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January 10th, 2012
05:11 PM ET
Study: Occasional pot smoking not as damaging as cigarettesScience has shown the dangers of cigarette smoking on lungs– smoking undermines lung function, causes lung cancer and long-term breathing problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But what about smoking marijuana? Researchers sought to determine whether exposure to marijuana smoke, which contains many of the same components in cigarette smoke, would also show negative effects on lung function. They were surprised to find that subjects who occasionally smoked pot – meaning two to three times per month – did not show the same reduced lung function that was seen in cigarette smoking. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Participants from Oakland, Chicago, Minneapolis and Birmingham were repeatedly measured for pulmonary function, height, smoking behavior, and waist circumference and asked about cigarette and marijuana smoking during each assessment. “There are well known effects of tobacco on pulmonary function and we thought, going into this, that we would find similar types of effects for marijuana,” said lead study author Dr. Mark J. Pletcher of the University of California, San Francisco. As expected, his team found among cigarette smokers, the more smoke a subject was exposed to, the more adverse effects they had in lung function. Lung function was measured with spirometry testing, which shows the amount of air a person can forcibly exhale, giving doctors a measure of how well the lungs are functioning. But Pletcher notes that his team was surprised to find that subjects who smoked limited amounts of marijuana actually were able to blow large volumes of air into the spirometer. “People who smoke marijuana inhale very deeply, which may strengthen the muscles used for inhalation – basically making them good at the test. So even though it’s a very statistically significant result, it probably doesn’t have any physiologic meaning in terms of function,” he explained. Subjects who smoked larger amounts of marijuana, which Pletcher described as smoking one joint per day, did show evidence of reduced pulmonary function, and he stressed that his study results are not intended to encourage people to use marijuana. However, for patients for whom medical marijuana may be a treatment option, the authors write that "marijuana may have beneficial effects on pain control, appetite, mood, and management of other chronic symptoms. Our findings suggest that occasional use of marijuana for these or other purposes may not be associated with adverse consequences on pulmonary function. It is much more difficult to estimate the potential effects of regular heavy use... our findings do suggest an accelerated decline in pulmonary function with heavy use." It’s important to note that the findings of this study are not meant to encourage marijuana smoking, nor did the study examine other known negative effects of marijuana use, which include problems with memory, concentration and perception. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Long term use of marijuana can lead to addiction, and chronic marijuana use is associated with mental health problems including anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that when marijuana use begins at a younger age, it may increase mental health problems, including psychosis, according to NIDA.
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Where does the statement "Long term use can lead to addiciton" come from? Where is the studt that proves that?
Oh, wait, what where we talking about? Oh yeah. Are you hungry?
*rolls eyes* yeeaaahh good one.
There is no doubt that there is the potential for a psychological addiction to pot. Kids can walk around with worn out shoes and clothes saying they don't have the money for new ones, but they always have a fresh bag of green bud. But it isn't physiological like other drugs; even legal drugs like cigarettes and alcohol carry the likelihood of physiological dependence.
Steve...While what you say is true, psychological dependence on anything is possible.
As far as the article goes...Of course putting smoke in your lungs is bad. If you need a study to tell you that then your not bright. Still should be legal as it does not pose any threat to the nation. In fact the war on weed is costing tax payers millions and the root of crimes....Legalize all drugs an you take away a HUGE revenue for gangs/mobs and hoodlums.
Way to make a generalizing statement there buddy. I stopped smoking weed a few months ago because I was cutting back on luxuries including going to movies, eating at restaurants, etc. Of course kids do without basic necessities to smoke pot! Because they are immature. The two don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. It's true that pot could be the start to the end of someone's good life but the fact would be that it would have happened anyway, whether or not marijuana existed. You want to talk about the real gateway drug? Look at cigarettes and alcohol first. That is ALWAYS where it starts...
I was wondering the same thing about the comment on addiction. I think they should have probably specified. Of course studies have shown that "even legal drugs like cigarettes and alcohol carry the likelihood of physiological dependence." Physiological and Psychological. But for marijuana, they have done studies and it is NOT physiologically addictive, but possibly, and most likely, psychologically addictive as anything that is enjoyable to a person has the potential to be. The comment about going with worn out shoes and clothes is ridiculous as an argument for addiction. I haven't really bought new clothes in a few years, just because I don't need any...or want any. Does that make me an addict to the things I choose to spend money on? No.
It is a FACT that 9% of people who smoke marijuana become addicted to it.
@Evan, could you cite that please?
True that, that was a BS comment added at the end for no apparent reason, besides the media just throwing their opinion into the ring. I can't believe they would say that, that is so irresponsible.
As you read the study sentences increasingly end with the word "man" and begin with the word "wow".
it is a "FACT" people are addicted to coffee and chocolate, too. That argument actually holds very little weight.
Caffeine – Shall we look up it's addictive potential as well? Since we want to simply base opinions on the addictive quality of an item.. Perhaps T.V. or forum use can also be investigated?
Can't tell if evan is trolling or making things up...
You know there are other alternatives to actually lighting up and inhaling the smoke. You can smoke it, you can steep it in a cup and drink it, you can heat up and inhale the vapors, it's very versatile.
You can also eat it.
actually, I believe THC is not water soluble. However it is fat soluble.
...and shove it up your butt
However to get the effect of it it has to be cooked in fat so butter or oil...tea doesn't work as thc is not soluble in water only fat...in order to activate all the goodness it have to be with fat 🙂
I'd like to see tobacco smokers try that!!!!!
oh tea works wonderfully as long as there's some milk or something with fat enough to absorb the thc.
also soluble in alcohol...mmmmm you can infuse it with vodka...works wonders
finished 2 marathons high . I don't drink,don't smoke (tobacco) ,never had a McDonalds or any similar junk food:) .. living very healthy ,extremely active life ... I started smoking weed when i was 17 (now 35) . absolutely no health or mental problems.
just my 2 cents ...
