Expert: Walter Hintz - 2/10/2011

Question
QUESTION: Before you claim this as "outside of your expertise" I want you to know that I would still love to hear your answer and what you know, even if it is only a little bit, you can email me back privately at  or on this, either or is fine. So my really really really important question is,

What does smoking Marijuana do to people, psychologically and physiologically?

As in, when we smoke marijuana, what happens to us afterwards exactly and why? How does it work, scientifically and in layman's terms? I would love a play by play informed answer. I’m talking about in terms of psychological and physiological. But again, not just WHAT happens, but also  why each thing happens the way it does. 
I’m curious as to what it does to the body and brain exactly?

I use to smoke weed for 2 years, stopped for about 3 and then smoked it once recently and my heart was pounding and racing for about 2 and a half hours while I was high. Either I was paranoid (so it was psychological) or it was just physiological from the marijuana, what do you think? Do I have anything to be worried about? I felt like I was going to "die" but this is only marijuana you know! Not Crack!

I'm 19 and male. Thanks again

ANSWER: Well Josh, you have done it so you are aware what the physical effects are. It effects your heart rate and pressure and your conscious activity and perhaps your judgement. From a psychological standpoint it can effect people differently. Cannabis is an addictive drug an excessive use has been known to cause possible chromosome damage. It can cause the same problems as cigarette smoking

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Your answer was great, thank you but of course I have a follow up questions, very important though. It's funny you say it makes us think different because the only reason, and when I say only, I mean only, reason I am doing this for the next few weeks is to record all thoughts I have when on the drug because I have realized a few important concepts in which I believe I wouldn't have when sober; epiphanies.

But the main thing I am asking and worried about is whether or not this is safe for me to continue for the next few weeks. Again, I am not doing it recreationally, each time I do it, it is like a controlled experiment. I'm done doing it recreationally and have been for 3 years like I mentioned. So what do you think? I'll be fine right? The only reason i'm worried is because last time I did it (a few days ago) my heart was pounding like crazy when I was on it and I felt like I was going to die :/, but its just marijuana you know? Not Crack! and that was the 3rd time I did it in 3 years, and I was already tired when i did it. And again, I plan to only do it for a few more weeks then stopping completely.

I would appreciate your opinion to the fullest. Thank you. By the way if you need to email me personally about this you can at . Thanks again.

ANSWER: Hi Josh
 No! I don't think you will be fine. I think you are playing with fire. The effects on your heart is a message you should not ignore. If you keep doing this for three more weeks you may stop everything completely including breathing. What makes you think cannabis is ok and heroin is not. Addiction is addection.I think you are trying to justify an addiction by calling it an experiment
If this is a scientific experiment your Hypothesis should be
 If I smoke enough pot my blood pressure and pulse will rise and I will have a stroke.

This sounds like a dumb experiment to me. Excuse me for being blunt but you asked for it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I understand exactly where you are coming from but there a few things you must understand. I am in no way claiming this as in experiment or as a substitute for my addiction, because i have no addiction. I stopped smoking for 3 years straight, with no problem, people would smoke right in my face and I would go outside. I am the same with alcohol, I don't drink, i only have 3 times my whole life. I am a health nut, I don't even have fast food or soda, ever.

And you compare marijuana to heroine, c'mon that's a little durastic. Marijuana is so much less severe, even less severe then alcohol and tobacco, no one has died from marijuana and to this day there have been no consistent results of any study to show long-term effects of marijuana. And even though I know this information I still won't begin smoking marijuana regularly because I believe it isn't something people should do recreationally if they have a lot of ambitions and wish to achieve a lot, which I plan to.

And it's not an experiment really anymore, because I already know that I have interesting and valuable thoughts when on the drug, it's now just a matter of utilizing the drug, no experimenting is really going on any more.  As for the heart problem,as I as doing massive research, I read that it makes your heart beat 1 to 4 times faster, and I asked my friend who has been smoking for 2 years and he says his heart rate increases every time he smokes.

but even with all of that known, I am still always one to think it's better safe to be sorry, and just want to make extra sure that it will be alright, and no one has really given me much of a reason as to why I shouldn't continue other than "you might get addicted" or "something might happen with you or your heart", but as I said I know in my bones and soul that I won't get addicted, I know me, and it's normal for your heart rate to increase. I also have another friend who literally smokes every 2 hours!! all day every day and she just got a promotion at her job, works out ever day, and is getting straight A's in college. THIS IS WHY I don't see marijuana as that fatal, she couldn't possibly do all that while doing heroine or alcohol as you compared it to.

So do you see where I'm coming from? I'm not trying to make an excuse to smoke, really, Im just trying to make sure nothing that bad will happen to me, that's all.

Answer
Hi Josh
You asked for my opinion and my opinion is that smoking anything is a bad idea. Drawing smoke into the lungs promotes damage to the lungs and alveoli. You asked if anything bad can happen to you and my answer is that it is possible. You could probably go on smoking for the rest of your life and suffer no ill effects. But I am not an MD and a medical doctor would tell you the same things I am telling you.
 It seems to me that the very fact that you are asking a total stranger if smoking pot can hurt you indicates that you indicates that you think that maybe it can.