I just had to post this… it’s a very genuine account via Google Answers: Proven Long Term Side Effects of Marijuana Use…
Subject: Re: Proven Long Term Side Effects of Marijuana Use
From: boswyn-ga on 18 Sep 2004 23:21 PDTI am a PhD student in Molecular Biology/Biological Science and very
interested in reading other experiences of long term use of marijuana.
I have been smoking marijuana for 23 years and I have recently
questioned my ability to live life without it. I have read about
chemicals that permanently alter the brain chemistry and often
wondered if marijuana has changed mine. When I smoke MJ I do not feel
the need to consume alcohol at all. I feel relaxed and yet motivated
to keep working, even when I am tired or stressed. I eat a balanced
diet and exercise everyday. It doesn’t appear to have negatively
affected my memory or ability to think rationally. For 6 months now I
have stopped using MJ as an experiment to see if I can notice any
changes about myself. Physically, my body has reponded positively to
a vast reduction of smoke inhallation. My skin complexion has more of
a healthy glow, my eyes appear brighter and my lungs have become more
efficient. However, the simple pleasures in life have become dull and
boring. I cannot feel enthusiastic about mundane tasks like washing
the dishes or weeding the garden. I think that when I smoked I was
happier somehow, in my everyday life. I used to take time out to sit
in the sun for a few minutes to listen to the birds and think what a
nice day it was. I was more at one with myself and the world, whereas
now I feel the simple pleasures in life (although still there) have
lost some of their appeal. I will endevour to quit MJ and hope that
my brain chemistry will return to some sort of equillibrium, but if it
doesn’t and I feel that I am happier as a smoker (with full knowledge
that it will shorten my life)then I will have to choose quality over
quantity.
