I just want to update you all on my life that no one really cares about. oh well.
WE WON THE DEBATE! :D
but to keep this on topic, i was the first argument and this is what i said (yes i know its not gramatically correct a lot - i fixed it while reading, but oh well):
Marijuana is a drug with many health benefits, and very few unwanted side effects. While many negative stigmas are attached to the drug, Marijuana is quite beneficial as a health aid, and does not cause much, if any, harm to the user.
Lester Grinspoon, MD, said that “There is very little evidence that smoking marijuana as a means of taking it represents a significant health risk.” He went on to note that there have been no cases of lung cancer that were caused by smoking marijuana. The Guardian, a UK newspaper reported in an article that Marijuana was “not toxic to humans.” Along with not being toxic, Marijuana is not a physically addicting drug. Both Colin Blakemore, PhD and Leslie Iversen, PhD say that, “there is scant evidence that [marijuana] carries a risk of true addiction. Unlike cigarette smokers, most users do not take the drug on a daily basis and usually abandon it in their twenties and thirties.” This is different from legal substances today, like nicotine, found in cigarettes, and alcohol. Three PhDs listed 6 substances in the order of addictiveness. Out of Nictotine, Heroin, Cocaine, Alcohol, Caffeine and Marijuana, Marijuana was last EVERY TIME, even listed as less addicting then Caffine, a substance used everyday by many people.
Even though there are particles, tar, and other toxins that could be absorbed by smoking marijuana, a Vaporizer removes all of these harmful effects. Along with abolishing all of those health effects, using the vaporizer means that there is no smoke what-so-ever, meaning that no one would be effected by second-hand-smoke.
Marijuana is also a drug with many different health benefits, which is why it had been used for thousands of years. Marijuana provides relief from pain, a feeling that is often a result of illnesses or hospital procedures. A study done by Dr. Daniel Arams shows that marijuana was capable of reducing daily pain by 34%. Taking marijuana would allow many people relief from pain, and would result in better sleep quality. Studies show that marijuana also reduces nausea more than any other drug that was tested alongside it. This is very good for people with cancer, who are getting chemotherapy. Another side effect of chemo is loss of appetite, which marijuana also deals with by stimulates the appetite (around 50%) and, when tested on mice, increases the intake by about 22%.
Another benefit of Marijuana is that it helps with the side effects of Multiple Sclerosis and spinal cord injuries. Another study was done on the effects of marijuana relating to epilepsy. This study showed that marijuana is a powerful anticonvulsant, and one that would be effective in treating seizures. When tested in relation to Torette’s syndrome, marijuana reduced “tics.”
Studies also show that not only does marijuana not impair cognitive functions (shown in a study from John Hopkins University), but using marijuana actually INCREASES the brain’s ability to learn and function, as shown by a study done in April, 2004. Together, these facts show that Marijuana, while portrayed as a health risk, is actually a very helpful drug that could be used to help humanity.
