How is weed bad?

[FearsomeEnder]

From all my friends that have tried weed they say that its not bad unless its laced with some other drug. What are the true negative effects of weed?

[louisgray]

Paranoia

[Jessicar]

Nope. No negative effects mate. Weed is a herb, of which is suppost to be good for you? The only way it can become harmful is if you have somet else with it..
But, appariently it helps you think a lot better so, fair enough :P

[louisgray]

It makes you paranoid ^^^

[Jessicar]

Yeyah.. but it also makes you consentrate a lot more to so. :/

[deadpie]

It effects people the people that work at Taco Bell late at night for sure. That's all I know.

[Rubber]

nothing. but people believe its a gateway drug. I can definitely see how thats true, as ive seen people move to harder things.

[FearsomeEnder]

Paranoia

i allready have that its something im accustomed to sooo meh

[CryWolf]

I've never been paranoid when stoned. I guess the whole smoking thing is negative. Lungs and all. I still really, really like it tho....:D

[MilitemDilectam]

it's not good for your lungs..you're breathing in smoke rich in carbon dioxide among other chemicals..even if you were to smoke paper and grass..same effect..it makes you a lot more paranoid as Louis said..I have a friend who has smoked since he was 15..well he ain't really my friend..he's more like a fuking dumbass who is paranoid about everything..it's not as bad as say heroin..but..it's still a little negative..

[User Deleted]

it's not good for your lungs..you're breathing in smoke rich in carbon dioxide among other chemicals..even if you were to smoke paper and grass..same effect..it makes you a lot more paranoid as Louis said..I have a friend who has smoked since he was 15..well he ain't really my friend..he's more like a fuking dumbass who is paranoid about everything..it's not as bad as say heroin..but..it's still a little negative..

Even campfires are bad. That's more or less like saying camping is smoking logs.

[CantLiveWithoutYou]

CANNABIS IS NOT BAD, people just smoke it because it's the easiest and fastest way to get stoned. You can put it in a tea (with milk because cannabinoids are ONLY fat soluble), cookies, candy, just about anything, and still get therapeutic effects such as analgesia and sedation.

None of the cannabinoids in it are carcinogens or otherwise toxic, most cannabinoids have been proven to actually reduce certain types of carcinomas and other cancerous tumors. That is to say you're not actually smoking it like a complete fucking dumbass and getting lung cancer along the way. Pills, food, drinks, anything besides smoking is generally as safe or safer than drinking water. Even vaporization is a great bit safer than smoking, and it's just as fast as well. Only problem with vaporization is any respectable vaporizer costs $300+.

[JakeCantThinkOfAName]

There is absolutely nothing harmful about marijuana use. Anything you hear about is 98% fiction, 2% exaggerated fact.

[jal32]

hahahaha it doesnt help u concentrate. it just affects you're reaction so say ur driving it impares ur ability to drive etc, it also can cause lethargic depending on the personality theres no exact effects it depends on if u abuse it etc.

[senor]

hahahaha it doesnt help u concentrate. it just affects you're reaction so say ur driving it impares ur ability to drive etc, it also can cause lethargic depending on the personality theres no exact effects it depends on if u abuse it etc.

It should be legal and treated like liquor and beer.. And I play COD better after a bowl.. But i dont smoke anymore

[CaluM.]

Different people's bodies take it different ways, I personally haven't experienced anything negative about it in my usage, only things people may experience is nausea sickness on their first few times.

It is totally up to how much you smoke, how strong the cannabis is and how your body tolerates it.

People will say it is addicting but that can happen with anything, Gaming, Internet, Gambling, Food. So in my opinion that is garbage.

People will also say it is a gateway drug to lead you on to harder stuff like cocaine but that is your attitude to drugs, like I will never do anything apart from cannabis because personally cannabis has nothing wrong with it, it is made out to be terrible but that is propaganda by the government.

But the most important factor is:

Don't do drugs if they are not for you.

Also my answer to the paranoia is that Weed isn't good mixed with ongoing stress and anger because weed alters your mind and again it also is different for everyone on how they think mentally.

--Please don't Double Post. Use Edit when you have more thoughts!--

[Ben Michael]

One, it's addictive and two it makes you high, unless for a medical purposes it's wrong

[sonnym]

It amazes me how people my age are so uneducated about marijuana... ^ Marijuana is definitely NOT addictive..... I agree it can be a gateway "drug" .. but I think if you want to do a hard drug.. your going to do one.. Marijuana has more positive effects than negative.

[FearsomeEnder]

hahahaha it doesnt help u concentrate. it just affects you're reaction so say ur driving it impares ur ability to drive etc, it also can cause lethargic depending on the personality theres no exact effects it depends on if u abuse it etc.

Im 13 i dont drive ill prolly just be in my room or in the back yard

It amazes me how people my age are so uneducated about marijuana... ^ Marijuana is definitely NOT addictive..... I agree it can be a gateway "drug" .. but I think if you want to do a hard drug.. your going to do one.. Marijuana has more positive effects than negative.

