According to Dr. Ken Spaeth, a Harvard-trained physician and a clinical instructor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, Marijuana can be the cause of many things today's midnight tokers may be unaware of.Marijuana affects your short and long term health. Aside from the impaired cognitive function, lack of coordination and sedation, there are long term effects of regular pot smoking that you never hear people talk about.
There is the obvious but rarely discussed lung problems that come inherently with ANY kind of regular smoking. Not to mention the unfiltered and unclean junk everyone is smoking which doesn't even comply with the standards placed upon deadly cigarettes. Think about that for a second.
According to this article they claim that three to four joints a day result in breathing problems that are comparable to a habit of pack each day of your run of the mill lung shredding cigarettes.
Here is the kicker. "Marijuana use impairs sperm and lowers testosterone levels, which can lead to impotence, loss of interest in sex, and gynecomastia, aka 'man boobs.'"
Marijuana, like tobacco, produces known carcinogens and toxic compounds when burned. It doesn't matter how you do it so the "That's why I use a bong" B.S. excuse doesn't work. Frequent marijuana smokers tend to have more pre-cancerous lung lesions, which often become cancer sooner or later.
According to Dr. Spaeth a recent study found tokers are more likely to get gum disease also.
"Chronic use of marijuana in any form is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia. Studies of regular marijuana use in relation to the development of depression, impaired memory, or impaired thought have shown mixed results."
"After long-term use, there can be physical and mental dependence. The body can take a month to adjust to life without pot."
"But my friend said weed wasn't addicting." Your friend was wrong. When will kids stop taking advice from people who do it? "Responsible adults are lying to you. Its the man trying to keep you down and bored." Is this what is happening?
Man boobs. Seriously. As if cancer isn't reason enough.
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11 comments:
I loved this part:
"But my friend said weed wasn't addicting." Your friend was wrong. When will kids stop taking advice from people who do it? "Responsible adults are lying to you. Its the man trying to keep you down and bored." Is this what is happening?
So true. Why do people take advice from those who are not doing to great?
Wow man boobs! I didn't know.
Another thing I've read is that if you're a male who smokes weed or drinks too much, your sperm count is lowered.
This results in many effects including not being able to produce a male baby (Because female sperm is "stronger" and "faster")
Here's an article that talks about it in more detail:
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/pot/a/blub031013.htm
There are more articles like this one out there.
Pot can be taken through a vaporizer so anyone concerned about carcinogens can still get high.
There is little evidence (that is not funded by the US Government) that suggests pot IS addictive.
Actually, according to the Institute of Medicine, fewer than 10% of ALL PEOPLE who even TRY pot ever meet the criteria for a diagnosis of drug dependence.
Also, people being treated for 'pot addiction' are given psychoactive drugs like lithium to combat the so called addiction.
I have been on Lithium. Not pretty.
The truth of the matter is that marijuana is LESS addictive and LESS dangerous than many legal pharmaceutical drugs.
You watch...when pharmaceutical companies find a way to control the manufacturing of pot, it will be legal. It's all about the benjamins.
Sarah got a point about the pharmaceutical companies...
I used to smoke pot...I knew about the cancer, sperm and breathing problems, but didnt know about the man boobs! LOL!! Well i'm not a guy buh still...
It wasnt that adictive cause quiting was relavtivly easy, depite smoking aound a blunt a day for the whole summer...it just got boring and i never used to get as high as i used too, so i decided the ride was over, u know...
Been clean for 6 months now...and sober for 2 months now...(alcohol doesnt fill in for pot that well) LoL
BUT i totaly agree that most people dont really know what they getting into when they try drugs, even if they've been told about the dangers it doesnt ever really sink in thanks to the layer of peer pressure that stops anything real from really sinking in...
perhaps man boobs will get them thinking twice...
LoL!!!
>Iris: Yeah I forgot to mention that about the sperm. It was in the article but it must have shot over my head. Padum pum. Man boobs are pretty disturbing. Knowing them though they would probably just pierce them or put those rings in there to stretch them out.
