i feel really emo

[Dascoo]

Marijuana is illegal for a stupid reason... Cigarettes are more harmfull to your body and they are legal in (i think) all countries.�  Alcohol is at least 100 times more harmful to your body than weed and its legal.

Actually Marijuana does just as much, if not more damage to your body. Smoking it that is. I used to think it wasn't as bad as other drugs...until I saw some video.

Yeah I learned that in health class.

[Wraithlike]

The difference between Marijuana and Cigarettes, and the source of all the conflict is that there are numerous medicinal uses for marijuana.

[VijchtiDoodah]

Eh, sorry for mentioning drugs and turning this topic into one about them, but since Mistercharles' problem is solved, let's have at it.

Actually Marijuana does just as much, if not more damage to your body. Smoking it that is. I used to think it wasn't as bad as other drugs...until I saw some video.

Yeah I learned that in health class.

Marijuana does not do as much damage as cigarettes when smoked, although it varies depending on how it is smoked.  The main contributing factor is the cancer rate in individuals who smoke.  With cigarettes, the more you smoke, the more likely it is that you'll get cancer (I believe it's an exponential correlation up to about 40 cigarettes per day, at which point it begins to level off...you could probably find a graph somewhere).  Smoking marijuana, on the other hand, increases the risk of getting cancer slightly (or, according to some studies, not at all), but at the same amount whether you smoke once a week or four times a day.  In other words, there is a potential inherent risk, but it doesn't increase the same way cigarette smoking does and is at a lower rate than any cigarette smoking.  This is believed to be due to the cancer-fighting effects of certain chemicals in marijuana.

Among other ailments, smoking marijuana is still preferable over smoking cigarettes -- however, that doesn't mean it's harmless.  Again, this depends on how you smoke it.  Smoking out of a bong is, by far, the worst because water filters out more THC to tar, so you end up smoking more to get high, while smoking out of a vaporizer is the best since it allows the material to subliminate without actually combusting.  Gravity bongs, joints, and other methods lie somewhere in between.  This information is mostly shoddy memory, though.  NORML probably has a nice chart somewhere.

However, there can be no comparison against ingesting marijuana, since there are no adverse health effects and there is solid proof of lasting benefits.  Thus, it can be said that, taken the right way, marijuana is completely harmless.

[Didimow]

Forums = not the place to share.

...

[Pred]

I'm not standing by and watching people try to defend drugs.

They are for losers. If you take drugs you are a dolt. Simple as.

[a-4-year-old]

here are some long term affects of smoking marijuana, keep in mind medical information constantly changes based on different tests and is often questioned, but I found this in a few places.

Also, marijuana increases your heart rate quicker then cigarettes.

    *  Cancer - It's hard to know for sure whether regular marijuana use causes cancer. But is known that marijuana smoke contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco smoke. 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.
    * Lungs and airways - People who smoke marijuana often tend to develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have. They suffer frequent coughing, phlegm production, and wheezing, and they tend to have more chest colds than non-users.
    * Immune system - Animal studies have found that THC can damage the cells and tissues that help protect people from disease.
    * Reproductive system - Heavy use of marijuana can affect both male and female hormones. Young men could have delayed puberty because of THC effects. Young women may find the drug disturbs their monthly cycle.

[VijchtiDoodah]

Keep in mind that the amount of carcinogenic chemicals does not necessarily correlate to the likelihood of growing a tumor.  This is, in fact, the case with marijuana in which there might be an increased cancer rate (though at least one large-scale study comes to the conclusion that there is no increased risk of cancer), despite the numbers of carcinogenic chemicals.

Your point about the pulmonary system is almost correct except in the cases of emphysema and COPD, which marijuana users rarely suffer from, and the fact that smoking marijuana is about five times less harmful than cigarettes by quantity (that is, it would take more than five joints to equal the damage done by one cigarette). 

