Is getting high healthy?

As the country tries to find a way to regulate, tax, legalize, or punish people for buying, growing, and using marijuana - it's high time we find out the long term effects. 

Several studies have taken place on marijuana's effects on the brain and mental illness. There is also research on testosterone levels and the impact on lungs. What does smoking do to the human body immediately and over time? Some say it helped them endure pain from chronic illness and chemotherapy, while others say it caused a slower metabolism or memory loss. There is also a huge number of people who use it to lessen their seizures, including children. Some parents have made the decision to give a minor pot to ease their childs pain.

I would like to profile a family who gives their child medicinal marijuana and it would be great to speak to a variety of people who are prescribed pot to find out how it has helped or hurt them. I have already made many contacts with law enforcement officers, city leaders, and health experts. We have also covered stories on medicinal marijuana users and dispensary owners so they will be great for first-hand insight. 

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death but that information wasn't discussed until years after masses of Americans were already addicted. Instead of waiting decades to see how the overall population is impacted by marijuana, we should really get ahead of this by revealing all the studies and doing our own series on people's experiences with pot. The big question would be - should California follow Colorado, Washington, Washington D.C., Alaska and Oregon in passing the legalization of pot for recreational use? 

What does smoking marijuana do versus eating it? How do the the levels of THC change marijuana's impact? And what's the difference between the effects of cannabis, hashish, and hash oil on the human body? 

Pot fields cover many parts of Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity Counties - this region called "The Emerald Triangle" is considered the largest pot-growing area in the world. TV news cameras will really capture the culture that exists and how people's health has been impacted in an area known for its long-time marijuana usage.  

As California looks into legalizing marijuana, San Diegans should be aware of the reasons some people are prescribed it and what the risks are.  We have a few dispensaries open here and a few more that are trying to open. Some cities in our County have allowed for limited permits while others are fighting against it. 

A good source of information:

http://learnaboutmarijuanawa.org/

Or I may discover THIS in my research:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/health/gupta-changed-mind-marijuana/