Wednesday, 02 November 2011
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Pot: It's Still Bad for You
Alright potheads. Regardless of whether or not marijuana should be legalized (I think it should simply because throwing potheads in jail is a waste of time and money), pot is still bad for you if you do it habitually. And let's not get into the silly debate about whether it's addictive or not; that's not the focus of this blog. Oh, and I don't think you're a dumb@$$ if you smoke it, but there *is* too much of a good and bad thing, and smoking pot everyday turns out to be too much of both.
On the one hand, it has awesome effects; I've smoked it. On the other hand, as I've said, it's bad for you, though it's nevertheless one of the least dangerous illicit drugs out there.
Why is it bad for you? Well, I'm so glad you asked, inquiring member of society!
1. It makes you stupid. Kinda like this man.
Heavy users of pot showed greater impairment on simple tasks such as card-shuffling or learning word lists, even when they weren't high at all. Smoking only 20 mg can affect one's ability to operate machinery for 24 hours (link). Finally, as many links on Almighty Google will testify, pot has impaired the cognitive skills of MS patients, even though it was intended as a form of treatment. Granted, many results of studies on marijuana have been mixed, but it's better not to take a risk, and pot clearly has harmful effects on some people's cognition. Also, the evidence has consistently proven that marijuana at least temporarily dulls concentration abilities. It might even damage a chronic user's ability to form new memories (link).
2. Pot is bad for sex.
It decreases sperm count and motility, decreased interest in sex, and (gasp) impotence! (link and link)
3. Pot smokes your lungs.
Here, again, "Long term pot smoking is associated with many symptoms of obstructive pulmonary disease: airflow obstruction, chronic cough, bronchitis, and decreased exercise tolerance. Regular smokers of three to four marijuana cigarettes per day experience cough, wheeze, and sputum production and exhibit abnormalities in the lungs equivalent to those who smoke approximately 20 tobacco cigarettes per day." (emphasis mine) So apparently, a marijuana cigarette has the potency of roughly four tobacco cigarettes. If that doesn't spell "black lung death" I don't know what does. It may also cause respiratory cancer, and though it's not certain yet, you can bet that more attention to the effects of marijuana on the lungs must be studied.
4. It might put the heart into overdrive.
When a person smokes pot, the heart may speed up 20 to 50 beats per minute, and in some cases it may double. In some cases, it will increase blood pressure, and may reduce the blood's capacity to carry oxygen. While this isn't any concern for people who do not have heart problems, it is a great concern for those who do. (link)
5. It might throw you into the loony bin.
Prolonged use of marijuana can increase the likelihood of developing psychosis (trust me, it's not awesome) and/or schizophrenia (link). It even increases the risk of developing a mental disorder by 600-700%! Granted, developing schizophrenia is unlikely in and of itself, and the risk applies most to those who are most at risk for developing it anyway (which is hard to determine), but 8-13% of teens who developed schizophrenia are linked to good ol' Mary Jane. So even though teens and those adults who already have a risk of developing schizophrenia are most at risk when abusing marijuana, you can still get to see pink elephants even when not smoking pot! Hurray! (I know, I'm exaggerating)
In conclusion, it's probably a good idea to put down the joint and do something healthier, like have sex.
What do you think about these points?
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About the Author
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- From: InternetDominator@xanga
- Name: InternetDominator
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- About Me: College student majoring in Sociology, and hoping to use it for Social Work. Also, I like to stir shit up.
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Comments (163)
I think any escape used in other to lose control or ease your reality is unhealthy, at least emotionally unhealthy. Same with alcohol or video games, I believe in teaching my kids to face their lifes and their problems not to hide behind a bottle, smoke or a screen, I want my children to face reality and deal with it.
@xXxlovelylollipop@xanga - Amen
I was never of the opinion that pot was good for people. I was just of the opinion that I don't give a shit if people do it.
I think history is repeating itself. Its like the 70s all over again but the pot smokers are more aggressive. Seriously, 70s: Peace and love man! Now: FUCK YOU CUNT WEED DON'T EFFECT ME! .....like god o_o lol
@UnconventionalButterfly@xanga - I lol'ed.
@Murphy_Rants@xanga - Its true though! Isn't that crap supposed to chill them out? O_O lol
@xXxlovelylollipop@xanga - So true
what the hell, i didn't know all this!! i don't know if the less sex drive part applies to some people though.. some guys smoke so much and still have an insane sex drive
One thing you didn't mention was the emotional effects. Yes, while you're high, you may be calm but when it wears off, chances are that you will be moody and irritable. I hate being around chronic, habitual pot smokers who don't have any pot and can't find any. They're assholes.