This is why im going to try it. I have no interest in tring hard drugs they seem to kill you so fast weed just makes you loose that bag of cheetos you got today in a few minutes


it's not good for your lungs..you're breathing in smoke rich in carbon dioxide among other chemicals..even if you were to smoke paper and grass..same effect..it makes you a lot more paranoid as Louis said..I have a friend who has smoked since he was 15..well he ain't really my friend..he's more like a fuking dumbass who is paranoid about everything..it's not as bad as say heroin..but..it's still a little negative..

I live in the city im breathing in crap all the time and like vulpes said like a fucking campfire sooo yeah

One, it's addictive and two it makes you high, unless for a medical purposes it's wrong

ADDICTIVE MY ASS my friend that smoked gave it up in 2 days hasent smoked weed for months soo yeah lick my dick im talking about weed not tobacco

--Please don't Quadruple Post! Anymore of this spam and you'll be officially Warned/Infracted--

[rockandtumble]

I think the danger is that you'll grow bored with it and turn to something stronger and so it begins .. Im no expert but thats what I think.

[Peace God]

Although a lot of stoners like to deny it, it can be demotivating. A lot of people just flat out lose the drive to do certain things when they're high.

[Nookie813]

weed laced with heroin = <3

[SimplyTom]

weed is just a bad bad thing to do end of story.

[Wicked_Syn]

weed is just a bad bad thing to do end of story.

Yes, I highly agree.

I smoked it and I ended up gaining 30 pounds AND losing all my MOTIVATION.

Now that I've been a month and one week sober, I feel so soo sooooo much better. I've been making much better health choices and feel better.

That weird "cloudy" feeling/that that weed leaves in your head is gone too.

[louisgray]

To the op . Your 13 right ?? And your thinking about doing weed ,crazy world

[Anonymous1]

I say go find yourself a friend and smoke some weed if you want to, nobody here can stop you.

[kezyy]

I have smoked it quite a bit,I didn't find any negatives.. and it was the easiest thing to give up ever... only negative is it will put a dent in your wallet

[bleedoutlove]

I can't think of one...cottonmouth can be annoying, and my mouth waters and it's quite uncomfortable after I smoke but that's just me

[spires]

weeds not bad at all it relaxes you makes u get the muchies

[Dack]

Terrible argument...

Weed raises your chance to have a heart attack tenfold because of the sudden jump in heart rate. THC effects your bodies ability to fight disease. And based on this thread, it makes you retarded and oblivious to what it's really doing.

Maybe you should try google sometime. I googled it once, found like 300,000 pages

[Peace God]

Weed ruined my favorite shirt.

...true story.

[Apollo.]

Really, even if there isn't that many health risks from smoking it, it's not that great and the biggest risk is being caught with the stuff because then your life is pretty much fucked

[Dack]

Being caught with Marijuana is a very minor charge. You might get jail time but even on a criminal record people aren't going to go "hey look, he was caught with weed, we can't hire his guy" because for all they know you were holding it for a friend.

[aperson444]

Weed is almost benign. It is NOT completely harmless, but I would say it's about as bad as caffeine or alcohol at most. It's pretty non-addictive. While you do downregulate cannabinoid receptors (tolerance), it progresses very slowly and there's no real addiction mechanism involved. You can get psychologically addicted to anything pleasurable (from sex to chocolate).

As for heart issues, they are only a real problem if you already have issues with your heart. Caffeine and other stimulants have similar effects. The effect is merely acute.

I'm not going to tell you to go smoke weed (and subsequently get my ass kicked by the mods), but it is pretty benign. If you take it to solve your problems, then you WILL lose motivation and get addicted (that will happen with chocolate too). If you use to relax, relieve pain and stress after a long day of hard work, I see no issues in your future. It's like having a beer at the end of the day.

[eatfood]

theres so much to say about weed but im to high to type it all. it doesnt harm you like you think it does. theres zero pot realted deaths a year. did you know that?
so when you gotta decide if its bad or not. just look at the facts.

[Dack]

Zero deaths because of pot, yes...but hundreds because of stupid shit CAUSED by pot. It has more tar than tobacco does...three times to be exact. Why dont you go scrape the tar from the road and smoke that? It's basically what your do

[aperson444]

Those tar levels were measured from Mississippi grown low-grade. The government supplied them to the study. In reality, no one smokes 0.8 gram joints anymore and if they do, they probably don't smoke crappy 4% THC mary jane. That's just a huge waste. In reality, the stuff you get today (as long as you avoid schwag, biker weed and mexican brick) is generally 8-15% THC, fairly resinous and is generally manicured enough so you're not smoking leaves and stems.

Weed makes you ENJOY stupid shit. It does not cause stupid shit. Stupid people cause stupid shit. Stupid people shouldn't even consider using caffeine, much less alcohol or weed. In my personal experience, weed makes you laugh at stupid shit and smile at stupid shit, but you're brain is slowed down to the point where you won't do stupid shit. Alcohol on the other hand pretty much smashes your judgment in higher doses. It's not nearly as nontoxic, it damages stomach lining, slaughters regions of the brain, gives hell to your liver and if taken enough pretty much fucks your life to shit. Yet millions of people consume alcohol responsibly every day. So why can't we say the same for weed? It's nontoxic, kills cancer cells, can cause lung irritation and COPD, can acutely impair learning but can also stimulate the growth of brain cells and it's god damn fun. Not harmless, but stress itself is really bad for your health. Stress can shred hippocampal cells (cannabinoids actually promote growth of said cells), it can increase the risk for hear problems, it can cause weight gain, lead to diabetes and a myriad of other medical issues. Not only is moderate recreational use of cannabis fairly mild, but smoking a bowl after hard work might just help you think about the day and analyze things.

