own hands over 6 months period of time?? NO BODY!

just b/c that hospital is reputable doesn't mean they cannot be paid off or even forced to conclude wrongly about marijuana.

I don't deny bribing goes on. But we're talking about some sources that are not very pro government such as the university professors etc, and very reputable institutions that don't need bribes such as the world renowned mayo clinic.