There are numerous studies that show just that.

 

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Smoking_Marijuana_May_Increase_Cancer_Risk.asp

 

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9808/18/marijuana.cancer/

 

It is no secret that SMOKING marijuana CAN increase the chances of getting some forms of cancer. I believe one of the articles you have linked stated that it puts you at a higher risk for head and neck cancer, but not lung cancer.

 

However, marijuana can be used in different ways than tobacco. Marijuana can be ingested rather than smoked and,

 

Ingesting marijuana has many benefits over smoking it, the most important of which is the bypass of dangerous chemicals entering the respiratory system. Carcinogens and tars are largely left behind in the preparation for eating and are not released into the lungs.

 

LINK

 

Also,

 

Eating cannabis - or "ingesting" it - avoids all of the problems connected with smoking. When cannabis is legalised this may become the normal way of using it, rather than smoking. As long as you know how much you're taking and you know the cannabis is clean, it's probably the best way to consume it.

 

LINK

 

And in regards to smoking it and getting cancer, I found the following interesting;

 

People who smoke marijuana do not appear to be at increased risk for developing lung cancerlung cancer, new research suggests.

 

While a clear increase in cancercancer risk was seen among cigarette smokers in the study, no such association was seen for regular cannabis users.

 

Even very heavy, long-term marijuana users who had smoked more than 22,000 joints over a lifetime seemed to have no greater risk than infrequent marijuana users or nonusers.

 

The findings surprised the study’s researchers, who expected to see an increase in cancer among people who smoked marijuana regularly in their youth.

 

“We know that there are as many or more carcinogens and co-carcinogens in marijuana smoke as in cigarettes,” researcher Donald Tashkin, MD, of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine tells WebMD. “But we did not find any evidence for an increase in cancer risk for even heavy marijuana smoking.” Carcinogens are substances that cause cancer.

 

Pot Smoking Not Linked to Lung Cancer

 

From that same article,

 

Cellular studies and even some studies in animal models suggest that THC has antitumor properties, either by encouraging the death of genetically damaged cells that can become cancerous or by restricting the development of the blood supply that feeds tumors, Tashkin tells WebMD.

 

In a review of the research published last fall, University of Colorado molecular biologist Robert Melamede, PhD, concluded that the THC in cannabis seems to lessen the tumor-promoting properties of marijuana smoke.

 

 

And finally,

 

However, in a recently published study, marijuana might have other surprising benefits to health; fighting lung cancer.

 

Sure, doctors want to be clear that smoking marijuana is not good for the lungs, but, it has now been shown that the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cuts tumor growth in half in common lung cancer while obstructing the cancer's ability to spread.

 

Harvard University researchers conducted the study using laboratory and mouse studies.

 

The way that THC fights lung cancer, according to the researchers, is that it curbs epidermal growth factor (EGF), a molecule that stimulates the growth and spread of particularly aggressive non-small cell lung cancers.

 

Marijuana Could Be Used to Treat Lung Cancer

It appears that is what you are implying...

 

If I am wrong, I apologize. So you are stating that being high on MJ does impair your senses?

 

You are 100% wrong. I never made the claim that marijuana did not impair your senses.

 

I was asking for proof to back up your claim that marijuana is responsible for it's fair share of fatal crashes.

You are 100% wrong. I never made the claim that marijuana did not impair your senses.

 

I was asking for proof to back up your claim that marijuana is responsible for it's fair share of fatal crashes.

 

Fair enough. I have provided the proof.

Here is my opinion.

 

Marijuana can be dangerous if it is smoked. More so if it is mixed with any form of tobacco and smoked like a cigarette.

 

However based on what I have read tonight, if it is used with a bong or something similar, many of the carcinogens and other dangerous properties are filtered out, thus making it much less dangerous.

 

And last, eating it decreases the dangers even more. I'm not sure if eating it eliminates the dangers of the drug completely or not, but based on what I have read, it definitely would decrease the dangers. I think one of the links I provided stated that eating marijuana would probably become one of the main ways to use the drug, if it were ever legalized in the United States.

Fair enough. I have provided the proof.

 

You did prove that alcohol was responsible for over 11 times more fatal crashes than marijuana.

I thought the number of deaths was zero??? The fact that other drugs caused deaths is not material to your argument of zero deaths caused by MJ...

 

I never truly believed the number was actually 0. I posted that link to prove a point, and that point is that it is MUCH lower than the total number of deaths caused by two other LEGAL drugs (alcohol and tobacco).

It is no secret that SMOKING marijuana CAN increase the chances of getting some forms of cancer. I believe one of the articles you have linked stated that it puts you at a higher risk for head and neck cancer, but not lung cancer.