[Zazu]

There are four main dangers with cannabis use as far as I'm concerned:

1) The risk you take of exaggerating an underlying psychological condition.

2) If you smoke it, you will be inhaling combusted organic plant material - nicht gut.

3) The fact that in most countries, its legal state means you have to buy unregulated, possibly tainted product from dealers who you don't know and who could offer you other shit.

4) The punishments you can face in some countries if you are caught in possession / cultivating it.

[dontcare97]

Weed does have some 'bad' side efforts but not as bad as smoking a cigarette. Thomas Jefferson smoked weed. Hemp was one of the most profitable colonial trade products before tobacco. In moderation, marijuana can be perfectly find for anyone.

[ExhibitG]

plain and simple response: it alters both your reality and your personality.

[Maxxie]

plain and simple response: it alters both your reality and your personality.

Possibly exacerbating an underlying psychological condition, yes, but it doesn't alter personality nearly as much as some of the harder drugs, say crack or even just alcohol.

Barring that, unless you're a dumbass to start with, weed is not a very dangerous drug.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Drug_danger_and_dependence.png

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Rational_scale_to_assess_the_harm_of_drugs_%28mean_physical_harm_and_mean_depend ence%29.svg

[anon1992]

weed isnt that bad, i smoke weed. although yesterdays weed did have a negative effect : i didnt study, cause i was high. but thats not really weed's fault, i mean i got high mainly to test my new vaporizer and also to use up the weed before my parents came to pick me up from college. hell, id say : the internet is FAR worse than weed when it comes to distracting you. i say yesterday , the reason i didnt study was 90 percent internet and only 10 percent weed. i mean , a person who doesnt schedule their day well , may get high in the morning or something, and there is like a few hours where its a bit hard to focus. but then again, if i hadnt of smoked weed yesterday, i doubt i would have studied anyways, the computer is more addicting than weed. the computer has harmed me more than weed ever will.

used responsibly (when you dont have to do anything) there is nothing wrong. smoking weed is bad for your lungs, but my homemade vaporizer yesterday was a success and i will vape for now on and give up on the smoke. vaping is when the weed is heated to under the combustion point , and the liquids and THC inside of it evaporate as vapors, and you breath that in. i was able to do that in my DORM with almost 0 smell. wow, gone are the days of trying to walk around the entire town it seems trying to find a place to smoke in isolation. i can do it in my dorm now


The biggest danger of weed: getting caught.

[DeadSpace]

smoking weed is bad for your lungs




You forgot to mention that THC raises blood pressure and heart rate so it can be dangerous for people with heart complications.

[User Deleted]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRm1yqSmsGY

Its not an addiction, because my doctor gave me a prescription. Lol, I love Garfunkel and Oates, the music is funny, and so true.

[Cap'nCrunch]

From all my friends that have tried weed they say that its not bad unless its laced with some other drug. What are the true negative effects of weed?

Makes you lazy and stupid. It also eats up your money and risks trouble with the law. Ain't worth it, says I....

[anon1992]

it isnt bad . and its almost never (essentially never) laced with another drug. and even then, it isnt honestly THAT bad. I mean if its laced with ketamine or PCP or something, its not that bad, it wont kill you . i mean ketamine and pcp are even used medically , such as to induce anaesthesia (in high high doses). so a little tiny bit of it certainly wont kill you.

but its VERY unlikely to be laced.

weed is relatively harmless. The biggest risk is from law enforcement. If you think of all the people who were harmed from weed in some way, you realize most of them werent harmed from the weed itself, but from having their lives harmed because of police.

[bleedoutlove]

It doesn't really have any bad side effects, when used alone. If you have alcohol and then smoke, it can make you feel really ill - just in its natural form is okay. As David Nutt said "the biggest danger of using cannabis is getting a criminal record."

[sammy1996]

how ever much people deny it, it IS addictive a fair amount of my family smoke it and trust me they ARE addicted.
it wastes money and turns you slowly into a mong... :P
from my family experiances it is bad and shouldnt be taked but to be fair its one of the LEAST harmfull, but still harmfull

[DoctorWho]

Yes - not just something people say to bring your "party" down.

These days also you never know what things are being mixed to make your smoke.......besides would it not be legal if it were okay

[SoWhatsUp]

The biggest danger of weed: getting caught.

Definitely the biggest danger. I got caught once, just a dumb mistake, I had my car keys taken away and door knob taken off. My dad is crazy, my mom really didn't care about the whole thing haha. :)

[RoseyCadaver]

Well,to put this way,it's always bad to put some smoke or other poisons done your throat.I'm not one to judge if someone should be able to,because there a lot more worse things then smoking pot.All though,eating is another story.I think if people want to do it,let them.Like I said,many worse things then pot you could be doing.

