Cannabis 'could kill thousands' - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

ARTelevision · 05-06-2003, 10:35 AM

From the BBC:

There is controversy over the health effects of cannabis
Regular cannabis use may be as dangerous as smoking in the long term, claims a UK drug expert.

Professor John Henry, a toxicologist at Imperial College London, says he fears that deaths attributable to cannabis could soar.

There are currently an estimated 3.2 million people in the Britain who smoke cannabis regularly, compared with 13 million tobacco smokers.

Smoking tobacco is believed to cause approximately 120,000 "excess deaths" a year through heart disease, lung cancers and other illnesses.

However, there is no firm evidence of the long-term risks of smoking cannabis.

Studies are clouded by the fact that many cannabis users also smoke tobacco, and it is hard to conduct large-scale studies of individuals who admit using illegal drugs.

The government intends to "downgrade" cannabis from a class "B" to a class "C" drug.

This means that while possession of small quantities of cannabis remains illegal, it is not an "arrestable" offence unless there are aggravating factors, such as use of cannabis near children.

'Scaremongering'

However, Professor Henry, in an editorial for the British Medical Journal, said that if, as many scientists suspected, regular cannabis smoking was as dangerous as tobacco smoking in the long term, the annual death toll from using the drug could be substantial.

He wrote: "It may be argued that the extrapolation from small numbers of individual studies to potential large scale effects amounts to scaremongering.

"For example, one could calculate that if cigarettes cause an annual excess of 120,000 deaths among 13 million smokers, the corresponding figure for deaths among 3.2 million cannabis smokers would be 30,000, assuming equality of effect.

"Even if the number of deaths attributable to cannabis turned out to be a fraction of that figure, smoking cannabis would still be a major public health hazard."

Uncertain future

However, there are various reasons why the likely future death toll caused by cannabis smoking is uncertain, not least the lack of large scale studies investigating this.

It is not yet clear whether the high number of younger people who smoke cannabis regularly will continue the habit into middle and later life.

If not, then their risk of premature death would theoretically be greatly reduced, just as a smoker can radically reduce his or her risk of lung cancer by giving up before middle age.

However, some studies suggest that even though cannabis use involves fewer "cigarettes", users tend to draw more heavily on them, increasing the potential damage from each "joint".

Professor Henry said that both cannabis and tobacco released approximately 4,000 chemicals when burned - most of them identical.
..............

No one could smoke this junk more than I used to.
I stopped totally and will never touch it again.
IMO it is a tar-filled, skanky, noxious, unfiltered smoke
that has to kill your lungs worse than any other.

Comments?

*Nikki* · 05-06-2003, 10:48 AM

I think if you consume it on a regular basis then just like everything else done excessively it is not good for you. I think more effort needs to be put into the research of other things that cannot currently be prevented.

Don't smoke a lot of pot and you won't die. Cancer gives you no choice. Appples and oranges yes. Priorities people!!

gov135 · 05-06-2003, 10:50 AM

"could kill thousands"

I agree with the guy who said if it was killing thousands - we'd know it.

I don't think I look at studies the same way I used to years ago. Now, I feel that for every study saying use butter you can find one saying use margarine, etc. All from credible sources.

Anything used habitually is probably being put into your system in excess and probably ain't good for you. If you know you like to smoke a little pot, you should be aware of any consequences.

Spungfoo · 05-06-2003, 10:54 AM

It's true that cannabis smoke has more toxic junk than tobacco smoke, but most people who use it don't smoke it on a regular basis like they would cigarettes. I myself only smoke it about once a month if that. It's been said that a joint is equivalent to 10 cigarettes or so, but who smoke a whole joint by themselves?... most of the time one would only take a few puffs off one. A water bong reduces the amont of tar in the weed smoke also. Also, there are ways to get high without smoking it, namely eating it or utilizing a vaproizer. That way you get all the THC and none of the toxic crap you would get from burning it. I see this cannibis is more dangerous than tobacco as a moot point. I want to see studies of long term effects of THC itself, not the other chemicals in the smoke.

