Another Colorado Pot grower busted

[DasBlunt]

Das, take some time and reflect on what has been said here. All of your points have been clearly refuted. Someone disagreeing with you is not attacking you personally which, for some reason you have felt the need to do to others.

If you insist on coming back with more off the wall facts, please have something to back them up. Comparing marijuana to meth is just obscene. Clearly state your arguments and there can be a civilized debate. Every time you are challenged you come back with another anecdote. What is your position? Pot is bad? Pot should be 100% illegal? Please clarify.

read the posts. no points have been refuted, only rhetoric.

The problems arose when mr. anti social started the insult fest because i am concerned about second hand smoke in my community.

[neckdeep]

Yeah. We can read. Especially the parts at the beginning where you start by calling everyone who disagrees with you "brain washed hippies" and charge downhill from that point. Nice try, but you fail.

[neckdeep]

you can't imagine how a psychedelic like the ganja might be bad in any way shape or form? How about the fact that it does not leave your blood stream for up to 2 weeks min, 1 month max?


fucking brainwashed hippies.

Ring a bell? You were doing that before I came in. Anti-social? Dude, everyone can see who started the name calling. And then you got yer panties in a wad every time someone disagreed with your baseless claims. What kind of prick is happy to see a small time medicinal dope grower go to jail? Seriously, go make some more babies. I'm gonna call you DasPunt from here on out cuz you can't make no yardage whatsoever.

[berko]

I'm gonna call you DasPunt from here on out cuz you can't make no yardage whatsoever.

That made me laugh.


That and Dasblunt's arguments.

[Art Shirk]

or

[LukeS]

or

/thread.

[DoWork]

you can't imagine how a psychedelic like the ganja might be bad in any way shape or form? How about the fact that it does not leave your blood stream for up to 2 weeks min, 1 month max?


fucking brainwashed hippies.

Dood... Your motherfucking name is DASBLUNT.

That'd be like me bitching about people my neighbor doin' work on his gf's ladyparts while I'm trying to sleep. I hear pussy is in your bloodstream for LIFE!

[DoWork]

WAIT. YOU WERE SERIOUS ABOUT WEED BEING AS ADDICTIVE AS METH?

... DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS SUCKED COCK FOR WEED?

This is a very good point... Maybe he speaks from experience?

[doughboyshredder]

Weed is as addictive as meth, another funny fact.

You're not really this much of a fucking idiot, are you?
https://www.msu.edu/~hertlerg/stats.html
Marijuana is in no way physically addictive. In a sense it is psychologically addictive for heavy users. But this is because of the habitual nature of it, and so it's no different than being addicted to acting like a jackass on TGR, or playing with your Wii. Meth on the other hand is heavily physically addictive. You really have no idea what you're talking about.

Obviously weed does not do as much physical damage as meth, but it is just as addictive non the less.

wow the personal bias in here is staggering. defending ones own habits is one thing, but ignoring simple facts is pretty fucking lame.

Whats next, smoking weed in libraries and public places because it is "not harmful"?

much of the past information on weed is from old government models using shit weed. Now, with the potent blueberry/northern lights/smurfberrycrunch/, shit has changed.

I don't smoke weed anymore, and I am still calling you out for being an uninformed jackass.

The potency argument is bullshit. Government studies have often been done using exceptional weed. Where do you think the G13 strain came from? The government, that's where.

fair enough. until I can wade through the swarms of misinformation about it, i will provide.

I have nothing personal against smoking the ganja. Was a strong smoker/supporter of jah for 20+ years.

it just amazes me how harmless people think it is now that it is labeled a medicine again.

I think most people think it's harmless because when used in moderation it is. Even when used excessively (like I was) it is still relatively harmless, especially when compared to Alcohol, which is glorified in our culture, even to the point that showing a potential president drinking a beer increases their polling.

WAIT. YOU WERE SERIOUS ABOUT WEED BEING AS ADDICTIVE AS METH?

MINUS DEX, DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS SUCKED COCK FOR WEED?

