Source: ShutterStock

If you smoke marijuana, does that mean that you’re eventually going to start smoking cigarettes? According to one recent study, um, sort of. Apparently, prolonged exposure to THC, which is the main ingredient in marijuana, can make you more vulnerable to the addictive aspects of nicotine, which is found in cigarettes. Basically, new research says that smoking pot can lead to smoking cigarettes down the road, especially for teens.

This sounds a little weird to me. I mean, smoking cigarettes and smoking weed are two entirely different things. How can one lead to another? I was really skeptical about this and hesitant to believe it, but apparently the science is there to back it up. The lead scientist of the study says that in the majority of cases, people start smoking marijuana before they start smoking cigarettes. He adds that teens who smoke weed are even more likely to develop an addiction to cigarettes when they’re older because the longer you smoke marijuana, the greater your risk is for being addicted to tobacco.

To sum things up quickly, a lot of THC in your system makes you more likely to be addicted to tobacco. So if you’ve been smoking pot for a few years, and one day you decide to pick up a cigarette and try it out, you’re more likely to become addicted than someone who has never smoked pot in their life.

Sounds scary, right? Yeah, sort of. Who knew that marijuana could be a gateway drug for cigarettes? As researchers pointed out, cigarettes are usually the ones being called a gateway drug for other drugs… like weed. But I guess that all we knew is wrong. Sigh.

This doesn’t mean that just because you smoke pot you’re going to smoke cigarettes at some point in your life. But if you do smoke marijuana, this is a pretty big warning sign to never consider trying a cigarette. Not only are cigarettes really, really bad for you, but you’re also now even more at risk for getting hooked on nicotine. And as any former smoker can tell you (you can talk to my grandpa about it if you want), nicotine addictions are not fun.

What do you think about this study? Do you smoke cigarettes? Would you ever try? Does this make sense to you? Tell us in the comments.

Which is worse for you: smoking weed or drinking alcohol?

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

The Justin Bieber pot pics made Beliebers go nuts. Is Bieber smoking weed such a big deal? | Source: WENN

Pictures of Justin Bieber smoking pot hit TMZ this weekend, and Beliebers and non-Beliebers went nuts. It was like no one could believe that hey, Justin Bieber is an 18-year-old guy, and some 18-year-old guys like smoking weed. The thing is, Justin Bieber isn’t just any 18-year-old guy–he’s a rich, powerful, successful 18-year-old guy who’s probably never heard the word “no.” More importantly, Justin Bieber is an 18-year-old with a pretty spotless reputation (save for that whole Barbara Palvin-Selena Gomez drama).

When the photos first surfaced, a lot of Beliebers were in denial: they claimed the shots were Photoshopped, that it was a Justin Bieber look-alike, that it was just a cigarette or a pretzel (yes, some fans on tumblr said that). No one seemed to want to accept the fact that Justin Bieber is, at the end of the day, a person, and people make mistakes–especially when people are under that much pressure to be perfect. (Just ask Demi Lovato.)

Who’s to blame for Justin Bieber smoking weed? Some pals told TMZ that they think Lil Twist is behind it, calling him a bad influence on the Canadian superstar. But is that really the case? A lot of us have friends that may be into negative stuff, but at the end of the day, we all have free will. We can choose to be like, “No thanks!” and pass the blunt along to the next person who feels like toking up or pass the bottle onto the next person who wants to down a shot. It’s pretty pointless to pin the blame on another person for one person’s actions. Lil Twist, at least in the leaked photos, never held a gun to Justin Bieber’s perfectly-coiffed head and told him, “Bro, smoke this.”

That’s not to say Lil Twist may not have influenced Justin Bieber to try pot. Listen, I get that sometimes pressure can be heavy to do certain things, and FOMO is real. But if anyone pressures you to do something you don’t want to do, that person isn’t your friend, because they don’t actually care about your feelings. And most people aren’t going to be mad at you if you refrain from drinking, smoking, or doing other stuff you’re not too comfy with. In fact, they may not mind at all–more weed for them!