Your sentence structure is sure lacking though. Periods go directly after the last word. Not one space after.
Are you sure you dont have any mental health issues....Sure you do Pot Head, just to high to realize it.
Shut up Phil – if all you have to contribute is correcting someone's grammar then go back to school to be an English teacher and do it there. I can't stand when people do that unless it pertains to the context of the person's post.
thanks i agree with you and so do a lot of people Legalize Marijuana?
why not for the people 21 and over
omg I can't believe that the argument has come down to people insulting each other just because they don't have the mental capacity to have an actually debate about the issue......and people wonder why the rest of the world thinks Americans are stupid! Oh I can argue with like an adult so I'm going to call you names *stomps feet like child* ...ya cause thats theh America we want to portray!
Actually, I already am an English teacher.
@Phil – that explains it. But...it is annoying. No one cares on the internet, really. I mean, I appreciate grammar as much as the next guy, but no one is going to see your comment and completely change the way they type just to satisfy someone they have never met. And besides, you can clearly understand the point he is trying to get across. When it gets to the point that you can't, sure. Jump in.
While we're on the subject of grammar, Phil's original post is technically incorrect. "Not one space after" is a fragment, and therefore a comma would have been more appropriate to connect the two ideas. I'm not an English teacher, but I do smoke a lot of pot. If you're going to debase the credibility of somebody's idea by pointing out a flaw in their grammar, at least make sure yours is correct too 🙂
It's well past time to legalize pot. RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris could easily put the Mexican cartels out of half of their business, and it's obviously no more dangerous than alcohol, and perhaps less.
Too many people making bank off it being illegal still.
I don't think that most people would go for full legalization. Too many have bought into the negative propaganda that the government and others have been spewing for decades. I'd just like to see decriminalization and legitimate medical research. It should be OK to get a prescription and grow your own, for example. Once the benefits and risks (such as lung problems) are fully understood, then perhaps legalization.
If they did legalize it the tobacco companies would not make that much money off of it. otherwise it would have been done long ago. The problem with pot is you dont need to refine it or add things to it. you just grow it, dry it and smoke it. If they legalize most users would just grow their own.
For crying-out-loud just legalize this plant of nature.
The whole myth about marijuana has been completely busted.
The human race has used marijuana for thousands of different purposes for the past hundred thousand years.
That is until 1934 when some government genius got the bright idea that they could use marijuana prohibition as a way to discriminate against minorities.
LEGALIZE AND TAX NOW !!
.
Wow, you couldnt be more wrong with that statement. The only reason why pot is illegal is because back in pre-1935 we the US was making everything out of hemp, rope, sachels, clothing, bags, almost everything used for the military was hemp and then a company called Dupont invented a new fabric called nylon and they spent millions of dollars lobbying the gov't about the evils of marijuana and how it makes people crazy and that smoking too much of it will kill people so in turn they passed a law saying that it was illegal which in turn made the use of hemp illegal which made it convenient for Dupont to step in with new Gov't contracts to produce military clothing made with nylon.
i agree it's way pass the time we all know it legalize now we are going to do it here in Mich
Actually, the real push was by the Rockefellers to outlaw marijuana as they had a significant monopoly on prescription narcotics. It didn't help that Hearst's timber-based paper empire was threatened by the production of hemp. Racism was just a tactic they took advantage of to deflect from their true motivations.
Similarly, it's interesting to see how enormous Prohibition was in helping to cause the Great Depression. Alcohol was used for a great number of things beyond simple consumption. Oil companies used a morals-based push to insure that alcohol production was greatly limited and its use as a fuel source severely diminished.
You are actually both right....the first was making a generalized statement about that time but it wasn't just Nylon....it was Big Paper...Big Oil....and other big industries that saw the potential use for hemp and came together to lobby for its prohibition...many people don't know that farmers were actually paid to grow hemp as it was so beneficial to our way of life, being able to be made into over 25,000 different products.
joeytoes, try researching Harry J. Anslinger and the FBN.
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joeytoes: Actually, the poster is right. Go look up Harry Anslinger's addresses to Congress at that time. They are rife with references to black people and Mexicans corrupting our white women and children...sort of like the immigration debate now.
Dupont had some influence, but it was Anslinger's anti-migrant-worker stance that got the resin ball rolling.
The funny thing is, pot has been so carefully cultivated, selectively bred, etc. that it has very little similarity to traditional hemp anymore. So at a minimum, hemp should be legalized. My great-grandparents grew hemp for (primarily) the government, especially during World War II when rope, etc was in high demand. Occasionally you'll still find a stray plant growing here and there on the farm. I've heard of people trying to smoke it, and basically they said you can smoke it all day with very little effect. Also, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if someone could do a little genetics work and eliminate the thc from hemp altogether. It is an amazingly renewable resource that has a huge variety of uses. It could help not only our environment, but our economy as well. Have you noticed how thin all the t-shirts and similar cotton products are in the stores lately? It's not because they're trying to look old/vintage/cool/etc. It's because the cost of cotton has sky-rocketed, and the manufacturers are making products thinner to keep the retail price down. Hemp could be used instead, and it can be grown in more areas of the U.S. than cotton.
