how do you defend weed when it comes to long term effects??????

i pasted some info below of facts from a site... how the hell can i defend weed when this shits thrown at me?? http://www.brown.edu/Student_Service.../marijuana.htm



Are there long-term consequences to smoking marijuana?
Respiratory problems
Someone who smokes marijuana regularly can have many of the same respiratory problems as cigarette smokers. Persistent coughing, symptoms of bronchitis and more frequent chest colds are possible symptoms. There are over 400 chemicals that have been found in marijuana smoke. Benzyprene, a known human carcinogen, is present in marijuana smoke. Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide are 3 to 5 times higher than in cigarette smoke. This is most likely due to inhaling marijuana more deeply, holding the smoke in the lungs and because marijuana smoke is unfiltered.

Memory and learning
Recent research shows that regular marijuana use compromises the ability to learn and to remember information by impairing the ability to focus, sustain, and shift attention. One study also found that long-term use reduces the ability to organize and integrate complex information.

In addition, marijuana impairs short-term memory and decreases motivation to accomplish tasks, even after the high is over. In one study, even small doses impaired the ability to recall words from a list seen 20 minutes earlier.

this is how:

Why do people use marijuana?
Smoking marijuana can relax a person and elevate their mood. This can be followed by drowsiness and sedation. Other effects include heightened sensory awareness, euphoria, altered perceptions and feeling hungry ("the munchies"). High concentrations of THC may produce a more hallucinogenic response.

you should of been aware of this before you started using the drug. i'm not a marijuana junkie at all, a.k.a. pothead. i do love smoking it, but i know it's effects on my health and i'm not willing to risk my brain for some pot. perhaps when i'm older and more knowledgable my use of it will increase, but for the time being i have a lot to learn. smoke it sparingly...it's great for a break from your head.

its not me who cares about its long term effects, its people like my sister or parents. i myself dont do it that much, but i know i eventually will. though, i did think that weed doesnt cause any permanant damage but i dont know which set of research to beleive!
most people always say oh give this link to ur parents it say says how weed is harmless.... well that shit is useless when they have 100s of links to sites that say weed causes terrible long term damage......

Smoking pot extends cell-longetivity, a fact uncovered by Italian Researchers.

^^^ whos gonna believe that after reading the link i provided? it has ample amounts of facts supported by loads of research. its hard to denny...

to be honest with you, the only thing that worries me is the fact that it does impair my ability to learn.

ya well... school isnt that hard if you do what you have to do and know what you have to do... ya know? i mean.... homework you do at home and whether u are retarded or really smart theres no excuse why not to ace it. for tests and quizes all ya have to do is practice and cram. if you do those things then the only problem can be if you are too lazy.

the real prob for me is that yesturday i got caught for the second time, already posted (though sadly nobody really cares), and now i have the suuper difficult task of convincing my dad weed is ok.

but, now i see all the proven and researched shit he finds and shows me, wtf can i possibly do? i posted the link above which is a example of what he shows me, and he has all the right to not like weed cuz of all the info out there. one thing that i have been depressingly doing is starting to believe that weed is actually reeeeeeally bad for your brain and isnt worth using cuz hurting ur health so badly should b one of the worst things you can do to urself...

Who gives a shit if it "impairs your ability to learn?" What are you a little girl or something. Suck it up bitch. Don't you think alcohol impairs your ability to learn? Don't you think alcohol is bad for you. If your parents drink just compare Cannabis to alcohol. Alcohol kills 8,000 people a month in the United States alone. Thats almost 3 WTC attacks in ONE MONTH! Do the math! Lots of thing impair your ability to learn. I bet tobacco could impair your ability to learn to. Who knows what will impair your ability to learn. If your parents fight in the morning and your dad beats your mom you may have trouble learning. Smoked Cannabis probably has the same type of risks as smoked tobacco. I can guarantee you it doesn't give you long term brain problems. But that prozac or anti-depressant your parents or you are on does! So does your moms chill pills. I'm not trying to insult you or anything but lots of things can mess up your brain. Cannabis has been smoked since the beginning of time. Just something to think about.

I'd be more concerned about the chemicals the food companies are putting in your food! And i'd be more concerned about the fluoride in your water and in your toothpaste! Fluoride is the product of aluminum smelting and the aluminum companies get rid of the fluoride by giving it to the toothpaste companies and the government to put in your water! mmm fluoridey goodness! Flouride is one of the most toxic chemicals known to man and they put it in your fucking water! duhhhh red flag!

^^^ god damn man now i have to explain that its all about getting addicted. thats why is so much worse than alcohol, of course my dad drinks once in a while, but not many times a day like i do sometimes and eventually plan to.

and what do i say to my dad when he tells me that i have a 90 percent chance of eventually getting caught and wasting my life? i could just say it wont happen or sum shit liek taht, but thats all i can do.