That said, the fact is, a lot of people smoke pot, and in a lot of places, it’s legal. What I can’t believe is that he was dopey enough to let the photos leak, because now a lot of angry parents may not buy their daughters tickets to see his shows.

Let this be a lesson: I’m not condoning smoking weed or drinking at all, but I know that regardless of what I tell you, some of you will do it anyway. That’s your prerogative, it’s your life–I’m not gonna tell you what to do, because I think you’re smart enough to decide for yourself! But! If you’re going to smoke pot, drink underage or generally do stuff you don’t want people to see? Please make sure no cameras or phones are out when you do it–and make sure you’re only around people you know you can trust when you do. Unless of course, you want your future boss or college admissions officers to see ‘em!

Do you think Justin Bieber smoking pot is a big deal? Do you think the Justin Bieber pot pictures were real or Photoshopped? How do you think Justin Bieber smoking weed will affect his career? Do the Justin Bieber pot pictures change how you think of or view him? Tell us in the comments!

Justin Bieber confronts the paparazzi!

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

In Colorado, legalized marijuana led to pot smoking clubs–where people 21 and up won’t be bothered for smoking weed. | Source: ShutterStock

The pot smoking clubs are becoming popular in Colorado, where–as a lot of you already know–under a new law, people over 21 can carry up to an ounce of marijuana and are allowed to up to grow six marijuana plants. People over 21 are allowed to smoke in private places, but not in public–which is pretty much for their own good, since marijuana is still technically illegal under federal law (which trumps state law always).

The difference between a pot smoking club and a bar with booze (besides the smell)? At bars, people buy alcohol. Since marijuana isn’t legalized nationally yet, pot smoking clubs can’t actually sell marijuana to people who spend time there smoking weed.

Colorado’s marijuana clubs are also serving a different purpose than a bar. Most landlords and building owners don’t care if you drink in your own apartment or house, but a lot of them have rules against smoking–be it pot or cigarettes–because of the smell, the potential damage to property (booze may stain a carpet, but a misplaced cigarette can start a fire). Pot smoking clubs provide a private place where people who register, pay a fee, and are over 21 can smoke without getting into trouble or evicted.

The director of one of the first legal marijuana clubs in Colorado, Club 64 (named after Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana in the state), said that they want to extend the club to not just be about smoking weed, but about getting friends together to do all sorts of stuff–from mountain biking to rafting and skiing. We’d just advise not to bike, raft, ski–or drive–high.

Do you think pot smoking clubs will become as popular as bars? Do you think other states should legalize smoking weed? If smoking weed were legal where you live, would you go to a pot smoking club? Tell us in the comments!

No legalized marijuana where you live? Here’s how to deal if you’re caught with weed.

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

A new study says drinking alcohol may be worse for your brain than smoking weed is. But does that mean marijuana is safe? | Source: ShutterStock

You’ve probably heard that drinking alcohol and smoking weed are pretty bad for you, but is one worse than the other? Turns out, the answer is yes. And it’s probably not what you think.

A new study says that for teens, smoking weed is actually not as dangerous in terms of brain damage as drinking alcohol is. Researchers did a bunch of tests on 92 people between the ages of 16 and 20. Half of them already drank alcohol and used marijuana regularly, while the other half either abstained completely or kept their use down to a minimum.

Here’s what they found through brain scans over time: Teens who drank five or more alcoholic beverages twice a week or more–essentially binge drinking–had damage to their brain tissue that could cause memory loss, attention deficit problems, and issues with decision making not only immediately, but also later in life going into adulthood. (Ruh roh!) One of the researchers explained that it becomes a pretty vicious cycle when that happens: “If teens decrease their tissue health and cognitive ability to inhibit themselves, they might become more likely to engage in risky behavior like excessive substance use.” Yikes!

A separate study showed that drinking alcohol lowered test scores, and it happened differently for girls and guys. Girls had a harder time with reading comprehension and interpreting visuals, while guys just struggled to pay attention to what they were doing. (So if you planned on boozing up, we’re not going to tell you what to do–but you just might want to wait until after you take your SATs.)

Meanwhile, the test subjects who kept on smoking weed showed very little to no brain damage. Pretty interesting considering one is legal when you’re 21 and the other isn’t (depending on where you live, that is), isn’t it?