Yeah I think it's a little strong to say "You couldn't be more wrong with that statement. The reason it was made illegal may have been a mixture between the Rockefeller and Paper Industry stories even though the latter is more publicized. Either way, I wouldn't say that discrimination was the sole purpose behind making it illegal. I would say it was more of a WAY to make it illegal due to the high level of prejudice present at the time. They were saying, "Make this illegal BECAUSE black people and hispanics use it and become violent!" Scare tactic. Ever heard of the movie Reefer Madness?
You are all wrong. The only reason it's illegal is because you can grow it in your backyard. If you can grow it yourself, then there is no profit to be made by government.
@Phil. Seriously? You can grow tomatoes in your back yard. You can grow corn in your back yard. You can grow tobacco in your back yard. You can even make moonshine/alcohol in your back yard or your house. Why aren't any of these things illegal if it takes the governments ability to profit off of it. Not to mention the millions the government is then SPENDING on enforcement of drug laws and how much you as a tax payer are spending to incarcerate people for possession instead of rehabilitating. Ignorant.
PHIL
wow I feel bad for your students they must have so much false information given to them....you were right that the government can't make a profit on it but it is illegal because the paper companies and oil companies saw that hemp was poised to replace them....they paid the government officials off in the usual ways (such as we see with pharmaceuticals and their lobbyists paying of government to endorse or allow drugs they want through) to make it illegal cause they felt threatened.....this is common knowledge in history books....but it is in the US where text books seem to leave out key historical points and not give you the full story.....also being an english teacher doesn't make you an expert on anything....you are commenting up and down on medical things yet you are not a medical professional....you comment on political and historical issues nor are you a politician or historian!....stick to correcting grammar and spelling and leave the real debate to the intelligent people who actually know what they are talking about....
I'm a medical professional and my boyfriend is sitting beside me in this discussion and he is a historian so we can address certain issues ....you cannot!
I welcome open discussions like this cause it starts the conversation...however when people like you go on here and fill it with lies and inaccuracies it not only makes you look ridiculous it just puts back the truth further and people deserve to have the truth told to them not media spin and frightened propaganda!
One last point....back then black people and mexican people were the majority of pot-smokers in America....you can see how the white politicians felt about their white citizens partaking in this substance when racism was so prevalent. Just think of those rich fat-cat white politicians sitting at home and they find that their pure white daughter is smoking weed ...something that those damn [n-words] are doing! Of course there was an uproar.
It was seen as a way of mixing people and the powers that be didn't want their people mixing with other races. This and the factors above made it illegal.
The reason it stays illegal is that there is too much money in keeping it that way..... lobbyist against it get paid to fight it....politicians get subsidies and campaign money.... prison makers get money to make more prisons to hold pot offenders..... prison guard unions have a strong lobby in Washington to keep the laws so they can keep their jobs at the prisons they built.... rehab centers are built to house the underage offenders who were told you admit to being addicted and go to rehab or we send you to jail (which would you pick?).......
I love how no one realizes how many jobs could be created (in this no-job economy) growing, taxing, ditributing etc. of legal weed and hemp products.....when a product can make over 25,000 different products thats over 25,000 different factories to make the products and jobs to go with it....including fuel which would stop the need for foreign oil
Cannabis cures cancer. Watch the video by Rick Simpson on youtube called "Run from the Cure" The scientific proof is out there. Cannabis smokers have an equal or less chance of getting cancer from smoking Cannabis.
yes we cannabis we are lucky enough for the good people here in Michigan to use it medically but the courts wont let us use it as a defense and tell the jury that we have cards
how is that a fair trial
Cannibas does NOT cure cancer. Please do not stretch the truth. While it is of great use to those suffering from cancer as both a form of pain relief and to stimulate hunger, it unfortunately does not cure it.
Another "pot's okay for everyone all the time because casual users don't suffer too much" story, which also says "daily users DO suffer lung problems". But the latter is not the headline they wanted.
Most people I know who smoke pot are daily users. A very few smoke only at parties, maybe once per week and a joint at a time. But those daily users are going about their lives relatively high, driving their kids to school, working at their jobs.
The real danger is the effect on the cannabinoid systems in the body, not the effect of the smoke as a physical danger.
And what precisely are the adverse effects of the cannabanoids (based on scientific research of course)?
I'm sorry hun but what you've said is simply untrue...the effect of cannabinoids on the body are harmless as they 1)do not last longer than an hour 2)we are born with receptors for cannabinoids 3) and if they were so damaging they would not give it to cancer patients. Most cancer patients especially on chemo have to be kept away from all dangers such as harsh medicine and sicknesses...why would doctors then give weed to them if it was harmful to the body.
I smoke weed all day... everyday.... for 10 years..... I have never had so much as a cold.....no gastrointestinal issues....no cardiovascular issue..... no cognitive issues...... no nothing..... all while finishing a medical degree.....this is true for ever person I know (which is a lot)!
Unless you have medical studies to back you up don't make statements in which you know nothing about
". But those daily users are going about their lives relatively high, driving their kids to school, working at their jobs."
I smoke everyday and dont go to work high...fail
TIMMY
I didn't argue that....i argued with his last statement that cannabinoids are harmful.....they are not
@Mallory, I believe he was quoting "rh", unless you are that person.
@timmy – not sure what you mean by fail. If you smoke everyday, why NOT smoke at work? lol. Not like it's really going to increase your chances of failing a drug test if you're an everyday user. And most people that smoke everyday have built up a tolerance and can be "functionally high".
oops thanks oldgreg...I apologize Timmy....then I agree with Timmy I smoke everyday and I don't go to work high nor would I drive children high!
I would almost think you'd have to be high to deal with raising children...haha kidding, but seriously.