>Sarah: What percentage of people that you know use cannabis vaporizers, really? A big reason people do this to begin with is to be part of the scene. The in crowd and why they frequently do it in public places and not in the sanctity of their own homes in a dark corner somewhere where the stench wouldn't reach anyone else. Since you mentioned that the US Government funds research that suggests that pot is addictive, are you claiming conspiracy? My question is this, Why? What does the US Government have to gain? Why wouldn't they regulate it and generate revenue if that's what they were after. Besides, I don't think it relevant to disregard research simply because of where the funding came from. Association alone isn't worth a dismissal. If that were the case then I would like to identify where the funding for the other research came from. 10 to 1 says it came from pharmaceutical companies that want to legalize it. So this means we shouldn't ever accept research proof from anyone? Just firsthand experience?
So be it.
I see it happen. I see people. I see friends, I see family. I see kids. Stuck to it. They don't go to work. They brush off accusations of addiction. They borrow money from you. They slur their words. Their thoughts become jumbled. And they can't stop. That is research enough for me.
Institute of Medicine did a test on ALL PEOPLE? This includes the people who it is popular with right? Teenage kids and youth? Or the older folk who need it for medical reasons and wouldn't be ashamed or scared to participate in a survey?
Drugs as an answer are never an answer.
Marijuana MAY be less addictive (I will accept your assumption but I don't believe enough research has led to unquestionable proof that Marijuana is LESS addictive than anything) but the point is that it IS addictive. Less dangerous depends on the specific scenario. Consider the fact that a majority of the people using weed are using it for RECREATIONAL purposes. We are kidding ourselves if we say that isn't true.
I think Marijuana is very dangerous in the hands of children. I think Marijuana is very dangerous in the hands of drivers. I think Marijuana is MORE dangerous now, unregulated, unfiltered and untested then it would be if we had some people or companies that would be held liable for any bad stuff or low quality product.
I am not questioning whether it should be legal or not. I am questioning whether it should be brushed off as insignificant, or non-addictive.
I think it is more dangerous than alcohol by leaps and bounds (or crawls and stumbles) but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be legalized. I don't think there are any circumstances where people who can't drink alcohol should be allowed to smoke Marijuana.
One thing that interests me and kind of leads me to distrust in the opinions of a few people is their defensiveness of the use of drugs. Especially when they have used them which is something I am warning against. People shouldn't take advice from people who do it. These chemicals affect your brain. How can you possibly trust the opinions of someone who has fucked with their brain chemistry with the same drug they are trying to promote.
Some non-US Government data (A recent study in Canada found cannabis smoke contained more toxic substances than tobacco smoke. The study determined that marijuana smoke contained 20 times more ammonia, and five times more hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxides than tobacco smoke.
In an EXTREMELY SIMPLIFIED version of our arguments here we basically say this.
1. There are other ways to intake this barbiturate that greatly reduce or eliminate lung cancer.
2. There is little evidence provided from people you trust that suggest that it is addictive.
3. According to one group of people you do trust only a small group of people who do use this drug meet criteria created by them to be diagnosed as possible addicts.
4. In order to cure marijuana addiction they give you more addictive drugs.
5. Marijuana is addictive but not as bad as other legal drugs.
6. It will be legalized once large corporations start farming it.
My points are simple.
1. I don't care personally whether it is legal or not. It is currently illegal and until it is legalized, should never be used for recreation by any age group.
2. It is addictive. Even if it is a small percentage, there is a chance and people should be aware of it.
3. No minors should EVER use it.
4. It has VASTLY destructive effects to your mental & physical body.
I know it is an unpopular stance. I never expected people to really agree with me, especially since it is so prevalent in today's society but I just wanted to speak my mind.
In a few years you can ask yourself, "What did this people have to gain by getting me to stop doing drugs." Perhaps it will make sense to you then.
>Eizzy: I hope it does get them thinking. Surprisingly, people tend to underestimate the power of peer pressure.
You both have shown some great examples why they refer (insert pun here) to marijuana as a Gateway drug. Eizzy wouldn't get as high as she used to and Sarah showed how people tend to brush it off as a minor thing in comparison to others that are much worse.
