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Stay Healthy. Smoke Pot.

Stay Healthy. Smoke Pot.

Ever since I was 22 and smoked pot for the first time on a secluded California beach at night — during a full moon — marijuana has significantly enhanced my quality of life.

From hanging out with friends watching Kung Fury while baked out of our minds and doubled over in laughter, to chilling at home by myself listening to John Carpenter’s Lost Themes as my cat talks to me in German subtitles.       

But are there physiological benefits to weed? There are some who claim that regular marijuana use not only increases your quality of life, but is an essential component to a healthy lifestyle.

Gary L. Wenk is a Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience & Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics at Ohio State University. He argues that regular, moderate pot use can reduce your risk to certain diseases, protect the body from harmful toxins, and contribute to a longer, healthier life.

“Left over oxygen atoms we’ve inhaled are incredibly toxic,” Wenk writes in Psychology Today, “and produce harmful byproducts that injure our tissues, produce widespread inflammation, and cause us to age.”

Wenk argues that decreasing your daily calorie intake and ingesting coffee, marijuana, and dark chocolate can counter the harmful effects of inflammation and toxins (such as free radicals that damage your cells and DNA).

“All three contain anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidants chemicals,” he writes. “Five cups of coffee, one puff of a marijuana cigarette, and eight ounces of dark chocolate every day should be part of everyone’s daily dietary regimen.”

But let’s scrutinize this perspective and apply the late Carl Sagan’s maxim of requiring evidence for extraordinary claims and smoke out some facts. (Carl Sagan, by the way, was a frequent pot smoker.)

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, two chemicals found in marijuana known as THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol — the shit that gets you high) and CBD (cannabidiol) have been found not only to reduce inflammation, but also diminish muscle spasms and assist with pain relief.

In addition, there are currently two FDA-approved medications (dronabinol and nabilone) that contain THC. These medications suppress nausea and increase appetite, especially important for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or AIDS patients suffering severe weight loss. And eating certain fruits (such as blackberries and blueberries) is not the only way to get your daily dose of antioxidants.

One 2000 study published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences concluded that:

“THC and other cannabinoids are potent antioxidants. As evidence that cannabinoids can act as an antioxidants in neuronal cultures, cannabidiol was demonstrated to reduce hydroperoxide toxicity in neurons.”

A frequent counter-argument is that smoking marijuana damages your lungs and increases your risk for lung cancer.  The American Lung Association certainly isn’t a cheerleader, as their website reads that “smoke from marijuana combustion has been shown to contain many of the same toxins, irritants, and carcinogens as tobacco smoke.”

However, Dr. Donald Tashkin of the University of California in Los Angeles has conducted numerous studies on the effects of smoking pot on the lungs, concluding that there is no substantial link between lung cancer and marijuana use.

Even the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment concedes that “several studies have failed to show that marijuana smokers have a higher risk of lung cancer.”

But if you’re concerned about how smoke will affect your lungs, there are plenty of alternative delivery systems such as vaping or edibles (I recommend marijuana gummies).

Like anything you take into your body, moderation is key, as Wenk recommends only one puff of pot a day. And educate yourself on where your marijuana comes from, as some growers use dangerous pesticides and chemicals in their grow process.

To stay healthy, I say exercise, manage what you eat and drink, and enjoy some pot. (And watch Kung Fury!)

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