As far as smoking/being high at work, I could see how being a "medical professional" would be a good job NOT to smoke before. haha. But I know many people who go to work high (we're not talking completely stoned) and do just as good of a job if not better than others. For instance, I used to work in customer service...call center. See how long you can have patience in that job without smoking weed. haha.
Cannabis cures cancer. Watch the video by Rick Simpson on youtube called "Run from the Cure" The scientific proof is out there. Cannabis smokers have an equal or less chance of getting cancer from smoking Cannabis than people who dont smoke at all, according to Dr. Donald Tashkin.
The National Cancer Society did a study that shows CBD (found in marijuana) can stop the growth and even destroy cancer cells.
it also prevents alzheimers! read the study online 🙂
This is a useless finding............no one smokes cigarettes 3 times a month..........the average smoker smokes 10-15 cigarettes a week......... a realistic comparison would be apples to apples against people who smoke week every day
The average smoker smokes at least 10 a day. That would be 70 a week. Most people smoke one pack (20) a day.
Average pot smoker smokes 10 joints a day!!!! Jesus, that must be some poop!!! I consider myself a heavy weed smoker. I get some of the finest. I also smoke maybe 4-5 a day. Stop making up statistics as you go along Phil! You must not have a life...
@bczu – he was talking about cigarettes. 10 cigarettes. I would have to agree, it's at least 10 a day, not 10-15 a week for the average smoker.
thats the problem...you cant compare apples to apples when talking about pot and cigs. Cig smokers smoke alot more than pot smokers do. Ill take 3-4 hits and be buzzed for 3 hours while i know people who will smoke 3-4 cigarettes in the same time frame
I agree, smoking cigarettes just takes more which means it will always be more dangerous. More smoke = more risk. Most pot smokers do not smoke chronically, or enough to make a comparison. Only about 2% of smokers become habitual, everyday smokers. But I would say, having been "one of the 2%" at one time in my life that it most likely does have some of the same negative effects on your lungs with prolonged, every day/all day use. But again, that affects such a small percentage of the population that it really doesn't have that big of an impact.
I smoke pot since I was 22 now 42. Had physical for insurance purposes & marked non tobacco user on the medical form (cheaper) doc checked my lung function & just said "good", 20 years of smoking cigs would've been a whole different story.
Just watched this report on CNN and I'm a little outraged at the 'expert' or rather just the medical correspondent and what she said regarding this study. Here we have finally had a study reported on that has stated truth about cannabis smoking and at the end she states pure LIES!!!! I am a medical professional not 'a medical correspondent' so let me educated you on what happened and the truth.... Their 'medical' reporter states that a study found that moderate pot smoking cause no lung damage, perhaps thinking that the report was to lax on pot that she had to throw in speculation at the end to make sure we still scare people away from smoking marijuana.
This reporter said that weed smokers are more likely impaired cognitive functioning, and psychosis end the sentence with "your lungs will be fine but you'll be psycotic!" This is a complete LIE! the cognitive functioning is only at the point you are smoking and not anytime other than that. Your cognitive function is slowed, and the slowing is not significant, especially for those who have been smoking for years; after the weed is through your system (roughly an hour) your cognitive functioning is returned to normal. This has been brought up for decades as the 'go to' argument for pot and the same study from (I believe so don't quote me) the 50's that tested monkeys and found that weed kills brain cells. That study has since been refuted as false. What most people don't know is that the monkeys tested were forced to inhale the equivalent of 1000 joints through a gas mask without additional oxygen, just pure smoke, for 5 minutes. As we all know the brain can only survive 4 minutes without oxygen so the researchers suffocated the monkeys and that turn around and say "see it cause brain damage!" when in fact the damage was caused by lack of oxygen not the weed smoke.
The psychotic comment is ridiculous as psychosis only happens if you are pre-disposed to psychosis... For example schizophrenia usually arrives between 17-20 for people. People who smoke weed will make that psychosis come forward sooner than it would normally (for instance if someone started at 15 it would surface than rather than lay dormant).
I must iterate this strongly IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ISSUE OF PSYCHOSIS ALREADY WEED WILL NOT CAUSE IT!!!!
Finally the reporter also stated that in the cases that showed weed improved lung function it can't be attributed to the weed itself (even though that's not what the study was saying), that it is only the deep breathing that is beneficial and by that logic it is like doing yoga for your lungs. This is also a LIE!!!!! Heres where my Medical Degree comes in.... in all our bodies we have cannabinoid receptors... that is sort of like a hole for a puzzle piece that has specific agents that attach to that site and cause an effect on the body. We are born with receptors for cannabinoids such as THC (the active substance in weed). When cannabinoids attach to their receptors there is a relaxing or dilating effect to the blood vessels which causes the lungs to open up. It is not simply breathing deep as the CNN reporter would like you to believe it is actually the 'medicine' in cannabis that opens the lungs and allows for easier breathing. In my experience I have seen numerous people who have been struggling to breath and have to use inhalers for asthma, after a week of smoking weed they were able to give up their inhalers and breath easy. So you can't say that it was just deep breathing that caused that or else the medical treatment for asthma wouldn't be heavy steroids, it would be deep breathing, however we all know that is not possible as people would die from airway closures.
They would have the public believe these off the hand comments made by their uneducated reporters on this issue, and all I can say is don't follow blindly, take the news at face value, nor believe everything you hear as there will always be biases dripping from every corner of their argument.
Thanks for solid info!
Bravo, and thank you for sharing this very educated, factual response to the article. Very much appreciated.