[ImCoolBeans]

Paranoia

although it can also help paranoia, so thats not entirely true

[BOBBY HILL]

Because the magazine in the doctor's office told me it was.

[Timmy93]

They claim its a gateway drug

[Fourth Dimension]

honestly i think weed should be legal i havnt seen any negative affects except paranoia

[itzBJ_James69]

None as long as you have nothing to do and are not driving weed is fine it makes u feel good!!

[Φρανκομβριτ]

I am a pothead. I have smoked since I can remember, and it it just my way of life now. I have studied much about marijuana, and I am aware of all known accusations against it.

From this point, there is only really one thing I can say about it to promote staying sober. When you smoke, you have no desire to do anything. No desire to go learn a new skill, go play a sport or do things with friends. You just want to sit back and pretty much do nothing.

It's better to live a healthy active life, and marijuana counters that. While it is not harmful to you in the ways it has been made out to be, it will make you lethargic

[ImCoolBeans]

It kills ambition, you can become dependent on it and it may lead to other drugs.

[aperson444]

I've found that weed only increases my motivation and ambition. I've been through depression and periods of severe acute stress. Those two have impacted my motivation far more. It is true that cannabis can make you a little sleepy and drained for 8 hours or so after coming down, but generally that's why it's best to smoke on nights or weekends after work is done. When I was depressed, I'd lay down on a couch or the bed and do nothing for hours upon hours. I think I'd rather sit outside and watch the sun set stoned off my ass or listen to good music or practice my calculus while I'm high. That's why I say no to the chains of sobriety and yes to marijuana.

[ImCoolBeans]

I've found that weed only increases my motivation and ambition. I've been through depression and periods of severe acute stress. Those two have impacted my motivation far more. It is true that cannabis can make you a little sleepy and drained for 8 hours or so after coming down, but generally that's why it's best to smoke on nights or weekends after work is done. When I was depressed, I'd lay down on a couch or the bed and do nothing for hours upon hours. I think I'd rather sit outside and watch the sun set stoned off my ass or listen to good music or practice my calculus while I'm high. That's why I say no to the chains of sobriety and yes to marijuana.

Thats how I felt until I became dependent. Things lead to things and the next thing you know you have no control of your life what so ever, and that reality check is worst.

[thebgsamuel]

i cant remember much from last time i had some coz i was drunk but i hade it a few times it is cool and i like it but its as bad as a cigarette it will destroy your lungs but it wont kill your brain cells like heroine or other hard drugs

[aperson444]

You can avoid dependency by taking occasional week-long breaks and spreading out your consumption. For me, I take a break every few months or so. It's worked so far. When the question of dependence came up with my psychiatrist, we determined that I did not meet enough of the DSM criterion for dependence or tolerance. Some people may have to take more frequent breaks and some people shouldn't smoke or do any substance at all. There is a certain type of mindset that predisposes you to dependence and addiction regardless of the substance.

[Truth]

It makes you paranoid ^^^ I am not supporting the use of illegal drugs, but it is undeniable marijuana has a significant anti-anxiety value to it. It can completely cure my agoraphobia.

It only can cause psychological addiction - the same as masturbation.

@Φρανκομβριτ
I was about ready to quit school, prior to starting marijuana. Without it I would probably have not passed middle school!

[Saosin]

Nope. No negative effects mate. Weed is a herb, of which is suppost to be good for you? The only way it can become harmful is if you have somet else with it..
But, appariently it helps you think a lot better so, fair enough :P

False, the resin isn't good for you. Smoking can (possibly) get resin into your lungs, which is no bueno.

[rockNroll]

It makes you paranoid ^^^

When you're doing it, yes. But not when you're not high.

[shadowhunter320]

It can cause paranoia but that all depends on the person...I personally know no negatives to it. And have only known one person who gets paranoid when stoned. And I've known 100s of stoners

[kinchy]

Lack of self motivation?
Forgetfulness?
Thats about all I can think of, weed is a dandy herb in my opinion.
Don't worry, be happy.
All depends on the person.

[Church]

I have been smoking pot for 3 years now. I can never think of any negative things that have happened to me.

Paranoia was never an issue, never been addicted to it. I still have same physical fitness level, same social abilities, still do well in school, still have values etc.

So any reason why people say weed are bad is just wrong, they can find only small things then blow em out of proportion.

[aperson444]

Well there is a little truth to everything, but it's often exaggerated. Yes, it can make you lazy (for a few hours). Yes it can hurt your lungs (depending on how you smoke). It's all about how and not just because you do it.

[PureReality]

From all my friends that have tried weed they say that its not bad unless its laced with some other drug. What are the true negative effects of weed?

It really effects everyone differently - with me, it actually motivates me. I want to go take a walk when I smoke, and I definitely enjoy CLEANING once I have smoked haha!

Paranoia and increased heart rate are minor issues at times when I am in an antsy situation, but usually when I have smoked, things are clearer, a tad bit funnier :lol:, and I learn a lot more faster.

[aperson444]

It really effects everyone differently - with me, it actually motivates me. I want to go take a walk when I smoke, and I definitely enjoy CLEANING once I have smoked haha!