TaLoN · 05-06-2003, 11:53 AM

Quote:

However, there is no firm evidence of the long-term risks of smoking cannabis.

yep, that's what i thought

billege · 05-06-2003, 11:59 AM

I never said that mari-ja-wana was <i>good</i> for anyone. I think if anyone is thinking that sucking a burning plant into the lungs for the purpose of chemically altering the brain is going to be healthy, they're nuts. I don't know of any weed smokers that deny smoking, either kind, is bad for the lungs. I also don't know any of them that care to worry about that particular thought.

I further think that if weed was commercially grown and processed there would be far more control over what is in it. Perhaps even there would be a reduction in the "badness" of its smoke through farming / processing designed to do just that. Filtered weed anyone?

The drug marinol is pure, synthetic THC. I belive it has been developed to help shoot down medical marijay, and put the profits in the pockets of drug companies. Either way, the high from marinol is supposed to be the same, but it's free of all that smoking badness. It'd be an interesting experiment if the tablet was as available as the plant. Who would still smoke and who would take the cleaner pill to get high?
I just don't know too many health nuts that use mind altering substances, other than caffinee.

Reese · 05-06-2003, 12:50 PM

I think more people are killed by walking into a cannabis patch and getting shot than anyone who actually smokes it. I don't think its any more harmful than alcohol. Yes it probally has more tar and other junk than 3-4 cigarettes but when you smoke 20 cigs a day and maybe 4 joints a week its still not as bad. Weed is still illegal the same reason Moonshine is illegal, Its too hard to tax it. You think it'd be illegal if the government made billions a year off of it? hah

Of course, thats just my opinion. I could be wrong.

John Henry · 05-06-2003, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ARTelevision
From the BBC:

Professor John Henry, a toxicologist at Imperial College London, says he fears that deaths attributable to cannabis could soar.

However, Professor Henry, in an editorial for the British Medical Journal, said that if, as many scientists suspected, regular cannabis smoking was as dangerous as tobacco smoking in the long term, the annual death toll from using the drug could be substantial.

He wrote: "It may be argued that the extrapolation from small numbers of individual studies to potential large scale effects amounts to scaremongering.

"For example, one could calculate that if cigarettes cause an annual excess of 120,000 deaths among 13 million smokers, the corresponding figure for deaths among 3.2 million cannabis smokers would be 30,000, assuming equality of effect.

"Even if the number of deaths attributable to cannabis turned out to be a fraction of that figure, smoking cannabis would still be a major public health hazard."

Professor Henry said that both cannabis and tobacco released approximately 4,000 chemicals when burned - most of them identical.
..............

Comments?

Dammit! I never said any of that! I swear!

Ciall · 05-06-2003, 01:26 PM

well i dunno anyone that died from it yet and i know plenty that smoke it. (i did for 10 years & my Dad still does).

clavus · 05-06-2003, 01:33 PM

Do this:

Hold a Geiger counter up to a pack of cigarettes. Scary huh?

Now tell me that smoking pot is anywhere near as dangerous as inhaling radioactive tar.

Not that pot is good for you. Smoking anything is dangerous. Burn ANYTHING in our atmoshere and you get NOX compounds.

TaLoN · 05-06-2003, 01:34 PM

the problem with marinol is that while it may fuck you up, it is not the same high as marijuana. There are many perscription drugs that can give you that "drugged up" effect

Rant · 05-06-2003, 02:32 PM

I just saw a commercial about this teen that is pregnant and at the end, it says something about pot being the reason for her pregnancy...so now pot makes you pregnant...neat.

Emotion · 05-06-2003, 02:35 PM

i think its pretty obvious that any type of smoke you inhale isnt going to be good for you. i would figure marijuana isnt good for you but most people, including myself and some of my friends, dont smoke it as much as people smoke tobacco products so it may not affect you as much. plus lots of people quit when they get out of high school/college because it could really mess up your chance of getting a good job in todays world if yo uwere to get caught or if you failed a drug test.

