Before I ever touched the stuff (at 20), I did as much research as I could into the long and short term physical and mental effects. I wish more people would take the time and effort to find out what the things they put into their bodies will do to them.

I personally find marijuana is a more effective painkiller and relaxant than anything my doctor has ever given me for chronic back and neck pain (from scoliosis and a whiplash injury), and less harmful than many pharmaceutical drugs too. I find it a great way to relax after a particularly stressful day, but I am always careful to avoid using it "to cope" or as a crutch. If I feel like I need it, I won't go near it, because it's one way to avoid falling into an abusive cycle (which is where this drug does its most damage).

I find that if I smoke too much it affects my mood in a negative way, I cough up phlegm from my lungs, and I feel less motivated to do things whilst wanting to smoke more weed than I should. I also find it harder not to binge eat, and weed has led me to weight gain more than once. I know that the longer I smoke the higher risk I run of messing up my body and my mind.

In our household there are three of us who live together and smoke together several nights a week. We keep a watch on our own and each other's intake so we don't get in too deep. We take regular breaks to give our bodies and brains a break from THC and to let our neurochemicals rebalance naturally. We are all successful, intelligent, emotionally and physically healthy and amongst the best of our peers in our respective careers, as well as being long term marijuana smokers. That said, we have all fought our battles with finding the right balance of use, and we've all seen and experienced a darker side of it. Many of my friends have similar experiences.

This site gives the average marijuana smoker important information on how it does affect your brain. It's not propaganda, it's cold hard truth, and it's info that a lot of users sadly just aren't aware of or don't believe. It is a drug that can destroy lives like any other when abused. Sometimes if you're feeling weak it can be hard to say no to yourself, so make sure you're not smoking for the wrong reasons and deal with personal issues in positive ways instead of turning to any substance.

Be it weed, alcohol or hard drugs, abuse is never healthy. I've seen quite a few great friends who became entirely different people and ripped their lives apart because of their heavy weed use. I advocate responsible use and I wish weed was legalised here so that effective non-judgmental education, regulation and support was available for marijuana users. We who do choose to use responsibly do not deserve to be made to feel like scum and most of us would prefer not to have to be criminals, particularly when the one of the best warnings against this illegal substance is far more pertinent for legal alcohol users. If you are going to use weed, understand it first and keep yourself safe and healthy.