Is pot smoking evil?!

[Sacred Jellybean]

Actually, I've found that taking a couple hits before a round of Melee actually improves my performance. I feel like I'm more into the game, focused better, and I certainly enjoy it more. :) That's just a personal observation, and I could be wrong.

Only losers lose drugs.

Now, to tackle etoven and marijuana-detox.com's arguments:

Marijuana has many dangers; through both immediate effects and damage to health over time.

Dum-dum-DUUUUUMMMM!!! I suggest you watch Grass, etoven. It slightly biased towards legalizing marijuana, but it addresses many misguided myths.

Marijuana hinders the user's short-term memory (memory for recent events), and he or she may have trouble handling complex tasks. With the use of more potent varieties of marijuana, even simple tasks can be difficult.

I'd like examples. I like to get high and play video games. The only interference comes from short-term memory retention. I also like to get high and philosophize with friends and mine. Even if this were true, it's not like humans are obligated to ALWAYS be readily available to handle complex tasks. Relaxation periods are necessary and healthy to an individual's mental health and emotional stability.

Because of the drug's effects on perceptions and reaction time, users could be involved in auto crashes. Drug users also may become involved in risky sexual behavior. There is a strong link between drug use and unsafe sex and the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

This is irrelevant. People can blame grass all they want on keeping their willies in their britches, but alcohol is far more likely to cause unsafe sex on its impairment on a user's judgment. Grass does induce an impairment and makes the user horny in many cases, but alcohol is worse, and with grass, rational-thinking isn't very difficult (speaking from personal experience). I would be willing to bet money on an empirical study (a citation of which this excerpt does NOT contain).

Under the influence of marijuana, students may find it hard to study and learn. Young athletes could find their performance is off; timing, movements, and coordination are all affected by THC.

Yet athletes who are tested positive for THC are banned from olympic and other sporting events. Really ingenius drug policy there, no? Anyway, I also highlighted key words from your source that make their statements indefinite and not absolute.

Allow me to reiterate that it's up to the user to manage his time correctly. Only an irresponsible weed-smoker will get high before going to work, or attending classes, or studying, or doing anything that ought to require a sober perception for maximum efficiency. Of course, there are people who get high and go to work. Guess what happens? A) They won't get caught, and it won't make a difference, or B) it will show through their work, they'll be seen as incompetent and reprimanded for a mediocre performance (less likey, imo) and perhaps fired. Some people can manage it, some can't. The conclusion? The drug itself is not at fault - the person using it is at fault. Much like guns: guns don't kill people, psychotic killers kill people. Guns are practical when used properly, much like cannabis.

Marijuana affects many skills required for safe driving: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and reaction time. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road.

You probably didn't read my monolith of a post. That's okay, allow me to quote it (and let me tell you, I DO cite my conclusions, and my citations don't include NORML):

There are laws in place for drugged driving, in case you haven't noticed. Simple tests given by the police officer should determine if a person is incapacitated to a degree in which operating a motor vehicle is unsafe. How does that contradict what substances should be prohibited? Now, while I absolutely do not condone altering one's consciousness while operating machinery that puts the lives of others at risk, I can tell you with 100% certainty that, given a pair of options that I *must* choose from, I would much rather take a ride with a high driver than a drunk driver (if they're on, roughly, the same level of dosage). I'll include the appropriate references:

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/...ETRY=1&SRETRY=0

http://www.ukcia.org/research/driving.htm

And, in case your attention span is short:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfcRyruo91Y

If you won't accept my moral relativity argument (that is, "cannabis shouldn't be taken while driving, but alcohol is worse"), again, my argument is just because some people are irresponsible and drive while under the influence of drugs, it's no reason to penalize those who DO use cannabis properly.

There is data showing that marijuana can play a role in crashes. When users combine marijuana with alcohol, as they often do, the hazards of driving can be more severe than with either drug alone.

Gee, ya reckon? Also, users don't "often combine marijuana with alcohol." It's another myth that people don't just use cannabis: they use it in combination with other drugs. BZZT! This is a rough estimate, but I only combine alcohol with smoking about 5% of my total smoking time. The gateway theory has many times been attempted to be proven with actual scientific and empirical evidence, and it always fails.

A study of patients in a shock-trauma unit who had been in traffic accidents revealed that 15 percent of those who had been driving a car or motorcycle had been smoking marijuana, and another 17 percent had both THC and alcohol in their blood.