ARTelevision · 05-06-2003, 02:39 PM

Emotion,
sounds like a plan.
Good to hear some realism.
Yes, I'd suggest you do that because it's a smart way to go.

butthead · 05-06-2003, 02:43 PM

Quote:

The drug marinol is pure, synthetic THC. I belive it has been developed to help shoot down medical marijay, and put the profits in the pockets of drug companies. Either way, the high from marinol is supposed to be the same, but it's free of all that smoking badness. It'd be an interesting experiment if the tablet was as available as the plant. Who would still smoke and who would take the cleaner pill to get high?
I just don't know too many health nuts that use mind altering substances, other than caffinee.

Dronabinol (Marinol) is ineffective for cancer patients. Why waste time creating and testing a new drug instead of using marijuana? Cancer patients will vomit out Marinol, but can't puke up weed. Also, marijuana might be more effective since it contains other cannabinoids and obviously has different effects than Marinol.

I would take the pill if it actually got you high.

Also remember that THC has anti-cancer properties and there has never been a conclusively linked case of marijuana and cancer.

spectre · 05-06-2003, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by *Nikki*
Cancer gives you no choice.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with that. There are several drugs that work exceptionally well during chemotherapy when administered properly. When given over proper intervals, Zophran, Benadryll, Reglan, and Atavan can be (most times) enough to stop even the worst nausea.

impirius7 · 05-06-2003, 02:54 PM

there is too much inconclusive evidence cited for me to believe that this isn't just another scare tactic. plus smoking grass in a vaporiser is much safer than any other way of doing it, bongs included.

gibber71 · 05-06-2003, 03:46 PM

Moderation is key just like everything else.I know one guy who has missed only 2 days in 25 years of smoking pot.Once was for his uncles funeral and the other time he was in jail cuz he got busted,..well with pot.This guy can't remember a conversation he's had 5 minutes ago.Another guy I knew would criticize me cuz I'm a weekend puffer.He was an avid runner and dropped dead of a heart attack at age 34. Is smoking bad? I don't know but I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.Are they bad for you yet?

little limey · 05-06-2003, 05:08 PM

There is that commercial out now saying that one joint contains as much tar as 4 cigarettes. Also, smoking pot is like smoking without a filter which, i think, is probably very bad for your lungs. And in tribes where smoking pot is a regular activity, there is a problem where the smoker's lungs become deformed (we learned that in anthropology class).

sixate · 05-06-2003, 05:22 PM

Weed is a major factor in todays messed up society. I'll never do it or support the use of it. I don't need a test to know that smoking weed is bad for my lungs and will fry my brain.

NuKE · 05-06-2003, 05:45 PM

I smoke weed daily as do many of my friends, and i know no one who has died from it. Aynway, you can get high other ways than smoking pot, like eating it. Oh, and the you can solve the tar problem by buying a vaporizer, With these you can get nice, big, clean hits.

-NuKE (ssjtwizta)

rs8001 · 05-06-2003, 05:54 PM

We can argue all day about the merits and relative risks associated with this or that substance. (Would alcohal really be our legal drug of choice if we considered all the known factors?)

When I was younger we were taught all sorts of bad things would happen if we used drugs. Most of it was overblown hogwash. This sound like just another supposed bit of evidence to bolster the arguments of the anti drug crowd.

There is a down side to drug use and that why I don't use drugs exept the occasional drink. However, I think it is an individual's own desicsion to make.

termnl · 05-06-2003, 06:06 PM

The age old argument.......bah.

aside from that....I am curious to see how the US will react to that vs. the reaction to Canada.

QuasiMojo · 05-06-2003, 06:17 PM

To much of ANY good thing......

BudTheSpud · 05-06-2003, 07:29 PM

I think this theory would have been noted. Even though Canada is going ahead with decriminalizing marijuana here. I think its crap. Even though I dont smoke the stuff.

Double D · 05-06-2003, 07:33 PM

One word: Brownies.

