benefit of marijuana usage?
969719
None.  The consequences and reactions out number any possible benefit.
113198
Marijuana is not bad even for your memory and health. Contrary to popular belief, the short term memory loss only happens when you are high. Once youre grounded again, your memory goes back to normal. Anyone who uses marijuana as an excuse for bad memory is either uninformed or pretending to not remember something.\n\nAs for health, aside from the smoking aspect, there is nothing unhealthy about it. It doesnt kill brain cells or anything like that. If you eat it, (in brownies or something) nothing bad at all will happen to your body. And if you use a bong (a water pipe) 50% of the carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) in the smoke stay in the water and dont go into your body. Marijuana is probably the safest "drug" out there today.\n\nPeace
789004
I really am not sure, but I do know that when I was very ill a few years ago I had to have several surgeries, my ex gave me pot to smoke to help me through my recovery.  I may have smoked a small cigerette roll once a week so I was not really a pot smoker.  It did help me heal faster and that is the honest truth.  I did do research for you and found that heavy pot smokers there are indeed risks I will paste below for your reading\n\nOther negative results of smoking pot are that it…\n\nChanges the chemical balance in your brain, altering your mood, appetite, ability to concentrate, and energy levels. \nLowers testosterone levels in men and upsets the balance of hormones in women that control menstrual cycles. \nDecreases sperm count and increases sperm abnormalities. \nJeopardizes the eggs in women’s ovaries (remember, you are born with the total number of eggs you will have for your lifetime – they are irreplaceable!). \nThreatens your ability to learn and remember things, leading to forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating. \nCauses the same lung problems as cigarette smoking, including emphysema, cancer, frequent chest colds, coughing, and more phlegm production. \nLeads to anxiety problems, depression, and paranoia. \nIncreases risk for cancer of the throat, lungs, head, and neck. \nWhat are the immediate effects of smoking pot?\n\nRelaxation \nAltered sense of hearing, time, and vision \nEuphoria \nIncreased heart rate and appetite \nDilated pupils \nMemory impairment \nRed eyes and swollen eyelids \nDry eyes and mouth \nLoss of coordination, slower reaction time (never drive after smoking pot) \nImpaired judgment \nHow addictive is marijuana?\nThere has been conflicting research linking marijuana and addiction. Although pot has not shown signs of causing severe physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms, associated with drugs like cocaine and heroine, marijuana often causes psychological dependence. This means that the user experiences a psychological need for the drug and its effects in order to function on a daily basis. \n\nIf I quit marijuana, will I experience withdrawal symptoms?\nThe severity of withdrawal symptoms depends on the level of your habit, but if you smoke heavily, you are likely to experience psychological withdrawal, such as feeling sick. You may also experience chronic fatigue, headaches, mood changes, and feel depressed or anxious. Other withdrawal symptoms include nervousness, insomnia, loss of appetite, chills, and tremors. Impaired brain functioning can include short-term memory loss and inability to think abstractly. [top]
108802
I can forsee many social impacts from the potential legalization of marijuana.\n\npros \nFarmers will have a viable cash crop\nTax monies can be collected from the sales\nCigarette companies could package it and promote less tobacco use\nLess criminals in an already crowded legal system\nMany drug dealers would be put out of business and foreign imports of the drug curbed\nLess need for other means of getting high\n\ncons\nFurther class separation\nWorkforce productivity impact and drug related injury increases\nAnother source for family breakdown\nGenerational dependency issues\nIncreased lung and heart disease incidents and other long-term effects of chronic usage
78588
Blame it on the Mormons and the Jazz musicians!  Anti-Marijuana legislation began because of several reasons, but the one's that were crucial were the Mormon church elders in Utah, and the racists everywhere else. Marijuana was villianized for no logical reasons, just purely ignorant and fearful ones.  \nIt's health benefits are indisputable, in fact I think it could really help a lot of the mentally ill (social anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia etc).  People who smoke marijuana are generally not a danger to others, or themselves.  I don't believe marijuana is a gateway drug at all!  If our government were smart (haha) they would legalize, regulate it, and tax it.\nSince this is not likely to happen anytime soon (it's too damn simple), we get stuck smoking in our closets, while the drunkards go barhopping legally.
52242
Anything you smoke can affect your lungs. Marijuana like most things can either be used or abused, like food for example. Its incredible to me that people will criticize pot, but not alcohol and tobacco, both of which are vastly evidenced as far more harmful than pot.  But regarding your health, pot may help you relax, loosen up, have fun, etc., but the problem is when you began to crave it, need it, and develop addiction. Just be aware!
825834
Sixteen years ago Glaxo-Klein first started it's larger spending on lobbyists to make sure that marijuana was kept illegal in this country.  Why?  Because a study the year before found that smoking just a tiny tiny bit would eradicate a headache within seconds.  Yes.....Seconds.  Marijuana is one of the most efficient pain killers that we have on the planet today and there is test after test after test proving so... And now, between the big four pharm. companies, they spent over 100Million last year alone to get laws passed or trials for medical marijuana overturned.  Pot can help AIDS patients for 20.00 dollars a month more so that someone spending 500 dollars a month on pharm. drugs.  I could go on and on, but you get the picture.  be well, be high, Jack
581293
Yeah, weed dissintegrates your brain cells, leaving the person with fewer and fewer of them every time it is used.  And the person gets dumber and dumber, and more air-headed and just turns out to be a burned out pothead.  It also sloooowwwws down your thinking process by far after so long of using it and takes a person much longer to think about anything or even comprehend.
362506
because the thc in marijuana opens up the blood vessels making them less constricted, and the oxygenated blood in the cappilaries becomes more prevelant in the eyes, which is the same reason why people with glaucoma(acute constricting of blood vessels in the eyes) use marijuana for their condition.
