Weed use is not nearly as harmful as other drugs. The side effects on the body are worse from alcohol and cigarettes than in weed (they're legal). alcohol: liver cirrhosis; alcohol: brain damage, in weed also, but the reasons for this are different. Alcohol: increases aggression (while weed lessens it).

Cigarettes have been proven unequivocally to cause lung cancer, while weed has been shown to be much less of a factor.

Brain damage in weed is caused by an over creation of the brain's forgetting chemical. excessive weed use can atrophy the brain which can cause brain damage.

Both alcohol and weed allow a person to forget their problems, but someone on weed is much more functional. That being said this perk also can lead to aforementioned brain damage. There is nothing wrong with weed as long as isn't used excessively.

A person taking weed who begins to notice these effects should stop taking it. Unfortunately in alcohol and weed sometimes the realization is too late.

Okay here are some things for you to think about:

1. Is it right for humans to throw another human in jail for smoking a joint:

2. I have stomach cancer. Is it right for the government to throw me into juvie for smoking a plant?

3. Thc is not harmful and as a fact we have cannabinoid receptors proving that the human body was made to run on thc.

4. With alcohol it impairs you judgment, it increases violence, where as cannabis slows down the receptors in the mind that cause peacefulness, the "glazed" look comes from the reduction from eye pressure in the iris and the cornea.

5. Harvard medical school has actually proven in mice and in a few monkeys that it would repair damaged brain cells, and increase perception besides for slowing down reaction time.

6. By having cannabis illegal we put billions of dollars in gang members' hands. It is not as harmful as meth, crank, crack e ex. along with most prescription pills and over the counter pills.

7. Again i ask you what if you were pulled over and arrested for having a cigarette in your car, or were smoking one, you would fight like hell, and that is the same principle as having a joint.

8. People themselves have to be responsible for what they consume. just like someone who over drinks some bad things can happen but unlike alcohol where you die, you just pass out from cannabis.

8. And about it causing cancer, that is incorrect because no cannabinoid or thc will induce cancer cells unlike tobacco.

The only thing related to cancer you get is mild agitation in the lungs where the lungs have to inhale the smoke, but it increases blood flow and with asthma patience it also helps them breath better.

So think is it right to throw people into a jail that were intended for murders, rapists, and child molester? no, it is not the government ruins families because people smoke a plant, they cause hardships, and i know for a fact that even a day in jail will affect you permanently and will scar you for life.

just think next time when you smoke a cigarette that a cop tackles you and puts a cuff on you and arrests you for smoking tobacco imagine how you would feel because that is how many are feeling even as i write this.

Just because other drugs are far more dangerous or carry far more side effects than weed that does not mean we can justify smoking pot.

What I mean is that THC might have fewer side effects than other drugs, but we still cannot change that fact that it still causes cancer even by small percentage. How do we know we are not a victim of small percentage? How do you know you are going to survive out of five passengers when the plane goes down?

Why even risk sitting in the plane that you know will crash? Will you be one of the people who will make it? Is it worth risking you life for a couple of hours of pleasure and life escape? Where is our logic, people?

legalize it. i've been using for 15 years now. i have adhd and smoking weed helps calm me down. at night if i can't go to sleep, i smoke a couple of joints and i'll be asleep before 4 a.m.

i have never been in an accident smoking weed, but i have totaled a car on alcohol, and once taking xanax that was prescribed to me.

all my legal options i feel are far worse than smoking a little weed.

we need to find a way for the government to control marijuana. i believe that's why it's not legal. If it grows naturally, the government can't control it.

Ummm ive heard that THC or hemp oil can cure cancer? if the THC oil is rubbed on infection. i need an answer. also can marijuana cause cancer? Smoking THC releases all the carcinogens in weed which causes cancer. That being said makes me doubt weed can actually cure cancer when it actually causes it. No?

Science has proven marijuana is linked to and directly causing cancer. Hippies have gotten high and come up with the idea that rubbing oil on themselves cures everything. Until they come down. Then they repeat.

There are probably a lot more credible sources that say it does and yes, when you smoke it, I am sure it causes cancer, the tar and everything, just like in cigarettes.

but, rubbing the oil on yourself? That's not gonna do crap, except make your skin soft maybe because it's an oil.

I have read all of these posts, and the comments made by those that are heavily criticizing the drug are poor writers.

If you want to call a pot smoker, a marijuana user or the like a loser, you should check yourself along with your poor grammar.

Marijuana does not have the same affect on the human body as prescription drugs or alcohol and has not been linked to as many deaths or destructive behavior as the above "legal" substances.

Legal or illegal really makes no difference on how addictive a substance can be. Prescription pills are the number one abused substance throughout the U.S., but because a doctor wrote out a prescription, it doesn't and won't receive the same criticism.

Rehabilitation centers weren't designed to break marijuana addictions, and I can't remember ever hearing any local news stations broadcasting any deaths due to marijuana overdoses.

I am not condoning the drug or advertising it, but the ignorant and closed minded comments about what is or should be legal or illegal makes me laugh.