YOU SIR, ARE AN IDIOT.

Well said.

Alcohol has a whole other argument. The culture is different and the day after effects are also different. The mental effects are completely different. You need to get a grip.

This country is on the road to medically legalizing the most potent form of cannabis. Those studies used a far less potent version that what we burn now. First, can you understand that point? The conclusions would be different had they used the good shit.

No one is saying cannabis is Cocaine, so calm down.

But second hand smoke does trigger positives during drug tests for jobs where smoking weed is illegal for good reason. second hand smoke can get you high, which is my point and my 3 year old daughters point.

Alcohol is a different argument. The effects on individuals and society are much worse, yet it is glorified in a ridiculous manner.
Again, you're wrong.
No, actually you were saying it's as bad as meth, which is worse than cocaine.
What about the kids? You're an idiot, if you have your 3 year old daughter anywhere where she could get high from second hand smoke. Essentially you would have to lock her in a room with a few people burning up for a few hours.

YOU'RE SAYING WEED IS METH, NOT COCAINE........

WHEN THOSE STUDIES WERE DONE, THEY HAD HASH WHICH IS COMPARABLE TO WEED OF TODAY. KEEP DIGGING.

Exactlly.

DasBlunt, you're way off base.

[Rasputin]

Hey that's Fast Eddie, I know that dude. He drinks a case of Budweiser a day, sometimes two.

[Cono Este]

KOG says no more than 49 plants.

[doughboyshredder]

I thought that was per patient, and the grey area is whether a grower can provide for multiple patients.

[mitch_cumstein]

In CO:

up tp 5 patients for each 'private caregiver' ie 'homegrower.' Each patient is allotted 6 plants. A private caregiver can grow their patients 6 for a total of 30, but they must be registered with the state.

Otherwise, medical marijuana centers (MMC's) must pay 20K (Forget the actual number) to the state and grow 70% of their own in an industrially zoned area.

[Pimpin Panda]

While neckdeep is stuck in the 70s with some brown weak ass shit, I will state clearly; the perception is changing only because of the new label among younger people.

14, 15, 16 year old kids should not be burning fatties during school. while it may effect everyone slightly different, no one could defend the effects as conducive for certain types of learning.

Getting stoned creates too many tangents and focus is impaired. Great for art and music and language, but not for much else, individual mileage may vary of course.

And 14,15,16 yea old kids should not be getting wasted drunk during school. I don't think anyone here is saying people should be doing pot like they should eat their fruits and vegetables, they are just saying it is not as bad as people have made it out to be and is no worse than alcohol.

Are you saying alcohol should be illegal?
Are you saying that alcohol is safer than pot?
Are you saying that alcohol has medical use and pot doesnt?

[Pimpin Panda]

My example is Colorado and weed as "medicine".

The perceptions have/are/will change because of the label. It is legal here now. Attitudes, actions are changing because of it.

My best example is second hand smoke. Next best is younger kids perceiving now that it is a medicine, that it is less harmful.

Maybe you misunderstood?

Then younger kids are stupid motherfuckers. Let us look at both pot being legal (for those over 21) and being legal with a prescription.
1) A 16 year old gets wasted, drives a car, kills a family. "But it is legal".
A 17 year old goes to school smelling like a brewery wasted. "but it is legal"
A 30 year old lawyer goes to court to argue a case and is wasted off his ass.
A 21 year old frat kid drinking a bottle of vodka and overdosing and dieing. Guess we wont here "but it is legal" (and since he was 21 it was) from him since he is dead.
2) a 13 year old gets into his parents (legally prescribed) oxycontin and goes to school and causes a shitload of trouble.
13 year olds 16 year old brother gets into it, gets in a car, and kills a family due to him being wasted on it.

Everything you say applies to both legal alcohol or prescription medication.
Anyone who says "alcohol is legal, I am going to go to work/school/drive wasted because it is ok because it is legal" is a idiot and you are being intellectually dishonest in your above remarks.