There will ALWAYS be something worse and where do you go when you don't get the same effect? It is a gamble. There is a CHANCE you won't get addicted. There is a CHANCE you won't try anything harder. Teenagers are pretty week in their emotional development would you disagree? Is this a time they should be playing this dangerous game?
Whats the worse that could happen? Just drug addiction, lethargic tendencies, reduced cognitive function, lung cancer, the possibility to exacerbate schizophrenia in people already at risk, low sperm count and man boobs. Sound like fun?
"Whats the worse that could happen? Just drug addiction, lethargic tendencies, reduced cognitive function, lung cancer, the possibility to exacerbate schizophrenia in people already at risk, low sperm count and man boobs. Sound like fun?"
NO...but hunderds of thousand do the same things to themselves everyday LEGALLY with prescription drugs and alcohol.
My point is that marijuana is not any more harmful than many substances that Americans and Canadians, and people the world over use and abuse legally everyday.
I think that people who get addicted to pot, will get addicted to anything. Whether it's pot or alcohol or meth.
I think people who use pot as a gateway, would more than likely use heavier drugs regardless of whether they try pot or not. There is a huge step between smoking some grass and injecting heroin into your veins. I have smoked pot for nearly 10 years and never ever ever even though about trying a heavier drug. Not even mushrooms. I don't even take Tylenol for crap's sake.
For the recored, I don't trust ANY sources, just regurgitate them for people who might:)
Oh wait, I see that since I have smoked pot I am a total write off and my opinions mean nothing.
Scratch my above statement.
>Sarah: There will ALWAYS be something worse. You shouldn't ever justify a bad action by how much worse things could be. That just throws you into a downward spiral. Just because its legal doesn't mean its good for you.
"...since I have smoked pot I am a total write off..."
You are referring to this part?
"...leads me to distrust in the opinions of a few people...Especially when they have used them which is something I am warning against."
I am arguing your point about mistrusting government sponsored results because of bias. You said not to trust them because the government sponsored it. Well we can argue the same about people who have used the drugs. I am not saying that YOU are a total write off or even your opinions are a total write off. I am warning people that if they want to try it, they shouldn't ask people who do it.
You don't trust ANY sources but you just choose to quote those that support your opinion? If you don't trust any, then put them on an equal footing and hear them all.
We don't completely understand the human brain, yet we are going to willingly ingest chemicals that affect the way we think and even affect the physical attributes of your brain matter? (alcohol) These drugs change your brain chemistry and affect your judgment. How can someone else trust your judgment if you can't even trust your own?
there is potential for ANYTHING to be addictive, it mostly depends on the individual's tendencies.
I have to agree that inhaling any sort of burning material into the fleshy innards of your lungs is not good for them, but where do you get off saying it is VASTLY destructive? Causes lethargic tendencies? I've never met a pot smoker yet who robbed people, killed someone, prostituted themself, etc, just to get some weed.
Heck, it's probably safer than drinking cola every day.
it also stimulates the economy in that people who get baked tend to go out and buy munchies, or video games or whatever.
When a dangerous substance such as alcohol is legal and even promoted in media, how can people really spend effort condemning pot? and I know trying to make alcohol illegal isn't going to help anything, (prohibition anyone?)
People should be allowed to consume whatever they please provided it doesn't hurt others (alcohol can)
I think the most important thing is that people are aware what they're getting involved with.
I wouldn't say marijuana is a gateway drug EXCEPT for the fact that it is illegal, young people are told lies by paranoid elders telling them to keep away from all sorts of illegal drugs, and then one day they try pot and they're like 'hey, this is pretty soft, they were lying all along' well categorizing marijuana along with heroin and cocaine is probably a main reason that people feel duped when they find out it isn't THAT terrible, and then they figure they've been lied to absolutely so they go and try these other drugs.
Smoking weed isn't going to make anyone think "hey, that was fun, I think next week I'll try meth!"