Parents are so worried about their children smoking weed, but they don't seem to think twice about leaving their prescription pain killers or other drugs above the sink in the "medicine cabinet." **Remember the commercial...the more you know**

The truth is that marijuana is the lowest possible threat to human health comparing to some other legal stuff people use like tobacco or alcohol.

There are lots of BS here in comments. It's proven that chronic marijuana use doesn't make any changes to the brain structure or other parts of the body that last more than two hours after intoxication. It's scientifically proven that all negative effects of THC wear off after 4-7 days of abstinence, including tolerance to THC.

The beneficial properties of marijuana are also proven over more then 4000 years of its usage in various cultures as a health beneficial herb along.

The main problem with marijuana is smoking and it's not connected to the herb itself - smoking anything is bad for lungs. If that concerns the users they can seek different ways for marijuana injection (like inhalation).

One other thing to consider is all the scientific data we have gathered to ban Marijuana and it's so called "negative effects". The tests preformed where preformed on monkeys and they made them put oxygen masks on that made them force breathe about the equivalent of 1000 joints.

With the mask on over five minutes at a time, now with little oxygen and heavy amounts of smoke, of course you're going to have problems such as: brain damage from lack of oxygen, loss of motor control, damage lung tissue and the list goes on. Just pointing that out though, how many stoners do you know that can smoke 1000 joints in say about 10 minutes? So was that really scientific data or just a gimmick so they could criminalize marijuana and make it such an evil drug?

So all the so called cures being derived from THC must be bad! Considering there is a whole world of medicine to be explored from it.

The facts are alcohol harms every part of the body. Even in moderation it's positive effects are minimal .For some reason it helps women sleep but has an opposite effect for men. Marijuana, like any drug, has side effects but if helps people with chronic conditions, Why not? It is natural like opium and people have used that for many years.

all chemicals but tobacco and alcohol are banned? what have you been smoking? opioids and various narcotics and pain killers are legally prescribed all the time in america and they do vastly greater damage to their consumers than marijuana. i would know. as a cancer survivor i was prescribed various such drugs and know firsthand that weed did far less damage to my body than those drugs.

anon50261-can you use any real proof other than a negative personal bias to back up anything you say? no? then stop slamming things you don't know anything about, please.

As for weed killing brain cells and alcohol not, which of the two has actually killed a person and which hasn't? weed has never been proven to kill anyone, not one single person. alcohol, on the other hand, doesn't need any proof. everyone knows someone who has died of liver cirrhosis or heart disease brought on by alcoholism.

1. Weed is extremely addictive! Simply because it has no chemical that addicts your body, but plays a trick on your mind where you feel that you can’t be happy without it!

2. Weed vs. alcohol: the difference shown in research is that it can cause bone diseases and a number of psychological problems, like schizophrenia! The other difference is that alcohol kills the neural paths which can regenerate! Weed on the other hands kills brain cells, and they don’t come back! Need proof? Just look at the empty/vegetable gaze a smoker has when he is high!

@january 16: The country gives methadone to cancer patients and drug abusers but that doesn’t make it legal, or anything! It’s still something you should refrain from using!

@robo 018: No one is denying that you might be a responsible person! The fact is you can be better person without it except if you’re not some useless aggressive person that has no place in society! Facts are it affects your head and makes you less interested in your problems! Nothing you say can disprove that research.

@ demuja: Heroin/opium comes from the earth and it’s pretty natural! Probably more natural than 99 percent of the weed out there! Start taking that instead? You kids are real confused and should learn that your brain is a lot more useful intact than in messing it up with some substances like that!

@anon25524: You won’t realize it straight away. thing is, the rest of the world can easily notice it you will be able to notice it after quite some time. most of my mates after 3-plus years realized how much they have changed due to weed! Thing is they now feel there is nothing they can do to undo the damage they have caused.

@anon43492: People who have as much logic as you deserve to get involved in a crash while high! Substances are different -- and I em pretty sure its wuite illegal to drive while under influence! So if you are worried about the legality that’s sorted! But then again you just proved me right: brain cells! You never get them back!

Stop comparing THC to other chemicals! They are all banned apart from alcohol and tobacco. I explained alcohol so far, tobacco on the other hand is quite harmful but at least doesn’t turn you in to a vegetable! I have had people in my life die from cancer (lung) and oh did they regret it, but that’s the thing --it’s been introduced when people where more primitive. now we know a bit more about it and it's time to move on! I got one question for you: Would you allow your kids to smoke tobacco\weed, and what parent would you be?

Marijuana should be legal everywhere. I mean how often do you hear that someone went off the wall and killed their whole family because of weed? Never! Only meth and other narcotics do that. Marijuana is natural and beautiful and yes maybe harmful to your lungs but so are cigs. Lol. Maybe the government should reconsider T.H.C.

anon38326: Weed is addictive. Your body doesn't get addicted to it -- your brain does. you become dependent on it. it's different from other drugs like cigarettes where your body craves it.

personally i just love it. i have anxiety issues, and smoking just calms me down, makes me feel oh so much better.

well the way i see it, it is legal to buy beer but not legal for weed, but think about it: you hear every day people getting killed by drunk drivers but how many times do you hear about people getting killed by someone on weed? to me weed is like a nerve pill that a doctor would give or a vitamin to help you eat so, if it's legal to take a nerve pill or take vitamins why can't weed be legal as well?

personally i think that every power in the world against cannabis being legalised should die painfully and need cannabis to live and then be denied it. Yep that's what i think.