In one study conducted in Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana, and 12 percent tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine. Data also show that while smoking marijuana, people show the same lack of coordination on standard "drunk driver" tests as do people who have had too much to drink.

They also found that (I'm pulling these statistics out of my ass, obviously - don't worry, marijuana-detox.com probably did the same thing) 45% of people in these accidents had blonde hair. BLONDE PEOPLE CAUSE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS!! Actually, a better approach would be to emperically measure, in a controlled study, the amount of people who smoke cannabis and drive, then pick out how many of those people have trouble driving. There needs to be studies conducted on people's performance in smoking and driving. Correlation is not causation. 33% seems really high; I wouldn't be surprised if they found THC metabolites in the subject's blood along with other drugs. With no citation to the study, we'll never know its quality. Studies conducted by groups who are out to keep drugs illegal are often biased or intentionally misconstrued.

Smoking any drug is unhealthy. Marijuana is no exception. The smoke actually contains higher concentrations of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) than tobacco smoke. Marijuana smokers generally inhale more smoke for longer depositing more than 4 times as much tar on their lungs as cigarette smokers.

From wikipedia.org:

Cannabis smoke contains numerous carcinogens[6][7][8], however scientific studies have failed to show higher cancer rates in cannabis smokers. A study published in 2006 by Donald Tashkin of the University of California, Los Angeles, the largest study of its kind, concluded there is no link between smoking cannabis and lung cancer. [36]A study published in 2006 on a large population sample (1,200 people with lung, neck, or head cancer, and a matching group of 1,040 without cancer) failed to positively correlate a lung cancer risk, in fact the results indicated a slight negative correlation between long and short-term cannabis use and cancer, suggesting a possible therapeutic effect. Cellular studies and even some studies in animal models suggest that THC has antitumor properties, either by encouraging programmed cell death of genetically damaged cells that can become cancerous, or by restricting the development of the blood supply that feeds tumors.[37] Prior, a 1997 study examining the records of 64,855 Kaiser patients (14,033 of whom identified themselves as current smokers), also found no positive correlation between cannabis use and cancer.[38] A Research Triangle Institute study concluded that THC, a dilative agent, may help cleanse the lungs by dilating the bronchi, and could actively reduce the instance of tumors.[39] Additionally, a study by Rosenblatt et al. found no association between marijuana use and the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.[40]

Worse is if you combine marijuana and tobacco. If you are a heavy smoker of marijuana and tobacco joints (more than 10 a day) you are significantly increasing your risk of contracting lung disease. Recent studies show that the greatest pre-cancerous abnormalities appear in those who smoke the two drugs together.

These studies are not cited, and I've never heard anything of this sort. It's a biased source to begin with. Next!

A common side-effect, usually for first time or early users, is anxiety, panic, paranoia and feelings of impending doom. In a recent study, between 10%-15% of people who smoked marijuana reported "paranoid" or "confused" feelings as a disadvantage of smoking marijuana. And over 27% reported "anxiety" as a regular or occasional effect. Around 30% gave "negative experiences" as their reason for permanently quitting marijuana.

So if 10-15% of people feel anxious, paranoid, and confused, the other 85-90% should stop smoking and enjoying the feelings of relaxation, euphoria, ecstasy, etc? Here's a better idea: those 10-15% of people can find another hobby that doesn't cause them anxiety.

The short-term effects of marijuana use can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination;

Same with alcohol, but (with alcohol) increased significantly.

and increased heart rate.

Sex causes increased heart-rate as well. BAN CONDOMS!

Research findings for long-term marijuana use indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse. For example, cannabinoid (THC or synthetic forms of THC) withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine. Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.

From Exposing Marijuana and Myths: Review of Scientific Evidence:

In the most recently published study, rhesus monkeys were exposed through face-mask inhalation to the smoke equivalent of four to five joints per day for one year. When sacrificed seven months later, there was no observed alteration of hippocampal architecture, cell size, cell number, or synaptic configuration. The authors conclude:

"While behavioral and neuroendocrinal effects are observed during marijuana smoke exposure in the monkey, residual neuropathological and neurochemical effects of marijuana exposure were not observed seven months after the year-long marijuana smoke regimen." 53

Thus, 20 years after the first report of brain damage in two marijuana-exposed monkeys, the claim of damage to brain cells has been effectively disproven.

