150+ Scientific Studies Showing the Dangers of Marijuana

150+ Scientific Studies Showing the Dangers of Marijuana

Marijuana can cause - Brain Damage (Lowered IQ, Memory Loss, Paranoia, Psychosis, Schizophrenia); Mood Disorders (Aggression, Anxiety, Depression, Irritability); Cancer; Heart Attacks; Gum Disease; Impaired Motor Skills; Lung Disease; Obesity; Osteoporosis; Pregnancy Complications; Sexual Dysfunction; Strokes, Viral Infections and even Death.

Perception of marijuana as a "safe drug" is scientifically inaccurate (University of Montreal)
Cannabis more damaging to health than previously thought claim doctors (Imperial College London)
NIDA review summarizes research on marijuana’s negative health effects (New England Journal of Medicine)

[video=youtube;Bh5j6p0Ck88]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh5j6p0Ck88[/video]

Why are so many people ignorant of the science?

 

Why do people smoke?

What concern is it of you what other people do?

 

How much each year do taxpayers fund which is directly related to the negative health effects of people's behaviors...including the use of marijuana. This funding is in the form of higher insurance costs and government spending and increased medical costs. Beyond the costs how much loss of productivity is realized?

These issues are a big deal for myriad and valid reasons...don't trivialize their importance and impacts...

 

People ingest caffeine as well which can cause: Heart disease, high cholesterol, fluid loss, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, damaged blood vessels, insomnia anxiety and depleted calcium and iron levels.

http://www.mercola.com/downloads/bonus/coffee/report.htm

 

"The objective is not to fuel the debate about whether cannabis is good or bad, but instead to identify those individuals who might most suffer from its deleterious effects and provide adequate measures to prevent this risk” Jutras-Aswad said. “Continuing research should be performed to inform public policy in this area. Without such systematic, evidenced-based research to understand the long-term effects of cannabis on the developing brain, not only the legal status of cannabis will be determined on uncertain ground, but we will not be able to innovate effective treatments such as the medicinal use of cannabis plant components that might be beneficial for treating specific disorders,” Dr Hurd said."
http://www.nouvelles.umontreal.ca/u...a-safe-drug-is-scientifically-inaccurate.html

A drug is a drug. Drugs aren't good for you. But that being said, different drugs have different effects. Take smoking for instance. Here it says that 75% of pot smokers aren't addicted to it. However,
"Although only 5 percent of high school smokers said that they would definitely be smoking five years later, close to 75 percent were still smoking 7 to 9 years later."
http://www.smoking-facts.net/Teen-Smoking-Facts.html

And one of the most abused drugs, is caffeine. But do we ban it despite knowing that too much caffeine can damage kidneys? No. We just make sure that people who drink coffee or smoke know the effects of it. In the end, it's not just about protecting our kids ,it's about making sure that we make the right decision about using drugs. That's why this research is good, so we can get a better sense of how dangerous different drugs are.

 

If nobody cared what other people do then why have any type
of research at all?

 

That's right! Anything that has an adverse on people's health should be banned. Now excuse me while I go out to smoke a cigarette while drinking a Super-Ginormous-Big-Gulp of Mt. Dew (with a shot of rum) and eating a donut

 

There are also numerous studies showing the dangers of breathing in pollution created by combustion engines, but you don't see a movement to ban cars and trucks, do you?

People can make up their own minds.

 

It's hard to adequately study a drug that is illegal. In any case we already know that marijuana use is widespread and, except for the fact it is illegal, does not cause many problems.

Yet we do not see youngsters drinking coffee to excess. Yes, some do and I recall a kid died from consuming too much of it but, for the most part, caffeine is a legal, psychoactive substance that is generally NOT abused.

 

It will take time unfortunately to figure everything out. Imagine what would have been if pot wasn't banned in the 1930's.

Or when you compare how much alcohol was drunk at the beginning of the 1900s to today. It just got lower as time went on.

 

Yet ciggaretts and alcohol are legal.

Your argument only makes sense if every other "costly behavior" is also prohibited.

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What does that have to do with using the violence of the Almighty State to force other people to live the way you do?

 

No drug cartel, millions of fewer deaths, a more secure Southern border and maybe some discoveries that enhance all of human kind. Shame really.

When people are aware of what they are ingesting....how much, what strength and common knowledge of effects, overdoses and binging would naturally subside. Take caffeine for instance: Although a few idiots have overdosed, the drug caffeine is responsibly used by millions upon millions. Caffeine can be as potent as meth and just as deadly but we don't DO that with this drug....Think about it. Unfortunately idiots will always exist but why lower the human population to the lowest common denominator?

 

Obviously you are part of the problems I stated...and you brag about this??

 

I never advocated that anything be prohibited??

I only said that many human behaviors have a cost to society and to people themselves...

 

Which is why I wonder why you used the argument to begin with.

