Summary: Is One Smoke Really Safer
Is One Smoke Really “Safer” Than The Other?
Marijuana isn’t a safe smoke as people assume daily; it’s a very common thought that marijuana isn’t harmful, that all it does it make you want to sleep and eat and it calms you down. It is common to believe that medical marijuana and other drugs aren’t harmful because they are used for medical purposes. There are many negative outcomes of using marijuana such as addiction, learning disabilities, depression, and lung infections such as pneumonia. Nora Volkow is the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). In the article “Why American Teens are Turning from Cigarettes to Marijuana” she says that teens believe marijuana is not harmful to themselves because it is used in medical situations. Many say that marijuana isn’t an addictive drug, however, with a frequent use for an extensive amount of time it can be addictive; twenty to fifty percent of daily users are addicted. Research shows that approximately nine percent, or one of every eleven of those who use marijuana even once will become addicted. Those numbers increase if you start to smoke in …show more content…
your teens (Marijuana).
In “Marijuana: Facts for Teens” a brochure by the National Institute on Drug Abuse explains more on how marijuana is harmful.
It is not common knowledge that smoking marijuana changes how your brain works, there are over four hundred chemicals in marijuana. Marijuana effects your brain and can create problems with your learning and your memory as well as attention. Long term users have said they found themselves being unhappy with their lives, experiencing memory and relationship problems, physical and mental health decaying, less career success, and lower salaries. Marijuana can play a part in depression as well. Alby Podolski, who was quoted in the brochure stated, “I was lazy a lot. I didn’t want to do things… I was depressed. I felt like I was always in a rut. I was always feeling bad about myself, where I was standing in life.” (Alby’s Story in
Marijuana).
Marijuana has some positive aspects about it as well as the negatives. Marijuana is used for medical purposes; that marijuana is called medical marijuana or also referred to as medical cannabis. Medical cannabis is used to help five different situations: nausea, loss of appetite, muscle spasm or tension, pain, and insomnia (Discovery). The most common reason medical cannabis is used is for chemotherapy patients. Chemotherapy is commonly known for making patients nauseous and have lack of appetite. So medical cannabis is prescribed to help with those issues. Marijuana can be helpful, yes. However, smoking over an extensive amount of time will cause health issues no matter what type of smoke it is. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin released a new report on youth smoking on the 29th of March 2012. In that report it stated that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable and premature death, killing more than 1200 Americans every day (Newswire). Did you know, that for every two deaths that are related to tobacco two new smokers “replace” those smokers? We know that smoking causes physical damage to the body but what are those physical damages other than the typical ‘smoking causes cancer’? Smoking cigarettes effects almost every organ in your body including your heart and that can result in coronary heart disease which is the leading cause of death the United States (Health).
Cigarettes and marijuana sometimes have the same effects. Marijuana like smoking cigarettes can result in a cough frequently called a ‘smokers cough’ which is a cough that a smoker has regularly which can be a very hoarse, dry cough. The risk of lung infections like pneumonia is increased over a long period of smoking marijuana. Both cigarette smoke and marijuana smoke have toxic mixtures of gases and tiny particles and many of them are known to harm the lungs. (Marijuana). But people, children, adults, and young adults still smoke cigarettes and marijuana, claiming it to be safer. Marijuana isn’t a ‘safe smoke’ or safer than cigarettes. Both are dangerous to your body, whether it is to your lungs or your brain. They both have negative effects on your body. What was believed to be harmless has been proven to be just as bad as cigarettes which is known to be dangerous. Marijuana effects every aspect of your life, your job, and your health. Cigarettes effect your life, and your health. Is one smoke really better than the other? Or do we say that to ignore the fact that it can ruin your life?
Works Cited
"Discovery Health." Discovery Fit and Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
"Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 01 Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
Marijuana: Facts for Teens. [Pretoria]: Dept. of Health, Directorate: Mental Health and Substance Abuse, 2011. 4-12. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
PR, Newswire. "Surgeon General Releases New Report on Youth Smoking." PR Newswire US 29 Mar. 2012: Regional Business News. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.
Terry, Allison. “Why American Teens Are Turning From Cigarettes To Marijuana.” (2010) Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Oct.2013.