There's no doubt that the act of smoking is not good for people. Therefore hemp should be consumed (eaten). I have a good chili recipe, as well as one for soup.

phoenix1002 · 05-06-2003, 08:00 PM

It sounds to me like nobody really knows what the long-term effects are. We hear about studies that suggest that smoking marijuana can be hazardous to your health, and we hear just as many stories from people who used marijuana for years and have had no bad side effects. I don't think there is any way to end this argument--there are always skeptics who will deny research as "lies from the government" and there are always lurking variables in even the best planned experiments.

My personal opinion? Anything that screws with your mind like that can't be good. I just stay away from all drugs, with the exception of caffeine.

guthmund · 05-06-2003, 08:07 PM

Big surprise that we see the word scaremonger in there.

This latest round of Anti-Drug propaganda is getting a little ridiculous.

"Buying drugs supports terrorists" uh-huh
"Smoke Marijuana, get pregnant/raped/sodomized." uh-huh
"Smoking Marijuana is just as dangerous as good ol' regular smoking" Well, no shit. I smoke my fern hanging in the window, chances are it isn't good for me. And the term "just as dangerous" leaves me a little empty....so marijuana is "just as dangerous" as smoking tobacco, yet I can purchase 20 death sticks in box form for handful of dollars....

I just wish the Government would say: Okay, look, were all adults here....you understand the risks involved....go out knock yourselves out. Smoke everything....
It's time for you to start acting like an adult and taking responsibility for your actions, were tired of babysitting

Tophat665 · 05-06-2003, 08:18 PM

Everybody dies of something. While I respect people's choice to not indulge in recreational drug use, I am dismayed by the number of such people who believe that their choice is the only right one for everyone.

I am not going to argue the potential medical benefits or the alleged societal detriments of marijuana use. I'm not even going to defend the next point I make. Consider, though, what is wrong with recreational drug use (particularly of the non-addiciting variety), that is not a direct effect of it being illegal? I submit that there is nothing.

w|red · 05-06-2003, 09:31 PM

Alcohol and Tobacco kill more people than every illegal drug combined times 30.

Caffeine hurts your body more than Marijuana.

Easytiger · 05-06-2003, 10:21 PM

I thought it said "CANNIBALS could kill thousands". Damn.

redrum · 05-06-2003, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Easytiger
I thought it said "CANNIBALS could kill thousands". Damn.

heh so did I, you are not alone!

*Nikki* · 05-07-2003, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by spectre
Sorry, but I have to disagree with that. There are several drugs that work exceptionally well during chemotherapy when administered properly. When given over proper intervals, Zophran, Benadryll, Reglan, and Atavan can be (most times) enough to stop even the worst nausea.

This was taken out of context. I meant that we need to be concentrating on finding a cure for things such as this, not the effect that pot has on ones health.

troit · 05-07-2003, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by billege
The drug marinol is pure, synthetic THC. I belive it has been developed to help shoot down medical marijay, and put the profits in the pockets of drug companies. Either way, the high from marinol is supposed to be the same, but it's free of all that smoking badness. It'd be an interesting experiment if the tablet was as available as the plant. Who would still smoke and who would take the cleaner pill to get high?

Very interesting Billege. I've got friends that smoke this crap everyday. It literally is like a cup of coffee to one guy. I don't know how but it actually energizes him...That being said -- I will pose the pill vs. bowl/bong question to him and get his take on it... Look back here for the edit of this post.

spectre · 05-07-2003, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by *Nikki*
This was taken out of context. I meant that we need to be concentrating on finding a cure for things such as this, not the effect that pot has on ones health.

Sorry, I misunderstood.

SaltPork · 05-07-2003, 06:52 AM

Oh my God, people. How can it be healthy to breathe hot smoke into your lungs?!?!?! The drug issue aside, breathing hot smoke into your lungs is not healthy, this cannot be argued. People die mostly from SMOKE inhalation when there is a fire, not from being burned. So how can smoking anything be good for you??

Double D · 05-07-2003, 07:30 AM

Wrkime, I don't think most of us are saying that smoking anything is healthful. What appears to be true however, is that for a very long time, humans have altered their consciousness with various sustances. Even children do something that can make the head spin- twirling around repeatedly until dizzy- then collapsing in laughter. I submit that it is normal to occasionally alter one's reality. I think adults can make this choice, as long as it is an informed one.

butthead · 05-07-2003, 09:10 PM

Quote:

How can it be healthy to breathe hot smoke into your lungs?!?!?!

