Is It Worse for Teens to Smoke Pot or Cigarettes?

But these are average teenagers we're talking about. Do they really need pot? Are there any medical benefits that they can possibly receive? Yes, cigarettes are bad. Yes, they are addictive, and yes there is the very real risk that people will smoke themselves to death. But pot isn't absolutely necessary for teenagers--anymore so than alcohol or cigarettes. It pisses me off when people say that "just because pot doesn't give me any serious side effects I can smoke it."

People who smoke cigarettes already know that it's bad for them. They know about the kind of side effects, they know that there are very real risks that come with smoking cigarettes--I don't think you can escape the anti-smoking campaign in any channel anymore. But all I'm seeing about pot is how the side effects are minimal--you just a little high, then fall asleep. Not as bad as cigarettes, right?

Yeah, well, anyone who has a family member who has smoked marijuana knows that it isn't just the pothead who gets hurt--it's the people who're stuck with them because they love them. It's the people who're stuck supporting them, because they're high off their ass, the people who're stuck taking care of them because they've become mentally unstable or injured like my cousin was or have become useless because they've smoked pot since they were kids and have therefor never grown the incentive the grow up and get a job.

You know, I'm rereading a lot of these articles and the majority of the people who say that pot is alright are the ones smoking it. I know how they say that pot isn't very addictive, but I just got to thinking how these people are willing to fight so hard for its legalization--isn't that a form of addiction? Here in Cali, it's perfectly legal to smoke pot if you have an actual medical excuse--what more does anyone want?

You have nothing to prove to anyone but yourself! Using pot, alcohol cigarettes or anything else to decrease stress and to cope, is fooling no one but themselves. What happens when the pot effect wears off?!?!? Right back where you started. Your "masking" the problem, NOT solving it. Why bother? here's why...........
Drivers who consume cannabis within three hours of driving are nearly twice as likely to cause a vehicle collision as those who are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. increased variability in lane position such as taking a curve too tightly or too loosely and longer decision times, leading to slower responses to driving situations.
Loss of coordination – People who use weed have diminished motor skills and have a hard time being able to do even the simplest tasks. At no point while under the effects of weed should you operate heavy or dangerous equipment or attempt to drive. Many people feel that their ability to drive is unchanged while under the effects of weed, but this is completely false. Your perception of your abilities may not change, but that has no bearing on reality.

Short-term Memory and Learning – While experiencing the effects of weed, users will have a much more difficult time recalling short-term memories. This also greatly affects the ability to learn as much of the learning process is dependent on your brain’s ability to form memories. If you are in a situation where you need your mind’s full capacities such as when going to school, it would be wise to shy away from the effects of weed as you will not get much out of it. This will most likely not pose any mortal danger to anyone, but it can still be very irresponsible if not used at appropriate times.

Problem Solving – This is another one of the negative effects of weed that greatly affects your mind’s ability to function correctly. While under its influence, users will find they have a difficult time reasoning and solving otherwise simple problems. This is another one of the effects of weed that most likely wouldn’t cause yourself or anyone major harm but could be very detrimental in your ability to perform well in places like work or school.

Increased Heart Rate – Shortly after using weed, the user will experience a jump in heart rate much like a physically demanding activity would. While this is not strikingly dangerous to a healthy heart , it is cause for concern for people who suffer from heart diseases where keeping their heart rate down is a necessity.

Anxiety and Paranoia – These effects of weed are going to vary greatly from user to user. Some regular users who suffer from anxiety say using weed helps alleviate their anxiety while others say it greatly increases the severity of the anxiety and can often induce panic attacks. Paranoia is also very common, but is often relatively minor if existent at all. You may have thoughts like the cops could show up at your door at any moment, but you probably won’t find yourself building a bomb shelter for your imagined collapse of mankind.

I can go on and on but potheads usually want to avoid the facts until its too late. If you want a "normal" future, QUIT NOW!!!!!