 

I don't know if that's true per say. But it seems like that's the most likely thing that could have happened.

Because sometimes the world travels too fast for some people and they have to say "wait" in order to catch up.

 

I don't smoke except a cigar on occasion and even then I don't inhale....but a persons body takes in over 5000TIMES the poisons and toxins into their body every time they fill up their tank with Gasoline and much worse when the liquid gas get's on ones skin.

Gasoline vapor is what ignites not the liquid so if you can smell the vapor you are breathing into your body.

Compared to the amount of heavy metal toxins and other Petroleum based toxins that a child get's into their systems playing in their driveway!

AboveAlpha

 

The whole of this marijuana game is all about money. There are some businesses who want to make money out of it.

 

Sorry, I forgot my [sarcasm] tag. The point I was making is the same as that Wolverine made. There is lots of human behavior that does possible harm to society. Hell, that's the whole point of the environmental movement, so why is everyone so worked up over pot?

 

Some questions that should also be factored into the marijuana debate (I am not American, living in Australia):

Whether it is controllable or can be regulated. Some think that the government can keep the lid on usage and related violence. I tend to think that marijuana is not controllable. Even with the ban, the teenagers here still have a plentiful supply of it, and also deal in meth. It would be a big mistake to think that the government can control drugs, and then soon find that the consequences of unbanning it become far higher than intended. To me, the fact that drugs are easily attainable even with a ban, is not a reason to give up on trying to ban it.

The effect it will have on crime. Some think that unbanning it (in America) would damage the position of the Cartels. I disagree, I think they would view it as an unlocked market. Crime on both sides of the border would surge as the Cartels try to monopolize their position on it. Everyone of these organizations will want "only their weed" to be sold, which is a big motivation for violence. A basic understanding of economics will tell people that they will kill each other in the way legitimate businesses buy each other out as a part of ending competition.

Whether marijuana is as far as we'll go in terms of legalization. The problem with many things is that legalizing them becomes a precursor to legalizing something else. After a few years of legalizing marijuana, the same crowd will be pushing to legalize harder substances. It is irresponsible of a government- even a "democratic" one- to keep making concessions on everything just because people want it. Should a democratic government legalize murder should the people want it? I'd say, certainly not.

The effect on productivity. I'm sure that smoking drugs can be a time consuming process. A time that can be better spent doing more productive things. A simple example in the case of teenagers- studying beats smoking weed in the regards of productivity- without question.

In conclusion, I'm vehemently against making any concession in legalizing any substance like this. It is like opening Pandora's Box. Arguments about other substances being more dangerous should be invalid in answering these type of questions because nobody intentionally wastes time breathing in the fumes of more dangerous substances, or committing crimes and making illegitimate "businesses" based around profiting from the distribution of these more dangerous substances.

As for "rights"- it is just a shallow argument. The argument for legalizing everything in the name of freedom only ends up in anarchy.

 

I don't know all the science in terms of marihuana, and nor am I to keen on reading about it. My argument for marihuana is based what I believe to be a better policy for our society.

If you make something in your country illegal, which the people want, somebody will supply it. Therefore increasing crime and costs for the government in terms of detention and police force. I feel the government should legalize as much as it can, and run it so people get what they want with as few negative side effects as possible. In other ways, to make sure that the marihuana we buy, is only from the government and therefore has a limited number of THC, that it's tested properly and that there is consultation and education on what these drugs do and mean in schools. This to me includes other drugs as well and alcohol, cigarettes, gambling and prostitution for example. Whether these things are illegal or not makes little difference as it will be provided anyhow because many people want to have access to these things.
Why not make money off that? Might improve the budget, create jobs, you could try run it as best as you can, and take the weight off the policemen who should be focusing on real crimes.

I think we (as in our society) is focusing too much on non essential crimes and spending to much time and money trying to prevent them...

 

Because many who practice behaviors which can be detrimental to one's health are going to be a burden to society. I don't personally care what other people do, but when they do things which become a cost to society, they need to be aware of their impacts instead of being arrogant and having a sense of entitlement...

 

I think stoners are pushing for legal status. Why would any healthy person take up pot smoking simply because it has become legal? Of course someone will always look to profit...

 

Sorry...I didn't detect your sarcasm.

Personally, I believe increased use of pot, including by our youths (yutes), which will stem from the legalization of pot, is a negative move in every direction except for those who profit and collect taxes. I know people are going to do this stuff no matter the laws, but it does not make sense to me to remove the laws for this reason...

 

People have an inherent right to do X, your choice in purchasing health insurance is one you. The same argument you use against them can be used against you.

So again, I wonder why you would use such a weak argument.

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Sure it does.

- Smoking weed harms no one.
- Why waste money and space confining these users to prison?

Keeping someone in jail is more costly than whatever imagined societal costs you imagine.