Mallory, thank you for you incite in this matter. My son (16) has smoked and wants to continue. I suggested this was not a good idea. He has had problems sleeping since he was born and still does. He says when he gets up in the morning for school that is he tired and can not focus on school. I really don't know what to tell him. I am on the edge.
I'm sorry hun but what you've said is simply untrue...the effect of cannabinoids on the body are harmless as they 1)do not last longer than an hour 2)we are born with receptors for cannabinoids 3) and if they were so damaging they would not give it to cancer patients. Most cancer patients especially on chemo have to be kept away from all dangers such as harsh medicine and sicknesses...why would doctors then give weed to them if it was harmful to the body.
I smoke weed all day... everyday.... for 10 years..... I have never had so much as a cold.....no gastrointestinal issues....no cardiovascular issue..... no cognitive issues...... no nothing..... all while finishing a medical degree.....this is true for ever person I know (which is a lot)!
Unless you have medical studies to back you up don't make statements in which you know nothing about
thank you
Mother with Questions: Moderate to heavy use by a teenager is a bad idea. Their brains are going through a transformational process in which they are building tons of new neural pathways. Overuse of any psychoactive substance could impair this growth.
Try to see a healthcare professional about his sleep problems, if you haven't already. If it's possible, try to get referred to a specialist–I know it's not always possible. They will have suggestions for non-drug ways for people to sleep better–sleep hygiene is important. Some techniques might be having the same wake-up time every day (even on weekends), no TV or computer within an hour of bedtime, build a nightly routine (brush teeth, read for 20 minutes, lights out), and other ideas. They may not work for your son, but it's a place to start.
If that doesn't help, some people have found valerian root to be helpful–find it in the supplement aisle at the drugstore. But do your research with it first–check for what side effects it can cause. The problem with these natural supplements is that most are not thoroughly tested and researched, and what is sold may not be a 'standard' dose. That said, I've used it and it's worked for me sometimes.
Good luck.
TO MOTER WITH A QUESTION
I do believe that 16 is a little young as the brain develops til about 18.... unfortunately kids will do what they want until they experience issues and learn themselves....as much as you want to prepare him we can't live his experiences for him..... I know quite a few people with the same issue, they actually use weed to get to sleep as when you wake up its already done affecting you and you are clear again......however I know people who wake up groggy too, but never as bad as what I see when someone tries to wake up after taking sleeping pills. This is a hard situation as if he's using it to sleep and finding he can't concentrate in the morning he should definitely stop until his brain can grow a bit more (thats why I advocate legalizing for adults) but I would look at if there is something else going on......this is the time when many mental health issues surface as puberty is at its height. If you can you could find a University near you that does sleep studies and they could helpp you determine the issues that might be going on while he's sleeping or how he sleeps that might contribute.
Sorry I can't be more help its very hard to say but he should cut it out until you know if in fact it was the cause or if its something else....but if he continues to smoke any doctor will write it off as the weed....what you have to do is get him to stop to make sure its not something else first. If it is something else maybe you will feel better about his use later in life as an adult which is what I want to see.
Finally kids that age also are immature to most of the workings of the world and can go overboard with their use of things...what I would be curious to see is if he's doing the amount he tells you he is or if its much more or if he's doing just weed? it could be another drug or alcohol that is doing that to him and you are just not aware
good luck
bobandtorey
that was my comment don't copy and paste things I've said to others and use it was your own please
Hi, Mallory
I'm certainly not trying to dispute what you've posted, but could you give references for some of the info you've posted? I'd like to know more about the monkey study, for example. I'd like to arm myself with info. I have chronic back pain and seek relief via alcohol, which works, but is probably killing me bit by bit. Thanks for your insight.
This is not a health issue, it is a money issue period, end of story. The government makes untold profits from marijuana being illegal and if they were to legalize it there are many people who would no longer benefit financially from it being illegal. Should it be legal, yes, absolutely it should be a freedom of choice issue. I feel that all restrictions on Marijuana should be removed, let people grow it, smoke it and share it, but again there is no money in it and there in lies what this is really all about.
Agreed. It's all about the Benjamins.
If they tested tobacco smokers who only smoke 2-3 cigarettes a month their study would probably result in the same statistics as the occasional weed smoker. Problem is few tobacco smokers, if any, smoke 2-3 cigarettes a month. I believe most weed smokers smoke far more than 2-3 joints a month.
the problem here is that cig smokers smoke 10-15 a day, most more. Pot smokers dont inhale nearly as much smoke, even over the course of a month, even when smoking heavily. You've obviously never smoked. 3-4 hits will keep most high for a few hours while most cig smokers could easily smoke 3-4 cigs in the same time period.
It's about time that we get away from the "Reefer Madness" propaganda, and finally llegalize it. It's more destructive, dangerous, time and money consuming keeping it illegal. It's just a plant!
This is totally true when you throw billions of dollars to indoctrinate your citizens you can't be surprised when it works! I just feel so bad for all those non-pot smokers who are so against us when they don't know what they are missing ...what an awesoem way of life we have 🙂
Coca leaves are just plants. Should cocaine be legal?
Poppy is just a plant. Should heroin be legal?
Honest questions. I have my own opinion, but I'm curious what others think.
I just feel in regards to this topic that the people championing the legalization are, forgive the pejorative, "stoners." I know that it isn't necessarily true, it's just how people come across in their postings. Are there detriments to marijuana usage? I'm sure there are. But are they as bad as the Government has told us for years? More than likely not. Of course there are other methods of ingestion, but I don't think anyone with a straight face could say that intentionally inhaling smoke (of any kind) has a positive or even neutral health affect.
