The marijuana question: If (and when) it’s legalized, should you use?

This little plant is causing quite a stir in state legislatures across the country. (Wikipedia Commons photo)

One of the more interesting and fast-moving developments over the past few years has been the changing stance many people – and some states – have toward marijuana.

Twenty states and the District of Columbia have chosen to legalize medical marijuana. Two states – Washington and Colorado – have made recreational marijuana legal. The pros and cons of legalizing the drug are being hotly debated in many other states.

What I want to do here is explore this issue from a practical standpoint. I don’t want to get into the politics of the war on drugs, nor do I feel qualified to say much about the medical benefits of marijuana use.

But there is information out there about the health impacts of marijuana.

Respiratory issues: The most common way marijuana is used is by smoking. Smoking pot has been shown to increase respiratory problems. To quote an abstract from one National Institutes of Health document, “Habitual smoking of marijuana has been shown to be associated with chronic respiratory tract symptoms, an increased frequency of acute bronchitic episodes, extensive tracheobronchial epithelial disease, and abnormalities in the structure and function of alveolar macrophages, key cells in the lungs’ immune defense system.”

Potential cancer risks: Though comprehensive studies on the link between pot smoking and cancer is lacking, the chemical makeup of marijuana looks startlingly similar to what is found in cigarettes. In fact, some chemical characteristics look even worse. Quoting an information sheet from the University of Washington, “Marijuana smoke contains about 50% more benzopyrene and nearly 75% more benzanthracene, both known carcinogens, than a comparable quantity of unfiltered tobacco smoke.”

That same site also notes that smoking pot through a bong does not lessen the risk of inhaling carcinogens, and vaporizers may actually increase the intake of ammonia, another toxin.

It should be noted that the body of work looking at cancer risks of marijuana smoking is pretty thin, and because a lot of pot users are also tobacco users, any conclusions thus far are muddied.

(It should be noted that data on the consumption of edible pot is lacking, but clearly eating pot is not going to affect your lungs directly.)

But the real point is this: If you’re serious about your health, you’ll steer clear of this stuff, even if your state legalizes it. If it’s used in some form of your medical treatment and it’s working, that’s one thing. But for most people, it’s a recreational drug. If you’re a recreational user, you’ll have to ask yourself if using it is worth the potential risks.

If you’re an athlete, or you are interested in pursuing athletic endeavors, this should be a no-brainer. Smoking anything compromises your respiratory system, and the importance of heart/lung strength and efficiency is of the highest rank when you’re competing in a sport or even just trying to get in shape. When athletes smoke pot – or even endorse it – I find myself stunned. Surely there are other ways to mitigate pain, relax and have fun without having to compromise your cardiovascular health.

I believe that the nationwide legalization of marijuana is coming, but debating that future is something for another time, and definitely in a different space than this one. Just keep in mind that just because something is legal, or considered socially acceptable/fun/cool or whatever doesn’t mean that it’s right for you. It’s a choice you’re free to make. But even if legal problems cease to become a concern, just remember that there are consequences to putting toxic substances in your body.

Instead, I’d suggest breathing deep, feel the power of a set of healthy lungs and do what you can to preserve that.

Bob Doucette

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Remembering Mike

My brother Mike literally and figuratively drinking it in on the Narrows on Longs Peak.

Let me start off by saying that this was not easy to write.

Today is my brother Mike’s birthday. Chances are, very few of you ever got to know him. But I can tell you that if you had, you’d been blessed beyond measure.

The best way I can tell you about Mike is showing you some snapshots of this awesome dude.

For starters, his awesomeness was apparent at an early age. He knew that it was better to be Batman than to not be Batman.

Mike as Batman. That’s pretty rad.

Growing up, Mike played football, ran track and excelled at just about any sport he tried. But like a lot of us, those 30s showed up, as did the adulthood paunch and accompanying health issues. Mike didn’t lie down and give in to middle age, though. He started Body For Life, trimmed off 40 pounds of bad weight, cut his cholesterol by 100 points and became a ripped muscle machine.

This fueled him to become a competitive bodybuilder in the all-natural circuit while also coaching men and women in the sport. Mike and those he coached all walked on stage looking great, and walked off the stage with hardware.

Here he is in all his shredded glory.

Mike was no couch potato.

I credit Mike with reinvigorating my love for the outdoors. A Colorado resident for most of his life, he took to the high country like a mountain goat. Mike tagged more than two dozen 14,000-foot summits – a number that approaches 40 when you include repeats.

That was one of the coolest things about his love for the outdoors – he liked to take people to his favorite places, share his knowledge with them and, ultimately, share in their accomplishments. Thus he didn’t mind revisiting peaks he’d climbed many times before.

Mike on the summit of Mount Shavano. He was with me on my first three 14er climbs, including this one.

I know a lot of men out there will take exception with this, but I’d be hard-pressed to find a better family man than Mike. He set a high standard in terms of being a great husband, father, brother and son. He filled those roles extremely well while also being a friend to all he loved.

Mike with son Jordan, daughter Katie and wife Lisa. This was a few years back.

One of the truest tests of a man (or woman) is how they respond to crisis. Look back in your own life and you will see examples of success and failure in this regard – this is definitely true with me.

It was also true with Mike. Again, he set the bar almost impossibly high.

In the summer of 2010, he wasn’t feeling quite right. He was getting frequent colds and feeling a lack of energy. A health scare in a relative prompted him to go to the doctor himself. The findings: Mike had myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood disorder/cancer that is similar to leukemia.

Mike in the hospital, early in his treatment for MDS. Even while sick, he remained disciplined in terms of trying to keep his body strong for the fight to come. My dad is sitting in the corner to the right.

True to his nature, Mike fought with everything he had. As his health declined, he remained ever the encourager to those who visited him and cared for him. During his healthier days, Mike was known to be a great confidant and friend to people who needed it. He made a point to talk to anyone, and assigned them value as people – folks created in the image of God. It didn’t matter if it was his own family, a barista at a coffee shop or a homeless guy he saw on the way to work. He saw people as God saw them.

That’s easier to do when you’re feeling good. Mike continued that when he was ill. Even in his last days, Mike sought to bless and encourage others. “Love God and love others” was the advice he gave two friends who visited him just two days before he died.

Mike would have been 49 today. It’s been almost two years since he passed, and in that time we have grieved him deeply. He is now spending his time with the God he loved and served while on this earth, healed and whole, eyes filled with wonder by what has been revealed to him on the other side of the veil of life.

We must realize that the life we’re given is finite. The body we’re given is the only one we’ll get while we walk this earth. Life is a gift that some of us enjoy for many, many years. Others only get a few. Mike lived in a way that acknowledged these truths.

I hope I can do what Mike did and make it count, not just in terms of merely being active, but in having an impact that makes the world around me a better place. My bro set one heck of a standard – a lofty and worthy goal to shoot for.

Happy birthday, Mike. We miss you.

Bob Doucette

On Twitter @RMHigh7088