Is weed a harmful drug?

Many people think so as users may have an addictive personality and/or could lead to harder drugs.

Other say no, they say it isn't as addictive as other drugs and is easier to quit. They also say that the effects of weed are less harmful on the body.

Debate below

Depends on man made factors. The bad (non natural thc) is definitely harmful, the naturally grown without added chemicals isn’t. This is what’s used for medical purposes. That’s my view anyway

When speaking to a lot of psychiatric consultants about weed; one always sticks out the most for me the way he used to explain it to patients.

Weed is like anything, you can be allergic to it; and for people who are allergic to it they're not gonna swell up and go red, their reaction is psychosis and other mental health issues.

If you experience these side effects when taking it you're body cant handle it.

Some people may smoke mountains of weed and never experience side effects.

Weed is not physically harmful, however anything that alters you mind-state has the potential to be. Meaning, driving/operating machines or things like that while impaired is extremely dangerous. Also, people can get addicted to the high.

Weed, although a lot of the time publicized as completely harmless, just factually isn't. The key distinction to make is that it is no more harmful than nicotine or alcohol which are both already legal.

Weed is not physically harmful, however anything that alters you mind-state has the potential to be. Meaning, driving/operating machines or things like that while impaired is extremely dangerous. Also, people can get addicted to the high.

This is not true if we're speaking about smoking marijuana. One thing that goes unrecognized about smoking marijuana is the effects that the smoke has, which is very similar to that of cigarette smoke, and in the case of marijuana, inhalation is typically deeper and more prolonged than with cigarettes.

Prolonged marijuana use also alters brain structure and function, especially at younger ages. A study found that teenagers who used marijuana for 3 years daily had changes in brain structure related to working memory and performed more poorly on memory-related tasks and the decline remained a few years after use ended. The study also asserted a connection between young people using marijuana and the changes in the brain leading to the development of schizophrenia (I believe the evidence of this, given the circumstances of the study, is minimal).

Although there are risks to using it, like I stated already, they're no more or less damaging or risky than already legalized substances. I personally have no issue with the use of it or the legalization of it.

Prolonged marijuana use also alters brain structure and function, especially at younger ages. A study found that teenagers who used marijuana for 3 years daily had changes in brain structure related to working memory and performed more poorly on memory-related tasks and the decline remained a few years after use ended. The study also asserted a connection between young people using marijuana and the changes in the brain leading to the development of schizophrenia (I believe the evidence of this, given the circumstances of the study, is minimal).

not really an expert or anything and ive not done any research really but this ^... seen a lot of ppl who became perma fried from using weed too much... mind slows down and horrible memory.

As someone who used to smoke at least 3 grams, of the strongest skunk available, a day, my opinion is that weed isn't inherently harmful, but it can be. I was addicted, if I didn't have a spliff, I got cranky, stressed, aggressive, I'd get to the point that I would go out and rob (shops, not people, well, maybe sometimes dealers) to get some weed. I had friends that it had the same effect on.

The only people I saw that didn't get this effect were the older lot who only smoked Thai/bush weed. That type of weed is non chemically grown, it's as natural as if were it grown in the wild. NO genetic modifying, NO spraying with harmful chemicals.

I never liked it as I was too used to my hydroponically grown skunk, which gave you 10 times the high. The high off of Thai weed is a very light mellow high, that leaves you free to chill. The high off skunk is amazing but very heavy, often leaving the user in a vegetative state unable to function.

Not only that, but prolonged use makes you lazy and unproductive. I used to smoke at work, on a construction site, I was a danger to everyone around me, my carefree attitude, my lowered attention span, slower reflexes, my altered mind state. I was an accident waiting to happen.

Another issue is, skunk is linked to severe mental health issues, schizophrenia, cannabis induced psychosis, depression, Paranoia, the list goes on.

I still have friends that smoke it, my Mum smokes it, my younger siblings smoke it, and I am tempted everyday to get back on it. It's an addiction you never really get over. If I lost my job tomorrow, first thing I would do is see someone for a 20 bag.

In closing, it's not the plant that is harmful, it's the human interaction to get it to create a more strong and potent high that is harmful.

Idk why but lots of people in Houston are smoking Kush  (Synthetic weed). Of course  overindulging in anything can lead to harmful effects. one of my ants died from liver failure. Cause the pills that were make her better was the same one that killed her. she had  bad veins in legs and infections for years.

super harmful, knew a guy who once shot up 5 marijuana bam cancer
 

Alcohol and smoking cigarettes are much more harmful than smoking marijuana but no one bats an eye lid at those because these are legal. Just look at the amount of people who die from alcohol consumption or cancer associated with smokers, how many have died from marijuana?

I think more research should be done into the effects of this but I think people should form their own opinion through experience or research rather than listening to media and the government, as I've seen many people in general adopt a negative opinion without justification.

Weed is less harmful than legal recreational drugs like alcohol and tobacco, this is known. Obviously smoking weed has the whole health issues from smoking, but there's nothing really wrong with edibles.

The bigger issue is that even if it was as harmful as the war on drugs pretended it was, legislation against weed and the destruction of people and families due to the prosecution of people that smoke has caused more harm than weed ever has or could itself.

Every drug is harmful if abused.

Context: diagnosed Epileptic; medicinal user.

Answer: Yes, it's harmful. The same way even an OTC drug can be dangerous if abused. It's 10000x more effective than my organ killing medications, though. Those have given me a life long sentence for stomach and kidney/liver issues.

If you're combusting the plant, there is nothing healthy about it. I will never sit in a room and attempt to sways someones opinion on smoking marijuana. The term "Smoking" used as a prefix to something is never a positive thing. I hate that a good chunk of stoners will sit there ignorant as all hell, attempting to defend smoking as a positive thing. (Sure, the EFFECTS can be positive. But there's nothing positive about smoking.... At all)

You'll catch me partaking in similar actions, but never defending them. It is what it is... Unless you're purely ingesting CBD, it's quite hard to defend. (Even with a ton of research into the positive effects of THC. The 'head high' taints the perception, unfortunately.)