Exposing the Myth of Smoked Medical Marijuana
- Marijuana is an addictive drug1 with significant health consequences to its users and others. Many harmful short-term and long-term problems have been documented with its use:
- The short term effects of marijuana use include: memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety2.
- In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of emergency room mentions of marijuana use. From 1993-2000, the number of emergency room marijuana mentions more than tripled.
- There are also many long-term health consequences of marijuana use. According to the National Institutes of Health, 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.
- Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, including most of the harmful substances found in tobacco smoke. Smoking one marijuana cigarette deposits about four times more tar into the lungs than a filtered tobacco cigarette.
- Harvard University researchers report that the risk of a heart attack is five times higher than usual in the hour after smoking marijuana.3
- Smoking marijuana also weakens the immune system4 and raises the risk of lung infections.5 A Columbia University study found that a control group smoking a single marijuana cigarette every other day for a year had a white-blood-cell count that was 39 percent lower than normal, thus damaging the immune system and making the user far more susceptible to infection and sickness.6
- Users can become dependent on marijuana to the point they must seek treatment to stop abusing it. In 1999, more than 200,000 Americans entered substance abuse treatment primarily for marijuana abuse and dependence.
- More teens are in treatment for marijuana use than for any other drug or for alcohol. Adolescent admissions to substance abuse facilities for marijuana grew from 43 percent of all adolescent admissions in 1994 to 60 percent in 1999.
- Marijuana is much stronger now than it was decades ago. According to data from the Potency Monitoring Project at the University of Mississippi, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of commercial-grade marijuana rose from an average of 3.71 percent in 1985 to an average of 5.57 percent in 1998. The average THC content of U.S. produced sinsemilla increased from 3.2 percent in 1977 to 12.8 percent in 1997.7
Exposing the Myth of Smoked Medical Marijuana
"Marijuana is an addictive drug1 with significant health consequences to its users and others. Many harmful short-term and long-term problems have been documented with its use: "
1. I don't believe this.
I know to omany people in their 40's 50's 60's who still smoke it and there is NO evidence in any of them of health problems
2. I don't believe it is addictive. I know to omany people who STOPPED SMOKING IT cold turkey and NEVER had the urge to go back,,,
how addictive can it be if it is that easy to quit?
3. health problems? the same can be said for tobacco, fatty foods, alcohol.
Yet I'm sure you would consider any legislation outlawing fatty foods, alcohol or tobacco exampes of left wing liberal big government intrusion on our private lives
"The short term effects of marijuana use include: memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety2. "
again
I don't see any of this in the people who smoke it
and
people who drink suffer the same ill effects
if you don't mind these problems in drinkers...
why do you care somuch in pot smokers?
"In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of emergency room mentions of marijuana use. From 1993-2000, the number of emergency room marijuana mentions more than tripled."
I'd have to see some actual stats.
again...I have kown to omany people who smoked (still smoke) pot and none of t hem have ever had to go to the emergency room
and
LOTS of people end up sick or dying because of tobacco
and
LOTS of people end in emergency rooms because of alcohol...
"There are also many long-term health consequences of marijuana use. According to the National Institutes of Health, 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."
again
not sure that I believe this
however
if you don't care that tobacco smokers (or fatty food eaters) get cancer why do you care if pot smokes do?
"Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, including most of the harmful substances found in tobacco smoke. Smoking one marijuana cigarette deposits about four times more tar into the lungs than a filtered tobacco cigarette."
stats?
most people don't smoke a whole joint
as you contend in a few moments pot is much stronger these days so smokers smoke LESS OF IT for the same affect
where-as cigarette smokers tend to smokeLOTS of cigarettes per day
if you think tobacco should be legal and an individuals choice then why not pot?
"Harvard University researchers report that the risk of a heart attack is five times higher than usual in the hour after smoking marijuana"
is this thge same left wing harvard that you despise when they report things you don't beleve in?
again
heart failure....runners die from it
fatty food eaters and fat people die from it
tobacco smokers and alcohol drinkers
are you suggesting criminalizing fatty foods?
tobacco?
alcohol?
"Users can become dependent on marijuana to the point they must seek treatment to stop abusing it. In 1999, more than 200,000 Americans entered substance abuse treatment primarily for marijuana abuse and dependence."
and yet I kow MANY people who USE TO SMOKE it who one day said..."no mas!" and just stopped COLD TURKEY....
"More teens are in treatment for marijuana use than for any other drug or for alcohol. Adolescent admissions to substance abuse facilities for marijuana grew from 43 percent of all adolescent admissions in 1994 to 60 percent in 1999."
I don't recommend teens smoke pot OR tobacco OR drink alcohol until they reach adulthood
"Marijuana is much stronger now than it was decades ago. According to data from the Potency Monitoring Project at the University of Mississippi, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of commercial-grade marijuana rose from an average of 3.71 percent in 1985 to an average of 5.57 percent in 1998. The average THC content of U.S. produced sinsemilla increased from 3.2 percent in 1977 to 12.8 percent in 1997.7 "
which is great because now a little bit goes a LONG way....
I don't smoke it as much as I use to when I was in my 20's and 30's because I can't get it where I live.
occasionally a friend will visit with some and I find 2 hits off the pipe is all I need...
and I only smoke it (these days) 3 or 4 times a year.
if it were legal and I could get it over the counter I would definitely smoke it more often