@writemyheartt@xanga - I got pregnant while my now husband was stoned out of his mind. Go figure. The sperm were probably swimming around looking for something to munch on and landed on my egg by accident.
(he's changed since having two kids...not one with the pot anymore)
1. it does not make you stupid. it actually increased my interest to study and read.
2. it doesn't decrease my sex drive at all. 3. i don't smoke pot to "hide from anything" it's not my escape. it makes me feel great, and i actually get A LOT more accomplished the day after i smoke, starting smoking was indeed probably one of the best things i've ever done, it does make me lazy when i smoke, but afterwards i'm more productive than ever.Ughhh, it makes me so sad to read yet another article about pot by someone as misinformed as yourself. I really hope people don't take this seriously. Every single one of these facts is more often argued against by scientists and medical professionals, and yet some people still manage to find those articles that keep us in the dark ages. I could find you many, many pages of information proving your points wrong, but I'll only dispute the one that is the biggest blatant lie: number three. Marijuana smoke is NOT nearly as damaging to the lungs as cigarette smoke. I has far fewer chemicals and none of the additives that are in cigarettes to make them burn slower and stay lit. It has also been proven that marijuana does not has the same effect as cigarette smoke on the bronchial tube, so it cannot cause emphysema. Lastly, many scientists are now realizing that marijuana can possibly PREVENT cancer of the lungs. I even have first hand knowledge that pot smoke can be beneficial to the body, because my best friend was having lung problems because of cigarettes. He quit cigarettes and increased his pot consumption, and his respiratory problems have gone away, his throat doctor told him that the damage was almost completely reversed and there are no signs of damage from the marijuana. The points in this article are LIES, and if anyone does their research, they'll see that immediately.
@loveology_photos@xanga - What about the impotence part? Also from observing other people, it seems to fuck up their teeth and gums. And the heavy bags under the eyes.
@Kittyluve@xanga - Pot heads of the male variety get girls pregnant aalllll the time. That's the unfortunate part if it's a young, dumb kid.
I've never known it to screw up anyone's gums or teeth. A lot of pot smokers tend to smoke cigarettes as well so it's hard to know what smoke is causing what effects. The baggy, dark eyes only occur when they're high or if they smoke so much that it seems that their eyes are always dark. Not everyone gets that look either.
... man, I really need to try pot myself to see what it's like.
@loveology_photos@xanga - Not to sound incredibly defensive or anything, but if you're going to call me misinformed, please do some homework and actually do some citations like I did. I could claim that marijuana causes diarrhea, but obviously you won't take my word for it, and likewise, I won't take your word for it either.
As for the part about cigarettes being worse than weed, I really don't know about that. I did a quick Google search and found threearticles claiming the opposite, one of them being a Ph. D along with his colleagues. Also, marijuana smoke contains at least some of the carcinogens as cigarettes, so it appears as if you're wrong **EDIT** Correction, the last article says they're chemically very similar.
Furthermore, anecdotal evidence, rather than scientific evidence, is not good grounds for a belief (though it can be used to illustrate a point, which if that's all you're doing, then I apologize).
Lastly, I said that it *MAY* cause respiratory cancer.
I'll grant a few things, though. I'm sure there are studies out there claiming otherwise: that cigarettes really are worse, or that sometimes marijuana can be good for the lungs under certain conditions and in some form, etc. Lastly, the harm that marijuana does to the lungs likely depends on how strong the bud is; in other words, the more potent the weed, the less you'll have to smoke it. It may also depend on a filter and the amount of THC present (here; see the "misconception" section). On the other hand it may depend on how long users hold their breath when smoking. Generally though, marijuana is still bad for the lungs, partly because of the carcinogens in the smoke due to combustion, and because users often hold the smoke in for long periods, which burns the lungs.
I'd also grant that THC might have some therapeutic effects if used correctly, and that I actually *support* the legalization of marijuana and even harder drugs such as cocaine. I just want people to be well informed, and be shown to be wrong if possible, though there already seems to be a good amount of research suggesting I'm basically right.
Did you watch Reefer Maddness or something?.. Anyone who knows what that is is completely false by the U.S government..
Whats with all the anti weed posts?.. What about alcohol? I KNOW SMOKING weed isn't too good for you (but better than alcohol and smoking cigarettes) but when you eat it its actually not as bad.. I do NOT see how someone getting into a mental hospital or whatever has anything to do with weed... @loveology_photos@xanga - Amen! Lol
@Kittyluve@xanga - With the impotence part?.. I've NEVER heard about that ever from smoking weed. From the stems, yes because there are some different things in it then the actually marijuanna.. Just saying..
