fel0n Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Marijuana has Numerous Effects on Teens By Sandy Agostine, For The Daily Press Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in this country. During the last six years, we have seen a doubling in use among 8th graders and significant increases among high school individuals. The physical effects of marijuana use, particularly on developing adolescents, can be substantial. Marijuana contains one of the most destructive chemicals found in any drug. This chemical is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC can stay in a person's body form three weeks to four months. It can harm an individual's memory along with their ability to learn and understand. Regular smoking can very quickly and slowly cause the user not to have any motivation. Marijuana adversely affects the user's immune system, heart, brain and lungs. The most frequent myth I hear from adolescents is that marijuana is safer for their bodies than cigarettes. With each "toke", marijuana smokers inhale more than 150 cancer-causing substances (cigarettes have 43 known carcinogens) and nearly twice as much tar as they would from a tobacco cigarette. Studies have shown that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as a person who smokes a pack of cigarettes every day. Not only does this affect the respiratory system; it also impairs the ability of T-cells in the lungs' immune defense system to fight off some infections. Many pot smokers have more frequent chest colds and dry hacking coughs. Another misconception many people have is that marijuana is not physically addicting. Although individuals don't die from marijuana withdrawal, this does not mean that it isn't both psychologically and physically addicting. Withdrawal can cause flu-like symptoms along with irritability, tremor, anxiety and sleeplessness. These symptoms are usually mild and last for three to four days. Marijuana usage also harms the brain and leads to impaired short-term memory, perception, judgment and motor skills. Perhaps most noticeable to others is that a pot smokers mind is cloudy, their thoughts do not flow smoothly. This is because THC causes a dense material to clog the tiny gaps between nerve cells in the brain, making communication between these cells very difficult. In males, marijuana reduces the levels of the male hormone testosterone. Boys between the ages of 10 and 20 years especially need this hormone because it helps them develop into physically mature men. Furthermore, researchers have found abnormalities in the spermatozoa of heavy smokers. Studies are being done to find out if these can fertilize and egg; therefore causing birth defects. In females, the testosterone level increases. This may cause women to develop dark body hair, facial hair and acne. Because human eggs are present in women from birth, the eggs are vulnerable to damage from prolonged marijuana use. Since THC can accumulate in the reproductive tissues, this can cause problems for a developing fetus because it is still in danger of being harmed by active ingredients in THC. It is also known to interfere with cell division, a process basic to development. This may cause symptoms similar to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). These symptoms include small size, varying degrees of mental retardation and abnormalities of the limbs. While current marijuana usage has increased by high school seniors, the proportion of those who believe it is harmful has dropped dramatically. Marijuana is clearly a harmful drug that poses a threat to our children at a critical point in their development. If you have any questions about drugs, or how to talk to your children about drug abuse, there are many resources available to you in your community. Please don't hesitate to reach out for help. Sandy Agostine is a Certified Prevention Professional and has worked as an Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor for the past 23 years. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. "The most frequent myth I hear from adolescents is that marijuana is safer for their bodies than cigarettes. With each "toke", marijuana smokers inhale more than 150 cancer-causing substances (cigarettes have 43 known carcinogens) and nearly twice as much tar as they would from a tobacco cigarette." I'm not sure about the number of carcinogens but that smells of bullshit, as well as the fact that 6 of the world's deadliest carcinogens are in cigs and there are none of those particular ones in MJ.. Also i guess nobody ever told this jackass about the diffence between unfiltered smoke and that which passes through a filter.. UNFILTERED CIGARETTE SMOKE IS TWICE AS LOADED WITH TAR AND MUCH MORE SATURATED BY POWERFUL CARCINOGENS THAN MARIJUANA - again im not sure about the number of different carcinogens but the cancer causing substances are MUCH more concentrate in cigs.. also this *edit* woman * flat out lies about withdrawl symptoms.. I have not ever had the shakes when i couldn't find bud.. anyone here who has? be honest because i haven't ever met anyone in my life who has, that wasn't joking or lying to sound cool because they barely smoke in the first place. In fact the only serious symptom this cumswilling asshat has listed under withdrawl symptoms is sleepiness, and it takes me a REALLY good stoning to get tired off buddha these days.. I mean honestly, I dont get angry, start shaking, get sick OR become paranoid, Especially not from a LACK of bud on the last count.. and as far as I am concerned the only thing i have seen anyone become paranoid about when using bud is tha fuckin PO-PO yo! *edit*And i got that out of my system when i learned how to smoke pot without being a dumb jackass and doing things that get you caught.