No postmortem examinations of the brains of human marijuana users have ever been conducted. However, numerous studies have explored marijuana effect on brain-related cognitive functions. Many employ an experimental design—in which subjects are given marijuana in a laboratory setting, and then compared to controls on a variety of measures involving attention, learning and memory.

"In a number of studies, no significant differences were detected. 54 In fact, there is substantial research demonstrating that that marijuana intoxication does not impair the retrieval of information learned previously. 55 However, there is evidence that marijuana, particularly in high doses, may interfere with users' ability to transfer new information into longterm memory. 56"

While there is general agreement that, while under the influence of marijuana, learning is less efficient, 57 there is no evidence that marijuana users—even longterm users—suffer permanent impairment. Indeed, numerous studies comparing chronic marijuana users with non-user controls have found no significant differences in learning, memory recall or other cognitive functions. 58

One study has indicated that a user’s risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana’s effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.

No citation given for the ONE study that concludes this. This is from an interview with a physician by the name of Dr. Lesten Grinspoon (okay, he's an advocate of cannabis legalization, but at least the man is competent and an expert in the field):

WOL: Dr. Grinspoon, what is your assessment of the Middleman report?

Dr. Grinspoon: (Laughs). I've been getting phone calls all week about it. I even spoke with Dr. Middleman this week to ask him for his report. It has not yet been written. In fact, he does have an abstract. Now, let me say that since 1967 there have been numerous reports and studies, each of which the American media has blown out of all proportion, stating one or another supposed ill effect of marijuana use. I can list them, if you'd like. 'Increase in the size of the ventricles, decrease in testosterone, destruction of chromosomes.' All were front-page stories, none of them have ever been replicated. In other words, they didn't pan out scientifically. Of course, the studies that contradicted them ended up on page 31 or thereabouts, if they got mentioned at all.

WOL: So you don't give much weight to Dr. Middleman's findings?

Dr. Grinspoon: Well, I would point out that out of 3,882 patients, we're talking about 9 who used marijuana within an hour of the onset of a heart attack. That's around 0.2%. By sheer mathematics, given that people sleep eight hours per day or so, we can deduce that 6.7% of those patients emptied their bowels within an hour of onset. It's incredible to me that the numbers here could be said to constitute a significant risk factor.

WOL: Dr. Middleman said in an interview that he believes that it is the increased heart rate from smoking marijuana that is responsible.

Dr. Grinspoon: Yes, and he put that increase at 40 beats per minute. In truth, that number is closer to 20 beats per minute, which is probably consistent with running up the stairs in one's house.

WOL: So you disagree with Dr. Middleman's characterization of the risk as 'significant'?

Dr. Grinspoon: First, let me say that I blame the media far more than I do Dr. Middleman. I read his abstract, and in its conclusion he cautioned against making too much of the data. Conceivably, there is some risk, although if there is, it is barely measurable. Even assuming that the data presented is right, one must still wait to see if it can be replicated.

WOL: You seem to be pretty skeptical about the chances of that happening.

Dr. Grinspoon: Well, in 1997, Kaiser Permanente did a large-scale study which included more than 65,000 admitted marijuana users, and they could not demonstrate any impact of marijuana use on mortality. If marijuana use really was a significant risk factor for heart attack, it is hard to believe that it didn't turn up there. Again, I'm not saying that there is absolutely no risk demonstrated here. But given the history of the research since 1967, I'd be surprised if these findings don't go down the same chute as all of the other front-page scare stories.

A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers. Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

No citation given. Here's an interesting piece of news, though:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006560113,00.html

It's about a woman in India who's 120 years old (making her a candidate for one of the oldest people on the earth) who smokes cannabis daily.

Even infrequent use can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough.

Dum-dum-DUUUUM!! Well, smoking isn't the only way to take cannabis. Vaporization produces much of the same effects as smoking, without the harm inflicted from smoke.

Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways.

Speculation; no citation given. Given that cannabis doesn't produce lung cancer or emphysema, I think we can all agree that it's misguided to attribute it to the same ailments associated with cigarette smoking, yes?

Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced strong evidence that smoking marijuana increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck, and the more marijuana smoked the greater the increase. A statistical analysis of the data suggested that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers.

Marijuana use has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. It also produces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form—levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer more than smoking tobacco.

I already refuted this.

