Marijuana has already been around since the beginning of time. There are some people who claim that this substance is deadly and that every puff can take off a year from your life. Is this true? On the other hand, there are also people who strongly support the notion that weed can actually make you live longer. The debate regarding the capability of marijuana is quite divisive. With people on both sides of the story, it is hard to make a conclusion. However, let us take a look at some evidence that is already available, allowing us to conclude later on.
Puff and Live Longer
Pot fanatics sing praises to weed whenever they can, saying that marijuana does not kill you. As a matter of fact, they even say that it has the capability to extend life expectancy. This is because, according to them, weed has the capacity to reduce anxiety and stress. The logic is simple. Less stress can lead to longer life. Marijuana, by nature, is not as addictive compared to cigarettes because it does not contain any amount of nicotine. As a result, users of marijuana only take less smoke to their lungs as compared to those who smoke cigarettes. At the same time, it is rather unusual to find a person who is capable of smoking more than a single joint in a day. There is time needed for the high to kick-in, making multiple smoking quite impossible.
Still, even those who consume more than the so -called ‘average’ still have a good point to tell. As a matter of fact, a certain woman from India claimed to smoke marijuana everyday in her life, and lived to be 125. Even Swedish studies agree to the fact that there actually no connection between the use of marijuana and the deaths of the males that they have studied on for a period of 15 years.
The Study Continues
A certain study was done on Rastafarians in Jamaica from the period 1968 to 1974. The results were just surprising. For one, it has been found out that the total number of years that smokers live by smoking, and not drinking alcohol of smoking cigarettes is 8-24 years longer. It has also been found that a person who regularly smokes weed is expected to be longer by 2 years, in average. Another study was conducted in Costa Rica. The results also show that indeed, the use of wed can make users live longer.
The Opposite View
On the other hand, naysayers also want to express their opinions on the matter. Some experts present some facts accordingly. For one, it has been shown that smoking tobacco contributes 1% of the deaths in the UK every year. If it can be assumed that marijuana produces the same effects, then we may have to expect around 30,000 marijuana smokers dying every year. For this reason, most people in the UK believe that marijuana smoking is a major hazard to the public.
There were also follow-up studies conducted, but they were just relatively short, thus not producing information that is essential. At the same time, these people on the negative side of the issue have found evidences that connect the use of marijuana to a ton of several other medical issues. Among them are cancer, schizophrenia, heart disease, and several others.
Bottom Line
The thing is, we all die. Whether it is due to marijuana use or not, every people in this planet will have to say goodbye. As of this moment, there is no definite answer whether weed can make you live longer. While there are some medical benefits that are associated with its use, there are also certain consequences of its use that contributes to the death of many people. Even though accidents caused by mind alteration cannot be counted as a direct result, the point is the same, the use of weed decreases life expectancy if we look at that particular point.
However, there is also no proof that the use of marijuana has negative effects on human life expectancy. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of claims and reports that marijuana components, including oils, have save lives. With these factors said, it would not be safe to conclude that weed alone, can decrease life expectancy. At the same time, it would be unwise to claim that it should be taken religiously by people who want to live longer. However, by taking precautionary measures, you may just be able to take advantage of its benefits the right way. There is no shortcut to living longer, as there are other factors included.