 

However, marijuana can be used in different ways than tobacco. Marijuana can be ingested rather than smoked and,

 

 

 

LINK

 

Also,

 

 

 

LINK

 

And in regards to smoking it and getting cancer, I found the following interesting;

 

 

 

Pot Smoking Not Linked to Lung Cancer

 

From that same article,

 

 

 

 

And finally,

 

 

 

Marijuana Could Be Used to Treat Lung Cancer

 

So basically we have people on both sides of the argument here. So I would surmise we need continued research to fully determine which side is correct. That is also one of the problems, because of MJ's illegality, it is difficult to do effective controlled research. A detriment to both sides of the fence.

So basically we have people on both sides of the argument here. So I would surmise we need continued research to fully determine which side is correct. That is also one of the problems, because of MJ's illegality, it is difficult to do effective controlled research. A detriment to both sides of the fence.

 

I would really like to know the dangers of eating marijuana. Because by ingesting it you eliminate the carcinogens and other dangers that could potentially cause cancer, or I would assume that anyways.

 

I would also like to know how much the risks are lowered when marijuana is smoked through a bong.

Here is my opinion.

 

Marijuana can be dangerous if it is smoked. More so if it is mixed with any form of tobacco and smoked like a cigarette.

 

However based on what I have read tonight, if it is used with a bong or something similar, many of the carcinogens and other dangerous properties are filtered out, thus making it much less dangerous.

 

And last, eating it decreases the dangers even more. I'm not sure if eating it eliminates the dangers of the drug completely or not, but based on what I have read, it definitely would decrease the dangers. I think one of the links I provided stated that eating marijuana would probably become one of the main ways to use the drug, if it were ever legalized in the United States.

 

 

I think I can agree with most of what you have said. At least you are not calling it "harmless".

I think I can agree with most of what you have said. At least you are not calling it "harmless".

 

I never did.

 

I called it relatively harmless.

I would really like to know the dangers of eating marijuana. Because by ingesting it you eliminate the carcinogens and other dangers that could potentially cause cancer, or I would assume that anyways.

 

I would also like to know how much the risks are lowered when marijuana is smoked through a bong.

 

I am sure just like any filter, some material is prevented from reaching the lungs. But not all. Filtered cigs, same principal.

 

Like many have pointed out (and I agree), there are a couple of legal drugs which appear to cause many problems already, arguably much more so than the problems that MJ present. I really do not see a whole lot of good that would come from adding another to that mix.

I never truly believed the number was actually 0. I posted that link to prove a point, and that point is that it is MUCH lower than the total number of deaths caused by two other LEGAL drugs (alcohol and tobacco).

 

Which I had already conceded, I knew you just posted it to be obtuse. But I also think that this is the kind of propaganda that hurts the legalization side's argument rather than help it. I think the debate needs to be honest and open, instead of wild statistics that end up proving to be inflammatory rather than insightful.

 

You and I both already knew that the total is much lower. If drugwarfacts.org wanted to be taken more seriously, I think they should report an accurate number, instead of one that is so easily scoffed at.

Which I had already conceded, I knew you just posted it to be obtuse. But I also think that this is the kind of propaganda that hurts the legalization side's argument rather than help it. I think the debate needs to be honest and open, instead of wild statistics that end up proving to be inflammatory rather than insightful.

 

You and I both already knew that the total is much lower. If drugwarfacts.org wanted to be taken more seriously, I think they should report an accurate number, instead of one that is so easily scoffed at.

 

It's probably hard to find information on fatalities from car crashes in which the driver was under the influence of marijuana.

 

It's hard, first of all, to prove that marijuana was the reason for crashing.

It's probably hard to find information on fatalities from car crashes in which the driver was under the influence of marijuana.

 

It's hard, first of all, to prove that marijuana was the reason for crashing.

 

True, which is also one of the things that troubles me about legalizing the drug. What tests are there for determining how "high" someone currently is.

 

To your second point, the same is true though of alcohol. That is why it is simply illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence. Example. If you have a tire blow out or some sort of mechanical failure and crash and your BAC is .08, was your crash due to the alcohol? Probably not. If MJ were made legal, I would think there would have to be some sort of testing similar to that of a breathalyzer, because being high and operating a motor vehicle should be illegal even if the drug is made legal.

It is always good for a society to sell their soul out for monetary reasons. Worked well for us with allowing slavery to stay legal at the onset of this country.

 

You know our country could probably get money out of all the carcasses of aborted babies, let's do that too.

 

I agree with a lot of the things you write on here and have a good amount of respect for you, but those are very very bad examples. Pot and Alcohol are virtually the same, except one has less effect, is cheaper, and allows you to to make better decsions while under the influence than when under the other one.

 

Everyone is afraid of a myth, not looking at the facts.