Why Cannabis is Good for You, Let’s Count the Ways

What are some people smoking when they demonize the health effects of cannabis? Even doctors can sound half-baked on the issue. Dr. Nicholas Cohen, for example, might well be smoking last year’s Christmas ties.

“Marijuana smoke… has 50 percent more of the agents that cause cancer than a cigarette,” Dr. Cohen said in a 2012 Youtube Video, Marijuana Use- Ten Tips For How and Why To Quit.

Perhaps, but what he failed to mention is that those same cancer-causing agents have been repeatedly found to not actually cause cancer.

A study in 2006 by researcher Donald Tashkin, MD, of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, found absolutely no relation between smoking marijuana and increased risk of lung cancer, and may in fact slightly decrease the risk.

“We know that there are as many or more carcinogens and co-carcinogens in marijuana smoke as in cigarettes,” Tashkin concluded. “But we did not find any evidence for an increase in cancer risk for even heavy marijuana smoking.”

The truth is that the more science that comes out on cannabis, the healthier our outlook becomes. Moderate use can have health benefits, from lowering your risk of diabetes to reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s to actually increasing your lung’s breath intake. Pass that doobie to the left. Weed can be good for you.

Good for Your Cholesterol, Great for Your Fat Behind

A recent study published by the The American Journal of Medicine linked cannabis use to “lower waist circumference, fasting insulin, glucose, HOMA-IR (a measure of insulin resistance) and BMI—as well as higher HDL cholesterol, which fights heart disease,” according to Fast Company.

Yes, you can literally say smoking weed is good for your cholesterol and makes you thinner, and it’s not Cheech or Chong toking it up, but the American Journal of Medicine. Despite the average stoner eating 600 more calories a day high on Cookie Crisp, he’ll have less body mass and be less likely to keel over from a heart attack than any Joe on the street.

Lower Your Risk for… Uhmmm… Alzheimer’s

Sure, we may feel like we’re practicing for early Alzheimer’s trying to recall that one drummer in Pantera, but science says we may actually be doing the exact opposite, according to a 2008 Ohio State University Study.

Researchers found that cannabis could be good for the brain by reducing inflammation and stimulating the formation of new brain cells, which may decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s. So, rather than the age-old myth of causing brain damage, cannabis may actually be healing your mind.

Bong Hits Help You Breathe Better

Moderate cannabis smoking can actually help you inhale more air, slightly increasing your lung capacity. A University of California study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that light to moderate cannabis smoking increased lung capacity by 50 mm, roughly the size of a kid’s drink box. Can Joe Camel claim the same?

The national conversation on cannabis is changing, from a demon drug linked to psychotic violence to a substance less harmful than alcohol and tobacco to a medical remedy that has real health benefits. The more research that is done on cannabis, the better our outlook on it becomes.

Take a hit. You may actually be adding to your life and enjoyment of the universe, not to mention your appreciation of late night Cartoon Network marathons.