by: Debbie Wicker

Hello Michael,

Sadly, you like many others are believing a myth about marijuana, probably promoted by the people who are benefiting from its sale.

Here are just a few references that prove that marijuana is addictive 10% of the time, and the very negative mental health effects from regular use of marijuana.

The first reference is from the Addiction Science and Research Center at the University of Texas:

A drug myth:

“Marijuana is not addicting.”

The truth:

Marijuana IS addictive at about the same rate as alcohol:

“According to the latest (DSM) accepted diagnostic criteria, about 10% of the population can become dependent on (“addicted” to) marijuana.”

visit this webpage for complete information on this topic:

http://www.utexas.edu/research/asrec/myths.html

Marijuana is dangerous especially for mental health

The second point is that marijuana is dangerous to mental health especially in teens and those predisposed to mental health problems.

Here is information on this topic directly from the NIH website:

“Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory.

“Research has shown that, in chronic users, marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.2 As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.”

“A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.”

“Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be an important risk factor, where early use is a marker of increased vulnerability to later problems.”

However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or reflects an attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence.

Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses – including addiction – stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence.

Currently, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders.4 High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction; in addition, use of the drug may trigger the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals.”

Please visit this page:

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana

for more information.

Sadly, there are many people who want to ignore the facts and are angered by them; but marijuana is dangerous and addictive.

by: ndesh mchizi

i smoke 10 in one day and nothing goes wrong ……i am in love with maryjane