Marijuana

@ awake my soul;
Yeah, right after I smoke I'm pretty forgetful, but other than that, I'm pretty good.

Regarding THC and cancer:
1975: Federal researchers implanted several types of cancer (including leukaemia and lung cancers) into mice and treated using cannabinoids (the unique active component in marijuana) and were found to shrink the tumours as well as expand the lifespan of the mice.

The cannabinoids have also been found in breast milk, and the human brain has cannabinoid receptors.

When arguing that cannabis is dangerous to smoke, and that it causes lung cancer etc that is only dependant on how it is smoked. By smoking it pure through a pipe or bong, or using it in cooking it's not dangerous. It's only thicker skins (causing you to inhale burning paper) and tobacco that causes the lung damage.

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Personally, I believe it's something you have to have experience with to be able to properly regard it as dangerous etc. My uncle has been recommended by his doctor to smoke marijuana, as the medicine they prescribe does nothing compared to smoking marijuana. I have a friend who has gone through countless prescriptions for her migranes - it was at the point where she could barely sit in school without having a migraine and her medicine did nothing for it. I smoked a joint with her, and it was the first time anything's actually got rid of her migraine completely.
There are more people suspectable to addictive traits that are going to be 'addicted' to marijuana however that's on a psychological basis. There are no physical addictive traits in marijuana - such things as having a fixation with smoking is due to the physical action becoming part of a routine and to off shake that routine is the only problem.
I could give up any day, it's just a personal choice not to.

This will show you some of the benefits of thc.
(part two of picture)

^^
Once I graduate college I plan on being on the front line of proving the plant psychiatrically safe** for the general population, and opening up its medical possibilities that I truly think it possesses.

Oh yes, Internet, I'm going to be one of those doctors. But hey, someone has to do it, someone has to try for all of the people suffering from rare conditions that really don't have much more of a choice.

**For the record, I know it's already been proven time and time again, but one more bit of proof and another nagging voice never hurt.

I've never done it and don't particularly want to. My brother used to do it very often and I hate the smell.

I'm a kinda-regular pothead. I don't really know how to label/describe it. Like, if I'm with friends who have it, I smoke and sometimes when I'm alone I'll call up some of my friends who usually give it to me for either free or really cheap. I have absolutely no problem with it at all; I consider it so much healthier than cigarettes and drinking. <- Drinking which I hate though. I smoke cigarettes too, quitting for New Years. c:

I like smoking. I do it once a week/every second week with some mates. It's relaxing and fun.

I honestly smoke everyday. I still go to school, get good grades, stay out of trouble. I think everyone should try pot at least once in their life.

While I fully support the legalization of marijuana, I don't believe anyone under the age of 21 should be smoking daily. Simply because of the effects of THC on the developing brain. Chronic use of marijuana in adolescents can effect the brain, though occasional use or use as an adult will not have the same effects.

With regard to the gateway drug argument, I'd say that its a misconception. The kind of people who are willing to "break the law" by tying cannabis are more likely to feel ok about breaking the law by trying other kinds of drugs, than people who think "no I'm not going to break the law at all"
To suggest that cannabis makes you more likely to take other drugs, I believe is incorrect. it's just about the kind of person you were to start with. I've also tried hashish, cocaine, MDMA, MDA, ketamine, purple haze and some other random stuff but that's because of who I am, not because I started by experimenting with cannabis. For teenagers, Cannabis is probably the most readily available illegal substance aside from alcohol, hence why most teenagers drink illegally. Nobody ever suggests that alcohol is an gateway drug.

@ Carell117
I agree with that.

I've tried a few things, but the only other thing I would really want to do again besides marijuana is mushrooms. I don't smoke cigarettes anymore and I'm not a big drinker either.

My dad thinks marijuana being illegal makes it a gateway drug because you may buy marijuana from someone who wants to get you onto other, more expensive and habit-forming things. Depending on one's sources, I think that is a legitimate possibility. Which is just another reason to support legalization.

Today was a good day for marijuana election wise.

I smoked some the other day with my friend. I didn't find it overwhelmingly enjoyable, but then I might not have been overwhelmingly high. Perhaps it will grow on me.

I've been a frequent pot smoker since I was 14. I found that it controls my epilepsy better than my medication. I recently stopped smoking cigarettes and pot due to my pregnancy.

@ Carell117
I agree, pot isn't the gateway drug at all, considering there's nothing else really like it - I've taken a lot of stuff to know this. I think that's just the misconception put out there because they can't tax it.
(also, when you mean purple haze do you mean the strain of cannabis rather than it being a seperate drug?)

@ smoke signals.
I think pot is a gateway drug because it is illegal. I don't think it's a gateway drug as in 'if you want pot it'll make you need/want something harder'. But since a lot of people buy illegally they are introduced to people who are likely to expose them to other drugs, which they may then try. I think if pot were legal that problem would be curbed a lot.

For example, since starting to smoke I've had the opportunity to get Xanax, Oxy, Molly, Adderol, acid, shrooms, cocaine, ecstasy, MDMA, salvia (legal in some states), animal tranqs (so fucking stupid) and I could probably get heroin. (I'm not saying I've tried all these, but I have had the opportunity to try/buy all of them.)

To be honest, I've never tried it, but I have been around people that did. I don't like the smell for some reason (I guess I have an acute sense of smell or I just don't like things that clog up my air passages), but if I can plug my nose long enough to smoke a joint, I'd probably try it out, but on the other hand, I may not try it all. I'm just one of those people who can't stand not being able to breathe I guess.

@ Angelic Demon
That makes total sense. You can actually eat pot in food, which is awesome and much healthier for you because smoke is not good for you. I know someone who refuses to smoke pot but she really loves her brownies.

@ dru burnt the ashes.
I just might have to try it with my food then! Does your friend put it in her brownies? I've always heard that Marijuana is healthier when it's consumed. So, I will definitely try pot on my food. Thanks for the suggestion. :)

@ smoke signals.
As in, weed that's watered with acid when it's being grown. Don't think the actual strain has existed for a few decades though I may be wrong about that... This shit was pretty cron anyways, i got it off a Taiwanese guy at Reading festival for £15 a gram so was pretty expensive. Tripped my nuts off for Foo Fighters and Black Keys though so was worth the extra £5 haha.

@ dru burnt the ashes.
I do agree with that statement, but I don't think that justifies it being labelled a gateway drug. My main local dealer is a 40 something Jamaican immigrant who just loves bring happiness to my little British town by selling cheap green, he has no motive to get us hooked on coke or anything. Also, over here the only main animal tranq you can get is K (ketamine) if that's what you mean, which is pretty fucking fun but yeah stupid as hell in the long run.