There are communities around the world that use cocoa leaves not the cocaine you chew the leaves and you have energy for a whole day.... their culture has been based from the time of the Mians that they have used that plant in that form so according to them the cocoa plant should be legal......opium is technically already leagal as we use it in pain killers in medicine......
from the article:
"They were surprised to find that subjects who occasionally smoked pot – meaning two to three times per month – did not show the same reduced lung function that was seen in cigarette smoking."
Therefore not even close to a similar comparison, therefore an invalid study. So you want to study the impact of marijuana on lungs compared to smoking? Well do smokers only smoke cigarettes "two to three times a month"? Cause in my entire life I have never heard of that. I have heard of a pack a day, or 10 cigarettes a day, but never have I heard a smoker say "yeah I smoke 2-3 times a month".
Completely unrealistic comparison. And for the record I don't smoke either of the two in discussion.
When I smoked, I often smoked only 2-3 times a month, 3-5 cigarettes at a time. I wasn't addicted.
In idiot TV commentary on the story, CNN "reporter" states (with no mention of context in story pertaining to use at younger age), use will cause you to "end up psychotic". The story references a statement provided by NIDA, which says "may increase mental health problems...", which is not a statement of diffinitive causality. Most young undiagnosed mentally ill people self-medicate to deal with it. CNN basically is saying if you use pot and are mentally ill then it's your own fault, thereby further stigmatizing mentally ill. Most be nice to think it's all a big joke CNN. Laughing it off is a good way to dismiss your own inablity to grasp the concepts and facts in your "reporting". Fact is use is exactly like Yoga, it helps clear the mind to promote relaxation. Note: I'm not a user nor am I mentally ill.
THank you so much for that I wasn't able to address the issue of the bashing of the mentally ill and the laughing after....CNN really needs to check into the professionalism of their on air reporters.....also the report above was written with so much bias! Why is this the information the nation gets...people in other countries are shaking their heads that the stupidity if that is what we put on air!
This contradicts the Calvinistic prejudices of the heavikly armed Police State. I believe guns trump science.
Man made alcohol. God made pot. Who do you trust?
I broke my wrist mountain biking. The doctors gave me vicodin, which worked well to relieve pain but left me cringing when the bottle was running low. I decided to start smoking marijuana( never had done it) and it is hands down the most natural feeling pain relief that exists. I do not have a tendon in my left wrist and i have a piece of bone lodged under the nerve tissue. before smoking, I had constant pain, and a very limited range of motion. After smoking occasionally for about two months( my wrist was as 'healed' as it was going to be, even before i decided to smoke.) the pain went away completely. I mean absolutely and utterly gone. Then, after about two more months, my wrist magically stopped clicking and grinding, and i now have full range of motion. Did marijuana heal me? i believe so. I am a personal trainer as well, and now that my wrist is now remarkably normal, i am now able to do every exercise that would have been impossible without the wonder-weed. THANK YOU MARIJUANA! – OPEN YOUR EYES AND TRY IT BEFORE YOU KNOCK IT.
I'm betting you partake of the occasional magic shroom as well.
And MJ is NOT addicting physically like morphine, codeine, heroin, cocaine or any of the other OTC analogues.
Really. Did I just hear your Health Reporter say "Ok, it may help your lungs but it may also mean that your psychotic?" What kind of journalism is that? I am a journalism professor. You have a new study which shows potentially beneficial (or at least not detrimental) findings for moderate use and you have to respond in that fashion? There are many studies about benefits and drawbacks. Last year, you featured a story about marijuana reducing effects of fibromialgia. And then there are countless studies about reducing effects of chemo, glaucoma, etc. As journalists, you should do better!
"Long term use of marijuana can lead to addiction, and chronic marijuana use is associated with mental health problems including anxiety and depression."
Total BS – I was a regular pot smoker up until a few months ago. I only stopped because I am starting a new job and had to get drug-tested and also because of the expense. I don't have a jones for it, I'm not craving it...I just miss it. And I'm sure marijuana use is associated with mental health problems like anxiety and depression because those people are the ones that pot helps the most. That is exactly what doctors in California prescribe it for. Have you ever tried Xanax? I tried it once and it felt like I was stoned – it's pretty much legal pot. Just like Adderall is legal cocaine. This article makes it sound like pot CAUSES those things. That is harmful and irresponsible reporting.
next time they do one of their marajuana studies I want to volunteer. The goverment grow some of the finest.
LOL...
So they're surprised that someone who does something a few times per month doesn't have the same problems as someone who does something similar 10 times per day? Are these scientists "special"?
You really have to wonder what they're smoking.
It's time to legalize, regulate and tax. The people who argue to the contrary are hypocrites at best since EVERY SINGLE ONE of them have or regularly consume alcohol, be it beer or wine at dinner. There is no legitimate argument to continue to spend billions of dollars enforcing a truly archaic law.
Also, unlike alcohol and virtually every prescription drug on the market, marijuana is absolutely NOT physically addictive. Anyone who wants to stop can do so without any physical symptoms of withdrawal whatsoever.
I am going ALL of 2012 pot-free. I have about 4 pounds of the stuff at my house that is stinky GRADE A purple cush.
Who wants it? Just email me and I'll FED EX it to you. I gotta stay clean for my health. I miss the stuff already. Go to ocdlove.com and email me.
Been using for 20 years, the last two years, due to the enviornment I found myself in I was smoking from 7am to 11pm daily, smoking (not a joint/ rather a hit or two) every couple of hours. My work productivity remained high, I have an accute memory of the previous 20 years, and I'm not psychotic, if anything I'm more compasionate than I was before I started smoking.
