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Marijuana has many dangers; through both immediate effects and damage to health over time. Marijuana hinders the user's short-term memory (memory for recent events), and he or she may have trouble handling complex tasks. With the use of more potent varieties of marijuana, even simple tasks can be difficult. Because of the drug's effects on perceptions and reaction time, users could be involved in auto crashes. Drug users also may become involved in risky sexual behavior. There is a strong link between drug use and unsafe sex and the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Under the influence of marijuana, students may find it hard to study and learn. Young athletes could find their performance is off; timing, movements, and coordination are all affected by THC. Marijuana affects many skills required for safe driving: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and reaction time. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road. There is data showing that marijuana can play a role in crashes. When users combine marijuana with alcohol, as they often do, the hazards of driving can be more severe than with either drug alone. A study of patients in a shock-trauma unit who had been in traffic accidents revealed that 15 percent of those who had been driving a car or motorcycle had been smoking marijuana, and another 17 percent had both THC and alcohol in their blood. In one study conducted in Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana, and 12 percent tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine. Data also show that while smoking marijuana, people show the same lack of coordination on standard "drunk driver" tests as do people who have had too much to drink. Smoking any drug is unhealthy. Marijuana is no exception. The smoke actually contains higher concentrations of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) than tobacco smoke. Marijuana smokers generally inhale more smoke for longer depositing more than 4 times as much tar on their lungs as cigarette smokers. Worse is if you combine marijuana and tobacco. If you are a heavy smoker of marijuana and tobacco joints (more than 10 a day) you are significantly increasing your risk of contracting lung disease. Recent studies show that the greatest pre-cancerous abnormalities appear in those who smoke the two drugs together. A common side-effect, usually for first time or early users, is anxiety, panic, paranoia and feelings of impending doom. In a recent study, between 10%-15% of people who smoked marijuana reported "paranoid" or "confused" feelings as a disadvantage of smoking marijuana. And over 27% reported "anxiety" as a regular or occasional effect. Around 30% gave "negative experiences" as their reason for permanently quitting marijuana. Effects on the Brain Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain. In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. The short-term effects of marijuana use can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term marijuana use indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse. For example, cannabinoid (THC or synthetic forms of THC) withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine. Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse. Effects on the Heart One study has indicated that a user’s risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana’s effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. Effects on the Lungs 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. Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses. Even infrequent use can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways. Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced strong evidence that smoking marijuana increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck, and the more marijuana smoked the greater the increase. A statistical analysis of the data suggested that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers. Marijuana use has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. It also produces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form—levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer more than smoking tobacco. Other Health Effects Some of marijuana's adverse health effects may occur because THC impairs the immune system’s ability to fight off infectious diseases and cancer. In laboratory experiments that exposed animal and human cells to THC or other marijuana ingredients, the normal disease-preventing reactions of many of the key types of immune cells were inhibited. In other studies, mice exposed to THC or related substances were more likely than unexposed mice to develop bacterial infections and tumors. Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior Depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances are all associated with marijuana use. Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana use has potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. Because marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover, research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. Students who smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from high school, compared to their non-smoking peers. In one study, researchers compared marijuana-smoking and non-smoking 12th-graders’ scores on standardized tests of verbal and mathematical skills. Although all of the students had scored equally well in 4th grade, the marijuana smokers’ scores were significantly lower in 12th grade. A study of 129 college students found that, for heavy users of marijuana (those who smoked the drug at least 27 of the preceding 30 days), critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours. The heavy marijuana users in the study had more trouble sustaining and shifting their attention and in registering, organizing, and using information than did the study participants who had used marijuana no more than 3 of the previous 30 days. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana once daily may be functioning at a reduced intellectual level all of the time. More recently, the same researchers showed that the ability of a group of long-term heavy marijuana users to recall words from a list remained impaired for a week after quitting, but returned to normal within 4 weeks. An implication of this finding is that some cognitive abilities may be restored in individuals who quit smoking marijuana, even after long-term heavy use. Workers who smoke marijuana are more likely than their coworkers to have problems on the job. Several studies associate workers' marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation claims, and job turnover. A study of municipal workers found that those who used marijuana on or off the job reported more "withdrawal behaviors"—such as leaving work without permission, daydreaming, spending work time on personal matters, and shirking tasks—that adversely affect productivity and morale. Effects on Pregnancy Research has shown that babies born to women who used marijuana during their pregnancies display altered responses to visual stimuli, increased tremulousness, and a high-pitched cry, which may indicate problems with neurological development. During infancy and preschool years, marijuana-exposed children have been observed to have more behavioral problems and poorer performance on tasks of visual perception, language comprehension, sustained attention, and memory. In school, these children are more likely to exhibit deficits in decision-making skills, memory, and the ability to remain attentive. Addictive Potential Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction for some people; that is, they use the drug compulsively even though it often interferes with family, school, work, and recreational activities. Drug craving and withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for long-term marijuana smokers to stop using the drug. People trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, and anxiety(38). They also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately one week after the last use of the drug(39). From: http://www.marijuana-detox.com/m-dangers.htm

