There is so much misinformation being spread here.
I hear a lot of people saying marijuana is harmless. No, it is not harmless. And yes, it is addicting.
You are correct. It isn't harmless. And for many it is addicting.
I have known multiple people over the years that get into the habit of smoking. You can clearly see their mental decline over the years.
Marijuana destroyed my brothers marriage.
I am sorry that this happened to people you care about and love personally, and I do believe you when you say that this is what you experienced. But this is a small sample size not representative of everybody. You simply cannot reach objective medical conclusions about cannabis based on personal experience.
Not every medicine/drug is good for everyone. For some people, it saves their lives. For others, it destroys it.
As far as the medical argument. The stuff doesn't treat or cure anything. If you took away the part that makes you high, no one would use it.
You probably never heard of Charlotte Figi. She was a girl who would have up to
300 epileptic seizures a week due to a very serious condition that no medication would adequately help, and after receiving low-THC cannabis strain currently named "Charlotte's Web" (named after her), her seizures reduced to
2-3 a month! You can read about her over here:
Charlotte Figi - Wikipedia
Did it cure her disease? No. But did it enable her to live a
somewhat tolerable life, despite all the extreme difficulties? YES!
She did not get high from this strain. It had very high amounts of ***, and very low amounts of THC.
There are countless more examples of such a huge medical impact, but since your statement gave an absolute claim, one example showing it is false is enough.
Almost all of these medical marijuana shops are just dealers going the legal way. It's funny how they promote it as a treatment for everything under the sun.
That's true. Dispensaries are businesses and their main goal is to make money, just like any business, legal or illegal. They over hype the benefits of marijuana to make money. More hype means more money. That doesn't negate or contradict the fact that cannabis has several medical benefits. It is a different discussion entirely.
I still believe this is nothing more than the latest gimmick to get your money. You see those *** shops everywhere. They promote it as a treatment for a huge list of issues.
Same answer as above.
Very hard to find any reputable doctor that says marijuana treats anything.
How do you define "reputable"? There are countless doctors the world over that promote marijuana use for a variety of conditions. I have a feeling though that if I were to list some examples, you'd find a reason to claim that they aren't reputable. So let's begin with your criteria for "reputable" first. Then I will search for some that will meet your criteria and list them here. Deal?
You even see people in the news who die from an easily treatable condition because they believe marijuana is the best treatment.
Yes, there are stupid people everywhere.
If it were so great, you can bet the pharmaceutical industry would of placed a patent on it by now.
Very hard to patent a plant.
But you know what they
did patent? A synthetic form of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as THC, in pill form. It is also FDA approved.
Most people recognize it as "Marinol", although that is just one of the several generic names used for it. Read more about it here:
Dronabinol - Wikipedia
In case you were not aware, THC is the "main" cannabinoid in marijuana (the one everybody thinks of when discussing marijuana, I believe it is also the first one to have been discovered in the plant).
There are over 100 cannabinoids in the marijuana plant.
Here's a short summary of what they are and they can benefit various health conditions from the
National Institute of Health:
Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know
I still strongly believe people just want an excuse to get high. Same with an alcoholic saying they need a few drinks every night to sleep or calm their nerves.
You are correct. A lot of people use cannabis purely as a drug, and a lot of them say it's for "medical use". While many others use it as a hybrid medication (combination of both a medicine and a recreational drug, so kinda like a medicine they happen to enjoy). And there are others use it purely as a medicine, and the psychoactive effects are merely an unwanted side effect (but worth it for them since it rids them of their pain).
I have heard it all .
Back pain? Smoke a bowl
Glaucoma? Smoke a bowl
Can't sleep? Smoke a bowl
Nauseated? Smoke a bowl
Got cancer? Smoke a bowl
Anxiety? Smoke a bowl
Depression? Smoke a bowl
That's actually the amazing thing about cannabis. It can help with all the above conditions. And when I say "help" I am referring to treating symptoms.
You often use the words "cure" and "treat" interchangeably in your responses in this forum discussion, and they mean very different things.
In medical terminology, "cure" typically means to get rid of the underlying condition that is causing the symptoms; while "treat" implies just reducing or eliminating the symptoms despite the underlying condition still existing.
Also as a side note, when people use cannabis for cancer they primarily use it to reduce the suffering from chemotherapy and radiation, which can cause severe nausea and loss of appetite amongst other symptoms.
When it comes to reducing or eliminating symptoms, the metric to judge the effectiveness of any medicine is purely subjective. How does the patient feel? That's it.
Does marijuana solve or reduce your back pain? If the answer is yes, then it works!
Does marijuana help reduce the pressure on your eyes from glaucoma? If the answer is yes, then it works!
Does marijuana help you sleep? If the answer is yes, then it works!
Does marijuana help you feel less nauseous? If the answer is yes, then it works!
Does marijuana solve or reduce your anxiety? If the answer is yes, then it works!
Does marijuana solve or reduce your depression? If the answer is yes, then it works!
Does marijuana solve or reduce symptoms you experience from cancer treatments? If the answer is yes, then it works!
If you have problems or medical issues. Get proper treatment or counseling.
I agree. Since you are advising against a known and generally well accepted medical treatment, can you provide us with your medical credentials?
Long term use will affect breathing and cognitive function...
You are probably referring to smoking it. Smoking anything affects breathing, that is not unique to marijuana. But that is not the only form of ingestion. There are several forms of which smoking is only one. For example, there are edibles. They also have it in pill form. They have tinctures. There are many options.
Regarding cognitive function, you are correct, however that is a bit misleading of a statement.
The long term negatives are mostly in regards to developing brains (i.e. teenagers). This doesn't really apply to adults as much, and when it does it is typically referring to while under the influence of marijuana, not off it.
I have witnessed it from people who have used it long term.
I believe you. But this is not a big enough sample size to make categorically objective claims about cannabis as a whole. There are over 7 billion people on this earth, and the 10 or 15 you happen to know personally negatively affected by marijuana (I am assuming that is the approximate number, forgive me if I assumed incorrectly) does not even come close to a representative sample size of the general population.
Marijuana is not for everyone. Just like every other medicine out there. Individual response matters a lot, as well as dosage, and obviously knowing when to modify or cease the treatment as needed.
Any medicine can hurt you if it is abused or misused.
But to spread a whole bunch of misinformation due to your very negative personal experience with cannabis is doing a huge disservice to those who would actually benefit from it.
