Is Occasional Marijuana Use Bad for Adolescents?

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I love the doctors little quote on Marijuanna and children. Ok check these facts I started smoking pot at 14 yrs old, well im 19 now goin on 20. Lets see I still have a job, already own a brand new car, paying off a house. Hmmm..... Oh and addictive? What are you seriously stupid? My father has been a a pot head since he was bout my age, he used it for recreational back in the day n now days he uses it for his back. He can go 3 months and not have a damn withdrawl! Ohh and Depression? lol Love this one, I have never been depressed or been around anybody who ever got a Depressed feel from Marijuanna! I think this Doctor n erryone else who has a problem with Marijuanna use, read your bible its a seed bearing plant. Now build a dam bridge and get over it!

Dale Backus of MI 9:52AM June 23, 2009

Dang !there is whole lotta defensive,angry & potentially violent threats coming from the dopers side - even one twisted s.o.b threatening a peace officer.Are you kidding me?Another pothead making fun of people whose best and brightest died as a result of choices ,made while they were stoned probably ,so it 's harmless? In my part of the country we would save the taxpayers the cost of prosecuting trash like your kind BOY.This country has never recovered since the 1960's for a couple of reasons -one them being drug use.

Brian M. of OK 6:51PM May 25, 2009

i am actually ashamed to call myself an american if the type of people who are my countrymen are as close-minded as the people who have posted on this article. some of you come on here preaching the life-destroying certainties of marijuana use, all the while boasting of how intelligent you are and how everyone(english majors or whatever you said) could tell by your post. first off, i'm not too impressed. second, i'd probably be more convinced of your vast intelligence if you had written that you like to take baths with your toaster rather than " my family members died from using marijuana". nobody, exactly NOBODY, dies from using marijuana(unless the're allergic or something). to say so is an idiotic statement. people die from bad decisions, freak accidents, or harmful actions of others. if something happened to your family members during the time of they're marijuana use, then it's a matter of a bad decision, which would've either been made anyways, or not been made. if the bad decision was attributed to the marijuana use, then who's to say that that very same bad decision wouldn't have been made if that person ingested a different substance, or failed to get enough sleep, or day-dreamed when they should have paid attention, or any number of things that don't have anything to do with marijuana. these self-destructive qualities, bad decision making skills, and character flaws very well may have been present regardless of marijuana consumption or not. little minded people just tend to jump onto the nearest lynch mob mentality bandwagon and chaulk up everything that goes wrong to the EVILNESS of marijuana. come on, get real. you people and your so-called "intelligence" embarrass me. think for yourselves for a change, and a truly enlightening thought might actually creep into your pea-brains on occasion. and don't worry about that oinker marcus, in my experience(which is very little cause i tend to avoid them), police are no longer public servants as our forefathers originally intended for them to be, they are the dorks and misfits who were mistreated in high school(which was wrong), you know, thrown in trash cans, swirlies, gettin pantsed, that sort of thing. now, as adults, they seek some authority over other people to try and make it up to themselves later in life(which is just as wrong, as most of the time this causes uneccessary complications/ and/ or destruction of the lives and well being of innocent people). or they are just crappy people period, with the rarity of a truly good person as a cop popping up seldomly. just because someone doesn't agree with your personal point of view, doesn't make them a drug dealer, wilbur. it just means they're different than you.

d of WY 4:34AM May 24, 2009

Smoking Cannabis is not the main reason for the current laws. NO one seems to listen to the reasons Cannabis should be legal. No one cares about the truth. Cannabis is a plant. It is not a drug, never has been, it is a very useful plant, given to the earth by God for man to use.
Labeling Cannabis a drug is an insult to religion.
Labeling Cannabis as Marijuana or Pot is criminal.
Labeling Cannabis seeds as useless is stupid.
Labeling Cannabis users as criminals is insane.
Using fraud and lies to support the current Cannabis prohibition is the biggest corruption issue facing the Federal Government. These laws only enforce the trade restrictions placed onto the number one competitor of many of the top U.S. industries.
Creating unfair and unfounded laws was the base of the 1947 Marijuana Tax Act. Ever since other laws have been crafted which provide profits directly from lobbyests to elected officals, all based off of the 1947 Marijuana tax act. Lies, fraud and corruption are not supported by the consitution or bill of rights, Where is our president on this one? The Meek and Hungry, Weak and Poor need his help, all the want is the truth to finally be accepted. Cannabis is a non-toxic plant. When we finally legalize it( we will) it will clean the air pollution, feeds the hungry, provides for the security of a country, and restores truth and honesty to America

uncle sam of WI 11:25PM May 23, 2009

To the "sheriff" from Wisconsin,
I would like to know exactly what county you reside your sheriff duty in? How can you call me a "drug dealer"? First off, I take great offense to that comment, PRICK. Second off, if I was a drug dealer why the hell would I want marijuana legalized?
I am calling you out for what you are, a PRICK. Why, for inferring that I am a drug dealer because I support legalization and know a thing or two about plants. I took college horticulture and read "High Times" on an occasion for entertainment, ass clown. I don't use marijuana, because it IS illegal. I don't even know a drug dealer, but I do know people who work under Wisconsin Sheriffs.
So Mr. "Sheriff" from Wisconsin, you lack intelligence. You also lack respect for people who do not see the way you do. GROW UP and STFU. You're just an under educated meat-head.