I won't try to argue whether or not it's harmful. That shouldn't matter, since a person should have the freedom to decide what goes into their bodies so long as it does not negatively interfere with someone else's right to do the same. This can be achieved with cannabis, as I have met many people who ingest in and are responsible contributors to society. I'm one myself.

You dont have to go spend 40 bucks. just drink a lot of cranberry juice and antioxidant tea, then exercise alot and sweat it out. you can be clean in a week, trust me. I smoke every day, and i can be clean in a week if i have to. And no, weed is completely 100 percent non addictive. It's all a mind trick. you make yourself think that you're addicted. There is no chemical or property in weed that makes you addicted. If you guys are going to post info on here, please make it correct. Thanks! - Morgan

p.s. if you'd like to debate with me, go ahead!

It's funny how some of you people are blaming weed for people's personalities. lol. They were like that before they even started smoking weed.

The *weed* everyone is raving about is grown with chemicals. That's why it smells bad. If it is grown naturally not everyone would be raving about it.

Hey hey.. I'm currently an X user.. I stopped because I got caught.. I have no problem with Marijuana, and I feel that it should, and in the distant future, *will* be legal. I think to each his own.. I often compare marijuana and alcohol together.. If you think about it, there's not too much difference.. Its bad choice that *people* make that has made marijuana so much worse. People can do some stupid things, we all know that.. But user responsibility is essential in everything. Sports, drugs, work... Everything should be used or taken in moderation. And that's why I feel that I personally would trade marijuana for alcohol legalism any day of the week. I've never seen a violent stoner, but even I get destructive when I drink. Marijuana isn't that bad, and before somebody starts bashing it and the users of it, they really need to check themselves..

i have smoked marijuana before and i noticed no difference in my perception and understanding of things. nothing changed for me and i was smoking it for about 3 months. the thing everybody doesn't realize is there are a lot of idiots that use marijuana but just because they are idiots doesn't mean that smoking marijuana makes u like that. Duly noted there are more idiots in this world than there are geniuses.

I need to pass my urine test and i was looking for a home brew to get it out of the urine. Now that I got a response I think I can share a method but not proven yet. I love to smoke the weed myself thats why the predicament. It is natural, comes from the earth. Aint we all from earth?

well you can wait till it leaves your system which take about a month or go to a smoke shop and spend 40 bucks for a drink that cleans out your system

How can one get the THC out of the system?

anon20777 well i cant really say anything about your opinion but for all of the rest who are in this topic i am a pot head i use on regular base. i have a job i watch my nephews and niece all they time .. not all pot heads are stupid or irresponsible and unreliable it depends on the person that take it. it should be legal but it should be like beer you can only buy it at a certain age.

rob018 no weed also known as Marijuana will not ever be legal nor should it be legalized. But THC is the main drug in Marijuana will and is being legalized all over the U.S but some states feel as though it should not be legalized so they do not legalize it. There are more states that do not want to legalize Marijuana (because they do not feel as though it is as harmless and beneficial as it really is)than the states that do want it legalized( because they see the benefits of it and they understand that it is not very addictive and it is harmless.) But as i say it is harmless when in the truth it can kill you and it can be addictive to people but only about 2 to 6% of the legal users of THC or Canabis. They are not legalizing Marijuana they are legalizing THC a pain reliever in low doses but in high doses it is a reliever of pain, nausea, fatigue, and minimum eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.but as I know a lot about Marijuana or WEED as you call it i do not use or will i ever use WEED i do think that THC should be legalized as a pain reliever or pain killer to serious cases but not to people that do not need it. Thank you for the Question and goodbye

i do not smoke. i do not take drugs prescribed or not. i have lived with users of this drug and they are very irresponsible and unreliable. from reading this article maybe it's time to make it legal for prescription under strict guide lines but legal for general use? _no way_. thank you for letting me voice.

It may be addictive, but it's only addictive in 2 to 6% of the population. Far less than the 100% addiction rate in nicotine and tobacco.

I found the article very interesting, learned more than what I already knew. What I can't find my self to understand is how can you choose whom may smoke or not. Especially since you labeled it as a drug. I feel as though it should be alright to smoke marijuana. How is it that you may only need a prescription in order to get it.

It seems as if the government is only about profiting for self as it is. Somethings are irrelevant and this is one of them. I smoke marijuana, but I still function very well. You have medicines that are prescribed by physicians, that have worse side affects than THC. And the medicine that is given for pains and other illnesses have more severe side effects.

But it's alright to give this out. I rather smoke Marijuana than something mixed up with multiple chemicals.

Will weed ever be legal in the us?

I've heard that Mugwort or St. John's wort is very similar to marijuana in it's affects on the body. Are the levels of THC similar in mugwort?