Weed isn't bad for your health.

IntroductionWeed is harmful to you health in various ways. It contains a known carcinogen and produces carcinogenic effects, leads to psychological and physiological dependency as well as other mental problems, and has been observed to harm cognition and mental development, especially among teens. Still, there are more detrimental effects of marijuana.CancerStatistical analysis has shown a correlation between marijuana and various types of cancer, especially in the head and neck. [1] Now, correlation does not imply causation, but it should be noted that the correlation is there.Marijuana smoke contains 50% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. Weed also has acetaldehyde like tobacco, which likely can harm DNA and lead to cancer. [2]One of these hydrocarbons is benzopyrene, which not only causes lung cancer, but actually mutates the gene responsible for suppressing cancer, rendering many cells defenseless to the disease. [3]Weed also contains four times more tar than tobacco. Tar has been linked to lung cancer as well. [3]Additionally, studies have shown that marijuana is more cytotoxic than tobacco, meaning it does more harm to individual cells. It is also mutagenic, meaning it has the ability to harm/mutate DNA, greatly increasing the risk for cancer. [4]Physical EffectsMarijuana users experience an increased heart rate while high, which in turn increases the chance for a heart attack five times. [3]Pot damages the reproductive system in both men and women, since the most important ingredient, THC, disrupts hormones that regulate reproductive organs. [5]It also hurts the immune system. Weed has been shown to reduce disease-fighting cells, leading to a high risk of a number of serious infections, including lupus and cancer. [6]Weed has also been shown to actually spread and prolong pain, contrary to popular belief. It does so by blocking inhibitory neurons, which are supposed to suppress pain. [7]AddictionWeed can be mentally and physically addicting.It has been shown to produce withdrawal symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, and irritability. [8]It can also cause psychological dependencies where users become obsessed with the drug.Mental EffectsA common effect is that users become more irritable, aggressive, or just plain unpleasant. They usually have emotional issues as well. [9]When people start smoking pot at a young age, mental deficits abound. Studies have proven that it causes adolescents to experience slower emotional and mental development and maturity. [9] Additionally, teenage smokers fail to perform well on cognitive exams, showing that they cannot compete with others on a mental level. They don't perform a basic function of the human brain: learn from errors. Moreover, teen smokers tend to use the drug more often that older users. [10]Finally, marijuana has been linked to an increased chance of paranoid schizophrenia, and worsens it among current victims. [11]ConclusionEvidently, marijuana has various detrimental effects, and is certainly unhealthy for the human body and mind.Sources[1] http://unmaskingmarijuana.org...[2] http://www.sciencedaily.com...[3] http://alcoholism.answers.com...;[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...;[5] http://www.healthcenterinternationalresearch.com...;[6] http://phys.org...;[7] http://phys.org...;[8] http://www.psychologytoday.com...;[9] http://www.healthcenterinternationalresearch.com...;[10] http://phys.org...;[11] http://www.livescience.com...;