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/addictions/drugs/485.html................ Trouble remembering things, Slowed reaction time,Difficulty concentrating, Sleepiness Anxiety, Paranoia (feeling that people are "out to get you"), Altered time perception Red, bloodshot eyes

Hmmmmm...take a look at this

You grow some boobs and 20 lbs and you laugh funny. And some people can get addicted to it.

... getting busted ... ... burning your lips, fingers, or dropping burning embers on clothing or rugs ...

On emotional level marijuana dangers can include isolation, depression and an increase in anxiety. They are also linked to a low immune system. There's plenty more people claim but its hard to say what is proven and what is speculation.... Something everyone agrees on, its addictive. In saying all that, I know a lot of friends that smoked it in their late teens and they all seem fine now..

it makes you anti social.

They say it's linked to depression but when your smokin, your too high to realize your depressed.

Reefer Madness Trailer Great marijuana movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1jB7RBGVGk (The trailer) ...... The movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZdhcNegZgU ..... and Hemp For Victory http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne9UF-pFhJY

Sometimes you end up in striped clothing, sitting on a stainless steel toilet yelling "I TOLD YOU IT WASN'T MINE!"

you can't leave the house without fear of getting busted, you try to have no fear and go where you need to go but people think you will have pain put in the place where fear should have been... i hope they don't take my sunshine away because i am a danger to society without it, it calms me down and lets me not care so much about the social injustices of the world! The danger is paying too high of prices to people who grow great indoor! when they burn all the outdoor crops!

Lung cancer is the first thing that comes to mind.

Running out of food. LOL.

Having smoked marijuana for 5 years, i have a strong opinion on this subject. I recentley quit smoking for this summer, being 3 months and have felt no symptoms of withdrawal, need of the drug or anything else in that manner. The effects of the drug, a nice feeling for most people, it does not promote anti-social behavior due to the fact that most smokers do it socially. wether it be any stereotype, group, etc. I still do the drug but have stopped to feel what quitting would feel like, and to me its nothing big at all, i can live with it or without it. Increased appetite does occur if you have not eaten before use of the drug but it is still your choice of what you eat. When i get the "munchies", i prefer foods i would regulary eat, which is healthy foods ranging from fruits to a ham sandwich. When you are under the influence, your judgment isnt changed dramatically, its still your decision, ranging from what food to eat, or crimes you commit, you make the decision, not the drug. When me and my friends smoke, we dont just sit around all day, we are active, from playing basketball to skateboarding, to going to the gym or music shows. We are more socially involved after we smoke. As to driving under the influence, well i dont have my liscence yet, and when i ride with someone who has smoke or is smoking, the drug increases awarness, or they are more paranoid of getting caught, thus making them more aware, making them obey speed limits, road rules etc. Something i cant stress enough is that you make your own descisions, and from experience i know for a fact that this drug doesnt think for you or in that manner make you have bad judgment, all i see marijuana as is a relaxent, something social to do, or maybe something to help you go to sleep. I know this doesnt answer to "What are the dangers?", but the only dangers i can see are an angry parent or a misderminor charge. I am only 15 years old, i make good grade, i am involved in sports, i work out, i eat healthy, i have a job, and i smoke marijuana, which has cause me no poor judgment. Drinking alchohol or smoking cigarettes is more dangerous. I hope that this will come in use or change someones opinion out there. If u agree with me or have any further questions feel free to contact me at Chrisflvs@aim.com. I am open to opinions.

Laughing w/ your friends.

marijuana DOES NOT give u cancer.. the THC slows down the process of cancer