- a canadian
in response to hektiklyfe:
"I am warning people that if they want to try it, they shouldn't ask people who do it."
well who SHOULD they ask? People who HAVEN'T tried it? What the fuck could they possibly know about it?
>Anonymous: Of course anything can be addictive but it is much more likely that barbiturates like Marijuana will be addictive and they have more dangerous effects than say...movies. I get off saying that it is VASTLY destructive because it is. Smoking alone is VASTLY destructive. It kills. How much more VAST do you want it? Add to that the fact that it alters your brain chemistry and changes your physical body structure. Did you READ the blog?
Yes it causes lethargic tendencies. Have you ever seen a toker when they are all high and not been high yourself? The red eyes, the droopy expression, the slumping, the sitting in the corner?
Just because you haven't met smokers who get as bad as crack addicts doesn't automatically make it good or better. Don't just pick the lesser evil because then you could justify rape with the same logic. "Well, raping an adult is not as bad as raping a child."
You are seriously going to stand by your statement that smoking unfiltered un-purified marijuana is safer than drinking soda? Have you even researched this or are you only justifying it because you do it? Honestly, I'm not trying to offend you because I wouldn't judge you for doing it, I just wouldn't trust your opinion about the topic. You can NOT take the opinion about drug use from a drug user. I've seen many who make up excuses that make sense to them simply to justify their continued habits. A very obvious sign of addiction.
Marijuana stimulates the economy? Are you serious? People who go out and get baked usually spend most of their money on getting baked. People who go out and get baked, often lose their jobs too. How does paying for drugs from a pusher that doesn't pay taxes stimulate the economy. You are really reaching here.
I don't promote ANY drug including alcohol. But, if you had bothered to read the post you would see that I promote the legalization of marijuana so we could tax it and then, truly stimulate the economy. I don't smoke or drink but I recognize people's right to fuck up their lives all they want. Might as well legalize it and tax them as well as get drug dealers off the streets.
If alcohol can hurt others don't you think Marijuana can? People freakin' Hallucinate with weed. What do you think is going to happen when they get behind the wheel?
You make a good point, people SHOULD be aware what they're getting involved with, but you also make the perfect example of showing that people don't really know what they are getting involved with.
One could argue that alcohol is also a gateway drug and many times it is which is why you see so many alcoholics and kids smoking weed. Oh its just beer. Oh its just weed. Oh crap someone laced my joint. Well, it wasn't that bad.
"Young people are told lies by paranoid elders..." You do know that marijuana causes paranoia don't you? Do you see the irony in your statement here?
Think of it this way. What do these "paranoid" elders have to gain by EVERYONE not doing drugs? The common thing for rebellious children to think is that the world is against them trying to keep them from "having fun." Marijuana's paranoia agent feeds on this inner fear and promotes that sentiment that the world is against them and after them. Its the man keeping you down right? Give me a break.
Drugs affect your brain. It can't get any more simple than that. You use the drug and you change your mind. Don't you think that is kind of odd.
I know many, too MANY marijuana smokers and have for years, personally witnessed their decline in both professionalism, cognitive abilities and emotional stability. You get a clearer view without smokey eyes.
"'Smoking weed isn't going to make anyone think 'hey, that was fun, I think next week I'll try meth!'"
Not directly, but meth has now grown tremendously in popularity. This has been know for years. Check out this article from 2004. I know of a few marijuana smokers that have moved to meth, so I would be inclined to disagree with your statement.
It DOES affect you, when people stop denying it, perhaps they will really understand what they are getting into.
>Anonymous: You are implying that people who take a brain altering drug fully understand the side effects? Have you ever met a drug user? How can this possibly make any sense to you. Ask a crack addict if he thinks you should smoke crack and see what he says. As an alcoholic and they will tell you there's nothing wrong with drinking.
What they could possibly know about it is what they have witnessed from outside that little chemically altering room weed smokers are trapped in.
Your logic is broken.
I would argue that clean people would have a lot better background and understanding of the side effects of drugs than the users who have had their brains systematically fucked up by chemicals.
The guy with the lobotomy thinks the world is great.
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