Marijuana

It turns out that although smoking a doobie on your front porch may be illegal, it might not be as bad for your lungs as previously thought. A recent study on marijuana users — and the largest study on this population every conducted — found that even though pot smokers tend to inhale deeply and hold the smoke in for as long as they can handle before coughing uncontrollably exhaling, periodically smoking pot doesn't negatively affect lung function.

The study followed 5,100 men and women over two decades, and whether smoking one joint a day for seven years or once a week for 20 years, lung capacity didn't deteriorate. In fact, some who smoked regularly had slightly improved lung function.

This is by no means a green light to light up the green. Aside from being illegal in most places, those who blaze up suffer from mental health problems twice as much as nonusers. There's also the risk of lung cancer, plus cannabis-induced mental fogginess and impaired coordination could lead to accidents, job loss, and other social implications. Chronic bronchitis and other respiratory problems are also a major risk for marijuana smokers, as well as issues in the bedroom — men that smoked pot daily were four times more likely to have trouble reaching orgasm. Toking also increases your heart rate, which can up your risk of a heart attack.

Like alcohol, smoking pot is considered a rite of passage for many young adults. Although its addiction rate isn't as high as that of nicotine or heroine, many get hooked on the instant feeling of calm that goes along with lighting up, and aren't worried about the possible health risks. Hopefully, this study doesn't give people more reason to toke up.

Source: Flickr User cagrimmett

Another day, another marijuana-themed perfume. The latest in technically legal fragrances is Rich Hippie Marijuana ($35), which purports to be "sweet, seductive and addictive floral with crushed Madagascan ylang ylang petals, Italian petitgrain and rose geranium petals." Sounds more floral than vegetal, but it's in good company. Fresh also has a pot-leaf scent, Cannabis Santal ($75), which bills itself as "a forbidden blend of patchouli, cannabis and rose." (Read our review of sister scent Cannabis Rose.)

Even on the high end, there's luxury cult brand Nasomatto with Black Afgano ($185), named for a particularly strong strain of the stuff. And of course, Demeter Fragrance Library has a Cannabis Flower scent ($20), which is "slightly floral, slightly spicy, but unmistakably cannabis." Many of these scents sound nice, but also as though they might get you in trouble at home, work — heck, anywhere except around a bunch of stoners. But if you love them enough, the buzz from wearing these just might be worth it.

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

My boyfriend has just finished college and is starting his job next week, so therefore he's only had 2 weeks of summer holidays. This final week he's been going crazy. I am aware that he spends a lot of time with his friends as they're really close, but they also smoke weed.

I didn't know when we first started dating, but I got used to it as he's not smoking it everyday, or goes a bit loopy if he hasn't smoked any for a while (they just do it for fun, instead of drinking). And from when I found out about this I said to myself that if he ever put weed before me that'd be it, we'd be over. But this week he's been going out every night (because of having starting work soon); normally he'd always answer my texts and we'd have a good, long chat everyday, but he's sending one or two texts and not saying where he's going or what he's doing. Not even a "I love you" . . . even though I know he's going out with his friends and smoking weed! I really don't know what to do. I know that he has to spend time with his friends, but what about me?! Have your friends and weed become more important than your own girlfriend? Hmm, please help me out here!

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

First there were sit-down marijuana restaurants, and now there's this: Canna Cola, a line of soft drinks laced with medical marijuana.

Commercial artist and Canna Cola entrepreneur Clay Butler has created a cola drink that contains the psychoactive marijuana ingredient THC; $10 to $15 will get drinkers a 12-ounce bottle. In addition, he's producing Doc Weed, a spin on Dr Pepper; Sour Diesel, a lemon-lime flavor; and Orange Kush, his version of the citrus drink.

I'm interested in seeing how well Canna Cola takes off. Do you think these drinks will reach an all-time high?

Source

• Oprah thinks the American public is too smart to elect Sarah Palin — Huffington Post
• Pat Robertson wants to decriminalize marijuana — Gawker
• Artist takes on Osama bin Laden — New York Times
• WikiLeaks reveals Anna Nicole Smith almost unseated the Bahamas' government — Nerve
• The real Don Draper? Wife pleads with her husband to reveal his true identity after 22 years — Daily Mail
• Pregnant vets may be at a higher risk for mental health problems — LA Times
• The best movie kisses of the year — BuzzSugar

• The Dutch move closer to banning tourists from marijuana bars — WSJ
• New report says schools are hiring sex offenders — Jezebel
• Carine Roitfeld steps down from French Vogue — New York Times
• More details about the royal wedding — Huffington Post
• Bone marrow registry uses sexy models to get DNA swabs — Nerve
• Julian Assange says sex charges are tabloid crap — ABC
• Is How Do You Know an irresistible rom com? — BuzzSugar

Most of the people I know who smoke pot say that blazing up helps them mellow out and unwind from stress. Now, a new study is reporting that cannabis users suffer from mental health problems twice as much as non-users.

Statistics Netherlands, the author of the study, surveyed almost 18,500 people over a two-year period — from  2007 to 2009. Of that group, 20 percent of male cannabis users said they were suffering from mental problems, while only 10 percent of nonusers reported any. From the women's side, 28 percent of cannabis users suffered from mental health problems, while only 14 percent of nonusers did. Those who reported mental health problems cited anxiety, melancholy, sadness, and impatience.

While this latest study is interesting, it's a survey that barely skims the surface. Is marijuana the cause, or do people with a tendency toward mental health problems seek it out? And, ultimately, do these numbers mean anything — Many poeple feel that marijuana use alleviates many of the mental health issues the users cite. What do you think?

"If somebody's gonna to smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody any harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at to engage in and try to clean up some of the other problems we have in society."

— Sarah Palin says that she'd rather have police focus on more dangerous types of crime than go after pot users. But don't get too excited. Although Palin admits she smoked marijuana when it was legal in Alaska, she doesn't favor full legalization because that would send the wrong message to kids.