bingle

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Am I the only one who sees an interesting dichotomy between your post and your signature? :-)

And I realize the point of this thread was to list reasons not to smoke marijuana, not a debate, but there are some things I feel an obligation to address, for the sake of truth:

Marijuana is not physiologically addictive. It can be habit-forming and psychologically addictive, however, just like any activity (especially escapist activity, like TV or video gaming).

Marijuana has not been shown to have any more adverse a long-term effect on your brain tissue than alcohol. Many very smart individuals have used marijuana, such as Stephen Gould, Richard Feynman, and Carl Sagan.

Marijuana can do damage to your lungs, but it does not include the same carcinogens as tobacco. Since most marijuana is inhaled unfiltered, however, the smoke particulates which enter the lungs are much larger and more damaging than a typical cigarette. This is offset by the fact that most marijuana users smoke less than most cigarette users - but the overall effect is harm to your lungs. Non-smoke forms of THC do not have this problem.

I fully respect any individuals choice to not partake of any substance, especially given the current legal status of marijuana in the US. The average sentence of non-violent drug offenders is longer than the average sentence for murder! However, I think it is always a good idea to fully understand the real facts behind these things, and not just the appallingly deceptive DARE party line. I've done some research on drug legalization policy, and the misinformation given out in the name of education is scary. Lumping marijuana in with heroin or crack, and leaving out discussions of alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine is bizarre.

A good book to read if you're really interested in understanding the physical and psychological impact of various legal and illegal drugs is "Buzzed" - look for it on Amazon, or your favorite local bookseller.

Bingle