Teen Marijuana Use Linked to Later Illness

boynextdoorkpt · 6 Days Ago

When I am very stressed, I smoke a joint, I do not get depressed afterwards, I have done this since I was 16. Of Course, I have never suffered depression, hopefully never do, I would argue that maybe these kids were already suffering depression.

marleyisalegend · 6 Days Ago

pot is made to make sexual experience slightly more enjoyable, and billie holiday albums more soul-stirring than they already are. some people use it to boost your appetite but in the wrong hands i can easily see it as being damaging. teenage years are when you begin to discover the world.

you realize that there are more important decisions than skittles or m&ms and with all the bullshit that goes on in high-school and impending college, these might be the years where we really begin developing coping skills: the big test friday, the speech at the front of the class, asking that cute girl out, wondering what to do when senior year is up. if someone is using pot to cope with depression in these years, they may be missing out on the necessary coping skills that are developed when you've got a face full of zits the night before the big dance.

even in adults, i don't think pot should be used to escape depression. ultimately this story isn't surprising. excercise, junk food, television and sex are all good and harmless until taken without moderation or control. pot is no different.

StapledShut · 6 Days Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by javyn

Yes bear, no lie has ever come out of the whitehouse!! Especially regarding a substance it cannot control or tax! Why on earth would they lie?!

Or it could be that no medical correlation (especially psychological ones) is absolute.

jason_els · 6 Days Ago

This reminds me of their campaign against MDMA (Ecstasy) using outright fraudulent research to have it made illegal. God forbid people have drug-induced transcendent experiences without the use of the US-government approved God while taking FDA-approved drugs.

hotrocker982 · 6 Days Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by njqt466

Teen Marijuana Use Linked to Later Illness

Quote:

Originally Posted by njqt466

Self-Medication, Especially for Depression, Raises Risk of Mental Problems, Study Says By Lori Aratani-Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, May 9, 2008; B04

Teenagers who smoke marijuana put themselves at risk for future mental illness and higher rates of depression, according to a report to be released today by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy...... ......So apparently, smoking pot for depression, is like eating gummy bears for a toothache.

I'm in no position to dispute the claim that marijuana increases chances of depression and other mental illnesses... but I can comment on how absolutely idiotic, laughable and completely misinformed the following line is and was to read: "but far more teens are in treatment for dependency on marijuana than alcohol."

Lets get something straight. There has never been a recorded case of a marijuana overdose...nor has there been a recorded case of a marijuana addiction. Wanna know the reason? Because a.) it is impossible to overdose on marijuana and b.) there is no chemical inside marijuana that bonds with human DNA. Period.

According to an interview with Dr. Allen Battle, a UTMG clinical psychologist, "marijuana is not addictive. It isn't addictive because the active ingredient in it, Delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol, does not become a part of the body's chemistry." Gambling, food, sex... are all psychological. One may become obsessed with these vices, but never addicted. According to Dr. Battle, "to use the word addiction with these activities is to pervert the meaning of the word addiction. These things can become obsessions, that is to say, thoughts that repeat and repeat in spite of the individual not desiring to have them."

Where it is true that the smoke is harmful to the lungs and respiratory tract (as any inhaled foreign object will be), marijuana smokers just smoke the bud of the plant, which contains only 33% as much tar as tobacco. On top of this, one on average would not smoke 20 marijuana cigarettes per day due to the psychoactive properties of the plant. Also, marijuana, unlike tobacco, does not cause narrowing of the small air passageways in the lungs. This starkly disproves the idea that marijuana smoke is 5 times as dangerous to your lungs as cigarette smoke is. In fact, marijuana has been proven to be an expectorant, and actually dilates the air channels it comes into contact with. This is not what the public is led to believe, unfortunately.

People tend to think that marijuana is a gateway drug. Where this is a sound theory, it is totally false. The gateway drug theory is the theory that using marijuana leads people to use harder drugs like heroin or cocaine. While it does make sense since weed is the most easily obtainable drug in the world, "there is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are casually linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs." This according to the Institute of Medicine. Nicotine and alcohol are actually, on average, abused far before and more than marijuana is.

I earlier touched on the subject of a marijuana overdose. Marijuana is unlike any other drug. Other drugs have a relatively low toxicity level. Cocaine's being as little as 20 mg to a mean of 500 mg ingested orally, alcohol's lethal dose being .40% blood alcohol content, and heroin's being 200 to 500mg for a 150 pound human. This being said, marijuana's lethal dose would be comparable to a 154-pound human smoking at one time almost three pounds (or 250,000 times the usual smoked dose and over a million times the minimal effective dose assuming 50% of the THC is ingested by smoking, according to the U.S. Government's past tests on marijuana.) This means that an overdose on marijuana is virtually impossible to achieve.