I developed a constant cough to expel phlegm as a result. I stopped smoking 30 days ago with no withdrawl effects, my cough has subsided and my energy has stayed the same. The habbit is the hardest thing to break, but beyond that there has been no change.
I have also recently learned that by being generous and acting kind and loving to my fellow man I can obtain a natural high through the release of cannabanoids through my oxytocin cells in my brain, and cause those that receive my acts of kindness to feel the same.
In fairness, anyone who takes any type of drug all day, every day, for 20 years is going to have some sort of problem eventually. Try drinking coffee all day, every day for 20 years and I guarantee you the results will be much worse! Glad to hear youre in control of your life and happy. Thats whats important.
Keep it illegal! I mean really, what are all those drug dealers, rappers, and college students going to do with out all of that money they are making tax free. It's not like anybody could use the tax revenue these days.
Sooo, basically smoking pot 2-3 times a month will injure your lungs just as badly as smoking cigarettes 2-3 times a month. Thanks Doc. Great study. Actually, the study doesn't even really answer the question – will occasional pot smoking injure your lungs as badly as occasional cigarette smoking? What cig smoker only smokes 2-3 cigs a month? Did they find that person?
The Palins like to sit in a circle with a sheet over their heads, then they break wind and inhale deeply. They claim it's quite the buzz.
cigarretes contain chemicals, it was proven years ago because it made you addictive to them, marijuana is natural but it is also a drug in a sense it can be habit forming, a good friend of mine smoked so much of it, it killed him when he delevolped cancer in his stomach.
How do you link up that his weed habit CAUSED his stomach cancer?!?! That is such ignorant baloney. Maybe he had too much fast food? Maybe he drank too much alcohol? Maybe he lived near a power plant? Maybe he drank too much contaminated tap water? Maybe his GENETICS just made him predisposed to stomach cancer? Your assumption is nonsense.
I'm sorry for your loss but weed did not kill your friend.....weed slows the motility of your intestines....cannabinoids do not affect the stomach
It's better for your system to not introduce smoke into your lungs. Common knowledge. So why don't more people just grind up their pot in a coffee grinder, mix a little in with a cookie or cake mix, and then consume their pot that way? Just so they consume alot of water afterward. The stomach is more efficient in processing it anyway, and there's no more adverse effects of smoke in the lungs. Why do you think there are so many edible pot candies at medical pot facilities now?
"Long term use of marijuana can lead to addiction, and chronic marijuana use is associated with mental health problems including anxiety and depression. "
Now, please put this side by side with the negative effects of the legal recreational drug alcohol, and then tell me which sounds like the one you would rather use on an occasional basis.
You have to be careful here widget its not addiction its habit forming.... addition refers to a physical and mental dependence on it as if you go into withdrawal, with weed there is none of that ....many pot users will tell you themselves that when they have to stop its difficult but its a non-issue.....even when sitting in a room with everyone smoking that person has no issue saying 'no thanks.' Now pair that with a heroin addict and they will more than likely have to leave the room or partake. There is no addictive properties only Habit-Forming and I don't even like to use that term as weed use is so individual to the user. Again a heroin addict has to have heroin everyday or the go to withdrawal....a weed smoker can smoke one day, wait three days smoke all day...wait a day... smoke once....etc.
dont tell me that this is a previous comment, i have a rigth to present my say do not violate may first amendment rights , you fool
cigarettes contain chemicals that can be addictive, it was proven years ago marijuana is more natural, but it is a drug that can be habit forming, a friend of mine died years ago, because he smoked so much of it, it caused cancer in his stomach.
I fail to see how pot smokers who smoked 2-3 times a month would compare to those who smoked cigarettes.
Does anyone know a smoker that only smokes 2-3 times (cigarettes) a month?
Wow you guys sure know what your talking about... My mother has used it moderately for decades and has no memory problems or depression or anxiety. I use it in moderation and have been able to successfully run a company for years, none of you have any idea and you probably never will because you've distanced yourselves from the thought that maybe Marijuana isn't as bad as the "Old folks" will tell you. Enjoy being wrong!
What an utterly useless article: "Long term use of marijuana can lead to addiction . . ." Long term use of Ben & Jerry's Super Fudge Chunk "can" also lead to psychological addiction. "[C]hronic marijuana use is associated with mental health problems including anxiety and depression." The cohort of people who use marijuana long-term is more likely to suffer from preexisting anxiety and depression, which they self-medicate with marijuana. Correlation does not equal causation. "Studies have shown that when marijuana use begins at a younger age, it may increase mental health problems, including psychosis, according to NIDA." First of all, the use of the word "may" means that research hasn't found that it actually does "increase mental health problems." There isn't even a statistically significant association, much less a statistically significant association that demonstrates causation.
"We compared apples to oranges, and came up with an answer of blue". These people consider themselves researchers?
Comparing someone who smokes pot 2-3 times PER MONTH with someone who smokes cigarretes ... is no comparison at all.
Pot smokers would have to be inhaling at or near a similar volume of smoke as the cigarrette smokers to be able to even begin a comparison. Then, of course, there's smoking history, etc., etc..
Johnny can't read ... and Johnny can't do basic research.
Exactly what I said earlier in the posts. The "research" on this subject is not only suspect, but out right silly.
Only those who take this article seriously are those who want to make a cause for pot.