Still, don’t get too excited about the effects of marijuana (or the apparent lack thereof) just yet. The scientists in the study said that a lot of research results on marijuana haven’t been consistent because there are a lot of variables involved. “One reason is that marijuana can really vary. Different strains contain different levels of THC and other marijuana components,” one researcher explained. “For example, some studies have suggested one component, cannabidiol, may actually have neuroprotective effects.” (Basically, different types of marijuana can affect you differently–and one component of marijuana may actually be good for you, but they’re not sure.)

One could argue that if marijuana were legalized, it could be regulated the way alcohol is, so that the different ingredients and components could be recognized and understood better, but that may not happen. And while smoking weed may not have shown brain damage in this particular study, another showed that using marijuana for a long time can actually lower your I.Q., which is pretty scary.

Do you think drinking alcohol is really more harmful than smoking weed? Do you think smoking weed has long-term negative effects? If you drink alcohol or smoke weed, have you noticed a difference in your grades? Tell us in the comments!

Is smoking weed really so bad?

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

With the new marijuana laws, smoking weed isn’t seen as that a big deal anymore. | Source: Shutterstock

If you’re in that camp, you’re not alone. A new study says that teens think smoking weed occasionally isn’t a big deal at all, especially in places where it’s considered okay in the eyes of the law. Research says that 41.7 percent of eighth graders think smoking marijuana once in a while is harmful; 66.9 percent say smoking weed is pretty dangerous if you do it regularly.

Those numbers are way down from 1991, when the government first started looking into how young adults feel about marijuana use. And it turns out your views on smoking weed tend to change as you get older–you’re likely less opposed to it. Only about 20 percent of high school seniors said smoking weed once in a while is harmful, while 44 percent think using marijuana is bad if you do it regularly.

Of course, the government isn’t too stoked about the news. They expect increases in marijuana use now that there’s not as much of a legal stigma against smoking weed. The reason they’re up in arms about it? Studies have shown that smoking marijuana in your teens may actually result in alower I.Q. as an adult and leads to an increased chance of becoming psychologically addicted to it. (That may be part of the reason that legal marijuana is only available to those 21 and over in Washington and Colorado.)

Smoking marijuana is up in teens, but it may not be all bad news for the government: Though smoking weed has gone up pretty much across the board, fewer young adults are using other illegal drugs. That sort of kills the “gateway drug” argument against marijuana, right?

In any case, marijuana is still illegal under federal law, even though President Obama said those who use marijuana legally under Colorado and Washington’s state laws wouldn’t really be hounded it for it.

But that still means that if you live there and smoke weed if you’re not 21 yet, you’re probably still subject to trouble–so if you’re going to do it, be careful, be smart, know your rights, and know what you’re up against. Smoking weed illegally can get you in serious trouble if you’re caught. We’re not telling you what to do–you’re smart enough to make your own decisions. We just want to make sure you’re as informed as possible when you make them and that they’re the best possible for you. Because if you can’t tell, we sort of dig you here.

Do you think marijuana should be legalized? Do you think smoking weed is a big deal? Have you ever taken risks in order to smoke weed? Do you think marijuana is addictive? Do you think waiting til age 21 to smoke weed is a good rule? Tell us in the comments!

We bet these celebs are happy that smoking weed is legal in Colorado and Washington!

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

She may not be smiling once she realizes smoking weed may lower her IQ later on. | Source

Just a disclaimer before you read any further: We’re not here to steer towards or away from smoking weed. What you do with your life is totes your business. We just want you to know all of the risks–not just the legal ones–involved with smoking weed before you start, because you’re smart and deserve to make informed decisions.

That said, a new study suggests that smoking marijuana in your teens may be linked to a lower I.Q. later on.

The study points out, too, that there isn’t a definitive link between smoking weed when you’re over 18 and having the same effects, so it may reinforce previous studies that suggested marijuana use is most detrimental to the developing brain, not the developed brain.

