Many sports stars, musicians, movie stars, even politicians are known to have been smokers of this dried weed. Some famous celebrities promote its usage as a good thing for “medical purposes.” Some are fighting to legalize it. Many have said for years that it is harmless. What do you say about marijuana?

If you’re a teen, you’ve probably heard a lot about it and perhaps even know people that use it. But what is the truth about marijuana? How much do you really know about it? Is it a harmless high? Are there no consequences? Is it something that can be experimented with? These questions are too important for you to just guess at the answers. Could you give informed, educated answers to the questions surrounding marijuana? Let’s honestly investigate the facts so you can know the answers and be able to make wise decisions!

In America, Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug among teens today—14.6 million young people use it. The marijuana available today is much stronger than what was available 20 or 30 years ago. Sometimes it is even laced with other, more potent drugs, which can have deadly results. Contrary to what many say, marijuana is physically addictive. So much so, in fact, that 100,000 teens are treated each year for marijuana dependency, suffering serious withdrawal symptoms.

For decades, proponents of marijuana have claimed that there are no long-term negative effects. However, many authoritative studies have been conducted that state the opposite. Besides the detrimental psychological effects, these studies have proven that physical dangers also exist.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), people who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of lung and respiratory problems as those who smoke cigarettes, such as chronic coughing and wheezing. They tend to have more chest colds and are at a greater risk of contracting lung infections like pneumonia. This drug can limit your body’s ability to fight off other infections as well because, as studies show, that THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, can damage cells and tissues in the body that help protect against disease. Thus, it can have detrimental effects on your immune system in general.

Increased risk of heart disease is also a problem among marijuana users. One study indicates that users have an increased risk of heart attacks. In fact, the risk of suffering a heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. Researchers suggest that these findings may be a result of the effects of marijuana on an individual’s blood pressure, heart rate and the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases known to mankind. Billions of dollars are spent each year in research and treatment of this terrible plague. Is there any link between marijuana and cancer? The NIDA states that marijuana contains some of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. In fact, studies show that someone who smokes five joints per day may be consuming as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes each day! According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are over 400 known chemicals in marijuana, and a single joint contains four times as much cancer-causing tar as a filtered cigarette.

Long-term marijuana use can even increase the risk of developing certain mental illnesses. It has been linked to an increase in mental health risks such as increased anxiety attacks, panic attacks, depression and other related issues. Research shows that it leads to changes in the brain similar to those caused by “heavier” drugs such as cocaine and heroin. A January 26, 2006, article in the Boston Globe stated that heavy marijuana use among adolescents could increase their risk of developing psychosis or schizophrenia.

Kathy Szirtes, a specialist in youth mental health and substance abuse who works in Victoria, B.C., says it is a myth that marijuana use is not harmful (National Post, Nov. 24, 2006). She pointed out that when young people get into marijuana dependency cycles, it causes behavioral changes. “You start wrecking relationships with family, with teachers, your memory goes, you can’t sleep properly unless you have a toke before bed and on it goes. We’re certainly seeing a rise in problems in the high schools.” She added that “kids are at school and they’re exhausted” because marijuana use interferes with sleep. She also said, “I think the average parent should be as concerned about marijuana as they would be about any other hard drug.”

Other, more immediate effects of marijuana usage include problems with memory and learning, trouble with thinking and problem solving, and loss of motor coordination. Perception becomes distorted. The ability to concentrate and to retain information is impaired. Sights, sounds, touch, timing, motion and coordination are all negatively affected. Teens can begin to lose interest in how they look, what kinds of grades they get and how they perform at work. This drug will cause you to begin making serious mistakes in school, at work, in sports and in your friendships. These mistakes can embarrass you, yes! But—even worse—they can seriously hurt you!

One study of college students showed that even 24 hours after the students had taken the drug, critical skills like memory, attention and learning were still significantly impaired. Think of the ramifications of these skills being impaired that long. What kind of danger are you putting yourself and others in? What about driving a car? A study of patients in a shock-trauma unit found that 15 percent of those involved in an accident tested positive for marijuana use. Add another 17 percent to that figure of those who tested positive for a combination of marijuana and alcohol and you have a whopping 32 percent of those accidents that involved marijuana! That’s nearly one out of every three accidents involving someone who had their motor skills adversely affected by marijuana! This is an added danger that no one need expose themselves.

Dr. C. Everett Koop, former surgeon general of the United States, once stated, “I am especially concerned about the long-term developmental effects of marijuana use on children and adolescents, who are particularly vulnerable to the drug’s behavioral and physiological effects. The syndrome [of declining motivation] is characterized by a pattern of loss of energy, diminished school performance, harmed parental relationships and other behavioral disruptions.” Years later, the evidence is in and it proves the former surgeon general to be right!

Research shows a clear link between smoking marijuana and poor academic performance. Researchers found that young people a D average or below were more than four times as likely to have smoked marijuana within the past year as those students who maintained an A average. Those who smoke this weed are twice as likely to cut class as those who do not. Also, violence (and other delinquent behavior) has been found to correlate with marijuana use; violent acts rise with increased usage of marijuana. All in all, compared to young people who do not smoke, marijuana-using students get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from high school.

Tragically, many of these same learning disabilities and behavioral problems are evident in children of marijuana smokers. That’s right: Those who exposed their unborn babies to this drug often find later on in life that their children suffer from many of these same deficiencies of memory, attentiveness and problem-solving. Some studies even indicate certain neurological problems in early development.

What about the claims out there that marijuana has certain medicinal benefits? Are there really any benefits to using this drug? In 2006 the New York Times reported that the Food and Drug Administration said that “no sound scientific studies” supported the medical use of marijuana. Also, the Supreme Court decided that the federal government is allowed to arrest anyone using marijuana, even for medical purposes and even in states that have legalized its use for medical purposes!

In addition to all of this, God tells us to obey the laws of the land (Romans 13). As noted above, marijuana is an illegal substance! To obtain it, you must cross paths with and come into contact with criminals! And, if you do obtain this illegal substance, you are a criminal! Besides the spiritual issues involved here, this would set a dangerous precedent for you that could have deadly consequences.

During adolescence, patterns of social behavior and personal character traits are being set that in many cases will never change. Patterns of laziness, mindlessness, selfishness and a willingness to engage in risky (even criminal) behavior will lead to a miserable, unfulfilled life. As mentioned earlier, this drug will affect your ability to make sound judgments and wise decisions. Once under its influence, you’re far more likely to engage in risky, premarital sexual behavior, which could result in your exposure to STDs, including HIV—the virus that causes AIDS. If you are lazy, unskilled and uneducated, or have acquired a sexually transmitted disease and/or a criminal record, that doesn’t bode well for you having a very prosperous future! Stop and think about your future! The decisions you make now and the patterns of character you develop now will carry with you throughout your entire life!

By any estimation, upon an honest examination of the facts, surely we all can see there is nothing harmless about marijuana.