Well, here goes. I did it from the time I was a young teen and it is a dangerous drug. It is not comparable to having an alcoholic drink or smoking a cigarette. THC kills brain cells. It is not innocous. I knwo people who have wasted half of their adult lives smoking it and in my opinion (Notice I said opinion), it is not a gray area.
http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/2009/MarijuanaBrain.htm
Immediate Effects of Marijuana on the Body
The active ingredient in marijuana is delta-9-tetrohydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC. THC binds to and activates specific receptors in the brain, known as cannabinoid receptors (http://www.ctprevention.org/saac/Saac_Files/fs_marijuana_brain.pdf). When these receptors are activated, THC interferes with the normal functioning of various areas of the brain, including the cerebellum, part of the brain responsible for balance, posture, and coordination of movement, and the hippocampus, which is involved with memory formation. As a result, individuals under the influence of marijuana may experience impairment in motor control and compromised short-term memory. In the intoxicated state, memory is often selectively impaired in a dose-dependent fashion similar to alcohol (Deahl 1991). Marijuana also affects receptors in the cerebral cortex that are responsible for sensory perception, which can cause users to experience altered sensory experiences in areas such as touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell. It can cause distorted perception, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and short-term memory (http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html).