Paranoia and increased heart rate are minor issues at times when I am in an antsy situation, but usually when I have smoked, things are clearer, a tad bit funnier , and I learn a lot more faster.

Well. That's a stretch. For me at least. I don't learn well while I'm high, but I tend to ruminate over past thoughts -- i.e for example sometimes I smoke a bowl after a long day of homework. Most of that work is physics and calculus, so when I'm high I literally sit around thinking about all that crap. It's kind of like digging through what you already have in your brain and just freaking out at how awesome that feeling is of finding something interesting.

All in all, weed makes me feel pretty good and I have not noticed negative side effects that could be solved by a) Better modes of administration or b) Changing the legal status or social stigma of the substance or c) My parents/authority (has to do a lot with b)

[TheScottishTaco]

It makes you paranoid ^^^

No it doesnt, obviousley you have no experience with weed and shouldn't be spouting lies you have been told by people as unknowledgeable/pot hating as you have been.

[ImCoolBeans]

No it doesnt, obviousley you have no experience with weed and shouldn't be spouting lies you have been told by people as unknowledgeable/pot hating as you have been.

Well thats pretty rash of you to say. Lets not start any arguments please?

Also,
It can cause paranoia but that all depends on the person...I personally know no negatives to it. And have only known one person who gets paranoid when stoned. And I've known 100s of stoners

Regular marijuana smokers can have the same lung effects that tobacco smokers have. Lung infection risks are higher, and your immune system is somewhat impaired as well.

Also to go along with this, your brain is not fully developed until your mid to late twenties. Kids shouldn't be smoking pot during years of development, the key concept in getting high is that receptors in your brain are being blocked; which in turn can be harmful to you're brains development.

[aperson444]

Regular marijuana smokers can have the same lung effects that tobacco smokers have. Lung infection risks are higher, and your immune system is somewhat impaired as well.

Also to go along with this, your brain is not fully developed until your mid to late twenties. Kids shouldn't be smoking pot during years of development, the key concept in getting high is that receptors in your brain are being blocked; which in turn can be harmful to you're brains development.

Evidence plz? From what I've heard of Dr. Tashkin's studies, marijuana users have a lower risk of lung cancer. He did mention increased lung infection and respiratory irritation risk, but at the same time he said that marijuana seems to act like a bronchodilator -- which is how most asthma medications work (in fact, marijuana cigarettes were used as asthma treatments many years ago).

I'm not 100% sure about immune suppression, but I know for sure that there is no extremely significant T-cell reduction. There was a reported decrease in NK cell count and increase in antibody-based immunity, but these reports cannot be translated to a broader perspective yet. Cannabis components (cannabinoids) are anti-inflammatory agents, meaning they suppress some elements of immune response (which inflammation is).

As for brain cells, the primary mechanism of cannabinoids is by activation of CB1 receptors (this is a gross oversimplification of course, but I can't go over all the pharmacology). One paper found that CB1 agonism resulted in temporary reduction in the strength of long term potentiation. This effect could be reversed by decreased synaptic Mg2+ (which acts as an inhibitor of LTP itself). In essence this is simply a reduction in the release of neurotransmitters -- mainly GABA and glutamate. There are other cascade effects as well, but this reduction in neurotransmitter release accounts for most effects. Some cannabis components can be attributed to brain cell growth (Xia Zhang study), neuroprotection (Remessy study), anti-glioma (Guzman study) and a reduction in long term depression (opposite of LTP) due to anatagonism of TRPV receptors. Also, another study found that adolescent cannabis users had no reduced hippocampal volume (using NMR). However this study did not account for hippocampal density or neural interactions.

I would be more worried about effects of alcohol on developing minds as alcohol works on one system (GABA, a little NMDA) and has been demonstrated to decrease brain function (blood flow mainly, but also activity).

[ImCoolBeans]

Evidence plz? From what I've heard of Dr. Tashkin's studies, marijuana users have a lower risk of lung cancer. He did mention increased lung infection and respiratory irritation risk, but at the same time he said that marijuana seems to act like a bronchodilator -- which is how most asthma medications work (in fact, marijuana cigarettes were used as asthma treatments many years ago).

I'm not 100% sure about immune suppression, but I know for sure that there is no extremely significant T-cell reduction. There was a reported decrease in NK cell count and increase in antibody-based immunity, but these reports cannot be translated to a broader perspective yet. Cannabis components (cannabinoids) are anti-inflammatory agents, meaning they suppress some elements of immune response (which inflammation is).

As for brain cells, the primary mechanism of cannabinoids is by activation of CB1 receptors (this is a gross oversimplification of course, but I can't go over all the pharmacology). One paper found that CB1 agonism resulted in temporary reduction in the strength of long term potentiation. This effect could be reversed by decreased synaptic Mg2+ (which acts as an inhibitor of LTP itself). In essence this is simply a reduction in the release of neurotransmitters -- mainly GABA and glutamate. There are other cascade effects as well, but this reduction in neurotransmitter release accounts for most effects. Some cannabis components can be attributed to brain cell growth (Xia Zhang study), neuroprotection (Remessy study), anti-glioma (Guzman study) and a reduction in long term depression (opposite of LTP) due to anatagonism of TRPV receptors. Also, another study found that adolescent cannabis users had no reduced hippocampal volume (using NMR). However this study did not account for hippocampal density or neural interactions.

