Quote Originally Posted by GreenGaucho
marijuana is NEVER healthy even in the smallest amounts unless you're talking about helping glaucoma, arthritis, etc.
How so? If something is unhealthy even in the smallest amounts, that means it always causes damage to the body somehow. If you eat or drink weed, it causes no known adverse health effects at all. THC has not been shown to cause brain problems. Its effects on the brain are "disputed" only in that people who are already convinced pot is evil have tried (unsuccessfully) to link THC with killing brain cells and destroying memory and such, but all they've been able to show conclusively is that short-term memory is affected for as long as you're high.

The only real health disadvantages seem to be in the act of smoking itself (which again is not the only method of ingestion). It's been linked to pre-cancerous cells (not to actual outbreaks of cancer though) and bronchitis and such, but the effects are nowhere near as bad as tobacco. That doesn't make it completely harmless, but it's remarkably non-toxic especially when compared to other recreational drugs (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine and heroin are the five most popular; it's pretty easy to pick out the one that's least harmful).

And call me crazy, but I think there are certain health benefits to smoking pot even for people who don't have certain serious diseases. I've found it help me with nausea and appetite problems when I have a cold, for instance. It also reduces stress, which is bound to have a positive impact on health. Laughter is also thought to be good for health. And although I may be more likely to get bronchitis, I know it's now extremely unlikely I'll ever develop glaucoma. That's not to say the health benefits outweigh the health risks for the recreational smoker, but at worst it's a mixed blessing.