* Honestly as far as i am concerned I would rather not have kids at this point in my life anyway, and NO SHIT YOU NEED TO STOP TOKIN IF YOU'RE EXPECTING!! If you are having trouble getting pregnant and you really want to, STOP SMOKING FOR 4 MONTHS AND ALL THE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA ON YOUR REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM ARE ENTIRELY GONE, if you're really being affected mentally by weed in a way that is making your life difficult then cut back and smoke on the weekends to relax, weed is a recreational drug and if you can't handle it every day and maintain your life then dont try to! people pay a price for being alcoholics in the workplace as well, you would be retarded to deny that! I believe that the symptoms and sideeffects of marijuana are minimal, at best, and well worth it. Alcohol is HORRIBLE for the human body, and while drunken a person is MUCH more of a danger to society and themselves, not to mention the lack of ability to do ANYTHING after a long night of hard drinking.. not only the normal grogginess that you get from having alcohol still in your system from that night, but as many people get, Hangovers can really f*ck up your day! I'm sorry but i get angry when i see some of the things people try to say about marijuana.. and to say that it is worse for the body and mind than tobacco and alcohol is just complete nonsense and sheer tomfoolery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brock_fuzzy_69 Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 they act as if smokin a joint is worse than crack or some other bad shit like meth .......now that stuff is beyond nasty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealthawd Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 yay...good job supporting adolescent drug use here guys... i personally don't use drugs and never will, so my opinion differs but here is my general thought. when people read something like this, they will take the side that suits their desires best. when someone who smokes pot reads this, it doesn't change their mind like some great, life changing revelation. it makes them disagree and call it bullshit. when someone who does not smoke pot reads it, they agree with it. when a parent reads something about adolescent drug use, I can tell you, as a parent, that it scares the shit out of them. I know for a FACT that I do not want my kids using drugs of ANY kind. whether it be something as "simple" as pot or as "serious" as heroin. pot smokers say what you will about how "good" pot is for you. it impairs your judgement and does have the possibility to lead to more serious drugs. especially in the hands of a child who already lacks the knowledge of what is truly safe and not safe. children live life with the mindset of wanting to do what they "want" to do instead of what is "right". for someone to say that smoking pot is OK leads a child to believe that it is OK...so when the same person sells them pot saying it's OK sells them a harder drug, they now believe this person thinking it's OK. this is where responsibility and education come in to play. teach the kids that pot CAN be harmful and CAN lead to worse things. fucking grown people ranting on the "greatness" of pot is fucking stupid. i have NEVER EVER EVER met anyone successful that smokes pot still to this day. they have grown up and realized that it does NOTHING for you and "can" prevent you from succeeding in life. not that NOT smoking pot will make you more successful, but it gives you a better chance to make smart decisions and leaves your mind intact for important life making decisions. OK, I'm jumping down from my soap box and donning my flame suit...LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fel0n Posted July 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 yay...good job supporting adolescent drug use here guys... i personally don't use drugs and never will, so my opinion differs but here is my general thought. when people read something like this, they will take the side that suits their desires best. when someone who smokes pot reads this, it doesn't change their mind like some great, life changing revelation. it makes them disagree and call it bullshit. when someone who does not smoke pot reads it, they agree with it. when a parent reads something about adolescent drug use, I can tell you, as a parent, that it scares the shit out of them. I know for a FACT that I do not want my kids using drugs of ANY kind. whether it be something as "simple" as pot or as "serious" as heroin. pot smokers say what you will about how "good" pot is for you. it impairs your judgement and does have the possibility to lead to more serious drugs. especially in the hands of a child who already lacks the knowledge of what is truly safe and not safe. children live life with the mindset of wanting to do what they "want" to do instead of what is "right". for someone to say that smoking pot is OK leads a child to believe that it is OK...so when the same person sells them pot saying it's OK sells them a harder drug, they now believe this person thinking it's OK. this is where responsibility and education come in to play. teach the kids that pot CAN be harmful and CAN lead to worse things. fucking grown people ranting on the "greatness" of pot is fucking stupid. i have NEVER EVER EVER met anyone successful that smokes pot still to this day. they have grown up and realized that it does NOTHING for you and "can" prevent you from succeeding in life. not that NOT smoking pot will make you more successful, but it gives you a better chance to make smart decisions and leaves your mind intact for important life making decisions. OK, I'm jumping down from my soap box and donning my flame suit...LOL I understand your point of view. All im saying is that article is complete bullshit most of the facts arent true. Im not in any way supporting adolesent drug use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealthawd Posted July 6, 2004 Report Share Posted July 6, 2004 