1029897
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%22long+term+effects+of+marijuana%22&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ques&x=wrt
426813
affects short term memory, reflexes and attention span is reduced, believe or not marijuana is classified hacillugen drug so it could make you see things(does not happen too often), however is not an addictive drug (no physical dependence but some experience psychological dependence).  There are no long term damage associated with marijuana use, when you stop using all the side effects go away and there is no long term damage.  Some people experience depression after quitting from many years of use, and contrary to popular belief it does not affect the lungs.  In fact some studies show that smoking marijuana offsets the damage produced by cigarette smoke in the lungs.  You can smoke it once in a while, just dont abuse it.
242755
Well, I've read that a drink(wine or beer) or two a day is actually good for your heart. Marijuana is helpful to some people who are being treated with chemotherapy or people with glaucoma. But moderation is the key with anything. In my opinion, alcohol is just as dangerous or even more so than alot of the other drugs that are illegal. Heck, alcohol is the only one where the withdrawls can actually kill you as oppose to any other drug.
251606
theres a lots of words report on Marijuana \n\n\n Street terms for marijuana: grass, pot, weed, bud, Mary Jane, dope, indo, hydro1\n\nWhat does marijuana look like?\n\nA green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. ("Cannabis" refers to marijuana and other drugs made from the same plant.) \nOther forms, less common in the United States, are hashish and hashish oil. \nWhat are the methods of usage?\n\nMarijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint) or in a pipe or bong. \nWhat are some consequences of marijuana use?\n\nMay cause frequent respiratory infections, impaired memory and learning, increased heart rate, anxiety, panic attacks, tolerance, and physical dependence.2 \nUse of marijuana during the first month of breast-feeding can impair infant motor development.3 \nChronic smokers may have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers including daily cough and phlegm, chronic bronchitis symptoms, frequent chest colds; chronic abuse can also lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissues.4 \nA study of college students has shown that skills related to attention, memory, and learning are impaired among people who use marijuana heavily, even after discontinuing its use for at least 24 hours.5 \nWho uses marijuana?\n\nMarijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. \nAt least one-third of Americans have used marijuana sometime in their lives.6 \nHow does marijuana get to the United States?\n\nMarijuana produced in Mexico and smuggled into the U.S. remains the most widely available. \nHigh-potency marijuana also enters the U.S. drug market from Canada. \nU.S. drug law enforcement reporting suggests increased availability of domestically grown marijuana.7 \nThe availability of marijuana from Southeast Asia generally is limited to the West Coast. \nHow much does marijuana cost?\n\nPrices for commercial-grade marijuana have remained relatively stable over the past decade, ranging from approximately $400 to $1,000 per pound in U.S. Southwest border areas to between $700 to $2000 per pound in the Midwest and northeastern United States. \nThe national price range for sinsemilla, a higher quality marijuana usually grown domestically, is between $900 and $6,000 per pound
648067
Relaxes, dulls pain, gives you either a stoney feeling or a buzzing high-depending on the strain. It is harmless if used safely. If you are going to smoke it, use a water pipe so that some of the tar gets filtered out.\n\nWhen put under the scope, it is way better to smoke pot than to drink or smoke cigarettes. Just do it in moderation and you are all good.
583330
Effects on the Brain\nScientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain.\n\nIn the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement\n\nThe short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term marijuana use indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse. For example, cannabinoid (THC or synthetic forms of THC) withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine. Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.\n\nEffects on the Heart\nOne study has indicated that a user’s risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana’s effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.\n\nEffects on the Lungs\nA study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers. Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.\n\nEven infrequent use can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways. Smoking marijuana increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck, and the more marijuana smoked the greater the increase. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced strong evidence that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers.\n\nMarijuana use also has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. It also produces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form—levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer more than smoking tobacco.\n\nOther Health Effects\nSome of marijuana’s adverse health effects may occur because THC impairs the immune system’s ability to fight off infectious diseases and cancer. In laboratory experiments that exposed animal and human cells to THC or other marijuana ingredients, the normal disease-preventing reactions of many of the key types of immune cells were inhibited. In other studies, mice exposed to THC or related substances were more likely than unexposed mice to develop bacterial infections and tumors.\n\nEffects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavi
485770
Alcohol acts primarily on the nerve cells within the brain. Alcohol interferes with communication between nerve cells and all other cells, suppressing the activities of excitatory nerve pathways and increasing the activities of inhibitory nerve pathways. \n\nIn addition to the brain, the side effects of marijuana reach many other parts of the body. Marijuana is filled with hundreds of chemicals, and when it is burned, hundreds of additional compounds are produced. When marijuana is inhaled or ingested in some other form, several short-term effects occur. Some of the marijuana's side effects are: \nProblems with memory and learning \nDistorted perception \nDifficulty with thinking and problem solving \nLoss of coordination \nIncreased heart rate \nAnxiety, paranoia and panic attacks \n\n\nAs you can see neither is better than the other.  Except for the fact that marijuana does have medicinal qualities, an I think it should be legalized for that purpose. Also, just a side note. marijuana is legal in Alaska.. At least, the last I heard.. You could grow it for you own use.. not to sale..
18536
I have personally seen the positive results of marijuana therapy for a person undergoing radiation/chemotherapy treatments.  There are undoubtedly many who would benefit from using pot as a medicine, and I think it ridiculous that we enforce a law which prevents these persons from getting the help they so often are in need of.  Is it that dangerous as compared with alcohol, which is legal?  And if it were legal, do you really believe "every" kid and teenager would use it?  (As one person replied earlier) I SAY NO WAY. Let's make it legal for medicinal and many other uses, such as a building material and/or renewable energy resource!