[Pimpin Panda]

read the posts. no points have been refuted, only rhetoric.

The problems arose when mr. anti social started the insult fest because i am concerned about second hand smoke in my community.

Please!! you were talking about 14 year olds going to school high on pot, %90 of your points also applied to alcohol or federally legally prescribed medications.

Second hand smoke was your only valid point, but since the majority of your points were hysteria I ignored that point. I have no problem with making "inflicting second hand cigarette or pot smoke on another person" a infraction.

Second hand cigarette smoke has been widespread for over 70 years, why hasn't it been made a infraction to inflict someone with it yet (except in areas marked explicitly for its use)? Shouldnt a parent smoking in a car or in their own house inflicting their children with their second smoke be guilty of this? Or if I am out camping and someone is smoking cigarettes and I breathe it in, why can't I walk over to the ranger and have him give them a ticket?

Get this, second hand cigarette smoke is many times more unhealthy than second hand pot smoke

[mitch_cumstein]

I tend to agree with SAFER's (http://www.saferchoice.org/safercolorado06/) approach and philosophy.

[DasBlunt]

you guys are so fucking gullible. There is some dumb Pro weed propaganda out there (if you believe it, good for you, another one bites the dust, sorry!!), the "real" science is pretty straight forward and recent.

All of this talk about it being "Safer" than alcohol, is not the point. (oh yes, we get safe, that is for sure)

Cannabis is a depressant, stimulant and a hallucinogenic depending on dosage.

Second hand smoke from weed is dangerous psychologically.

here is modern research....not wiki and with footnotes....
and , I am done with this as I did my due diligence. I have nothing against the ganja, just the irresponsible smokers who poison peoples airspace.

Its like fighting with Cigarette smokers all over again. You don't get it because you are so caught up in your addiction.

"Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.2 As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.

Research on the long-term effects of marijuana abuse indicates some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system3 and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine.4 Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.

Addictive Potential
Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite its known harmful effects upon social functioning in the context of family, school, work, and recreational activities. Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which make it difficult to quit. These withdrawal symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2–3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation.5

Marijuana and Mental Health
A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be a factor, where early use is a marker of vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or is used in attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence. Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses, including addiction, stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. At the present time, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders.6 High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction; in addition, use of the drug may trigger the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals.

What Other Adverse Effect Does Marijuana Have on Health?

Effects on the Heart
Marijuana increases heart rate by 20–100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. In one study, it was estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug.7 This may be due to the increased heart rate as well as effects of marijuana on heart rhythms, causing palpitations and arrhythmias. This risk may be greater in aging populations or those with cardiac vulnerabilities.

Effects on the Lungs
Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50–70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increase the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer;8 however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.9 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.

Nonetheless, marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections. 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.10 Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

Effects on Daily Life
Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.11 Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover."


2 Pope HG, Gruber AJ, Hudson JI, Huestis MA, Yurgelun-Todd D. Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users. Arch Gen Psychiatry 58(10):909–915, 2001.

3 Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Carrera MRA, Navarro M, Koob GF, Weiss F. Activation of corticotropin-releasing factor in the limbic system during cannabinoid withdrawal. Science 276(5321):2050–2054, 1997.

4 Diana M, Melis M, Muntoni AL, Gessa GL. Mesolimbic dopaminergic decline after cannabinoid withdrawal. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 95(17):10269–10273, 1998.

5 Budney AJ, Vandrey RG, Hughes JR, Thostenson JD, Bursac Z. Comparison of cannabis and tobacco withdrawal: Severity and contribution to relapse. J Subst Abuse Treat, e-publication ahead of print, March 12, 2008.

6 Moore TH, Zammit S, Lingford-Hughes A, et al. Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes: A systematic review. Lancet 370 (9584):319–328, 2007.

7 Mittleman MA, Lewis RA, Maclure M, Sherwood JB, Muller JE. Triggering myocardial infarction by marijuana. Circulation 103(23):2805–2809, 2001.

