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The use of marijuana ha for some time been a topical issue. There are those who will tell you that it is harmless and that it is less dangerous and harmful than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. On the other hand there are also people who will say that it is a dangerous drug that can cause mental health problems and can hold you back in life. The truth of the matter probably lies somewhere in between.

While there have been documented cases of smoking a lot of pot causing mental health problems such as the onset of schizophrenia or extreme paranoia and seizures. These are only a small percentage of the people who smoke pot, and the majority of them don't find it to have any harmful side effects. All the people i have known who have suffered some kind of harm as a result of pot have been those people who literally smoked it all day every day. After all there are a hell of a lot of people who smoke pot, probably as many or more then who smoke tobacco these days in fact.

Although i would say that in general i am a pro legalization proponent, i also think that marijuana is just as dangerous as smoking or alcohol, although for slightly different reasons.
Firstly there have been no long term studies into the negative effects on pot on the lungs, and although it contains none of the nicotine or tar of a cigarette and some people think it is clean and harmless just because it is natural, it certainly is harmful to the lungs and can do serious damage over time.

There have been no reported deaths from smoking pot alone, but just because it isn't the actual cause, who is to say that it hasn't been an important factor in the deaths of many who smoked large amounts every day. In fact there are many places that will now prescribe medical marijuana for a variety of ailments, from use as a painkiller to use for treating people who have attention deficit disorder, helping them to focus.

It can also become a way of life for some people to smoke it every day, leaving them in a permanent haze unable to interact on a normal social level (and even cases of psychosis) which becomes a difficult habit to break out of. This however is similar in terms of the consequences to the effects of being a serious alcoholic or the eventual effects of smoking 60 cigarettes every day. You will end up becoming very ill and might not ever recover.

Overall i wouldn't say that in moderation cannabis is any more dangerous than alcohol by the same measure, but as with many things in life some people are weak willed and just cant stop themselves, meaning smoking pot is a serious health risk. If you have self control and don't let it take over your life then it can be a fairly harmless way to relax in moderation.

Learn more about this author, Scott Heritage.
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