Marijuana Sucks: Here Is Why, Part 1

It is my experience that no group of drug users more staunchly and irrationally defends the use of their drug of choice than marijuana users.

In fact, based on past experience I will get a lot of ranting rebuttals to my stand against marijuana. It is not a friendly, benign ‘soft’ drug

The facts are the more you use…the worse it gets.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has reported that marijuana can be harmful both from immediate effects and damage to health over time.

Specifically…

1. Multiple studies have shown that marijuana can hinder the users’ short term memory and ability to handle difficult tasks (Schwartz et al. 1989). Students may find it difficult to study and learn.

While many of the long-term effects of marijuana use are not yet known, studies have shown that:

2. Daily marijuana smokers who did not use tobacco had more sick days and doctor visits for respiratory problems than a similar group who did not smoke either substance. A person who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have (Tashkin et al. 1987).

Other studies have shown that:

3. The regular use of marijuana may play a role in cancer and problems of the respiratory, immune and reproductive systems. Heavy marijuana use can affect hormones in both males and females.

4. 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.

5. Because of the drug’s effects on perceptions and reaction time, users could be involved in automobile accidents (NIDA 1995). According to the 1996 NHSDA, nearly one million 16-18 year olds (11 percent) reported driving at least once within two hours of using an illicit drug in the past year (most often marijuana) (SAMHSA 1998).

Although it is not yet known how the use of marijuana relates to mental illness, some scientists maintain that regular marijuana use can lead to chronic anxiety, personality disturbances, and depression (NIDA 1995). Some frequent long-term marijuana users show signs of lack of motivation and tend to perform poorly in school (Pope 1996). A recent study demonstrated similarities between marijuana’s effect on the brain and those produced by such addictive drugs as cocaine, heroin, alcohol, and nicotine (Volkow 1996).

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I usually try to add some extra related posts. Using some custom software I own I searched the net for the 50 most recent posts on the keyword ‘marijuana’. Every single on was about legalizing it, growing it or ‘pro’ use. Not one of 50 postawas about harm or dangers. A sign of the times

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