8 Tashkin DP. Smoked marijuana as a cause of lung injury. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis 63(2):92–100, 2005.

9 Hashibe M, Morgenstern H, Cui Y, et al. Marijuana use and the risk of lung and upper aerodigestive tract cancers: Results of a population-based case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15(10):1829–1834, 2006.

10 Polen MR, Sidney S, Tekawa IS, Sadler M, Friedman GD. Health care use by frequent marijuana smokers who do not smoke tobacco. West J Med 158(6):596–601, 1993.

11 Gruber AJ, Pope HG, Hudson JI, Yurgelun-Todd D. Attributes of long-term heavy cannabis users: A case control study. Psychological Med 33(8):1415–1422, 2003.

[mitch_cumstein]

you guys are so fucking gullible. There is some dumb Pro weed propaganda out there (if you believe it, good for you, another one bites the dust, sorry!!), the "real" science is pretty straight forward and recent.

All of this talk about it being "Safer" than alcohol, is not the point. (oh yes, we get safe, that is for sure)

Cannabis is a depressant, stimulant and a hallucinogenic depending on dosage.

Second hand smoke from weed is dangerous psychologically.

here is modern research....not wiki and with footnotes....
and , I am done with this as I did my due diligence. I have nothing against the ganja, just the irresponsible smokers who poison peoples airspace.

Its like fighting with Cigarette smokers all over again. You don't get it because you are so caught up in your addiction.

"Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.2 As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.

Research on the long-term effects of marijuana abuse indicates some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system3 and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine.4 Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.

Addictive Potential
Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite its known harmful effects upon social functioning in the context of family, school, work, and recreational activities. Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which make it difficult to quit. These withdrawal symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2–3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation.5

Marijuana and Mental Health
A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be a factor, where early use is a marker of vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or is used in attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence. Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses, including addiction, stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. At the present time, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders.6 High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction; in addition, use of the drug may trigger the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals.

What Other Adverse Effect Does Marijuana Have on Health?

Effects on the Heart
Marijuana increases heart rate by 20–100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. In one study, it was estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug.7 This may be due to the increased heart rate as well as effects of marijuana on heart rhythms, causing palpitations and arrhythmias. This risk may be greater in aging populations or those with cardiac vulnerabilities.

Effects on the Lungs
Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50–70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increase the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer;8 however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.9 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.

Nonetheless, marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections. 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.10 Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

Effects on Daily Life
Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.11 Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover."


2 Pope HG, Gruber AJ, Hudson JI, Huestis MA, Yurgelun-Todd D. Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users. Arch Gen Psychiatry 58(10):909–915, 2001.

3 Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Carrera MRA, Navarro M, Koob GF, Weiss F. Activation of corticotropin-releasing factor in the limbic system during cannabinoid withdrawal. Science 276(5321):2050–2054, 1997.

4 Diana M, Melis M, Muntoni AL, Gessa GL. Mesolimbic dopaminergic decline after cannabinoid withdrawal. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 95(17):10269–10273, 1998.

5 Budney AJ, Vandrey RG, Hughes JR, Thostenson JD, Bursac Z. Comparison of cannabis and tobacco withdrawal: Severity and contribution to relapse. J Subst Abuse Treat, e-publication ahead of print, March 12, 2008.

6 Moore TH, Zammit S, Lingford-Hughes A, et al. Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes: A systematic review. Lancet 370 (9584):319–328, 2007.

7 Mittleman MA, Lewis RA, Maclure M, Sherwood JB, Muller JE. Triggering myocardial infarction by marijuana. Circulation 103(23):2805–2809, 2001.

8 Tashkin DP. Smoked marijuana as a cause of lung injury. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis 63(2):92–100, 2005.

9 Hashibe M, Morgenstern H, Cui Y, et al. Marijuana use and the risk of lung and upper aerodigestive tract cancers: Results of a population-based case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15(10):1829–1834, 2006.