I would be more worried about effects of alcohol on developing minds as alcohol works on one system (GABA, a little NMDA) and has been demonstrated to decrease brain function (blood flow mainly, but also activity).

Not necessarily lung cancer, but infections - coughs, and what not.

"The smoke of marijuana, like that of tobacco, consists of a toxic mixture of gases and particulates, many of which are known to be harmful to the lungs. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, and a greater risk of lung infections. Even infrequent marijuana use can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. One study found that extra sick days used by frequent marijuana smokers were often because of respiratory illnesses (Polen et al. 1993)."

http://drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Marijuana/marijuana3.html

And as for what you stated about alcohol, a little off topic but I agree with you.

[aperson444]

Oh, that I can agree with that. It's a bane of smoking anything, be it mint, coffee, marijuana or tobacco. However the effect is less than that of tobacco because unlike tobacco, marijuana does not mess with the lung's ability to remove waste mucus and foreign matter from the lungs -- in fact, it may help by dilating bronchial airways, but even if it didn't, marijuana does not constrict airways and paralyze cilia (ciliary elevator is the main mechanism for removing matter from lungs) like tobacco does. The alcohol mention was to point out that the developing brain is more vulnerable to that particular substance than to marijuana, but both should be considered very carefully, especially for young people. In personal experience, I've found that people who can maintain good grades and act intelligently tend to apply the same to their drug use and thus tend to avoid many of the more significant consequences of drug use.

[Belle -_-]

Weed has no negative side effects. And it shouldn't be classified as a "drug". You think deeper and things seem to make more sense.
"When you smoke the herb it reveals you to yourself"

[Peace God]

Weed has no negative side effects. And it shouldn't be classified as a "drug". You think deeper and things seem to make more sense.
"When you smoke the herb it reveals you to yourself"
*megafuckingfacepalm*

What a load of crap. This why the drug section is such shit, we get too many biased and baseless statements from both sides.

[ImCoolBeans]

Weed has no negative side effects. And it shouldn't be classified as a "drug". You think deeper and things seem to make more sense.
"When you smoke the herb it reveals you to yourself"

Do you have any evidence at all to support this?
This is false. If you read above you will see the negative effects that marijuana has. This is not my biased opinion; they are facts.

[aperson444]

Negative effects are very minimal relative to other activities and substances.

[MisterSix]

In subjects like this, many of people will just listen to what they want to hear.
A lot like the car brand vs. car brand arguments.
I don't really care for the subject 'cause I'm allergic to the stuff.

[dkp123]

http://www.talktofrank.com/drug/cannabis

[DefianttotheEnd]

Bad effects are that it reduces cancerous tumors and keeps people with AIDS eating after harsh medication. OH GOD NOW I SEE WHY IT'S OUTLAWED!!! The government knows cancer is so fun and dying of starvation is as well!

[Jupiter]

holy crap, lots of people commented on this single thread. but, yeah, here..
marijuana is bad because it is addictive, and can take over your life.

[aperson444]

By your logic, everything's bad. Marijuana is psychologically addictive. We've not yet found a physical addiction pathway with marijuana. Compare that to caffeine, which is chemically and psychologically addictive. Do we have people being sent to rehab or prostituting themselves for caffeine abuse?

[Hajara22]

it is like anything you consume. it has its benifits and its effects. want to learn a lot about it look for a book by todd mc cormick i think i spelled that right. I am in no way suggesting to use it with out medical supervision but it is a misunderstood herb...

[ImCoolBeans]

By your logic, everything's bad. Marijuana is psychologically addictive. We've not yet found a physical addiction pathway with marijuana. Compare that to caffeine, which is chemically and psychologically addictive. Do we have people being sent to rehab or prostituting themselves for caffeine abuse?

This has turned into an arguement, when the original question was why is it bad. Lets not argue please.

[cpr97]

lot of people think it has no bad side effects cuz its used in medical cases but all drugs or meds have bad effects just some more severe then others its like morphine n herion are the same drug almost obviously there are differences but either way they are in the same catagory morphine is legal for medical use n herion is illegal so either way weed is bad are there worse things sure there are n some are even legal but whatever it is what it is

[Rawwwrr]

Marijuana has next-to-zero negative side effects if you use a vaporizer.


Also worth noting that nobody has ever died from too much Marijuana, and it's not physically addictive.

Source (http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/j2vn5/please_eli5_what_are_the_harmful_effects_of/c28oweb)

[thatfatguy]

Weed is not good for you if you are smoking it because obviously you're inhaling smoke and carcinogens. The only true safe ways to use it are to eat it/drink it/vaporize it.

[oceandude33a]

the part thats probbaly the worst is inhalling it into your lung. your taking smoke into your lungs witch is never healthy. but its all made from naturall products unlike ciggs that are made up with tons of chemicals

[TacoRocco]

A lot of perople don't know this, but weed can be bad for you. It can have long term brain effects on you. I've heard of cases where people developed schizophrenia from over using weed. After a while it just damages the brain, but it isn't in every case. But, I guess in a way it is just another drug. All drugs have risks to them. By drugs I mean prescription and OTC drugs, not illegal drugs. Yes there are side effects to it, but those side effects appear in some cases. It dtill isn't advised to take the risk of using the drugs if you don't have a reason besides boredom.

