Marijuana is a physically, and mentally addictive substance that ruins lives, makes people lazy, hungry and only losers smoke the stuff.
One response that comes up frequently to a statement like that about marijuana being physically addictive is, “What are you some kind of moron?"
Aside from the legal, moral, social, financial, personal, and/or political consequences marijuana can have on people using it, depending on the state, and community you live in as well, the drug can and does cause problems for people, not the least of which are the 800,000+ persons arrested each year for some type of marijuana possession in the U.S. It is a waste of money on a grand scale, but it sure keeps a lot of people employed in the criminal justice system.
The physical addiction pot may cause has been reported to be minor, and some folks experience effects like irritability, and anxiousness when they try to quit using it. For others, the experience of quitting is a little more problematic. Mainly, it's the legal consequences that usually hem people up.
It is more addictive mentally, but one of the reasons a person doesn't feel a crash, and burn withdrawal is because of the drug's snail-like release rate from cells in the body. Marijuana is lipophillic, meaning it has a tendency to deposit in fats cells, and can hang out in the body for a few days, (infrequent users), to several weeks, (chronic long-term users). If a chronic user experienced the rapid release of the drug from the body like narcotics, and benzos they may likely experience withdrawals more severe. However, for all intents and purposes, the drug is minimally addictive physically.
What else is going on in the body when marijuana is “deeply” inhaled using no filter, and held in until your lungs feel like exploding? Some say nothing nice is going on, while others swear it's harmless.
However, marijuana does have medical uses, especially when considering there are benefits that outweigh the risks like improving the quality of life for a person who has a terminal illness. Would you deny someone that relief? People suffering from chronic pain, wasting diseases, and a number of other medical problems that are resistant to conventional medicines also benefit from marijuana use. In their case, so what if it’s addictive? Isn’t it better than speed-loading Vicodins all day long?
And let's go there. Recreational use of marijuana done in a responsible manner is no doubt several orders of magnitude safer than drinking alcohol, and/or driving.
Besides, keeping it illegal hasn't made a difference in the availability of the substance, or anyone who has a notion to smoke it.
Even with the voters of Michigan legalizing medical marijuana use in 2008, the state, and communities therein have been having a field day with erecting roadblocks to its availability, dispensaries, use, and other legal hocus pocus shenanigans.
Marijuana has been shown to help several medical conditions, including brain tumors as well. “Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications. These include pain relief, nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant and emerging research suggests that marijuana's medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors, and are neuroprotective.”For more information see NORML's Medical Marijuana section.
However, whatever side of the fence you are on, or straddling regarding marijuana’s addictiveness, harmfulness, benefits, or legality, the fact remains that you never know if you are going to be one of those unfortunate people who don’t stop at pot smoking, drinking alcohol, or even huffing if you are not using it for medical purposes.
You may go on to harder drugs with the ability to crack you upside the head so hard your great-great grandchildren will feel the consequences. And please, there is no suggestion that marijuana is a gateway drug. It is just that a certain percentage of people who try drugs go on to become addicts.
Kids shouldn't smoke this stuff, however, because their brains are still developing, especially the pre-frontal cortex, and any abused chemical may alter that development, and pose problems later on in their lives. If you think this is a joke, read some of the research on it, and not from some governmental agencies. Read the issue of Scientific American on "The addicted brain."
The earlier you start experimenting with drugs the more likely it will become a problem as you grow older. If you like playing Russian Roulette, then using drugs is the way to go because you never know if you will be one of the people who go on to harder drugs. Not because of marijuana per se, but other factors like environmental, genetic, social, and/or personal influences.
Does any of this mean that law enforcement should continue to spend billions fighting the war on drugs? No. Drug use, and addiction are public health issues. Ever since President Nixon declared the war on drug some 40 years, nothing has changed.
Oh yeah, one thing has. We have an epidemic of prescription drug abuse, addiction, and deaths on our hands.
Peace...
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If you or a loved one needs help with any type of drug abuse/addiction problem, contact these sites depending on where you live. SEMCA (Wayne County residents), CARE (Macomb County residents), PACE (Oakland County residents), Drug Free Detroit (City of Detroit residents). For those residing outside the State of Michigan, contact SAMHSA for assistance. For assistance with medical marijuana issues contact The Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, Michigan Medical Marijuana Certification Center, or greentreesdetroit.com, phone number: (313) 967-9999, or (248) 677-2888.
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