hAPPY 4-20 dAY! The very UN-official American Holiday... let's blaze!

 

A twenty-year study examining marijuana’s effect on lungs suggests it’s healthier than tobacco!

Moderate marijuana users actually improved their lung function compared to non-smokers and cigarette smokers in the long term study

Breathe easy, tokers! Smoking marijuana in moderate amounts may not be so bad for your lungs, after all.

A new study, published in this month's Journal of the American Medical Association, tested the lung function of over 5,000 young adults between 18 and 30 to determine marijuana's effect on lungs. After 20 years of testing, researchers found some buzzworthy results: regular marijuana smokers (defined by up to a joint a day for seven years) had no discernible impairment in lung activity from non-smokers. 

In fact, researchers were surprised to find marijuana smokers performed slightly better than both smokers and non-smokers on the lung performance test. Why? The most likely explanation seems to be that the act of inhaling marijuana—holding each puff in for as long as possible—is a lot like a pulmonary function test, giving marijuana smokers an edge over their cigarette smoking counterparts.

SOURCE:
http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/01/11/marijuana-not-bad-your-lungs?cmpid=tp-internal-taboola

British study shows E-mails "hurt IQ more than pot" - CNN

Workers distracted by phone calls, e-mails and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, a British study shows.

The constant interruptions reduce productivity and leave people feeling tired and lethargic, according to a survey carried out by TNS Research and commissioned by Hewlett Packard.

The survey of 1,100 Britons showed:

1. Almost 2 out of 3 people (67%) check their electronic messages outside of office hours and when on holiday
2. 1/2 of all workers respond to an e-mail within 60 minutes of receiving one
3. 1 in 5 will break off from a business or social engagement to respond to a message
4. 9 out of 10 people thought colleagues who answered messages during face-to-face meetings were rude, while 3 out of 10 believed it was not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and efficiency 

But the mental impact of trying to balance a steady inflow of messages with getting on with normal work took its toll, the UK's Press Association reported. In 80 clinical trials, Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King's College London University, monitored the IQ of workers throughout the day. He found the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by 10 points -- the equivalent to missing a whole night's sleep and more than double the 4-point fall seen after smoking marijuana.

"This is a very real and widespread phenomenon," Wilson said. "We have found that this obsession with looking at messages, if unchecked, will damage a worker's performance by reducing their mental sharpness. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working."

Wilson said the IQ drop was even more significant in the men who took part in the tests.

"The research suggests that we are in danger of being caught up in a 24-hour 'always on' society," said David Smith of Hewlett Packard. "This is more worrying when you consider the potential impairment on performance and concentration for workers, and the consequent impact on businesses."