There seems to be this conception surrounding marijuana that it isn't a "bad" drug like all the others, and pot smokers in particular get really indignant when medical professionals point out the downsides of the drug. This is largely because drug legislation has been co-opted by political factions.
Drugs are neither good nor bad - they are just objects. For example, morphine has relieved more suffering than any drug in the history of medicine, but for a heroin addict it causes problems. What is bad are the problems that people can develop with the drugs, not the drugs themselves.
Common myths about marijuana:
1. Its not addictive.
In fact, marijuana addiction is the number two most common addiction after alcohol in the clinic I work at.
2. Its a wonderdrug.
It certainly has its uses, but it is by no means a cure-all. Anxiety, one of the most common conditions it is prescribed for in California, is actually made worse long term with marijuana use.
3. Its safer than smoking cigarettes.
Actually, it has almost the exact same carcinogen profile as cigarettes.
4. It has no physical withdrawal.
Ask long-term smokers who have quit. Anxiety, depression, dysphoria, etc. Many smokers, after smoking a number of years, find that the positive effects of the drug disappear and instead cause intense dysphoria. These users often turn to other drugs, like opiates or benzos, in order to retain the ability to get high.
5. Its completely safe.
See above.
6. Its safer than other drugs because its "natural".
This is the stupidest argument of the bunch. Everything is made out of chemicals, from cocaine, to condoms. Whether it is grown in nature or in a lab is completely inconsequential.
Personally, I get no enjoyable euphoria from smoking pot, but my brother and dad love the stuff. Whatever the case, misuse or abuse of any drug can be harmful to individuals.
All true, or as some people say "quoted for truth".
Not only do many pot smokers tend to be indignant in the face of such truth, but they also tend to be quite selective about the information that they choose to remember from the numerous studies that have been done on the drug. There have been many studies which confirm that there are downsides to marijuana, but the majority of pot smokers choose to ignore those facts and only quote the portions from studies that supports their angle. I have seen people selectively quote information from studies to make it appear as though the study is basically saying "nothing wrong here!" when the study also lists negative outcomes of habitual marijuana use as any good, unbiased scientific report will do; they present both sides, but many people choose to outright ignore the bad parts, of course.
I also see a lot of people making the claim that weed is harmless, yet when someone provides a counterpoint those people insist on proof. Shouldn't both parties be required to prove their point if they want to go tit-for-tat?
Or they'll just use this type of catch-all excuse:
thanks, but your link for # 3 was put out by the NIDA ( i guess they dont have an agenda)
but in all Honestly most "science and research" about marijuana is usually biased either by the anti -pot people or the pro pot people.
"They must have had an agenda".
Anyone putting out a study with a crude agenda in a peer-reviewed medical journal would be laughed out of their careers posthaste and, if the study had a bias, it would be found out rather quickly.
I have attended an intensive outpatient program for persons dealing with drug addiction and a lot of those people had genuine problems stemming from their marijuana use. I have also sat in on enough NA meetings to know that the drug causes problems.
I can't smoke marijuana anymore now that I know I live with bipolar disorder. The only time I have ever smoked marijuana on a regular basis was last year. I smoked pot every night for a period of three months, and looking back now my pot use directly correlated with my entering a severe upswing of mania with psychosis, culminating in a total psychotic break from reality which resulted in me being committed to a mental hospital.
I have spoken with enough professionals in the field of psychology to know that marijuana played a major role in my worsening condition. It didn't cause me to be bipolar; I was born that way, but it most certainly made things far worse for me. Were I to pick up the habit again it would only result in me going manic again and, although the food at the hospital was delicious, I don't really want to be locked up in the nuthouse again.
This leads to what I consider one of the biggest risks involved in using pot: If you have a mental disorder such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, depression, general anxiety disorder or any form of anxiety disorder, smoking pot will cause your symptoms to be amplified and cause you a world of hell.
Most people believe that they won't be affected by this because they probably don't have a family history of mental illness. Well, guess what... I have NO family history of mental illness on either side of my family and BOOM, it fucked my shit up rather nicely and BAM, I find out I'm bipolar and that I was wandering around town thinking that I was the messiah.
So yes, there are a few downsides to pot.
