Teens and Marijuana

L

lillywilliam

Registered Member
Although dangers exist for marijuana users of all ages, risk is greatest for the young. For them, the impact of marijuana on learning is critical, and pot often proves pivotal in the failure to master vital interpersonal coping skills or make appropriate life-style choices. Thus, marijuana can inhibit maturity.

Another concern is marijuana’s role as a "gateway drug," which makes subsequent use of more potent and disabling substances more likely. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found adolescents who smoke pot 85 times more likely to use cocaine than their non–pot smoking peers. And 60 percent of youngsters who use marijuana before they turn 15 later go on to use cocaine.

But many teens encounter serious trouble well short of the "gateway." Marijuana is, by itself, a high-risk substance for adolescents. More than adults, they are likely to be victims of automobile accidents caused by marijuana’s impact on judgment and perception. Casual sex, prompted by compromised judgment or marijuana’s disinhibiting effects, leaves them vulnerable not only to unwanted pregnancy but also to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
 
Teens will have sex with or without smoking pot or taking drugs . Alcohol is far more used than pot today with teens. So if you really want to prevent pregnancy then EDUCATE teens about preventing unwanted births by using contraceptives or the birth control pill.
 
cosmictraveler said:
Teens will have sex with or without smoking pot or taking drugs . Alcohol is far more used than pot today with teens. So if you really want to prevent pregnancy then EDUCATE teens about preventing unwanted births by using contraceptives or the birth control pill.
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Hear hear.
 
lillywilliam said:
Although dangers exist for marijuana users of all ages, risk is greatest for the young. For them, the impact of marijuana on learning is critical, and pot often proves pivotal in the failure to master vital interpersonal coping skills or make appropriate life-style choices.
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I'm a teen and smoke pot and I think my lifestyle choices have been excellent so far :) as are my interpersonal coping skills... if not better with pot actually.
:m::m:
 
lillywilliam said:
Although dangers exist for marijuana users of all ages, risk is greatest for the young. For them, the impact of marijuana on learning is critical, and pot often proves pivotal in the failure to master vital interpersonal coping skills or make appropriate life-style choices. Thus, marijuana can inhibit maturity.

Another concern is marijuana’s role as a "gateway drug," which makes subsequent use of more potent and disabling substances more likely. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found adolescents who smoke pot 85 times more likely to use cocaine than their non–pot smoking peers. And 60 percent of youngsters who use marijuana before they turn 15 later go on to use cocaine.

But many teens encounter serious trouble well short of the "gateway." Marijuana is, by itself, a high-risk substance for adolescents. More than adults, they are likely to be victims of automobile accidents caused by marijuana’s impact on judgment and perception. Casual sex, prompted by compromised judgment or marijuana’s disinhibiting effects, leaves them vulnerable not only to unwanted pregnancy but also to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Click to expand...

I went on to try cocaine, but I didn't smoke pot before I was 15. You cite no sources, and frankly, pot's pretty harmless compared to most drugs. I've never had an STD or STI, although I've known people who never even smoked who've had them.
 
lillywilliam said:
Although dangers exist for marijuana users of all ages, risk is greatest for the young. For them, the impact of marijuana on learning is critical, and pot often proves pivotal in the failure to master vital interpersonal coping skills or make appropriate life-style choices. Thus, marijuana can inhibit maturity.

Another concern is marijuana’s role as a "gateway drug," which makes subsequent use of more potent and disabling substances more likely. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found adolescents who smoke pot 85 times more likely to use cocaine than their non–pot smoking peers. And 60 percent of youngsters who use marijuana before they turn 15 later go on to use cocaine.

But many teens encounter serious trouble well short of the "gateway." Marijuana is, by itself, a high-risk substance for adolescents. More than adults, they are likely to be victims of automobile accidents caused by marijuana’s impact on judgment and perception. Casual sex, prompted by compromised judgment or marijuana’s disinhibiting effects, leaves them vulnerable not only to unwanted pregnancy but also to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Click to expand...

You've grouped up a whole lot of stereotypes into 3 blathered paragraphs. But thats ok.

If I sat and smoked 4 bags of marijuana in 4 days, then upon the 4th day I ran out, I would merely chill out.

It helps my back pain and doesn't give any withdrawals.

On the side it also goes well with any hobbies: Drawing/painting, playing music, even hard and sweat labored work!

If you have sleeping problems it may help you sleep.

If you get good cannabis that is not contaminated with any additives, you are looking at a much more healthy choice (when vaporized) than if you were to go get a bit too drunk one night.

It is impossible to overdose on pot.


I had a severe back injury years ago, it is my right to smoke or vaporize Cannabis rather than use pain killers which have killed many people indeed.
 
cosmictraveler said:
Teens will have sex with or without smoking pot or taking drugs . Alcohol is far more used than pot today with teens. So if you really want to prevent pregnancy then EDUCATE teens about preventing unwanted births by using contraceptives or the birth control pill.
Click to expand...

I just went and bought my son condoms. If he had been a girl, I'd have put him on the pill. Most (if not all) of his drinking has been with his guy friends and not his girlfriend, so I think most of his sexing have been sober.
 
Orleander said:
I just went and bought my son condoms. If he had been a girl, I'd have put him on the pill. Most (if not all) of his drinking has been with his guy friends and not his girlfriend, so I think most of his sexing have been sober.
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if my mom did that I would feel so awkward about it.
 
My mother said she'd put me on the pill when I was a teenager and then my dad forbid it. Like that stopped me from being a normal teenager. =/
 
Marijuana has similar effects to alcohol in terms of impairment of functioning. So, if you smoke and drive, it's pretty much indistinguishable from drinking and driving.

But I'd say the biggest worries with marijuana are the health effects. For example, there is some evidence to show that smoking a joint does about 4 times the damage that smoking a tobacco cigarette does to your body. If you want lung cancer, throat cancer, a reduced lifespan and so on, then smoke cigarettes or dope and you'll radically multiply your risk - regular marijuana use will multiple your risk of many cancers by at least 10 times the rate for non-users.

If the effects on your physical health are not sufficient, then consider the evidence on mental health effects of regular marijuana use. You'll lose interest in just about everything after a while - you'll just want to "chill out" with a bong or a joint. Your ability to concentrate on anything like a normal person will gradually wane away. Your ability to really feel emotions will dull - you might not get depressed, but you won't be able to really feel properly happy any more either. Then there are the bonus hallucinations, the paranoia, the schizophrenia risks.

If none of this concerns you, then no worries. It's your body. It's your mind. If you don't value it, don't expect other people to.
 
You have to look at the rate of use, James. I've also never ever hallucinated from pot. While smoking anything is going to tax your lungs, smoking pot once in awhile certainly has shown no real effects for occasional users.
 
it is certainly true that you can hallucinate, maybe not to the point of lsd but there are similarities and there is no question afa paranoia and schizophrenia are concerned. it does effect people differently and i know people whos hearts race from it and also very different types of weed with mild or very low thc to very high amounts of thc.
 
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