Some of marijuana's adverse health effects may occur because THC impairs the immune system’s ability to fight off infectious diseases and cancer. In laboratory experiments that exposed animal and human cells to THC or other marijuana ingredients, the normal disease-preventing reactions of many of the key types of immune cells were inhibited. In other studies, mice exposed to THC or related substances were more likely than unexposed mice to develop bacterial infections and tumors.

This is false. Also from Exposing Marijuana Myths: A Review of Scientific Evidence:

It has been widely claimed that marijuana substantially increases users' risk of contracting various infectious diseases. First emerging in the 1970s, this claim took on new significance in the 1980s, following reports of marijuana use by people suffering from AIDS.
The Facts

The principal study fueling the original claim of immune impairment involved preparations created with white blood cells that had been removed from marijuana smokers and controls. After exposing the cells to known immune activators, researchers reported a lower rate of "transformation" in those taken from marijuana smokers. 26

However, numerous groups of scientists, using similar techniques, have failed to confirm this original study. 27

In fact, a 1988 study demonstrated an increase in responsiveness when white blood cells from marijuana smokers were exposed to immunological activators. 28

Studies involving laboratory animals have shown immune impairment following administration of THC, but only with the use of extremely high doses. For example, one study demonstrated an increase in herpes infection in rodents given doses of 100 mg/kg/day - a dose approximately 1000 times the dose necessary to produce a psychoactive effect in humans. 29

There have been no clinical or epidemiological studies showing an increase in bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection among human marijuana users. In three large field studies conducted in the 1970s, in Jamaica, Costa Rica and Greece, researchers found no differences in disease susceptibility between marijuana users and matched controls. 30

Marijuana use does not increase the risk of HIV infection; nor does it increase the onset or intensity of symptoms among AIDS patients. 31 In fact, the FDA decision to approve the use of Marinol (synthetic THC) for use in HIV-wasting syndrome relied upon the absence of any immunopathology due to THC. 32

Today, thousands of people with AIDS are smoking marijuana daily to combat nausea and increase appetite. There is no scientific basis for claims that this practice compromises their immune responses. Indeed, the recent discovery of a peripheral cannabinoid receptor associated with lymphatic tissue should encourage aggressive exploration of THC's potential use as an immune-system stimulant. 33

Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior

Depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances are all associated with marijuana use.

Because people with this problems likely smoke it for emotional relief. That doesn't mean cannabis CAUSED them. People who take anti-depressants are also associated with "depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances". I guess we better rid the world of medication for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, etc.

Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana use has potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. Because marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover, research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.

From http://www.mikuriya.com/cw_depend.html :

The complex interplay of cannabis use with physiology and psychology challenges research. Outcomes are combinations of pharmacology, expectations, setting, personal and social forces. The contemporary ambiguity, a product of ignorance from deprivation of contemporary clinical experience, may be somewhat assuaged by two facts: Firstly, cannabis has been used for millennia by numerous cultures without serious adverse consequences. Secondly, neither the composition of cannabis nor the physiology of humans have changed since the drug was taken from the armementarium of medicine.

Students who smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from high school, compared to their non-smoking peers. In one study, researchers compared marijuana-smoking and non-smoking 12th-graders’ scores on standardized tests of verbal and mathematical skills. Although all of the students had scored equally well in 4th grade, the marijuana smokers’ scores were significantly lower in 12th grade.

People who experiment with drugs are people who generally rebel against society's standards. Correlation != causation. Minors who smoke weed are also more likely to skip class (and would probably have done so regardless), but did weed cause that, or was it an ongoing problem before the user began smoking? Marijuana-detox.com still hasn't proven a thing, aside from self-interest and promotion of a service that makes it's money off of convincing people that they have a drug problem and need treatment for it. I'm not saying people don't have problems with drug addiction, but not everyone does, particularly people who use a drug that's less physically addictive than caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol.

A study of 129 college students found that, for heavy users of marijuana (those who smoked the drug at least 27 of the preceding 30 days), critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours. The heavy marijuana users in the study had more trouble sustaining and shifting their attention and in registering, organizing, and using information than did the study participants who had used marijuana no more than 3 of the previous 30 days. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana once daily may be functioning at a reduced intellectual level all of the time.

Surprise, surprise, still no citation given!

More recently, the same researchers showed that the ability of a group of long-term heavy marijuana users to recall words from a list remained impaired for a week after quitting, but returned to normal within 4 weeks. An implication of this finding is that some cognitive abilities may be restored in individuals who quit smoking marijuana, even after long-term heavy use.