10 Polen MR, Sidney S, Tekawa IS, Sadler M, Friedman GD. Health care use by frequent marijuana smokers who do not smoke tobacco. West J Med 158(6):596–601, 1993.

11 Gruber AJ, Pope HG, Hudson JI, Yurgelun-Todd D. Attributes of long-term heavy cannabis users: A case control study. Psychological Med 33(8):1415–1422, 2003.

What exactly is your point?

I find your writing difficult to read.

[ill-advised strategy]

Oh no!! It's the evil plant!!

[doughboyshredder]

and it makes you hallucinate!!!!

LMAO

[single]

, I am going to go to work/school/drive wasted because it is ok because it is legal" is a idiot

I am still in college in montana, where medical is legal and it seems like MOST of my friends have a card for "chronic joint pain", or buy from someone who does.

I dont want to affiliate myself with the rest of dasblunts argument, but it is absolutely surprising to see the number of incoming freshman that think because weed is legal it is safe. Those are the same kids that go get alcohol poisoning the first night their parents are gone, they dont realize the dangers of alcohol because it is legal.

What it comes down to is people around my age are generally pretty ignorant, I am not going to pull myself from that generalization. Because weed is legal, kids think it is safe. Just like crossing at a crosswalk, as opposed to j walking is safer because it is legal. And they are idiots.

I dont care if you try to refute my point. I know this is true (at least here in montana) because of first hand empirical knowledge. Most of my good friends are involved in a caretaking operation/grow op at some capacity, and the rest of the people I know are patients, or are working on becoming patients.

[prokeke]

you guys are so fucking gullible. There is some dumb Pro weed propaganda out there (if you believe it, good for you, another one bites the dust, sorry!!), the "real" science is pretty straight forward and recent.

All of this talk about it being "Safer" than alcohol, is not the point. (oh yes, we get safe, that is for sure)

Cannabis is a depressant, stimulant and a hallucinogenic depending on dosage.

Second hand smoke from weed is dangerous psychologically.

here is modern research....not wiki and with footnotes....
and , I am done with this as I did my due diligence. I have nothing against the ganja, just the irresponsible smokers who poison peoples airspace.

Its like fighting with Cigarette smokers all over again. You don't get it because you are so caught up in your addiction.

"Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.2 As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.

Research on the long-term effects of marijuana abuse indicates some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system3 and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine.4 Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.

Addictive Potential
Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite its known harmful effects upon social functioning in the context of family, school, work, and recreational activities. Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which make it difficult to quit. These withdrawal symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2–3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation.5

Marijuana and Mental Health
A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be a factor, where early use is a marker of vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or is used in attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence. Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses, including addiction, stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. At the present time, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders.6 High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction; in addition, use of the drug may trigger the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals.

What Other Adverse Effect Does Marijuana Have on Health?

Effects on the Heart
Marijuana increases heart rate by 20–100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. In one study, it was estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug.7 This may be due to the increased heart rate as well as effects of marijuana on heart rhythms, causing palpitations and arrhythmias. This risk may be greater in aging populations or those with cardiac vulnerabilities.

Effects on the Lungs
Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50–70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increase the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer;8 however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.9 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.

Nonetheless, marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections. 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.10 Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

Effects on Daily Life
Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.11 Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover."


2 Pope HG, Gruber AJ, Hudson JI, Huestis MA, Yurgelun-Todd D. Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users. Arch Gen Psychiatry 58(10):909–915, 2001.

3 Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Carrera MRA, Navarro M, Koob GF, Weiss F. Activation of corticotropin-releasing factor in the limbic system during cannabinoid withdrawal. Science 276(5321):2050–2054, 1997.

4 Diana M, Melis M, Muntoni AL, Gessa GL. Mesolimbic dopaminergic decline after cannabinoid withdrawal. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 95(17):10269–10273, 1998.

5 Budney AJ, Vandrey RG, Hughes JR, Thostenson JD, Bursac Z. Comparison of cannabis and tobacco withdrawal: Severity and contribution to relapse. J Subst Abuse Treat, e-publication ahead of print, March 12, 2008.