[aperson444]

A lot of perople don't know this, but weed can be bad for you. It can have long term brain effects on you. I've heard of cases where people developed schizophrenia from over using weed. After a while it just damages the brain, but it isn't in every case. But, I guess in a way it is just another drug.

I'm going to respect the mods and not try to argue here, but that simply is not true. Now granted some cases of psychosis could be linked to cannabis use coupled with other factors (genetic), there is still no evidence for a causal relationship between psychosis and cannabis. There was a study not long ago that linked cannabis use with earlier onset of psychosis in those predisposed to psychosis (with a mutation in a gene that handles catecholamine neurotransmitters like dopamine). Brain damage is a broad term. We do know that it is highly unlikely that cannabis causes direct brain damage -- in fact, it's a powerful neuroprotectant/antioxidant. What we don't know if whether there is damage to brains structures. Many studies refute the claim that there is a shrinkage in hippocampal volume, but we still don't know if cannabis use can affect actual connections in the hippocampus. Xia Zhang found that HU210 (a cannabinoid that is 100x more potent than cannabis or THC) actually increased the birth of hippocampal neurons (so-called hippocampal neurogenesis).

Any substance use is risky -- I'd even say that chocolate is risky. Obesity is a severe illness, people!

[ThatScience]

Why do weed anyway? I mean... Isn't real, undiluted life better?

[Sleepwalking]

People are so ill informed.
Weed is not dangerous. Nobody has ever died from it.
It's used for medical use. If it was bad it wouldn't be used at all.
Some people say they get addicted to it, but thats in their mind.
It has been linked to paranoia and/or schizophrenia, but that was when smoking young or having a history of them in your family already.

[Levy]

Well, it isn't as bad as somethings, but there is no fine print stating you have to do anything. Weed has negative affects. Despite what most people say, it is addictive. For some reason lack of motivation in marijuana users seems relevant. Inhaling anything besides fresh oxygen isn't necessarily good. I have plenty of friends who smoke, my biggest problem with it, is when people get high they all seem start to think they are philosophical geniuses, frankly the majority of the time they sound like idiots. Nicotine and alcohol is pretty bad too. Only reason they can't make them illegal is because prohibition proved that it is impossible.

[Marry the Night]

It's not all that bad, but it's not completely without it's negatives, just like everything.

I don't smoke it any more though. I just lost all interest in it!

[AudioCity]

hmm this is an intersting arguement, looking at it has anyone actually done solid medical reasearch into the long term side affects of weed... personally its not something that i do all that offen but i dont know what cronic usage could do to you

[aperson444]

There's been a lot of research. It's around. Avoid biased sites (like NIDA or NORML). Go straight to journals. I suggest PubMed. Look up keywords and find articles. Great way to get citations/sources. Also I can recommend Google Scholar if you want quick sources. Unbiased information mostly comes from scientific journals because science is very peer-reviewed. However you should be wary of some sources because even in science there can be bias.

[Salader]

Paranoia

[soccerbo]

it messes with your mind and makes you lose your inhabitions and it leads you to use stronger more dangerous drugs

[aperson444]

it messes with your mind and makes you lose your inhabitions and it leads you to use stronger more dangerous drugs

Evidence plz?

[Chandlerxyz]

Socerboy, your brain is obviously bein filled with your Heath teachers Bs, Weed is not a gateway drug that is total horse crap!

If your gonna smoke smoke pot my friends .

[Thatonekid]

Weed isn't that bad for you, the only problem is inhaling smoke into your lungs, which isn't even that big of a deal.

[ClaudiaX]

I've done weed about 10 times since March. I went three days smoking it constantly once, and then three months without. It's not addictive. Sometimes I get paranoid towards the end of a high, but it's short term. Once I almost threw up, but I smoked wayyyy too much. You can't overdose on marajuana, and no one has ever died from it. Ever. Some people believe it is a 'gateway' drug. I probably think this is true. I took MDMA once at a festival, which was stupid of me, but hey. But some of my guy friends have moved onto cocaine. As long as you have enough common sense, you shouldn't move on to harder drugs.

So as you can see, from personal experience, there are good and bad sides of weed.

Oh, also, weed is sometimes mixed with tobacco to make it 'burn better'. Truth is, it probably does, but it's not necessary. But tobacco is very addictive. So watch out there.

There's my opinion. Oh, and the high off weed is overrated. It just chills you out. It also brings you closer to the people you smoke it with as you can connect with how you feel. But it does not make you hallucinate. That's an urban myth.

[Josiah7]

Reading over this thread for awhile now, and can I just say that there's no point in fighting over it - if people want to do it, they will and no one will convince them otherwise nor will they be convinced that it is bad for you.

Hopefully they would take the right choice and not smoke it - but if they do its there body, and as such they can suffer and deal with any effects it may cause.