I'm not going to bother searching the rest of the threard, but please cite exactly what lead you to believe someone believed inhaling smoke is *HEALTHY*.

Quote:

The drug issue aside, breathing hot smoke into your lungs is not healthy, this cannot be argued. People die mostly from SMOKE inhalation when there is a fire, not from being burned. So how can smoking anything be good for you??

One thing you may like to ask yourself is how ANYTHING can be 100% good in all ways (absolutely). I'm also willing to bet that many fatalities related to smoke inhalation might also have a great deal to do with insufficient oxygen, something controlled inhalation like smoking a joint or a pipe doesn't feature.

Smoke inhalation isn't good, but it's not exactly life-threatening either.

TaLoN · 05-07-2003, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by little limey
There is that commercial out now saying that one joint contains as much tar as 4 cigarettes. Also, smoking pot is like smoking without a filter which, i think, is probably very bad for your lungs. And in tribes where smoking pot is a regular activity, there is a problem where the smoker's lungs become deformed (we learned that in anthropology class).

the government likes to lie

weed has 1/3 the tar (you smoke bud not leaves like tobacco), and it is not cancer causing tar

smoking pot is much less harmful than tobacco because you are smoking much less and you are not smoking the thousands of chemicals added by tobacco companies.

butthead · 05-07-2003, 09:50 PM

Quote:

weed has 1/3 the tar (you smoke bud not leaves like tobacco), and it is not cancer causing tar

Could you please back this up with some sources?

Quote:

smoking pot is much less harmful than tobacco because you are smoking much less and you are not smoking the thousands of chemicals added by tobacco companies.

Let us not forget about the significant and well-documented anti-cancer properties of THC and its medical uses (keeping in mind tobacco has none)!

05-06-2003, 10:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	Cannabis 'could kill thousands' From the BBC: There is controversy over the health effects of cannabis Regular cannabis use may be as dangerous as smoking in the long term, claims a UK drug expert. Professor John Henry, a toxicologist at Imperial College London, says he fears that deaths attributable to cannabis could soar. There are currently an estimated 3.2 million people in the Britain who smoke cannabis regularly, compared with 13 million tobacco smokers. Smoking tobacco is believed to cause approximately 120,000 "excess deaths" a year through heart disease, lung cancers and other illnesses. However, there is no firm evidence of the long-term risks of smoking cannabis. Studies are clouded by the fact that many cannabis users also smoke tobacco, and it is hard to conduct large-scale studies of individuals who admit using illegal drugs. The government intends to "downgrade" cannabis from a class "B" to a class "C" drug. This means that while possession of small quantities of cannabis remains illegal, it is not an "arrestable" offence unless there are aggravating factors, such as use of cannabis near children. 'Scaremongering' However, Professor Henry, in an editorial for the British Medical Journal, said that if, as many scientists suspected, regular cannabis smoking was as dangerous as tobacco smoking in the long term, the annual death toll from using the drug could be substantial. He wrote: "It may be argued that the extrapolation from small numbers of individual studies to potential large scale effects amounts to scaremongering. "For example, one could calculate that if cigarettes cause an annual excess of 120,000 deaths among 13 million smokers, the corresponding figure for deaths among 3.2 million cannabis smokers would be 30,000, assuming equality of effect. "Even if the number of deaths attributable to cannabis turned out to be a fraction of that figure, smoking cannabis would still be a major public health hazard." Uncertain future However, there are various reasons why the likely future death toll caused by cannabis smoking is uncertain, not least the lack of large scale studies investigating this. It is not yet clear whether the high number of younger people who smoke cannabis regularly will continue the habit into middle and later life. If not, then their risk of premature death would theoretically be greatly reduced, just as a smoker can radically reduce his or her risk of lung cancer by giving up before middle age. However, some studies suggest that even though cannabis use involves fewer "cigarettes", users tend to draw more heavily on them, increasing the potential damage from each "joint". Professor Henry said that both cannabis and tobacco released approximately 4,000 chemicals when burned - most of them identical. .............. No one could smoke this junk more than I used to. I stopped totally and will never touch it again. IMO it is a tar-filled, skanky, noxious, unfiltered smoke that has to kill your lungs worse than any other. Comments? __________________ create evolution