Of course its for making a case for pot ....if no one made a case for alcohol or fought prohibition as we fight for weed than we wouldn't be drinking it today
To start off I want to say that I am not a pot smoker, however, that being said, I have nothing against people making their own personal choices on the matter. And yes, I know that there are little, if any, medical downsides to smoking pot. I just made a personal choice like everyone else made their own. I see nothing wrong with legalizing the use of pot. However, I want to pose this question:
People are comparing this to the use of alcohol and how that is legal. However, it is legal up to a certain point of use at which point it becomes illegal (say to drive). Pot is no different in that it does effect your thinking, reacting, etc...so how would they go about setting a legal limit and also, would there be a way for a police officer to "test" how high you are?
Alcohol has a much different effect on the body vs. THC. Why do most people get a DWI? Because of their driving. If you have consumed so much THC that it affects your ability to safely drive, then chances are, you are going to get pulled over. And for the record, I don't know of one person that has ever been pulled over for "high driving."
I see what you're saying though. If every made legal, I'm sure they will come up with a simple road-side test to measure the amount of THC in your system. Personally, I think it should be done in the privacy of your home, just as alcohol, but we all know that ain't gonna happen. Peace. 🙂
Show me another drug that can make you forget about pain and you can NOT overdose on it and I'll ride that wagon!
I would rather be the crazy old man that smokes pot than to be the old man that is in pain all the time.Government is only against it because they haven't found a way to tax it. I say $25 a pack of 10 cigarettes and pay off the national debt.
People haven't used Vaporizing yet. It's amazing. As soon as I tried Vaporizing cannabis I never went back to smoking. I am an all day user and smoking all day made me groggy and i had a headache at the end of the day. Not with vaporizing. And the high so clear and bright. Also It's way more effiecient. I have access to high quality flowers and it would be ashamed to burn them.
I've heard nothing but good about vaporizers. I've been smoking on and off for 25 years and have yet to try it. Seems like the last time I priced them, they were kinda pricey....my only deterrent. Since this buddy of mine has been on to a steady supply of chronic, I've been giving it a lot more thought.
I've heard that by burning it, that you burn away over 90% of the THC. That just may well justify the cost. Peace. 🙂
@ PuffPuffPass – It's very economical to use a vaporizer. It makes you cannabis last and last. I use the da buddha vaporizer cost about $200 on amazon. I love it. Also the glass wand collects a vapor resin as it cools. Which can be collected for hash. A great bedtime treat.
LMAO.....MaryJane.....something tells me you and I would get along just great. Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to check it out. Peace to you. 🙂
Legalize it, tax it, enjoy it.
"Tax it" That would be "raising taxes" according to GOP philosophy. So as long as they have the power, you can still get stoned and keep your hard-earned money to buy more weed to get more stoned.
All I have to say, even as an anti-marijuana person, is "Duh!"
Comparing smoking marijuana 2-3 times a month to even a casual smoker of 2 packs a week would translate into comparing smoking 2-3 times a month with smoking 150-250 times a month.
The stat I've heard with and believe is that smoking a joint is equivalent to smoking 5 cigarettes.
Any issues with regular pot smoking would be issues related to brain chemistry, and only a ridiculous amount of smoking would affect the lungs.
Cannabis has never killed anyone in the long term of short term, So, you should be asking CNN what does tobacco do to the lungs? One does NOT have to smoke cannabis for it's efficacy. You can make into gourmet cookies and brownies or maybe some keylime pie... So this argument is already dead, You can't eat tobacco for therapeutic purposes. this is a null debate.
We tax cigarettes, and yet, they are a net loss to the government, because we pay more back to people who can't cover their own health costs due to lung cancer, etc.
Make pot legal, keep cigarettes legal, but we need to tax the HELL out of them so that we are at least breaking even on them. If you smoke pot once a day and get lung cancer, I don't want to pay for it.
What a waste of study dollars!!!!!! The study was designed to show that marijuana smoking is better for the lungs than cigarettes. If you are comparing someone who smokes twenty cigarettes per day to someone that smokes 3 or 4 joints per month, you will get the results they got. Even those that smoked 1 joint per day showed similar results as a cigarette smoker, but again. One per day versus 20+ per day is not an even comparison. Using the thought that joint smokers breathe deeper so it helps the lung muscles is idiotic. Yes, you breathe deeper to inhale, but the results were predetermined before the study began. I would like to have a million dollars to study how idiots get grant money to do studies.
It's not a waste. It's important to keep building an overwhelming evidence that cannabis is not harmful and can be regulated for recreational use. Studies like this make the Government position that Cannabis is as dangerous as heroin, Crack cocain and Meth more and more ridiculous and outrageous.
Does anyone here know that MOST NFL player SMOKE pot! Where I live, alot of people bike and race bikes, climb etc.. and even alot of the pro athletes smoke weeds, they don't even eat it, they smoke it! So paleease. I am sure half of you that are retarded enough to watch football don't even realize that NFL players are professional pot smokers too!
"Studies have shown that when marijuana use begins at a younger age, it may increase mental health problems, including psychosis, according to NIDA."
exactly why it should be a 21 and over drug
studies also show it helps kids with autism .As well it may prevent Alzheimers. Studies are riddles with propaganda anyways.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC5gV0IFB-4
Unfortunately this doctor has heard that the medical field doesn't believe pot is addictive then she litererally said the kid is addicted and stoned.......he will never be as stoned as drugs given by doctors to combat his aggression if he wasn't on weed....haloperidol...risperidone.....ativan......these are heavy drugs given to almost all alzheimers patients as their behaviour becomes violent when confused.....when on these meds you can't even wake the person up they are so stoned.....I'd rather have a kid stoned like what I saw than in a bed eyes closed not able to communicate
Just hurry up and legalize so all the presidents and kings and queens of the world can get stoned and make peace and not war