It's only a matter of time until recreational marijuana use is legalized across the United States. It's legal for recreational use in the states of Colorado and Washington already.
I absolutely believe in the use of medicinal marijuana. I believe it is a drug that is effective to ease nausea and pain in cancer patients and parkinson's patients, amongst other medical uses.
I know what celebrities would have you think of the recreational use of marijuana. I know what the entertainment industry would have you think of the recreational use of marijuana. And I know what regular, daily users of marijuana would have you think about marijuana. In fact, I know lots of people in Los Angeles who use marijuana daily. Some use it medicinally, while others use it socially, but most are habitual users who use it by choice. If you're caught with marijuana in California, it's a ticket at best. Most often, if it's a small amount, it's just confiscated by the police.
But what is the truth about marijuana?
The terrible truth about cannabis: British expert's devastating 20-year study finally demolishes claims that smoking pot is harmless
This is a 20-year study. And what this expert is saying I've also witnessed first hand.
Habitual marijuana use in certain people who have been smoking daily for decades does sometimes lead to psychotic episodes. I've witnessed it. For some people, this drug does contribute to psychosis and schizophrenia. I'm not talking about someone who smokes it once in a while. I'm talking about dependency. And like any drug, the level of dependency changes everything. If you haven't witnessed someone who in the middle of a psychotic episode or bordering on schizophrenia, I don't wish that experience upon anyone. It can be frightening as someone's reality is twisted.
In my opinion, cannabis affects people differently. No one can say it would affect me the same way it affects you or your next door neighbor. Of course, no one can say alcohol would affect every person the same way. And the same could be said of large amounts of caffeine or sugar.
With what I've seen over the years, marijuana is not my thing. But I know people who grow it legally because they have a medicinal marijuana card. I know people who smoke it daily by choice. I worked in the entertainment industry for a decade, and amongst some groups, it's common to be offered it even if you aren't a regular user. There's still some adult peer pressure to smoke it, even if you're not a regular smoker. But everyone is different.
Everyone can't handle marijuana as easily as actor Seth Rogen does. He shows you how to roll a cross joint on YouTube.com and he makes it look cool. I like Seth Rogen. I think he's funny. I like to hear him on Howard Stern. But I think he has a high tolerance for long-term marijuana use that other people can't handle.
The study mentions how the chance of having a car accident increases after you smoke marijuana. Many people who smoke marijuana don't smoke somewhere and then an hour later go driving. But some of them smoke marijuana while they're driving because they think it's cooler. I've been in those cars when they whip out a joint and light up. So, does smoking a drug while you're actually driving a car increase the chance of having a car accident? Yes. I talked to a marijuana user about this issue and he said, "Texting and driving is worse." Sadly, he does that, too.
I do not believe the regular use of marijuana should be criminalized, but I don't think we really know what the long-term effects will be from person-to-person.
Read the study... soon it will be legalized for recreational use across the United States. It's only a matter of time. Prepare your children to make a choice about using it. It's simply not for everyone.
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