Marcus of WI 6:19PM May 23, 2009

OK people.. Something many people who have never seen pot but believe THC levels are out of this world. READ.
Skunk
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol otherwise known as, THC. Your typical functional high which is like having 2 or 3 glasses of red wine is called "Skunk" weed. It is your basic marijuana. Roughly 2-8% No big deal, right? Please, this is the crap the hippies were trying not to smoke because it was like going to an industrial hemp field and grabbing bud.
Crosses and hybrids.
Since the 1960s and 1970s, which no one that has ever seen, looked up and researched, or smoked will understand hybridization has been occurring sine, uh, people started growing marijuana. Marijuana is a complicated plant which females are the only plant that produce flowers. Take horticulture please grandma. They have been picking the best females and males and crossing them since people figured out how to pollinate plants.
Today, you can find marijuana with THC values typically 10-25%+.
Is this a problem?
They want you, the one who takes things for granted and have never dealt with the situation and never want to, to believe it. There is a movement occurring the United States of American and it is called a recession. Money is going to disclosed criminals, cartel and alike. Alcohol, since prohibition of that poison or "sin" has had contents which would kill people if they drank a glass full or 2.
Marijuana, I don't associate marijuana with pot because of the stereotype which has been given to good citizens who use the plant. Anyways, THC in the levels of 25%+ is like have a couple of glasses of punch with 180% rum in it. It is called, moderation and responsibility, which ever free-thinking adult should encompass. It is ridiculous to point out that marijuana is STRONGER than ever. It is a scare tactic, and anyone with a mind and reason can see that. Do you know, you know someone who has tried and liked smoking or baking with marijuana? This isn't an issue of how strong marijuana is, it is an issue that there are interest groups in America which are afraid to legalize a plant which has positives as well as negatives. Marijuana isn't a "gateway drug" any more than milk is. People of the early and mid 1900s are passing this life faster than we know it, and so is the mind though that has been implanted in their memories. I am sorry that people are fearful of this plant and of the people who use it. The Netherlands has a form of legalization of marijuana, and they have campigns that fight and try to educate people from using it. Use increased when legal, but that is because it was legal and people fearful once, tried it. Some liked, some didn't, but it is STILL legal. It isn't causing strife. It is a economic boost. There will be people with addictive minds that will become addicted to marijuana, just like with alcohol, sex, pornography, eating, video games, careers, hobbies, etc.
I know I will see it legalized in my lifetime, will you?

Marcus of WI 10:54PM May 22, 2009

Legalize it. Treat it like alcohol plain and simple. Kids can't drink alcohol can they????
I'm so sick of the Gateway Drug Argument. Alcohol is the ULTIMATE GATEWAY DRUG. It's probably 90% of people's first buzz. And if they like it, the want more. None of my successful friends that smoke got into heavy drugs like coke.
Once it's legal it will be exciting for the first 3 months. After that, the people who smoke now, will probably smoke the same amount. And the people who won't, simply won't. Not much will change.
And if treated like alcohol. Kids will have as much access to it as a 6 pack of beer.
So legalize it. And to the folks that say NO and that have never done it, what right do they have to judge it?

Responsible Adult of CO 2:05PM May 22, 2009

Wm. of Ga.s' dismissal of Brads (Tx.)opinion as" moaning and groaning" ,is not far from that itself. Misleading is his assertion that succesfull professionals, namely ones that make our system function, are regular abusers of cannabis.I have witnessed the self destruction and ultimate death of two members of my family (brother & 1st cousin) Both National Honor Society members at their respective schools.My late brother 1st Violin in our Jr.All City orchestra ,lettered in football & track ,won succesive (three) debate tournaments then graduating two years earlier than his class.Both possessed I.Qs at or surpassing the genius level.Both sought after by major colleges .Then ,upon graduation from their schools the beginning of their casual use of cannabis escalated to "regular" use.I was influenced to a degree by their example, given the legitimacy the exalted title of "genius" endows those so cursed. Eventually I realized, that along with my grades plummeting & parents' trust, drive to achieve exhaled like so much smoke,this was not the way to Utopia. As all suffering my writing style (Wm. Ga) & English majors)can attest what remains of my intelligence is glaringly apparent. Hopefully the essence of my account will not discounted as a consequence . Not soley a witness to the effect of regular cannbis among those "achievers" Wm. (Ga.) sited to justify legalization ,but as one who narrowly escaped all to common fate.Important for parents to consider , is that ,as John in (MI) stated ,average T.H.C. levels have been manipulated to levels never seen in a natural enviroment.Another "inconvenient truth" from history,is that the Africans captured in tribal wars & sold then by Arab slave merchants who fed hashish to keep them sedated on their hellish journey.The negatives outwiegh the benefit -PERIOD.

PJ of TX 2:03PM May 21, 2009

Brad of TX's comments about buying pot and supporting awful people is mostly true, but the solution is easy. These scumbags are taking advantage of the huge profits to be made on pot BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL. Just like in the U.S. during prohibition, the laws against marijuana create the hugely profitable pot market, and some of these scumbags are willing to kill for the cash. Solution?... legalize pot, let it be grown in the U.S., tax it, control the market just like with booze, and poof, problem solved. The problem is many people, including Brad I suppose, would apparently rather moan and groan about other people's wasted lives, like they really care, instead of simply solving the problem. And by the way, If every successful person who did or does smoke pot would take the same week off to oppose our absurd "war on drugs", this country would come to a standstill. You've apparently been hanging around a bunch of losers, Brad, and you shouldn't blame pot for their problems.

william of GA 10:55PM May 20, 2009

This is not the pot of the Peter,Paul & Mary generation,This is a drug that has been tweaked by experts for over 3 decades to the point it can no longer be dismissed as benign or "relativley" harmless.The T.H.C. levels are so concentrated now that yesterdays penultimate , "acapulco gold", is considered just run of the mill.Parents ,lead by example. If you love your kids,steer them clear of drug use of any kind.The solutions to the many challenges this planet faces will come from clear minds, not a self induced stupor.

John T. of MI 10:54PM May 20, 2009