Researchers from New Zealand tested IQs of 1,000 13-year-old volunteers to start (since at that time they likely weren’t smoking weed much, if at all). The researchers then tested the IQs of the same volunteers numerous times and took surveys about their marijuana use until age 38. Out of the 1,000 participants, 52 of them reported becoming “dependent” on marijuana–that is, smoking weed despite the health, social or legal risks associated with it, while 92 of them reported becoming dependent on marijuana at a later age. A decline in IQ only showed in those subjects who used marijuana before turning 18. It’s worth noting, however, that in those subjects who used marijuana, there was never any measure reported of how much or how potent the marijuana was, it was simply of how often they used it.

Those who reported being dependent on marijuana before turning 18 showed an average drop in IQ of eight points, which means, statistically, that they’d rank higher than only 29 percent of the population rather than 50 percent had the drop not occurred. What’s more, quitting smoking weed didn’t seem to affect the results at all.

One expert in the study urged teens to avoid smoking marijuana until they turned 18, just to avoid the mental health issues it may pose later on, while another advised that avoiding it altogether may be the best idea in the long run. They all agree, however, that much more research should go into the dangers of smoking weed as teens and its effects on the brain.

Listen–we know that some of you are going to smoke marijuana no matter what anyone says. And that’s fine. Just know the risks you’re taking before you take a hit, that way you can be sure it’s something you really want to do.

Do you think marijuana can lower your IQ or that more research needs to be done? Will a chance of a lower IQ deter you from smoking weed? Do you think marijuana should be legalized? Would you wait until you turn 18 to start smoking weed now that this study came out? Tell us in the comments!

Do You Think Pot Should Be Legalized?

Catch Us On The Tweet Side!

No thanks. | Source: Shutterstock

I’ve never smoked anything. I don’t smoke in part because I have really sensitive eyes (which I didn’t know until recently–we’ll get to that in a minute) and mild sports-related asthma that I’d rather not worsen, but mostly for other reasons. Getting super wasted on ANYTHING seems pointless. It’s expensive (I’d rather spend my money on dessert and shoes) and I really hate the smell of both cigarettes and weed. I also pretty much don’t sleep around, like, at all. Keep in mind, what other people do is their business and doesn’t bother me–until it affects me directly.

What’s unfortunate is that a lot of people who don’t know me that well assume, for whatever reason, that I’m down for whatever at any and all times. Maybe it’s the people I hang out with–some can be considered somewhat shady characters, though I think they’re good people. Maybe it’s my voice, which trails off into what some may consider a stereotypical stoner cadence, or my boobs, which some people interpret as making me easy (because that makes sense). What these people don’t realize is that I accept people as they are, I’ve always kind of sounded like Fran Drescher on Xanax, and I have to be really smitten with someone just to make out with him.

That said, the fact that I’m essentially a nun compared to a lot of people I know, still takes some people by surprise. Case in point: Mike (name has been changed to protect the douchey).

I met Mike through a mutual pal and thought he was super cute–he was really tall, with a gloriously handsome face and awesome thick, wavy hair. He was also hilarious and whip smart. Pretty much, if you took away the “tall,” it seemed like I met the male version of myself. Ahem. Anyway, I was crushing pretty hard, and we got to know each other better at a party one night when we spent the entire thing together just talking and laughing for hours. By then I was crushing even harder–and he finally asked me out. Schwing!

Fast forward to our, uh, date. The show we were going to wound up getting cancelled, so we decided to grab takeout and watch a movie at his apartment. (Dumb move, I know, but the promise of a specific horror flick and wonton soup made it seem a little more legitimate.) This would have been cool, except for a few things.

We stopped at a bar on the way to his place for him to meet up with a pal to pick something up. I’d been picturing a laptop or something, but no. Mike stopped to buy weed. I figured, whatever, it’s his life–not my business. We moved along and got back to his place, which was tiny–and it was rainy and chilly, so the windows were closed. Fine.

We hung out for a bit, and despite my warning him not to get more than his hopes up because I’m pretty prude, Mike tried getting handsy. When I moved away from him, he got frustrated. Really not cute.

Mike proceeded to scowl and smoke up, which, again, is his business–and we were on his property, so I wasn’t about to tell him not to. Not my place, right?