Though I've never heard of it affecting the immune system in any way other than dissolving into a leukocyte's cell membrane and potentially hindering that cell's performance.  To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any extensive studies into marijuana's effects on the immune system, so I'd enjoy it if you could provide me with some to read.

Studies into its effects on the reproductive system are usually contradictory, though there is a slight amount of evidence that, if it has any effects at all, humans may be able to build up a tolerance to any ill effects.

[rfreak]

And if it is consume alot before 18 year hold a lot more risk of being schizophrenic it's the same for cigarettes so don't smoke!

[SirJamesaford]

And if it is consume alot before 18 year hold a lot more risk of being schizophrenic it's the same for cigarettes so don't smoke!

I'd like to see proof of that sir...

[PANZERCATWAGON]

However, there can be no comparison against ingesting marijuana, since there are no adverse health effects and there is solid proof of lasting benefits. Thus, it can be said that, taken the right way, marijuana is completely harmless.

Yeah, but who the fuck wants to eat it? Unless you have the time and patience to make cannabutter or some other shit.

[SirJamesaford]

You can bake weed in cake mix and brownie mix... stuff like that... it gets you high just the same.

[rfreak]

The proof is on T.V in a documentary. But maybe if you google it you will find the info. 

[PANZERCATWAGON]

You can bake weed in cake mix and brownie mix... stuff like that... it gets you high just the same.

Exactly.

[SirJamesaford]

The proof is on T.V in a documentary. But maybe if you google it you will find the info.

LOL ok man... i suppose since its on T.V. its true... smoking causing schizophrenia. � I dont care if god himself told me that i'd say he was lying

Date Posted: June 30, 2007, 07:00:32 PM

You can bake weed in cake mix and brownie mix... stuff like that... it gets you high just the same.

Exactly.

If what vijcht said is true then that means this would be an easy way to dodge cancer...

[Blue-ninja]

My mom suggests you take an anti-deppressant pill or talk to a school counselor, or a hired counselor, if school's out already.

[SirJamesaford]

Anti-depressants sometimes have an adverse effect.  Your young mistercharles so the best advice to you is to wait it out for a while.

[Blue-ninja]

Actually, there are some medicines that are safe for both adults and teens. Just not children...

[SirJamesaford]

Yes i know... but some anti-depressants make whoever takes them feel more depressed... It just depends on your chemical structure... it does not discriminate between age.

[VijchtiDoodah]

My mom suggests you take an anti-deppressant pill or talk to a school counselor, or a hired counselor, if school's out already.

Don't go suggesting things like that.  See a psychiatrist if you feel you need anti-depressants and let them decide if it's appropriate.

However, there can be no comparison against ingesting marijuana, since there are no adverse health effects and there is solid proof of lasting benefits. Thus, it can be said that, taken the right way, marijuana is completely harmless.

Yeah, but who the **** wants to eat it? Unless you have the time and patience to make cannabutter or some other ****.

Keeping your lungs in perfect condition should be enough of a reason to eat it, but there are a few other benefits as well. 

For example, eating it is much more efficient than smoking it (since virtually all elements enter your body as opposed to being blown away when you exhale).  Thus, you are able to experience the same high you would while smoking, but while using less marijuana.  This is one of the best ways to save money if you smoke often.

Also, the high lasts longer and is more intense than smoking allows (which, I admit, can be a drawback depending on how you intend to use it).  Again, saving money and marijuana, with the added benefit of a different experience (for many people, eating it as opposed to smoking it produces very different results).

The only negative aspects I can think of are that it takes longer to get high, meaning that you have to wait and be aware of the proper dosage, and that you lose the benefit smoking imbibes upon asthmatics (there is quite a bit of anecdotal and some experimental evidence that smoking marijuana actually helps asthmatics breathe better and may completely stop asthma attacks by cleansing the bronchial tubes).

[PANZERCATWAGON]

Yeah I suppose all of that is reasonable. Well then it's a matter of personal taste I guess.

I don't think most people that do weed care much about things as trivial as lung preservation. Almost like not brushing your teeth.

Eurgh.