That's a whole lot of farming for something illegal! | Source: futurepocket.com

Pot. Grass. Weed. Mary Jane. Ganja.

You’ve probably heard a ton about marijuana, not only recently, but in general. Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Kristen Stewart and a slew more celebs (oh, hey Snoop Dogg) are pretty open with their appreciation of the drug. These famous faces, plus movies like Pineapple Express, can make it seem like everyone is smoking it. Truth is, a lot of people use marijuana–though more people don’t use marijuana.

We’re not here to scare you here or run your life, but you deserve to make informed decisions about what and whether you inhale. Know the risks before you do anything!

*Smoking pot without a medical prescription is illegal in the U.S.–you and your friends could get in mega trouble if you get caught.

Rihanna got caught smoking marijuana in Hawaii. | Source: fashionindie.com

*You already know cigarettes are terrible for you. Turns out, smoking weed is too — maybe even worse. It can contain 50% to 70% more carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) than tobacco smoke does.

*Smoking marijuana can pose a lot of the same health risks as cigarette smokers, including coughing, wheezing, and sometimes more chest colds.

*Heavy use of marijuana can mess with your menstrual cycle and make your period irregular. Yikes!

*Medical marijuana has proven beneficial for some ailments, but it can have lots of negative side effects on the developing brain–and if you’re reading this, chances are your brain is still developing! It doesn’t finish completely til you’re 25. Using marijuana at a young age can lead you to develop weakened verbal and communication skills, a shorter attention span, and lower learning capabilities.

*Marijuana use can negatively impact your short-term memory (making you forget your homework or accidentally flake on your pals).

Miley Cyrus came under fire for calling herself a stoner. She said she was joking, then was captured here on film! Maybe it DOES make you forgetful. | Source: igossip.com

*Marijuana can make driving more dangerous. It can affect your alertness, reaction time, and concentration, all of which you need in tip top shape to be behind the wheel. Smoking weed can also make your perception of space and distances skewed, which is really dangerous on the road.

*Traces of marijuana can linger in your body for close to three months after you use it–something to keep in mind since a lot of jobs require a drug test before they’ll hire you.

*The high users experience from marijuana use is a result of the drug releasing dopamine, a feel-good chemical in your brain. It can lead some users to want that feeling again and again, resulting in a psychological dependency on the drug.

*While smoking weed can make some users feel relaxed, it affects everyone differently. Some users experience anxiety, panic attacks, and depression when they use the drug.

*While opponents of marijuana refer to it as a gateway drug and claim that trying it can lead people to try other drugs, that may not be entirely true. Most people who try marijuana don’t use other drugs. However, most people who do use other drugs did try marijuana first.

Have you or a friend ever tried marijuana? Do you ever feel pressured to smoke pot? Let us know in the comments–and if you or a friend want help quitting marijuana, click here to find help near you.

What About Drinking? Get The 411 Here.

"Everybody totes copies our amazeballs words." | Source: Tumblr

But Shakespeare better watch out, because in 2012, an entire generation of girls seems to be gunning after his word coinage record.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, when it comes to coining new turns of phrase, teenage girls and young women (like you, duh!) are leading the pack. Okay, so we’re not quite at 1,500, but with the prevalence of a universal pop culture and a faster-than-ever exchange of ideas over the internet, girls are adding words to the dictionary–and changing the ways even people in power speak–at an impressive rate.

In honor of this ongoing achievement, here are five of our favorite bits of girl slang. The next time your mom tells you to “speak English,” send her this link!

Totes (adj.)—Short for “totally,” implies “duh!”
Example: “ I am totes going to The Hunger Games opening night. What, you thought I wasn’t?”

Cray-Cray (adj.)—More than crazy, especially popular among fashion girls
Example: “Did you see that new Ke$ha video where she has snails crawling on her face? Girl has gone cray-cray.”

Amazeballs (adj.)–Out of this world, blow your face off fantastic
Example: “Um, did you try this cookie dough? It’s amazeballs.”

Asshat (noun)–Someone who has made so much more than an ass of themselves, it’s as if they’re wearing their assery as a hat.
Example: “Did you hear about Joe? Jennifer turned him down and now he’s talking trash about her for no reason. What an asshat.”

Forevs (noun): A very long time that seems like eternity, short for forever. Also used when referring to the store Forever 21 as simply, “Forevs.”
Example: “We were going to get fro-yo, but the line was like, forevs. Not worth it.”

What words are you and your friends saying all the time now? Tell us in the comments!

Love Disney Stars? Check This Interview With Debby Ryan–She’s So Freaking Funny!

teen girl slang

Could you imagine giving up someone this hot? | Source: 1Zoom.ru

You’re probably hearing a lot of talk about people giving stuff up for Lent right about now. What is Lent and why are so many people sacrificing Gossip Girl and chocolate? Here’s the lowdown.

As you probably know, Christians believe that Jesus died for their sins, then rose from the dead into Heaven. The day he rose from the dead is Easter, and Lent happens during the 40 days before that.

During that time, a lot of Christians sacrifice something in preparation for Jesus’s rising as a form of repentance. (Something else you may be hearing a lot about now, Fat Tuesday–or Mardi Gras, is celebrated as a sort of “last hurrah” before giving up a lot of creature comforts for Lent. Check out more on Mardi Gras here!)

Uh oh! Looks like someone didn

The idea of Lent is to give something up that you routinely enjoy (so giving up algebra homework or spinach doesn’t really count). Chocolate is usually a biggie around this time of year — which is a toughie, because it’s also Cadbury egg season! Soda, French fries, meat (especially on Fridays), gossip rags, and your favorite shows (so long for now, Jersey Shore!) are popular sacrifices as well. Recently, a lot of girls have started giving up texting, tweeting, and Facebook for Lent, too. You might also remember a certain movie called 40 Days and 40 Nights–Josh Hartnett gave up sex!

We think this may be the toughest thing to give up! | Source: togetpregnant.info

Why does Lent last 40 days and 40 nights? There are quite a few Biblical references to 40-day periods: remember Noah’s ark and all that rain? That lasted 40 days and 40 nights. It’s also believed that the Hebrews marched through the desert for 40 years, that Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai, and that Jesus fasted for 40 days while being tempted by the devil. It’s also believed that when Jesus died on Good Friday (also known as the Passion of the Christ), he spent 40 hours in his tomb before rising on Easter Sunday.

Giving these up is easier when they don

Lent starts tomorrow, Ash Wednesday (you’ll probably see some people with black smudges on their foreheads!) and will last until Easter on April 8.

If you observe the holiday, what is Lent to you? What are you giving up for 2012 Lent? What would be the hardest thing to let go of for 40 days? Let us know in the comments!

 
 

Oh, And Tell Us If Differences In Religion Bother You. We Wanna Know!

what is lent