Myth: Smoking weed is a way healthier than smoking cigarettes.
Fact: Marijuana has the greater ability to expose the lungs to more tar based on the way it is smoked. When people smoke marijuana they take deeper and longer inhales, thus exposing them to more tar per breath. It doesn’t matter what form the smoke comes in, it’s still damaging. Carcinogens are released into the air anytime wood, marijuana or tobacco is burned. Marijuana smoke has been shown to have many of the same carcinogens and toxins as cigarette smoke. Contrary to popular belief, that “choke” you get from a pull of marijuana doesn’t necessarily mean you found the sticky icky. Smoking marijuana is damaging your lungs in a major way. It can lead to wheezing, acute bronchitis, phlegm production and chronic coughing.The immune system is also compromised by smoking marijuana.
Myth: Marijuana isn’t a gateway drug.
Fact: Depending on which research you subscribe to, marijuana can potentially be a gateway drug for alcohol abuse, nicotine addiction and other forms of substance. However, according to the Marijuana Research Report most users don’t go on to harder drugs.
Myth: Getting caught with marijuana isn’t a big deal.
Fact: On Election day, seven states legalized the use of medical marijuana. However, in most of the U.S. marijuana is still an illegal substance. Possession of marijuana is considered a misdemeanor, and delivery (or intent to deliver) marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school is considered a class B felony. Penalties range in the thousands of dollars up to 10 years behind bars.