This made me sick–and mad. | Source: Shutterstock

Maybe, but I should have spoken up regardless. The scent of weed has never been my favorite to begin with and has always gotten me a little nauseous for some reason, but this was way worse than any other secondhand smoke I’d ever been subjected to. This was an enclosed, tiny space–and he was smoking skunk weed, which smells exactly how it sounds. Why would anyone want that?! What’s more, my eyes got really itchy, which was bad news bears. My contact lenses were starting to get dry from all the smoke, and I still had to drive home.

It became increasingly clear that Mike was kind of a scumbag–not because of his smoking, but because of his inability to tolerate the word “no” and his total lack of empathy for my reaction to his weed smoke. So I left and headed home, still gagging from the smell. My eyes began burning, so I put in a few rewetting drops and hoped for the best. I went to bed feeling a little gross, but figured it’d pass.

Wrong. When I woke up the next day, I couldn’t open my eyes all the way, and they burned so badly that I felt like someone poured industrial strength shampoo into my poor peepers. I had to call out of work because, well, how was I going to get there if I was pretty much blind? I then had to call my BFF to drive me to my eye doctor, who had to give me prescription drops–apparently all the smoke had aggravated my contacts so much that they actually scratched my eyes up miserably.

So, yeah. Sue me for not being “down to party” or whatever. I’d really rather just grab a pint of ice cream, hang out with cute dogs or go to the movies with friends. At least doing those things won’t land me in the doctor’s office. Oof.

What do you think about partying? Do you have friends who party more than you think they should? Tell me in the comments!

This Girl Never Got High In High School

Catch Us On The Tweet Side!

Is this what YOU did last weekend? | Source: Shutterstock

A new report says that a whole lot of teens get high on marijuana pretty often–it’s up a whopping 80 percent! That’s a pretty alarming statistic, considering that marijuana is illegal, so being caught with it is really dangerous to your future, especially if you live in places with a zero tolerance policy.

That said, we don’t condone anything illegal (hello, juvenile hall kind of majorly sucks!)–but we’re also no dummies and know that roughly one in ten of you are getting high anyway–despite all the warnings from your teachers, parents, and whomever else BLAHBLAHBLAHs at you about it. So, if you’re going to get high on marijuana, here are some things to keep in mind.

Most importantly, be safe. We know you’re too smart to ever drink and drive (right?!), so don’t smoke and drive, either. Marijuana can affect your alertness, reaction time, and concentration, which makes driving super dangerous. If you get high and drive, it can also screw up your perception of space and distance–making you more likely to rear end the car in front of you (or a lot worse).

Use common sense. Don’t get high before an exam, because marijuana can mess up not just your concentration, but also your short term memory, making all those facts you stayed up all night to drill into your head moot. And really, how pissed would you be to spend eight hours studying chemical formulas or Ulysses S. Grant just to fail?

If you’re planning to apply for a job anytime soon, we don’t recommend you get high at all. A lot of employers require a drug test before they’ll hire you, and marijuana use is detectable in hair follicle tests for about three months, sometimes even more than that.

Don't get high around people who are going to make it public. Based on this serious side eye, we bet Miley learned her lesson! | Source: Shutterstock

Speaking of applying for a job–or college!–be smart about who’s around when you get high. Remember how Miley Cyrus was humiliated when a friend sold her out to the tabs for smoking salvia (which is legal) and then later calling herself a stoner on video? Imagine how you’d feel if your pals tagged you toking up on Facebook or Instagram-ed you inhaling marijuana. Even if your info is set to private, you can’t control what your friends post and who sees those. A “no camera/no camera phone” policy would be pretty wise to put in place if you plan to get high.

Lastly, don’t assume that just because marijuana is relatively common that you won’t get arrested if you choose to get high. Again: Like it or not, marijuana is still illegal, and the troubles that come with it are a clear risk whenever you buy it, use it, or have it on you. So if you want to try marijuana, be sure to think twice–preferably three or four times–before you get high.

Do you ever get high on marijuana? Do you know anybody who does get high? Do you think marijuana should be legal? Tell us in the comments!

Want To Know About Smoking Weed? Here You Go!