[Justinee]

Nope. No negative effects mate. Weed is a herb, of which is suppost to be good for you? The only way it can become harmful is if you have somet else with it..
But, appariently it helps you think a lot better so, fair enough :P

You're an idiot, weeds literally makes you stupid. It constantly kills the brain cells, and as a result, you start to become "slower". You should try to talk to a major stoner, you'll be surprised by how slow he talks.

[aperson444]

No weed GROWS brain cells: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/25509

Don't stereotype. A lot of stoners I know are far more intelligent than the idiot meathead jocks we got at our school (not that all jocks are stupid, but the ones at school are fucking stupid).

The reason weed slows down speech is simply an acute effect caused by reduced neurotransmitter release in the short run as well as increased difficulty of removing Mg2+ from the NMDA/Glutamate receptor. I smoke weed and I'm slow and relaxed for 2-4 hours. BAM, I'm back to normal within 6 hours.

[sliidz]

woa woa woa...... hollllddd upp whoever says marijuana is bad for you come at me in my history I've probably done equivalent to 100 pages worth of essays on it. there is no proof that it is a gateway drug it is not addictive it does not cause any diseases it does not cause memory loss it doesn't cause people to be sick there is no proof that it kills brain cells the ONLY bad thing about marijuana is it is a huge problem with arrest and average about 840,000 a year in 2010-2011 from possession alone. facts about it its an herb not a drug, used as treatments, legalized i think in 16 states along with many more countries, no caused deaths by it EVER. marijuana isn't bad its an herb used as medication to help cancer patients... how is that bad?? any other things you wanna throw out there? oh yeah. FACT: WHILE MARIJUANA STAYS AT 0 DEATHS THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF DEATHS CAUSED BY: PEANUTS 100 A YEAR; ASPIRIN 500 A YEAR. <--- that's a proven fact. What happens to you personally is because of you and not marijuana by its self. if someone decides to embrace being in a bad habit while consuming or smoking marijuana that's there decision and has nothing to do with marijuana. I'm sorry for those who do end up in bad habits or move on to more severe things, but don't try to blame marijuana because its your own fault...

[Jake.]

if someone decides to embrace being in a bad habit while consuming or smoking marijuana that's there decision and has nothing to do with marijuana. I'm sorry for those who do end up in bad habits or move on to more severe things, but don't try to blame marijuana because its your own fault...


^Nice logic, lmfao.

Marijuana causes the habit in the first place, it has every bit to do with marijuana use itself.

http://www.caron.org/marijuana.html?gclid=CMOA6b7t3awCFYYaQgod1wgFPQ

Go whip yourself in a dark room for heresy if you have nothing intelligent to say. Or, a better alternative would be to get down on your knees, and ask God for forgiveness. God Bless, my brother.

[Rawwwrr]

^Nice logic, lmfao.

Marijuana causes the habit in the first place, it has every bit to do with marijuana use itself.

http://www.caron.org/marijuana.html?gclid=CMOA6b7t3awCFYYaQgod1wgFPQ

Go whip yourself in a dark room for heresy if you have nothing intelligent to say. Or, a better alternative would be to get down on your knees, and ask God for forgiveness. God Bless, my brother.

Marijuana is not physically addictive and has little-to-no withdrawal symptoms. However it is physchologically addictive, as the user often feels dependent on it and that he has to get high to get by, so to say. However that is not Marijuana's fault, it's the users.


Also, your god can shove it. :)

[aperson444]

Um, stupidity leads to habits. Ignorance leads to habits. The substance, be it marijuana or chocolate does not lead to habits unless there is a biochemical reason. There is no such biochemical reason for marijuana as marijuana does not seem to work in the same dopaminergic way as other harder drugs.

[ImCoolBeans]

Um, stupidity leads to habits. Ignorance leads to habits. The substance, be it marijuana or chocolate does not lead to habits unless there is a biochemical reason. There is no such biochemical reason for marijuana as marijuana does not seem to work in the same dopaminergic way as other harder drugs.

I smoked marijuana just about every day for a very extended period of time, and quit cold turkey. This is just to support aperson444's arguement.

[sliidz]

http://www.caron.org/marijuana.html?gclid=CMOA6b7t3awCFYYaQgod1wgFPQ

k cause that site says in all 50 states you will be fined, arrested, or jail terms? how accurate is that because i know of 16 states that are legalized... so if you have it under medical reasoning your gonna be fined or jailed? that makes so much sense....

also in the posts above marijuana causes no addiction because its not addicting -.- if you like it you like doesn't mean your addicted to it.

lastly i don't believe in a god so last part nah i'd rather not ask something that doesn't exist in my opinion for forgiveness for nothing i did wrong buddy.

[JoshD]

Its just fun, I love it...

[aperson444]

k cause that site says in all 50 states you will be fined, arrested, or jail terms? how accurate is that because i know of 16 states that are legalized... so if you have it under medical reasoning your gonna be fined or jailed? that makes so much sense....

It's not "legal" in any state. Even in medical states there are sometimes strict laws against marijuana use. Even if a state did legalize, the federal government supersedes the state.

We need to get it legalized, but that's not the point of this thread.

[Donkey]

I think we've seen enough here. If anyone has any individual concerns about their marijuana use or the safety of them smoking it, they can open a new thread. :locked2: