yeah in the long term it carries the risk of lung damage and also paronoia,memory problems & other risks to mental health.

Pot and Maijuana are the same thing. When smoked it can slow down your abilities to operate a motor vehicle, it affects your memory so if you are in school, your grades will suffer. It can cause lung Cancer and can be addictive. When people do it for years, it totally kills brain cells.

Not as much as alcohol can, it is a well known fact that alcohol has caused more death, and ruined more lives than any other abusive drug throughout the history of mankind.

It's not that bad. After your not high anyome you may feel slaw and slightly stupid for a few hours. It is a lifestile, and if you start to somke you will completly change. The only way it can directly harm you is by hurting your lungs. it actually doesn't harm your lungs as much a tobbacco does. I would say that it doesn't harm you beacuse i've never been harmed by it and neither have any of my friends. Think before you use, because it really is lafe altering.

For one thing, pot and marijuana are different terms for the same thing. It's not adictive, it's completely non-habit forming, and for the most part, no more dangerous than alchohol.

Ok, I was going to pass on this one, but the conversation's getting weird here... It depends on what you mean by "harm". If you limit the question to physical harm, it's just not a very addictive or damaging substance. Fairly benign compared to something like alcohol. However, if you include all the different aspects of one's life, and ask "does regular use of marijuana do damage?", I think the answer has to be "yes". To see the reasoning, you have to think in terms of what a truly healthy and meaningful life is -- someone who isn't stunted in some important dimension of moral, mental, physical, social, career, and spiritual development is simply not going to have much interest in the kind of mental recreation provided by regular pot use. To smoke pot regularly is about escaping from something you should be dealing with: anxiety, relationship issues, lack of progress in life, something. It's a statement that "I'm dissatisfied with my ordinary mental state of normal consciousness. Just being alive isn't doing it for me. I need something to bliss me out." So it's not so much that the drug is doing direct harm as it is that the regular use is perpetuating the failure to deal with whatever life is asking you to deal with. When someone is laying around stoned, they're really not fulfilling the basic challenges that life is presenting. It's as if the person is saying "I've got all the time in the world to waste". But nobody does, in truth. It's over sooner than we expect. EDIT ======================================= Fisherofman: The "wasted time" isn't so benign when one gets older, but that's not really the key argument here. The key argument is that people are escaping from the pain, anxiety, and dissatisfaction in their lives rather that dealing with it head-on in a healthy and developmentally sound way. Many people are unable to simply "be present" and enjoy their daily existence, one moment at a time. They're muddling through life trying to get to something better, and smoking dope is more of that and then some. That inability to resolve the basic issues of being satisfied and productive in daily life is a serious problem, and laying around stoned is heading in the opposite direction of healthy resolution.

A lot of people say that marijuana is harmful but have no substantial evidence to prove this. The truth is is that in the 1950s two men running for a United States political office made a crazy campaign against marijuana to boost votes and publicity. They made crazy accusations about the side effects of marijuana and what it is capable of. The facts are that marijuana is no worse if not less worse than the legal drugs today such as alcohol and cigarrettes. It does not effect the sections of your brain that provide the bodies vital functions (the brain stem.)

Try being around people who smoke it every day and see what you think!!

Harm is relative. Many people state (correctly in my opinion) that cannabis use is safer than alcohol use both short term and long term. But that doesn't mean its harmless. In the short term cannabis use will: -slow your reactions and co-ordination (so shouldn't be used whilst driving or operating machinery) -make you a bit boring to anyone who isn't smoking it -not help you to get stuff done -make you hungry! It may also (particularly taken in excess): -make you sick -make you pass out -give you a panic attack (some people have this reaction) -make you paranoid Long term heavy use can: - contribute to lung disorders (particularly if smoked mixed with tobacco) - damage your short-term memory - make you incredibly boring and anti-social So I can't tell you it won't harm you. Like any drug, it has negative effects, and the more you use, the worse they'll be- but I will say there is as yet no conclusive evidence that cannabis use causes long term problems in terms of physical health (that's not to say there's no evidence, just that its not conclusive)

Absolutely. From personal experience I can say in the short term it caused Paranoia, lack of motivation, (except to go to the fridge), and depression to the point of thoughts of suicide, deciding a tall building would be the most painless way to do it, then realised that maybe i had to quit and go see the doctor. The only long term effect I have noticed has been short term memory loss. I have to take notes of EVERYTHING just to remind me to do things, and can never remember what shift my girlfriend is working, and only very rarely can i remember what date or day it is, despite the fact i write letters every day with the date on them, 10 minutes later, i've forgotten what i've written only 10 minutes before. For example, I know it's my mum's birthday on Saturday, but I'm pretty sure I'll only remember about it on Sunday. EDIT- I did rememeber the birthday and phoned to wish her a happy 68th (sorry mum), but I did forget to post the card until Wednesday.

they hurt you just like smoking a cigerette would! don't believe the myths!!!! It's definantly not a good thing!!! It can tear apart your life.

The drug itself cannot cause you to overdose. Smoking it does do some damage to the lungs, however there are other ways to use it which don't hurt the body. It is also not physically addictive, however it can be mentally addictive. Anything really can be mentally addictive. Also, judgement is impaired during use, so although it cannot hurt you, it can allow you to do harmful things.

yes it harms your body. it was first used as a medican but now they use it for very bad things..it can harm you and eventually kill you!

Yes, it eats away your brain and just recently, tests have shown it creates lung cancer. You can either go crazy, stop breathing or both. The choice is yours.

They're the same thing, If you somke it on a regular basis yeah it would harm you, mostly in your brain, memory loss, brain's activity slows down, you could do some dangerous things when you're high from this drug.

It destroy brain cells!

Smoking pot still produces carbon monoxide like in cigarettes, so I would imagine the lung problems would be the same too. (although most home-grown doesn't have any dangerous additives like cigarettes do) The mental side effects (memory loss, loss of concentration, etc) typically fade as the drug wears off so, there is no sign that it effects your brain long term. Most of the hippies that talk slow usually do because of a drug called acid. That kills many brain cells at a time and can practically rot your brain. I can't say that pot is harmless, but when compared to other illegal drugs, it is the safest out of them all.

Yes, marijuana can hurt your lungs and memory over a long period of time. Smoking it is a great way to open your mind, and helps creativity, insight and, your imagination. Some believe you can truly be more with these experiences than without them. "Life’s not worth living if you don't live a little."

NO it sodes not because it makes u feel really good and i am so fucked up right now !!!!!!!!

i do not think it huts u in any way possible becaqsue ive been doing it since i was a child and my docter says i am in perfect shape!!! he knows i do drugs so... why do so many people think marijuana hurts people???

"The smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health." The Lancet (The Lancet is a British medical journal) Volume 346, Number 8985, November 11, 1995, p. 1241

The most recent medical research I have found is summarised here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6917003.stm I'm neither a scientist nor a doctor so I don't know, but there does seem to be evidence that it is more dangerous than many people claim.

...it only harms you if you don't fuckin have it !!

who really cares I smoke it every day. I feel the same as I did before I started to smoke it. I am a very out going person and I don't talk about needing it all the time. I just go out and get it. Its every were and soon it will be legal. Every body and there mom will be smoking it and all I know is we all got to die some time. Who cares when im living life great and i smoke my weed. I work my ass off at work and have no problems with every day life.

Just ask ozzy osbourne

Check out this video:

im a smoker, and im here to say yes. i dont agree with the belief that it messess up long term memory, but its bad for your lungs, just as much as sitting by a campfire, or breating in california.

Marijuana is not harmful AT ALL. Not one bit. All the propoganda you people are being fed is utter bullshit. There is no correlation between HEAVY marijuana use and lung cancer.. at ALL. It does NOT harm your brain. It doesn't harm anything to do with your brain. It doesn't make your teeth green, like tobacco does. Also, everyone who has suffered BAD marijuana effects, keep this in mind. Every single individual body, reacts differently to any chemical. It is not the drug's fault. Marijuana is used for so many things, medically. ADHD, ADD, AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, etc. I was watching a documentary on marijuana, The Union: The Business Behind Getting High. They interviewed some guy with multiple sclerosis, it was terrible. He couldn't stop spazzing and he couldn't talk at all. He smoked some pot and he was perfectly fine. He could talk, he wasn't shaking like crazy anymore. It was amazing. Marijuana is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction. Oh yeah, and if marijuana is suuuuch a harmful drug, why hasn't anybody died from it yet? Ever?

Look, Its no worse than drinking shots or beer and all that. except that you have a better chance driving when your high! But just like alochol, you shouldent do it till your either 21 or out of school(so it doesnt effect the learning prosess). oh and remember... ITS ILLEGAL!!! so be sneeky.

umm in which way do u mean harm??? it doesn't hurt u in anyway. it makes u feel good but no health problems that i know of and ive been smoking for like 3 yrs

lots of people give long, extensive, detailed, and very logical answers to this type of question Bottom line. Every things bad for you... you eventually die in the end... theres no actual evidence it harms your memory and if you use a vaporizer it doesnt harm your lungs (regularly it doesnt that much) many people have different stances i say no. Pot Heads United

No. That's just propaganda from the far right and from the police that eagerly confiscate your cars, houses and personal belongings and from the big oil companies that want to keep it illegal so you'll keep buying their gasoline and from the pharmaceutical companies who would rather sell you their expensive concoctions rather than allow you the ability to ease your own pain. By the way... 'pot' and 'marijuana' are the same thing. The only difference is that the word 'marijuana' was invented by various people and industries who sought to make it illegal in the '30s, they thought that giving it a foreign-sounding name would make it seem more sinister and evil.

Well, so far as I can tell, it's the only drug for which you can find lifelong users. You can find 50yr old stoners, but you aren't going to find 50yr old cocaine or heroin users, or even hard-core alcoholics for that matter because guess what? They all dead. Weed seems safer in that regard. As for smoking anything, I'm sure it's gonna give you lung cancer of emphysema eventually. Get a vaporizer just to be safe.

Together? Yes, they are a deadly combination...I pitty the man who does both simultaneously

No but depending on a substance to make you feel good will.

Yes, it makes men impotent. See this story. http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/01/21/Study_Sperm_may_be_affected_by_marijuana/UPI-42811232574040/

U mean pot and marijuana r 2 diff things lol all this time I thought that they were the same thing:)

Marijuana will but pot will not.

NO IT DOESNT AS MUCH AS LEGAL PEELS DO YOUR MUCH SAFER SMOKING WEED THEN TAKIN OTHER PAIN MEDICIN AND COME ON NOW THEY HAVE LIL KIDS ON METH YOU KNOW METH IN A BOTTLE ADHD PEELS JUST GIVE THEM WEED AT LEAST THEY EAT,AND CANT OVERDOSE.THIS WORLDS FUCKED UP I SWEAR. FREE MARY

Wow you guys are so closed minded. Do you have any friends or know of normal pot users? Obviously it has better side affects than alcohol, heavy drug users cause way less problems to themselves and society than alcoholic (when you're high, most people don't drive or get pissed at someone and cause injury unlike drunk people). Like alcohol there are variations- some are really fun to be around with especially if they are social since they can be original funny etc, like some drunk people. Short term memory? Yes to some, others are known to easily study/accomplish lots high (most in marketing fields, artists, creative problem solving). So I think people need to stop being so closed minded, I don't smoke pot but I know a lot of different types that do- anti-social people, those who love to hang out with others, those who smoke pot not to "escape" lol but just to have fun in a different way. Just like...this time I'll go to the movies, this time I'll go drink with friends, this time I'll just hang out with friends and smoke pot. I mean really stop talking if you don't have a clue and just bandwagon. Its easy to be against something that is not really legalized and talk as you know stuff by joining the side against it. Good luck and learn the truth.

No. The smoke is assumed to harm. We all know what happens when we assume. I gaurantee that if you honestly petition the Creator of the universe and weed, who is found deep within each and everyone of us, even you, to give you an answer, your consciense will tell you. Give the answer some time. His reply may not be instantaneous. Everyone wants to argue about Him too. Be true to yourself and you can never fail. Here let me help you, God, please give me knowledge of your will for me and the power to carry that out. I ask you, God , does marijuana harm me or others? I want to be of maximum service to you God. Please remove from me anything that blocks me from doing your will. May I do your will always amen. Do I smoke? Abundantly!!! Thank you God! Be careful, who's words CAN you trust?

unlike alcohol and death causing cigs..marijuana effects vary based upon the user

No. The stigma causes paranoia. The brain effect is of protectant value. It has the perfect essential oil. It has the largest light content at the cellular level. It is a healing plant. It is a wonderful additive to seeking the light. It's aroma is pleasing. It culminates goodness.

Look I'm gonna tell you the real truth, I am an avid ganja smoker I've been smoking for a very very long time, and I've smoked up to 2 ounces in one day before, No it absolutely does not make you boring. It makes you social and happy. It does not make you dumb at all, my IQ is 147 so thats a lie. I have a photographic memory so it don't cause memory loss. I no longer smoke cigarettes in combination and i can jog 2 miles so Its not really that bad on the lungs either. It just makes you caugh when your a beginner smoker or if its dank as hell. I've never passed out from it, I've never got paranoid, AND I've never got sick. I smoke weed when I'm sick and it makes me better. Especially for upset stomach and back pain. I am extremely social and I have utterly ridiculous memory and great lungs so everything that lady fuschia said was a total lie with no knowledge or experience to back it

Yes, I'm sure that it does "harm" users. But that's answering the question in a vacuum. Big Macs harm many users, too, but Big Macs aren't illegal. Alcohol definitely harms many users and kills more than a few outright, both long term and short term. But the use of alcohol isn't illegal, either (within pretty clearly set regulations, such as permitted ages and restrictions against using-and-also-doing something else). Tobacco, with some of the same restrictions as alcohol, not only isn't illegal but still pays enough in taxation and advertising revenue to be one of the most "successful" products in the US. And it is a proven killer. But skiing, skydiving, swimming and scuba diving can harm users, too. On the relative scale of "all harms", I'd say that marijuana use is quite low, actually. And because marijuana use in the US is generally illegal from coast to coast, then there's additional harm because mere growing or obtaining it makes one a criminal and means that one has to interact with prima facie criminals. That's definite harm, but only indirectly related to the drug itself.