So basically... the proposed theory that marijuana affects your mental health is plausible at best. There are no concrete fact that marijuana causes increased mental illness or increased potential thereof.

StapledShut · 6 Days Ago

Of course. Just because the impact isn't as clearly measurable as the BAC, obviously it's impossible to overdose on it. You can never have too much of a psychoactive substance. And no, nobody every develops a dependency on it. It isn't the least bit habit forming. Not to mention how nobody ever goes to rehab for it. Dependency, addiction, to-may-to, to-mah-to, regardless of the different chemical workings.
And it may take more than other drugs for it alone to kill on the spot, but generally marijuana will mentally impair you to the point of life endangerment faster than alcohol. Yes there are legal drugs out there that will fuck with you, but that doesn't make marijuana any better. Prescription drugs can fuck with you too, but that's why you're prescribed a set amount. Enough to make a difference, but not enough to make you sick. If you take more than your allotted amount, that's your own damn problem.
I'm sick of seeing all these wannabe cannabis chemists and government conspiracy theorists insisting that marijuana is this victimized wonder drug held down by the man. It is habit forming, and it will fuck with your brain, regardless of anyone's comparisons between it and other drugs.

hotrocker982 · 6 Days Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by StapledShut

Of course. Just because the impact isn't as clearly measurable as the BAC, obviously it's impossible to overdose on it. You can never have too much of a psychoactive substance. And no, nobody every develops a dependency on it. It isn't the least bit habit forming. Not to mention how nobody ever goes to rehab for it. Dependency, addiction, to-may-to, to-mah-to, regardless of the different chemical workings.
And it may take more than other drugs for it alone to kill on the spot, but generally marijuana will mentally impair you to the point of life endangerment faster than alcohol. Yes there are legal drugs out there that will fuck with you, but that doesn't make marijuana any better. Prescription drugs can fuck with you too, but that's why you're prescribed a set amount. Enough to make a difference, but not enough to make you sick. If you take more than your allotted amount, that's your own damn problem.
I'm sick of seeing all these wannabe cannabis chemists and government conspiracy theorists insisting that marijuana is this victimized wonder drug held down by the man. It is habit forming, and it will fuck with your brain, regardless of anyone's comparisons between it and other drugs.

No, I'm sorry but what medical journal or doctor are you quoting from? You're not. And you may be pretty sick of hearing "conspiracy theorists/cannabis chemists" having viable information WITH sources proving their points... hell, if I were in your position going into a debate without sources and names, etc... then I would be pretty sick of seeing said people, too. I listed the facts, Stapledshut. Marijuana is as habit forming as masturbation and sky diving and is most definitely NOT addictive in any physical way. It may, given the proper proof, be detrimental to your brain, but I seriously doubt that its a significant problem... because there would be many many many more people suffering from brain damage or brain problems than there are at the moment if it were serious.

And what? In the first part of your paragraph, you stated that it wasn't "in the least bit habit forming" and then at the end of your paragraph you state "It is habit forming and it will fuck with your brain...etc." So which do you mean?

"but generally marijuana will mentally impair you to the point of life endangerment faster than alcohol."

What a crock of horse shit. I already stated that nobody has ever died because of marijuana related physical issues. That is fact. Look it up. AND... what the fuck do you think would happen in you started chugging a bottle of vodka right now and didnt stop chugging until that bottle was empty? Chances are, you'd get extremely ill from alcohol poisoning... and you'd ergo risk the chance of dying.

Let me stress this: ALCOHOL IS MUCH MORE DANGEROUS THAN MARIJUANA.

StapledShut · 6 Days Ago

Really now, no one has ever been injured or killed because of something they did while they were high? And this is despite the fact that it's proven detrimental to a multitude of brain functions, especially motor skills and perceptions of pain. Site your source.

"The areas of the brain where cannabinoid receptors are most prevalently located are consistent with the behavioral effects produced by cannabinoids. Brain regions in which cannabinoid receptors are very abundant are the basal ganglia, associated with movement control; the cerebellum, associated with body movement coordination; the hippocampus, associated with learning, memory, and stress control; the cerebral cortex, associated with higher cognitive functions; and the nucleus accumbens, regarded as the reward center of the brain. Other regions where cannabinoid receptors are moderately concentrated are the hypothalamus, mediating body housekeeping functions; the amygdala, associated with emotional responses and fears; the spinal cord, associated with peripheral sensations like pain; the brain stem, associated with sleep, arousal, and motor control; and the nucleus of the solitary tract, associated with visceral sensations like nausea and vomiting.[6] Most notably, the two areas of motor control and memory are where the effects of cannabis are directly and irrefutably evident." (Health issues and effects of cannabis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