Marijuana isn’t a safe smoke as people assume daily; it’s a very common thought that marijuana isn’t harmful, that all it does it make you want to sleep and eat and it calms you down. It is common to believe that medical marijuana and other drugs aren’t harmful because they are used for medical purposes. There are many negative outcomes of using marijuana such as addiction, learning disabilities, depression, and lung infections such as pneumonia. Nora Volkow is the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). In the article “Why American Teens are Turning from Cigarettes to Marijuana” she says that teens believe marijuana is not harmful to themselves because it is used in medical situations. Many say that marijuana isn’t an addictive drug, however, with a frequent use for an extensive amount of time it can be addictive; twenty to fifty percent of daily users are addicted. Research shows that approximately nine percent, or one of every eleven of those who use marijuana even once will become addicted. Those numbers increase if you start to smoke in …show more content…
your teens (Marijuana).
In “Marijuana: Facts for Teens” a brochure by the National Institute on Drug Abuse explains more on how marijuana is harmful.
It is not common knowledge that smoking marijuana changes how your brain works, there are over four hundred chemicals in marijuana. Marijuana effects your brain and can create problems with your learning and your memory as well as attention. Long term users have said they found themselves being unhappy with their lives, experiencing memory and relationship problems, physical and mental health decaying, less career success, and lower salaries. Marijuana can play a part in depression as well. Alby Podolski, who was quoted in the brochure stated, “I was lazy a lot. I didn’t want to do things… I was depressed. I felt like I was always in a rut. I was always feeling bad about myself, where I was standing in life.” (Alby’s Story in
Marijuana).
Marijuana has some positive aspects about it as well as the negatives. Marijuana is used for medical purposes; that marijuana is called medical marijuana or also referred to as medical cannabis. Medical cannabis is used to help five different situations: nausea, loss of appetite, muscle spasm or tension, pain, and insomnia (Discovery). The most common reason medical cannabis is used is for chemotherapy patients. Chemotherapy is commonly known for making patients nauseous and have lack of appetite. So medical cannabis is prescribed to help with those issues. Marijuana can be helpful, yes. However, smoking over an extensive amount of time will cause health issues no matter what type of smoke it is. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin released a new report on youth smoking on the 29th of March 2012. In that report it stated that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable and premature death, killing more than 1200 Americans every day (Newswire). Did you know, that for every two deaths that are related to tobacco two new smokers “replace” those smokers? We know that smoking causes physical damage to the body but what are those physical damages other than the typical ‘smoking causes cancer’? Smoking cigarettes effects almost every organ in your body including your heart and that can result in coronary heart disease which is the leading cause of death the United States (Health).
Cigarettes and marijuana sometimes have the same effects. Marijuana like smoking cigarettes can result in a cough frequently called a ‘smokers cough’ which is a cough that a smoker has regularly which can be a very hoarse, dry cough. The risk of lung infections like pneumonia is increased over a long period of smoking marijuana. Both cigarette smoke and marijuana smoke have toxic mixtures of gases and tiny particles and many of them are known to harm the lungs. (Marijuana). But people, children, adults, and young adults still smoke cigarettes and marijuana, claiming it to be safer. Marijuana isn’t a ‘safe smoke’ or safer than cigarettes. Both are dangerous to your body, whether it is to your lungs or your brain. They both have negative effects on your body. What was believed to be harmless has been proven to be just as bad as cigarettes which is known to be dangerous. Marijuana effects every aspect of your life, your job, and your health. Cigarettes effect your life, and your health. Is one smoke really better than the other? Or do we say that to ignore the fact that it can ruin your life?
Works Cited
"Discovery Health." Discovery Fit and Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
"Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 01 Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
Marijuana: Facts for Teens. [Pretoria]: Dept. of Health, Directorate: Mental Health and Substance Abuse, 2011. 4-12. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
PR, Newswire. "Surgeon General Releases New Report on Youth Smoking." PR Newswire US 29 Mar. 2012: Regional Business News. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.
Terry, Allison. “Why American Teens Are Turning From Cigarettes To Marijuana.” (2010) Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Oct.2013.