They really need to legalize this.. Spending so much money on the jails because of pety marijuanna crimes.. Also, there could be alot more jobs in the market if it were legal. In highschool, I basically smoked everyday but got straight A's.. All throughout highschool......
You'reright, I shouldhaveprovidedsomeevidenceforyou. I hope you find those nine sites educational, I think you'll especially enjoy article on webmd, and the one on drugpolicy.org pretty much disproves everything in your post. I'm not saying pot is good for you, but as long as people are reading biased posts like this, they will never be well informed.
@bbanmen420@xanga - I've never heard of it, and I don't know what you mean by the second sentence. Please clarify.
I actually agree with you saying they need to legalize marijuana and even hard drugs because I think it's a waste to put drug users/addicts in jail; plus, it's unethical.
But, I believe there are a lot more articles about pot than alcohol (at least on here) because the legalization and the effects of smoking marijuana are controversial and not universally agreed upon. With alcohol, it is almost always agreed that it is generally bad for you, though many say that drinking a little bit of wine every day is actually good for you, so there are exceptions to every rule. Hell, I've actually seen an article or two claiming that LSD may be therapeutic for people with PTSD (though you'd have to look for it... I'm sure it's not hard to find). I merely want to discuss whether or not smoking pot is bad for you and maybe even find out that I'm wrong. Hopefully I and others will learn something.
Plus, I'm not gonna lie, the idea of starting a flame-war is somewhat amusing, lol.
Also, here's a good related article from Cracked.com, of all places.
@xXxlovelylollipop@xanga - There, right there, is ultimately my issue with habitual pot use (and the other things you mentioned). Besides I can't stand the smell. It's very tough for me to respect someone who feels the need to smoke it all the time instead of just...dealing with life.
@loveology_photos@xanga - THANK YOU! I am so tired of seeing people post misinforming blogs about pot, making it out to be evil. Ignorance isn't bliss people. Dont blindly listen to what these people have to say, they are lying.
@Kittyluve@xanga - I have been smoking weed EVERYDAY for SIX YEARS. My teeth and gums are beautiful. Pearly white, nice pink gums. Learn your facts before you through around WRONG info.
@voodoo_flower_child@xanga - I wasn't trying to say that smoking pot was "evil." I even stated that I'm pro-legalization of marijuana. I just believe it's unhealthy based on research.
@loveology_photos@xanga - I really hate it when I'm typing up something and the computer I'm using crashes. This is attempt #2; I'm doing this in a hurry so let me know if there's anything I missed that you feel is important.
I don't know who you're trying to fool by calling me biased. I cited sources from M.D.'s, scientists, and health organizations. Unless you can prove that there were significant flaws in the studies and/or that there was some sort of alterior (sp) motive, I'm afraid you're blowing smoke (pun intended). Furthermore, roughly four of your links came from biased sources, those of which are pro-marijuana (not that I'm "anti"-pot or anti-legalization; in fact, I'm not).
I actually came across the first article. It said that pot helps you relax. It can also cause panic attacks and even an anxiety disorder. I suppose it's different for different people.
Most of the rest of your articles say what I feel is most relevant to the discussion: that there's no link between cancer and cannabis. I wasn't directly claiming that there was one; I only said that there *MAY* be one. I found the one listed above (and the author is an M.D.) and here is another, which was a case-control study. I'll simply say that I strongly believe that the question of whether or not marijuana causes cancer is a question that needs more research, and I don't see a reason to think that the question has been completely and forever solved.
I actually really like your cannabismd article. It did say something along the lines of researchers and patients being able to remove unsmoke-able parts from the government grown cannabis. Maybe these unsmoke-able components have something to do with why some joints can be bad for the lungs. It also talks about the mode of administration, and then says that the banning of vaporizer technology contributes to marijuana's potential harm. I take it that this means that some modes are more unhealthy than others, yes? It later says that lower potency marijuana is actually more dangerous than the high-grade stuff. Did you read these parts?
Lastly, your cannabismd article goes on about various studies that haven't proven marijuana use to be dangerous to the lungs at all. As with the link between cancer and marijuana, I'm fine with this, because, as I've said, I *expected* some studies to not show a link, but I did find some studies that *do*. It would seem I'm not entirely wrong about marijuana being bad for the lungs. Perhaps the low-grade marijuana with other toxins in them is the marijuana that is the worst, and these types of joints were smoked in the studies that the article that I just linked talks about. It's safe to say that smoking some joint you picked up from your buddy isn't recommended, though I do admit that, as your last article said, there may be some health benefits, but I wouldn't do that yet unless it's legal, and you get it from a truly reliable source.
::EDIT:: Also, it's worth noting that you've only contested my claim about cannabis being bad for the lungs. Is there anything else that I've cited that you'd like to contest?