And thank you for repeating what I said about alcohol being dangerous, as well. I mean, obviously I was saying that it being legal means it's safe. No, the point is that marijuana is dangerous, regardless of whatever facts you think you're regurgitating. It fucks with the brain, and people do develop dependencies on it, despite the fact that a pothead will deny it far longer than an alcoholic.
By the way, the lethal BAC is considered to be 0.50%. 0.40% is at the low end of the death risk range.

marleyisalegend · 6 Days Ago

while the studies may lean more one way or another, i think this is the kind of thing that varies from person to person. some people get drunk a few times and end up letting alcohol take over their lives. some people drink for many years and noone knows because it's only a bottle of wine one weekend, a few beers there. i think it's more about self control than anything. again, excercising is necessary to your health, but abuse it and that too, can kill you.

hotrocker982 · 6 Days Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by StapledShut

Really now, no one has ever been injured or killed because of something they did while they were high? And this is despite the fact that it's proven detrimental to a multitude of brain functions, especially motor skills and perceptions of pain. Site your source.

"The areas of the brain where cannabinoid receptors are most prevalently located are consistent with the behavioral effects produced by cannabinoids. Brain regions in which cannabinoid receptors are very abundant are the basal ganglia, associated with movement control; the cerebellum, associated with body movement coordination; the hippocampus, associated with learning, memory, and stress control; the cerebral cortex, associated with higher cognitive functions; and the nucleus accumbens, regarded as the reward center of the brain. Other regions where cannabinoid receptors are moderately concentrated are the hypothalamus, mediating body housekeeping functions; the amygdala, associated with emotional responses and fears; the spinal cord, associated with peripheral sensations like pain; the brain stem, associated with sleep, arousal, and motor control; and the nucleus of the solitary tract, associated with visceral sensations like nausea and vomiting.[6] Most notably, the two areas of motor control and memory are where the effects of cannabis are directly and irrefutably evident." (Health issues and effects of cannabis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

And thank you for repeating what I said about alcohol being dangerous, as well. I mean, obviously I was saying that it being legal means it's safe. No, the point is that marijuana is dangerous, regardless of whatever facts you think you're regurgitating. It fucks with the brain, and people do develop dependencies on it, despite the fact that a pothead will deny it far longer than an alcoholic.
By the way, the lethal BAC is considered to be 0.50%. 0.40% is at the low end of the death risk range.

I'll begin by saying that marijuana may hinder one's ability to function normally, but so does caffeine... which is another one of those legal-but-still-hugely-detrimental-to-your- health drugs.... as well as cough syrup. People have to take the right dosage and know how to function well on them through their daily activities. Same for weed. One can't really control one's self with lots of alcohol... but with weed, its NOTHING like alcohol. You are in complete and total control on weed.

Cite my sources? Ok.
Annotated Bibliography

Fried, Peter., Watkinson, Barbara., James, Deborah., and Gray, Robert. “Current and former marijuana use: preliminary findings of a longitudinal study of effects on IQ in young adults," Canadian Medical Association Journal. April 2, 2002, 166(7), p. 887. <http://www.drugwarfacts.org/marijuan.htm>
I used a decent amount of information from this site to back up points such as “marijuana has been shown to be an expectorant”
Joy, Janet E., Watson, Stanley J Jr., and Benson, John A Jr., "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999). <Contents | Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base | Institute of Medicine>
I found this site through Galileo. I used this source to disprove the theory of marijuana being the “gateway drug.”
Levy, B. “U.S. and U.N. studies support medicinal marijuana research.” HerbalGram. (1999): 46, p. 14-15. 22 OCT 2007 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.as...22012293&site= ehost-live.>.
I used Galileo to find this site. I used this source to describe the gateway drug theory and also show that alcohol and tobacco use occurs, on average, before marijuana smoking does.
McCarberg, BH, and Barkin, RL. “The future of cannabinoids as analgesic agents: a pharmacologic, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic overview.” American Journal of Therapeutics (2007 Sep-Oct): 14(5): 475-83. 22 OCT 2007 <http://www.galileo.usg.edu/cgi-bin/homepage.cgi> .
Using Galileo, I found this article to give me insight into the many beneficial uses of marijuana, especially the many medical benefits cannabis has to offer.
“Web Chat on Addictions with Dr. Allen Battle, UTMG Clinical Psychologist.” UT Medical Group, Inc. May 15, 2002. <http://www.utmedicalgroup.com/pages/webchat_addiction.html>
I used this source to describe how marijuana is not chemically addicting, and that the term “addicted,” when used in reference to marijuana, becomes a perversion of the term itself.

