There are both benefits and downsides to smoking pot, and it is important to review the negative as well as the positive before making any decisions which may affect your health adversely. One of the most widely-studied and confirmed downsides of pot is that it tends to have a negative effect on short-term memory. Although it affects everyone differently, the fact still remains that it can do long-term damage to certain parts of the brain which are needed for short-term memory and other vital functions. Chronic smoking of marijuana has been shown to lead to increased stress and insomnia as well as nervousness and paranoia.

Drug use has been tied in with risky behaviors such as having unprotected intimacy for years. The connection between those who use drunks like marijuana, cocaine, and heroine and those who engage in certain risky behaviors is well-documented. Marijuana is consistently referred to as a "gateway drug", which means that it can lead to experimenting with other more serious drugs which can be even more dangerous. Although it is not possible to overdose from smoking pot, there are other neurological effects which can be damaging to the brain long term.

Marijuana is not harmful in the same ways that heroine or cocaine is. It is actually considered to be one of the "safer" illegal drugs relative to what else is out there. Although its medicinal benefits have been fairly well-established, most physicians do not recommend chronic use of this drug, even for medicinal purposes. It should be used as much as needed, however it can lead to long-term health problems with the lungs. Comparing smoking cigarettes to marijuana may be like comparing apples to oranges; however there are still some similarities.

There are certain active chemicals in marijuana which can have an adverse effect on the lungs, leading to conditions such as bronchitis. Cognitive impairment is certainly a problem, and although it usually lasts until the "high" is over, sometimes it can continue to become a problem if enough pot is smoked on a regular basis. While perhaps the most famous argument for those who are for the legalization of pot is that nobody has ever died from it, there are certain serious medical conditions which can be caused from smoking pot, at least in part. To say that it is a completely harmless drug would be irresponsible and false. While it may not hold the same dangers as other elicit drugs do, it can still come with risks for those who smoke on a regular basis.