6 Moore TH, Zammit S, Lingford-Hughes A, et al. Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes: A systematic review. Lancet 370 (9584):319–328, 2007.

7 Mittleman MA, Lewis RA, Maclure M, Sherwood JB, Muller JE. Triggering myocardial infarction by marijuana. Circulation 103(23):2805–2809, 2001.

8 Tashkin DP. Smoked marijuana as a cause of lung injury. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis 63(2):92–100, 2005.

9 Hashibe M, Morgenstern H, Cui Y, et al. Marijuana use and the risk of lung and upper aerodigestive tract cancers: Results of a population-based case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15(10):1829–1834, 2006.

10 Polen MR, Sidney S, Tekawa IS, Sadler M, Friedman GD. Health care use by frequent marijuana smokers who do not smoke tobacco. West J Med 158(6):596–601, 1993.

11 Gruber AJ, Pope HG, Hudson JI, Yurgelun-Todd D. Attributes of long-term heavy cannabis users: A case control study. Psychological Med 33(8):1415–1422, 2003.

Did you even read your tl; dr? Some of those points are unproven, and it's even stated in the article(I bolded one). There is a lot more that I could disprove easily. This is something you are likely to find on a back of a commercialy sold weed baggie in the future, under "health risks".
You should try make a list of negative consequences of drinking alcohol. Lets see how long it gets

[DasBlunt]

Did you even read your tl; dr? Some of those points are unproven, and it's even stated in the article(I bolded one). There is a lot more that I could disprove easily. This is something you are likely to find on a back of a commercialy sold weed baggie in the future, under "health risks".
You should try make a list of negative consequences of drinking alcohol. Lets see how long it gets

1? 1 unproven cancer study? why take the risk?

Maybe read the other 30 points that are not disputed? Anyone, anyone. Bueler?

Here is another one while we are at it, the dopamine receptor thing....not conclusive....OK, why take the risk? Why should kids take the risk?

The point is the exposure to second hand smoke for me, that is my only concern personally and I feel like we are in the dog days of the second hand smoke wars of the 90s.

For everyone else (who I hope consider these things), the complete lack of reality from people who smoke think that cannabis is basically harmless because it is now somewhat legal, and more and more idiots who think it is not a hallucinogenic. Go dig up the FACT that when you eat and digest THC it turns into something far more potent blah blah blah. No, not DMT type unicorns, but a mental experience unlike alcohol or tobacco.

addiction, its all up there, with footnotes.

[Rasputin]

I knew marijuana was relatively harmless long before any medical legalization efforts were successful. I don't know what the measure of "safe" is to some, but the truth of the matter is that it doesn't kill people, or there would have long since been millions of fatalities directly attributed to it. Tens of millions of people in this country have been smoking it with frequency for decades.

Back in my first year at The University of Oregon, when I was first experimenting with booze, pot, and psychedelics, I thought it wise to read up on the substances I was thinking about trying. I read Psychedelics Reconsidered a book written by some Harvard pharmacology instructors, in which various different types of substances were identified chemically, and described in terms of physiological effects, as well as the formal designations that were specifically appropriate to each. I don't recall the wording, but they suggested that D9 THC wasn't accurately described as a psychedelic.

I would certainly concede that cannabinoids interact with psychedelics (it really causes visuals to pop when coming down from LSD, but so does orange juice), probably because they effect the same parts of the brain, such as the pineal gland. That doesn't mean they effect it in the same way though.

It seems to me that a large contingent of the medical community are confident in the safety and therapeutic value of it. I expect that some peoples' medical knowledge exceeds that of all of the Doctors that write prescriptions for it, but I have a strong feeling that none of them are posting in this thread.

The idea that brief exposure to indirect second hand smoke coming from an other building can cause physical or psychological harm, is unsubstantiated by research or any other type of measure. It is nothing more than paranoia, born of unreasoning fear, which is more likely to cause harm to a child's psyche than a whiff of smoke from a distance.