I happened to have done a research paper over this topic for one of my earlier classes a few semesters ago. Now, site YOUR sources. And if you say wikipedia, I will laugh heartily.

All that paragraph that you quoted proved was that weed affects the areas of the brain that control what we already know are affected by weed. Big deal. As I said in the beginning, its just like functioning on benadryl or cough syrup.

And my facts keep fucking contradicting your suppositions, Stapledshut. Marijuana DOES NOT create dependencies. If you have a weak constitution and can't do without weed, its because of just that: you have a weak constitution. NOT because you've grown dependent on the substance.

And thank you for the correction on the lethal BAC.

hotrocker982 · 6 Days Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by marleyisalegend

while the studies may lean more one way or another, i think this is the kind of thing that varies from person to person. some people get drunk a few times and end up letting alcohol take over their lives. some people drink for many years and noone knows because it's only a bottle of wine one weekend, a few beers there. i think it's more about self control than anything. again, excercising is necessary to your health, but abuse it and that too, can kill you.

That is an excellent point, marley. Good observation.

mista geechee · 6 Days Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by midlifebear

So, I'm supposed to be at a greater risk of depression and mental illness because of all the weed I smoked as a teen? I'm gonna be 59 years old soon so when is all this mental deterioration going to slap me up the side of the head? Do I have to wait until I start forgetting the car keys more than once a month so they can jump on my forgetfulness as a sign of having smoked too much weed?

Hmmmm . . . . then I wonder what all that LSD I took is supposed to do?

So far I'm just a normal, successful business owner who drinks occasionally at social events and has been a serial monogomist since about 1978? Oh, how I cower in fear of the moment when the emotional damn breaks and that emotional resevoir of mental illness and depression drowns me in misery. Maybe I should start talking Valium to soften the unavoidable scientifice blow? For, of course the White House Office of National Drug Control only has everyone's bestest ever interests in mind when spewing out such research.

I understand if I took the right meds I'd see how many wonderful things Bush has accomplished as president of the United States. Anyone got some leftover SSRI's they'd like to send me?

. . . one Nation, under Prozac, with the inability to make my own life decisions, at all.

wow i think im in the same boat. when i was about 17 i took lsd 8 or 9 times during that year and lab shrooms a few times too. it made me DEEPLY introspective while i was on it. but i only smoke 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 blunts every day or so. and im not insane. but this is info from the US government, not like its some respectable source of info.

i have a george bush quote generator. allow me to enlghten you to the great wisdom of george dubya

" if my dad wasnt also president he would be asking me : how did your meeting go with so and so ? how are you coming along with your state of the union or state of teh budget- whatever you call it"

njqt466 · 6 Days Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by marleyisalegend

pot is made to make sexual experience slightly more enjoyable, and billie holiday albums more soul-stirring than they already are. some people use it to boost your appetite but in the wrong hands i can easily see it as being damaging. teenage years are when you begin to discover the world.

I thought cocaine was made to make sexual experiences more enjoyable.

I vaguely recall smoking pot in college and having sex and it did not enhance the experience. If anything it dulled it because it made me sleepy. Funny thing was it made my then boyfriend horny as hell. He always wanted me to smoke with him; but I quickly learned to say no.

Everyone I know that used cocaine regularly swears it makes sex 100X better. I have a gay friend who used to actually insert rocks of coke into his anus prior to anal sex.

[quote=hotrocker982;1469863]I'll begin by saying that marijuana may hinder one's ability to function normally, but so does caffeine... which is another one of those legal-but-still-hugely-detrimental-to-your- health drugs.... as well as cough syrup. People have to take the right dosage and know how to function well on them through their daily activities. Same for weed. One can't really control one's self with lots of alcohol... but with weed, its NOTHING like alcohol. You are in complete and total control on weed.

*SNIP*

All that paragraph that you quoted proved was that weed affects the areas of the brain that control what we already know are affected by weed. Big deal.
Quote:

As I said in the beginning, its just like functioning on benadryl or cough syrup.

Aha! So that's why pot makes me sleepy! Benadryl is better than Lunesta for giving me a good nights sleep and certain cough syrups will knock me out as well.

And my facts keep fucking contradicting your suppositions, Stapledshut. Marijuana DOES NOT create dependencies. If you have a weak constitution and can't do without weed, its because of just that: you have a weak constitution. NOT because you've grown dependent on the substance.

devildix · 6 Days Ago

A) People can do whatever they want and I believe all drug use and possession should be decriminalized.

B) Honest drug education including research and long-term health consequences is key to harm reduction.

C) I have never met a pothead that I liked.

marleyisalegend · 6 Days Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by devildix

C) I have never met a pothead that I liked.

define pothead?? i may smoke a few times one week, then not again for several months, am i a pothead??