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmoose Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 been smoking since i was wee little lad. The only effect i get is the munchies. I don't surport any little fucker drinking or smoking weed, but if they are going to do it, i really don't give a f*ck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey390 Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 Studies show.... I like how they use that phrase.. I dont want to take a side, but being how I have done my fair share, I know the truth about what it DOES to you.. If some reporter wants to say it does a bunch of things, personally i think they should either take a poll by ONLY users... or use it themselves. If they gather information from people that have never done the drug, but only studied what it "should" do, they cant get an accurate reading. Yes of course they are not bad for you, and maybe pot does cause cancer or build up tar faster.. But pot is not an addicting substance, so unless someone is a pot ADDICT, that uses it all the time, like makes it a part of life like tabacco smokers do, I just dont see how you can have withdrawl. Who cares though, trying to scare someone isnt the best way to get them not to do anything, because peer pressure is FAR more convincing then reading an article about how drugs are bad. So take your sides if you will, its another act of freedom of speech, and this reporter or whoever, doesnt have all true facts...which makes them not a very good person to be writing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Duece Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 i have NEVER EVER EVER met anyone successful that smokes pot still to this day. they have grown up and realized that it does NOTHING for you and "can" prevent you from succeeding in life. Pleased to meet ya Stealth...im Jim, i own a 20 million dollar recording studio in Los Angeles California, i built it from the ground up, from pouring the slabs to wiring all 80 thousand patch points ill smoke bud as i see fit, been puffin 25 years, dont do powder nor ever had the urge too, like a cold beer with a hot meal, sometimes i wont puff for months, other times several times a week i think if your a moron your fucked its just that simple, sometimes a guy just needs to relax to cope with the assholes in his enviorment, i remember when weed actually made you see shit, you mentioned drugs? i have kids too, taking them to mcdonalds is feeding them drugs, coffee is a drug, fuckin air in LA is a pack a day habit, id shit if my kids did drugs, but theres a difference between being 40 and 10 years old, most parents wouldnt blink if there 21 year old boy showed up at the house with a 12 pack, id rather see that same kid show up with a joint myself, as some judge sips whiskey from a flask in his desk he declares pot a crime, if weed was not a crime the goverment would loose billions of dollars a year taking it and its proceeds from people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glock221 Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 Talk to me at 420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotulMonsta Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 You know what..What goes on in your backyard is what goes on..Ain't nobody's buissiness but your own and those involved. Nosey mofo's trying to get into your buissiness is the real problem today. Just the otherday, My freinds were throwing water bottles at each other's cars when some dipshit stops his car in the middle of traffic, walks to my freinds and tries to pick a fight...sad thing is he didn't notice the cop who was watching less then 10 feet away. I laughed. I was worried for a sec that my boys were going to get a ticket for littering, but then the econut saved the day for us and landed himself in the patty wagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 Talk to me at 420 im out at 4:20, see me at 4:32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtRider Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 more propaganda. gotta love it. these are the people who manipulate the facts. heres a fact for ya. cannabis cures some kinds of cancer. why would we have thc recepters if they wernt needed? they are needed. we need cannabis in our systems for it to work properly. its an herb. ill try to look for the facts on what i just stated but you can think what you want in the mean time. its not the cannabis its the people who smoke it just to "get high". you can become addicted to always putting your left shoe on before the right one with your mind set. heres some G13xC99. i wish i had some of it thats fo sure. greens is a good grower huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducman Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 "Drugs are bad UM Kay?" If they only knew the fix I get from the banshee they'd make that Illegal too. "Just hook it to my vain!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYUK Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 it`s a no win arguement.the fact remains unless a doctor perscribed it to you it`s still illegal. tree huggers reading this thread will love this shit. A MODERATOR SHOULD LOCK AND DELETE THIS SHIT. leave it to asshole dirtrider to post pics and mistate bullshit facts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screamin_Banshee Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 (edited) it`s a no win arguement.the fact remains unless a doctor perscribed it to you it`s still illegal. tree huggers reading this thread will love this shit. A MODERATOR SHOULD LOCK AND DELETE THIS SHIT. .... Agreed! Simple fact is, if you want to smoke, SMOKE- if you dont want to then DONT! Think for yourself, dont let others do it for you. Edited July 7, 2004 by Screamin_Banshee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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