One of the controversies in public health right now is that surrounding the use of marijuana. While it is true that marijuana is a mind altering substance, it is also true that there are legal substances that also affect the mind. One of those that comes to mind quite easily is alcohol. Alcohol affects judgment, and contributes to deaths every year, but it is perfectly legal (as long as you are over 21), and not considered a public health risk. Before you decide that marijuana should remain illegal, but that alcohol is just fine, consider these 25 enlightening and interesting studies and infographics on alcohol and marijuana.
Studies and infographics look at alcohol, discussing the dangers and the possible benefits of alcohol consumption. You are likely to find, though, that most benefits are derived when you use alcohol in moderation, rather than engaging in binge behaviors.
Effects of marijuana on the brain and body. Also, consider the studies showing some of the benefits of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Studies and infographics that provide insight into the costs, benefits and risks associated with one of the most popular drugs known to humans.
Take a look at a comparison of alcohol and marijuana. Discover what the professionals have to say when these two popular substances go head to head.
Deadliest Drugs: This infographic looks at drugs, and press reports, in Britain. Using data from 2008, this infographic compares media coverage of drug deaths with the deaths themselves. As you can see, alcohol represented the second-highest amount of deaths, but was rarely reported on. By contrast, marijuana is third from the bottom, but there is greater furor over deaths related to cannabis. So, no matter what you have heard, alcohol causes more deaths than marijuana.
Comparing Dangers of Popular Drugs: This infographic offers a look at different dangers associated with drugs. It shows that alcohol ranks much higher than marijuana in terms of dependence, withdrawal, tolerance, reinforcement and intoxication. Alcohol even ranks higher than heroin on withdrawal.Full article and all related links you may find here: http://mphdegree.org/2010/marijuana-vs-alcohol-25-enlightening-studies-and-i
Cannabis also known as marijuana, weed, pot or a thousand other names this drug seems to have can be highly addictive to some people who struggle to stop smoking cannabis. How to stop smoking cannabis in this situation relies on an understanding of marijuana and its effects on your mind and body. Only then will you be able to feel the benefits of quitting smoking cannabis and be able to stay off weed and not relapse into your addiction.
Firstly we must understand there are some misconceptions about cannabis addiction that lead to people trying to quite smoking pot in the wrong way and can also lead to pro-marijuana users ridiculing the idea of addiction which is unhelpful to everyone involved.
Cannabis is not physically addictive
Many studies have shown that smoking marijuana is not like smoking cigarettes where the chemicals (nicotine) make you physically dependant on the drugs and when starved of it you suffer cravings that drive you to smoke again to be free of the effects. This does not mean stopping smoking cannabis does not come with its set of cravings but they are generally of a different kind.
Cannabis Withdrawals
Suffering from cannabis withdrawals is common when giving up smoking weed but any physical cravings are very mild but can include:
These symptoms pass in time and are usually nothing like the terrible effects of quitting cigarettes, the real cravings come from your psychological dependence on the drug which has to do with yourwanting it not physically needing it!
Psychological Dependence
A psychological dependence is when you feel you need to smoke cannabis in the forms of joints, bongs or however you choose because you feel you need it. This gets confusing and sometimes you may not know why exactly you feel you must smoke but for most people it is because it has become a habit to smoke to escape something in your own life. From escaping abuse, poverty, mental illness, depression or just from being bored and unmotivated you can fall victim to smoking weed because you need an escape from your reality and the high you get is a short term relief that makes things bearable for a while. This is not a long term solution though and the continued smoking often makes this worse and solves nothing leading a spiraling pit of depression, anger and even more dependence on cannabis to get through it all.
How to stop smoking cannabis then? The first step is understanding what you have just read and locate WHY you choose to use marijuana. Only from there can you hope to take action to quit the drug and gain the benefits of clearer thinking, more time in your life to change things and more money to make it happen too!
If you want to know how you can bring about this change, stop smoking cannabis and live the life you want not the one you seem to be forced to live click below to find out how thousands of others have managed to quit pot forever!
I had this great feeling when I first put it into my mouth. Man, I love smoking weed! In the college, my friend John and myself were close buddies and used to get along like house of fire. We both had experience of smoking prior but were anxious about smoking weeds. The mind has so many uncertainties and excitement was at the top notch. It was late fall and the breeze was perfectly alright when me and john secretly went to the college terrace and had a go at it. As I said, Man; I love smoking weed. It gets on you and brings all the desires and makes you feel completely free.
I was anxious a little as we chased streets on our bikes to find the weeds and got to a spot we had never visited although it did feel good to see my other friends. Being an old player, John got the weeds from a bounty hunter and we started to swing the way we could smoke weeds for years. Although, we were pretending to other people as to we are experienced smokers, we got caught while taking the first sip as I had coughed making everyone realized I was a novice smoker; it was good to know that the effect was awesome and we really enjoyed dancing, eating food and expressing our creativity and it brought out the best in us. We were surprised to see the change in ourselves all thanks to the weed smoking as it has really pushed both of us to the right spirits and has enlighten our self believe and created a spirit of self realization and actualization.
I realized how good I can be a performer as a Video Jockey as I did regular shows in the college and as a short time performer in various dance clubs. Soon, I was picked by a senior Video Jockey who gave me tips, advices and today I found myself being a chief creative directory of a famous and popular radio station. I continue this story as I lighten and started smoking my favorite thing; yeah, you got it; weeds again. I simply love smoking weed. Many now will surprise as to what happened to John. Well, all I can say it is good to get a boss like John. Surprised; just like me!!! Yes, hell broke loose when while smoking weeds one day, John throw me this idea which I reluctantly put off. He told me as we had already got high after the 4th weed that we being a good presenter and effective marketer can start our own radio station. While on high, we planned the events for our “already formed company” and even calculated the revenue for it. All was dreamy but we realized that smoking weeds got the right creativity, passion and we realize what should be our main aim in life. So, guys get high and have a blast as to how I and John are doing from college days. Man, I love smoking weed! I enrich the experience of my lifetime.
This post is created by one of Smoking Weed Blog readers and edited by owe team.
By: Michael Porteous
When you embark on your search to learn how to stop smoking pot one of the things that you must be keen to understand is how marijuana affects the brain and how this in turn affects your addiction and your choices surrounding smoking and quitting.
Marijuana has a chemical component called THC which most pot smokers know of. It is this chemical that causes the feelings of a high that can mellow you out and can also cause paranoia and panic in some users also. It is the chemical that you are etste3d for in a drug test also. THC in marijuana however is NOT addictive like nicotine from cigarettes are or others chemicals from harder drugs.
So how do people become addicted to a non-addictive substance then?
When we do any activity that causes a high of some sorts we stimulate the reward center of our brain which controls what we believe is rewarding and fulfilling. Over a long period of time smoking marijuana often we become wired to treat marijuana as a needed ‘reward’ so when you feel down it will be the first thing you think of to get you out of a funk. It also becomes habitual just as other rewarding acts become in people’s lives.
So what happens when you try to quit smoking Pot?
Without this reward you will feel something is missing and you get a mental if not a physical craving for marijuana; you want it but you do not NEED it. This does not mean you are weak willed but it can often be confusing when you consciously know pot is not good for you anymore but you feel that without it you might be even worse off.
To this effect you must ‘rewire’ your brain to realize that you can be rewarded and fulfilled through other things. Exercise, hobbies, social interaction and many other things can replace this nagging voice that keeps telling you to smoke pot. This is a major part in plotting out your plan to stop smoking weed.
For more information on How to Stop Smoking Pot click below for a review of a guide by an ex-addict who knows what you are going through and exactly how to beat it.
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