A friend with "weed" is a friend in need

Without too much pharmacology or phytochemistry and words like Tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol,  cannabinol,  tetrahydrocannabivar, CB1 &2 receptors, I seek to simply get the message well absorbed. So in spite of my strong predisposition to use big scientific words I will try to use simple english as much as possible. For clarity sake.
It will be unfair not acknowledge that this piece was purely inspired by the great piece by Prince Acquah Rockson under the Heading, "A friend with weed is a friend indeed."
A recreational user takes marijuana for the effect it creates and the high or buzz they want to get from it. Continued use builds up tolerance and can lead users to consume stronger drugs to achieve the same high. Drug dealers, motivated by the profits they make, will say anything to get you to buy their drugs. some of the stories they tell includes but not limited to increase in academic performance and increase in manual productivity and the almighty medical marijuana theory.
Components of the marijuana plant may have medicinal properties. That is not the same as “medicine.” Medicine is made when a laboratory extracts the medicinal compound, standardizes it so that it has same therapeutic effects every time. And a standardized dosage.  The medical marijuana they always say is often applied to the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its crude extracts, which are not recognized or approved as medicine by any drug administrative board.  So what makes it a medicine?
Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke. as revealed in the publication: "Marijuana as Medicine: Consider the Pros and Cons,” by Mayo Clinic, Aug 2006. The effects include among others: Short-term memory problems, Severe anxiety, including fear that one is being watched or followed (paranoia) Very strange behavior, seeing, hearing or smelling things that aren’t there, not being able to tell imagination from reality (psychosis), Panic, Hallucinations ,Loss of sense of personal identity, Lowered reaction time, Increased heart rate (risk of heart attack) Increased risk of stroke, Problems with coordination (impairing safe driving or playing sports) Sexual problems (for males). I don't even want to get started on the brain damage associated with marijuana use. Now this brings a single question to mind why would you buy a drug with such effects? 
Finally to those who believe marijuana is good for hard work and learning, Just imagine a drug which affects cognition and coordination negatively help you work harder? Or learn better? Do the math.
Marijuana use, (especially smoking) obviously has little to nothing Good to offer. So while the debate over legalization presses on,  bear in mind that legal does not equal safe.  SAY NO TO DRUG ABUSE.

             
John Alake
(Staff writer)