Why do teenagers think smoking weed and marijuana is cool?

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Your first sentence contains a lie.. While you may never have intentionally done illegal drugs, you absolutely HAVE taken drugs - our food chain is laced with drugs. Or are you one of those people that do not call caffeine and high fructose corn syrup a drug??? I challenge you to go caffeine and sugar free for a couple months, and see what differences you notice in your body, and how caffeine and sugar effect you after being free of it that long, and THEN tell me you have never done drugs.

As far as the effects of smoking and drinking on the person, it really depends on their usage rates. Smoke of any kind is not good, but marijuana smoke is no where near as damaging as tobacco smoke. Marjuana that is consumed without smoking, like vaporizing or cooked into food, really has no negative effect on the body, especially when used with moderation. THC is very close to natural chemicals in the body, and it acts like a drug because there are cannabanoid receptors in the brain - the brain is actually set up to interact with chemicals that are incredibly close to thc by nature. Actually, the worst consequence with marijuana involves its legal status, NOT the use of the actual plant itself. If caught, depending on location, there are a variety of harsh consequences that could be faced, most of which do NOT fit the crime, but are far harsher.

Something to keep in mind is that marijuana is not illegal because of its danger potential. There are tons of things that can be used for a high, that the gov and medical industry is very well aware of, but are not illegal. Marijuana is illegal because of money and political factors - more people make more money with it being illegal than they do with it legal. And if you do not believe that, start researching who is spending money to keep it illegal. Are these people activisits like AA or MADD or other groups? No. They are pharmaceutical companies (who sell a synthetic pantented thc pill that is legal nation wide and costs 100+ times more than real marijuana costs), tobacco companies, textile, paper, and oil companies (hemp, the male marijuana plant, is a good and easily renewable source of fabric, rope, paper and even fuel). You should also take a research methods & statistics class, and then read the studies used to back up its criminal status. There are a plethora of biases in every single one of them, including all the studies used to say it causes brain damage.

Alcohol is more dangerous. If used with moderation and responsibility, it is no big deal. But, it can be chemically addictive (marijuana is not). Long term abuse (as opposed to responsible use) will damage the liver and kidneys and other vital functions.