05-06-2003, 11:59 AM	#6 (permalink)
billege Watcher Location: Ohio	I never said that mari-ja-wana was <i>good</i> for anyone. I think if anyone is thinking that sucking a burning plant into the lungs for the purpose of chemically altering the brain is going to be healthy, they're nuts. I don't know of any weed smokers that deny smoking, either kind, is bad for the lungs. I also don't know any of them that care to worry about that particular thought. I further think that if weed was commercially grown and processed there would be far more control over what is in it. Perhaps even there would be a reduction in the "badness" of its smoke through farming / processing designed to do just that. Filtered weed anyone? The drug marinol is pure, synthetic THC. I belive it has been developed to help shoot down medical marijay, and put the profits in the pockets of drug companies. Either way, the high from marinol is supposed to be the same, but it's free of all that smoking badness. It'd be an interesting experiment if the tablet was as available as the plant. Who would still smoke and who would take the cleaner pill to get high? I just don't know too many health nuts that use mind altering substances, other than caffinee. __________________ I can sum up the clash of religion in one sentence: "My Invisible Friend is better than your Invisible Friend."

05-06-2003, 12:50 PM	#7 (permalink)
Reese Delicious	I think more people are killed by walking into a cannabis patch and getting shot than anyone who actually smokes it. I don't think its any more harmful than alcohol. Yes it probally has more tar and other junk than 3-4 cigarettes but when you smoke 20 cigs a day and maybe 4 joints a week its still not as bad. Weed is still illegal the same reason Moonshine is illegal, Its too hard to tax it. You think it'd be illegal if the government made billions a year off of it? hah Of course, thats just my opinion. I could be wrong. __________________ “It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

05-06-2003, 01:33 PM	#10 (permalink)
clavus pow! Location: NorCal	Do this: Hold a Geiger counter up to a pack of cigarettes. Scary huh? Now tell me that smoking pot is anywhere near as dangerous as inhaling radioactive tar. Not that pot is good for you. Smoking anything is dangerous. Burn ANYTHING in our atmoshere and you get NOX compounds. __________________ Ass, gas or grass. Nobody rides for free.

05-06-2003, 02:32 PM	#12 (permalink)
Rant Tilted Location: Cali	I just saw a commercial about this teen that is pregnant and at the end, it says something about pot being the reason for her pregnancy...so now pot makes you pregnant...neat. __________________ What would Jesus do.......for a Klondike bar

05-06-2003, 10:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
Nikki ~~~~~~~ Location: Charleston, SC	I think if you consume it on a regular basis then just like everything else done excessively it is not good for you. I think more effort needs to be put into the research of other things that cannot currently be prevented. Don't smoke a lot of pot and you won't die. Cancer gives you no choice. Appples and oranges yes. Priorities people!!

05-06-2003, 10:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
gov135 Junkie Location: Midwest	"could kill thousands" I agree with the guy who said if it was killing thousands - we'd know it. I don't think I look at studies the same way I used to years ago. Now, I feel that for every study saying use butter you can find one saying use margarine, etc. All from credible sources. Anything used habitually is probably being put into your system in excess and probably ain't good for you. If you know you like to smoke a little pot, you should be aware of any consequences.

05-06-2003, 10:54 AM	#4 (permalink)
Spungfoo Insane Location: Pittsburgh, PA	It's true that cannabis smoke has more toxic junk than tobacco smoke, but most people who use it don't smoke it on a regular basis like they would cigarettes. I myself only smoke it about once a month if that. It's been said that a joint is equivalent to 10 cigarettes or so, but who smoke a whole joint by themselves?... most of the time one would only take a few puffs off one. A water bong reduces the amont of tar in the weed smoke also. Also, there are ways to get high without smoking it, namely eating it or utilizing a vaproizer. That way you get all the THC and none of the toxic crap you would get from burning it. I see this cannibis is more dangerous than tobacco as a moot point. I want to see studies of long term effects of THC itself, not the other chemicals in the smoke.