They never define what "long-term heavy marijuana usage" encapsulates. It wouldn't surprise me if someone who smoked all day, every day eventually had memory problems (though insubstantial - honestly, this is trouble remembering a list of words, for crying out loud). The page concedes that after 4 weeks, normal cognitive abilities are restored. In conclusion, if you don't moderate your pot use (that is, you smoke it every day, all day) for the long-term (something they again fail to define), eventually, you'll have transient memory problems that won't reverse until you quit after a month. Is that really so bad?

Workers who smoke marijuana are more likely than their coworkers to have problems on the job. Several studies associate workers' marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation claims, and job turnover. A study of municipal workers found that those who used marijuana on or off the job reported more "withdrawal behaviors"—such as leaving work without permission, daydreaming, spending work time on personal matters, and shirking tasks—that adversely affect productivity and morale.

This study requires the participant to admit that he smokes pot to his co-workers. I'm sure there are many closet-smokers that will lie about something like this. Hence, the results are skewed.

Research has shown that babies born to women who used marijuana during their pregnancies display altered responses to visual stimuli, increased tremulousness, and a high-pitched cry, which may indicate problems with neurological development. During infancy and preschool years, marijuana-exposed children have been observed to have more behavioral problems and poorer performance on tasks of visual perception, language comprehension, sustained attention, and memory. In school, these children are more likely to exhibit deficits in decision-making skills, memory, and the ability to remain attentive.

Again, from Exposing Marijuana Myths: A Review of the Scientific Evidence:

A number of studies claimed reported low birth weight and physical abnormalities among babies exposed to marijuana in utero. 43 However, when other factors known to affect pregnancy outcomes were controlled for—for example, maternal age, socioeconomic class, and alcohol and tobacco use—the association between marijuana use and adverse fetal effects disappeared. 44

Numerous other studies have failed to find negative impacts from marijuana exposure. 45 However, when negative outcomes are found, they tend to be widely publicized, regardless of the quality of the study.

"It is now often claimed that marijuana use during pregnancy causes childhood leukemia. The basis for this claim is one study, in which .5% of the mothers of leukemic children admitted to using marijuana prior to or during pregnancy. A "control group" of mothers with normal children was then created and questioned by telephone about previous drug use. Their reported .5% marijuana use-rate was used to calculate a 10-fold greater risk of leukemia for children born to marijuana users. 46 Given national surveys showing marijuana prevalence rates of at least 10%, these "control group" mothers almost certainly under-reported their drug use to strangers on the telephone."

Also used as evidence of marijuana-induced fetal harm are two longitudinal studies, in which the children of marijuana users were examined repeatedly. However, on closer examination, the effects of marijuana appear to be quite minimal, if existent at all.

"After finding a slight deficit in visual responsiveness among marijuana-exposed newborns, no differences were found at six months, 12 months, 18 months, or 24 months. 47 At age 3, the only difference (after controlling for confounding variables) was that children of "moderate" smokers had superior psycho-motor skills. At age 4, children of "heavy" marijuana users (averaging 18.7 joints/week) had lower scores on one subscale of one standardized test of verbal development. 48 At age 6, these same children scored lower on one computerized task—that measuring "vigilance." On dozens of others scales and subscales, no differences were ever found. 49

In another study, standardized IQ tests were administered to marijuana-exposed and unexposed three year-olds. Researchers found no differences in the overall scores. However, by dividing the sample by race, they found—among African-American children only—lower scores on one subscale for those exposed during the first trimester and lower scores on a different subscale for those exposed during the second trimester. 50"

Although it is sensible to advise pregnant women to abstain from using most drugs—including marijuana—the weight of scientific evidence indicates that marijuana has few adverse consequences for the developing human fetus.

Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction for some people; that is, they use the drug compulsively even though it often interferes with family, school, work, and recreational activities.

It's possible, but it's not all black-and-white. Propaganda sources like these specialize in taking the worst-case-scenario and blowing it out of proportion.

Drug craving and withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for long-term marijuana smokers to stop using the drug. People trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, and anxiety(38). They also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately one week after the last use of the drug(39).

Irritability, sleeplessness, anxiety? These are hardly qualities of an addiction problem of epidemic proportions. People who have addictions that result in actual physical dependencies become ill without their drug. These problems peak in a week, according to your source, and pale in comparison to quitting cigarettes and alcohol.