[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
Health See other Health Articles Title: Pot is ruining the future of America Pot is ruining the future of America Posted by: Jon Dougherty September 23, 2014 Dope smoking has been defended by potheads for years as NOT contributing to the delinquency of youth Marijuana supporters say the drug is MUCH better than alcohol New study shows what many have long believed that even short-term pot use leads to problems for users By Charles Greene As laws in America continue to become ever more relaxed regarding the use of marijuana, many people seem to have come to the mistaken conclusion that the drug is essentially harmless. A recent study conducted by The Lancet Psychiatry journal has indicated that recreational marijuana use among adolescents often leads to very serious short- and long-term consequences. In fact, according to the research, teens who smoke marijuana regularly are more than 60 percent less likely to finish high school. The study also indicates that that daily marijuana use also much less likely to finish college and are at a far higher risk of committing suicide:
individuals who were daily users before age 17 years had odds of high-school completion and degree attainment that were 63% and 62% lower, respectively, than those who had never used cannabis; furthermore, daily users had odds of later cannabis dependence that were 18 times higher, odds of use of other illicit drugs that were eight times higher, and odds of suicide attempt that were seven times higher. These figures are shocking, and will no doubt come as a surprise to those who maintain the notion that marijuana use is not a major problem. Christopher Ingraham of the Washington Post has written a commentary in which he examines the results of the study and its implications. He also has prepared an infographic which illustrates the conclusions of the research. The chart shows that the negative effects of marijuana use are not only associated with those who smoke the drug daily, but that there are significant effects on occasional users as well. As Ingraham observes: Significantly, they [the studys authors] found that the risks for negative outcomes increased with the frequency of cannabis use. In a conference call, study co-author Edmund Sillins said that the relationship between cannabis use and negative outcomes is significant even at low levels of use (e.g., less than monthly), and that the results suggest that there may not be a threshold where use can be deemed safe for teens. However, Ingraham points out that the results of the study are somewhat imprecise and the conclusions may be a bit misleading: Its worth noting that for many of these indicators, the confidence intervals (error bars on the chart) are fairly broad, meaning that theres some degree of imprecision in these numbers. He also notes that the causality of the reported effects on, for instance, educational attainment isnt 100 percent clear. This doesnt mean the study findings should be discounted, but rather they should be viewed in the proper context. (Editors Note: Could this be why our pot-smoking president, who admits to inhaling frequently, is not the sharpest pencil in the box when it comes to domestic and foreign policy?) In other words, as Ingraham argues, there are many factors involved in a childs decision to quit school which may not have a direct correlation to marijuanas physical effects: For instance, if a teacher knows or even suspects that a certain kid is using drugs, that may predispose the teacher against that student. Its clear that Ingrahams intentions are not to downplay the importance of the researchers findings, but that the issue is more complex than the studys parameters can account for. What is clear, however, is that marijuana use does indeed have a negative impact on young users, whether or not they are casual or heavy users. Although it may be true that marijuana has legitimate medical properties and that decriminalization of the drug may be a necessary step in redefining the costly War on Drugs (the costs being both societal and monetary), it should never be assumed that the drug is harmless, especially for children. And that should be a factor when reconsidering Americas marijuana laws, particularly in regards to those pertaining to the recreational use of the drug. Do you believe this new study, or are you still clinging to the myth that pot use does NOT harm? Alcohol isnt pot, for sure, and being drunk certainly presents with its own problems, but doesnt this new study indicate that marijuana use is equally dangerous, especially over the long term? TELL us! Poster Comment: All I know is that when you smoke pot, you just want to cheese out and lay around. Not that I've tried it, but I've seen the effects. I did know a guy in Florida who was smoking it to improve his eyesight. ;) Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top Page Up Full Thread Page Down Bottom/Latest
#1. To: BTP Holdings (#0)
All those security gigs at the rock concerts you did and you have no firsthand experience with maryjane? C'mon dude! I know what those smiley faces you put at the end of your posts mean. ;)
That's all you know...
The study also indicates that that daily marijuana use also much less likely to finish college and are at a far higher risk of committing suicide: correlation is not causation. When government gains the power to control the use of private property, it becomes possible for the politically dominant to profit by high commodity prices using government regulation to constrain supply. One merely drives competitors out of business by manipulating the perception of risk to a land use preferred by a democratic majority. - Mark Edward Vande Pol
inhalation causes meditation. :) #5. To: X-15 (#4) LOL so I've heard. When government gains the power to control the use of private property, it becomes possible for the politically dominant to profit by high commodity prices using government regulation to constrain supply. One merely drives competitors out of business by manipulating the perception of risk to a land use preferred by a democratic majority. - Mark Edward Vande Pol #6. To: X-15 (#4) I knew a guy in Florida that was smoking it to improve his eyesight. Not sure if it did any good. ;) "When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one." Edmund Burke Top Page Up Full Thread Page Down Bottom/Latest |
||
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|