05-06-2003, 01:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
Ciall Tilted Location: Edinburgh, Scotland	well i dunno anyone that died from it yet and i know plenty that smoke it. (i did for 10 years & my Dad still does).

05-06-2003, 01:34 PM	#11 (permalink)
TaLoN Loser Location: MI	the problem with marinol is that while it may fuck you up, it is not the same high as marijuana. There are many perscription drugs that can give you that "drugged up" effect

05-06-2003, 02:35 PM	#13 (permalink)
Emotion Crazy	i think its pretty obvious that any type of smoke you inhale isnt going to be good for you. i would figure marijuana isnt good for you but most people, including myself and some of my friends, dont smoke it as much as people smoke tobacco products so it may not affect you as much. plus lots of people quit when they get out of high school/college because it could really mess up your chance of getting a good job in todays world if yo uwere to get caught or if you failed a drug test.

05-06-2003, 02:39 PM	#14 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	Emotion, sounds like a plan. Good to hear some realism. Yes, I'd suggest you do that because it's a smart way to go. __________________ create evolution

05-06-2003, 02:54 PM	#17 (permalink)
impirius7 Banned	there is too much inconclusive evidence cited for me to believe that this isn't just another scare tactic. plus smoking grass in a vaporiser is much safer than any other way of doing it, bongs included.

05-06-2003, 03:46 PM	#18 (permalink)
gibber71 Loser	Moderation is key just like everything else.I know one guy who has missed only 2 days in 25 years of smoking pot.Once was for his uncles funeral and the other time he was in jail cuz he got busted,..well with pot.This guy can't remember a conversation he's had 5 minutes ago.Another guy I knew would criticize me cuz I'm a weekend puffer.He was an avid runner and dropped dead of a heart attack at age 34. Is smoking bad? I don't know but I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.Are they bad for you yet?

05-06-2003, 05:08 PM	#19 (permalink)
little limey Psycho Location: Room Nineteen	There is that commercial out now saying that one joint contains as much tar as 4 cigarettes. Also, smoking pot is like smoking without a filter which, i think, is probably very bad for your lungs. And in tribes where smoking pot is a regular activity, there is a problem where the smoker's lungs become deformed (we learned that in anthropology class).

05-06-2003, 06:17 PM	#24 (permalink)
QuasiMojo King Knave Location: Lancaster	To much of ANY good thing...... __________________ AzAbOv ZoBeLoE

05-06-2003, 05:22 PM	#20 (permalink)
sixate Registered User Location: Somewhere in Ohio	Weed is a major factor in todays messed up society. I'll never do it or support the use of it. I don't need a test to know that smoking weed is bad for my lungs and will fry my brain.

05-06-2003, 05:45 PM	#21 (permalink)
NuKE Upright	I smoke weed daily as do many of my friends, and i know no one who has died from it. Aynway, you can get high other ways than smoking pot, like eating it. Oh, and the you can solve the tar problem by buying a vaporizer, With these you can get nice, big, clean hits. -NuKE (ssjtwizta)

05-06-2003, 05:54 PM	#22 (permalink)
rs8001 Crazy Location: Indiana	We can argue all day about the merits and relative risks associated with this or that substance. (Would alcohal really be our legal drug of choice if we considered all the known factors?) When I was younger we were taught all sorts of bad things would happen if we used drugs. Most of it was overblown hogwash. This sound like just another supposed bit of evidence to bolster the arguments of the anti drug crowd. There is a down side to drug use and that why I don't use drugs exept the occasional drink. However, I think it is an individual's own desicsion to make.

05-06-2003, 06:06 PM	#23 (permalink)
termnl Tilted	The age old argument.......bah. aside from that....I am curious to see how the US will react to that vs. the reaction to Canada. __________________ Read the date on the outside of my cocoon. It specifies my release... but im running out of room.

05-06-2003, 07:29 PM	#25 (permalink)
BudTheSpud Upright Location: Canada	I think this theory would have been noted. Even though Canada is going ahead with decriminalizing marijuana here. I think its crap. Even though I dont smoke the stuff. __________________ Vaseline in a sock does not a Bill Cosby make

05-06-2003, 07:33 PM	#26 (permalink)
Double D Junkie Location: Chicagoland	One word: Brownies. There's no doubt that the act of smoking is not good for people. Therefore hemp should be consumed (eaten). I have a good chili recipe, as well as one for soup.

05-06-2003, 08:00 PM	#27 (permalink)
phoenix1002 Psycho Location: lost	It sounds to me like nobody really knows what the long-term effects are. We hear about studies that suggest that smoking marijuana can be hazardous to your health, and we hear just as many stories from people who used marijuana for years and have had no bad side effects. I don't think there is any way to end this argument--there are always skeptics who will deny research as "lies from the government" and there are always lurking variables in even the best planned experiments. My personal opinion? Anything that screws with your mind like that can't be good. I just stay away from all drugs, with the exception of caffeine. __________________ I'd rather be climbing... I approach college much like a recovering alcoholic--one day at a time...

05-06-2003, 08:07 PM	#28 (permalink)
guthmund big damn hero	Big surprise that we see the word scaremonger in there. This latest round of Anti-Drug propaganda is getting a little ridiculous. "Buying drugs supports terrorists" uh-huh "Smoke Marijuana, get pregnant/raped/sodomized." uh-huh "Smoking Marijuana is just as dangerous as good ol' regular smoking" Well, no shit. I smoke my fern hanging in the window, chances are it isn't good for me. And the term "just as dangerous" leaves me a little empty....so marijuana is "just as dangerous" as smoking tobacco, yet I can purchase 20 death sticks in box form for handful of dollars.... I just wish the Government would say: Okay, look, were all adults here....you understand the risks involved....go out knock yourselves out. Smoke everything.... It's time for you to start acting like an adult and taking responsibility for your actions, were tired of babysitting __________________ No signature. None. Seriously.

05-06-2003, 08:18 PM	#29 (permalink)
Tophat665 Minion of the scaléd ones Location: Northeast Jesusland	Everybody dies of something. While I respect people's choice to not indulge in recreational drug use, I am dismayed by the number of such people who believe that their choice is the only right one for everyone. I am not going to argue the potential medical benefits or the alleged societal detriments of marijuana use. I'm not even going to defend the next point I make. Consider, though, what is wrong with recreational drug use (particularly of the non-addiciting variety), that is not a direct effect of it being illegal? I submit that there is nothing. __________________ Light a man a fire, and he will be warm while it burns. Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.

05-06-2003, 09:31 PM	#30 (permalink)
w\|red Upright	Alcohol and Tobacco kill more people than every illegal drug combined times 30. Caffeine hurts your body more than Marijuana.

05-06-2003, 10:21 PM	#31 (permalink)
Easytiger Insane Location: Tigerland	I thought it said "CANNIBALS could kill thousands". Damn.

05-07-2003, 06:52 AM	#36 (permalink)
SaltPork Everything's better with bacon Location: In your local grocer's freezer.	Oh my God, people. How can it be healthy to breathe hot smoke into your lungs?!?!?! The drug issue aside, breathing hot smoke into your lungs is not healthy, this cannot be argued. People die mostly from SMOKE inhalation when there is a fire, not from being burned. So how can smoking anything be good for you?? __________________ It was like that when I got here....I swear.

05-07-2003, 07:30 AM	#37 (permalink)
Double D Junkie Location: Chicagoland	Wrkime, I don't think most of us are saying that smoking anything is healthful. What appears to be true however, is that for a very long time, humans have altered their consciousness with various sustances. Even children do something that can make the head spin- twirling around repeatedly until dizzy- then collapsing in laughter. I submit that it is normal to occasionally alter one's reality. I think adults can make this choice, as long as it is an informed one.