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Marijuana

What are the other health effects of marijuana?

 

Marijuana use may have a wide range of effects, both physical and mental.

Physical effects:

 

Breathing problems: 

Marijuana smoke irritates the lungs, and frequent marijuana smokers can have the same breathing problems that tobacco smokers have. These problems include daily cough and phlegm, more frequent lung illness, and a higher risk of lung infections. Researchers still do not know whether marijuana smokers have a higher risk for lung cancer.

 

Increased heart rate:

Marijuana raises heart rate for up to 3 hours after smoking. This effect may increase the chance of heart attack. Older people and those with heart problems may be at higher risk

 

Problems with child development:

During and after pregnancy marijuana use during pregnancy is linked to increased risk of both brain and behavioral problems in babies. If a pregnant woman uses marijuana, the drug may affect certain developing parts of the fetus’s brain. Resulting challenges for the child may include problems with attention, memory, and problem-solving. Additionally, some research suggests that moderate amounts of THC are excreted into the breast milk of nursing mothers. The effects on a baby’s developing brain are still unknown.

 

Temporary hallucinations

Sensations and images that seem real though they are not.

Temporary paranoia

Extreme and unreasonable distrust of others

worsening symptoms in patients with schizophrenia (a severe mental disorder with symptoms such as hallucinations, paranoia, and disorganized thinking)

Marijuana use has also been linked to other mental health problems, such as: depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among teens

What is Marinol?

 

Marinol is used as an appetite stimulant to treat weight loss in patients with AIDS. Marinol is also used to treat nausea and vomiting that follow chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to other antinausea treatments.

A Rise in Marijuana’s THC Levels

 

The amount of THC in marijuana has been increasing steadily over the past few decades (Mehmedic, 2010). For a new user, this may mean exposure to higher THC levels with a greater chance of a harmful reaction. Higher THC levels may explain the rise in emergency room visits involving marijuana use.

The popularity of edibles also increases the chance of users having harmful reactions. Edibles take longer to digest and produce a high. Therefore, people may consume more to feel the effects faster, leading to dangerous results.

Dabbing is yet another growing trend. More people are using marijuana extracts that provide stronger doses, and therefore stronger effects, of THC (see "Marijuana Extracts").

Higher THC levels may mean a greater risk for addiction if users are regularly exposing themselves to high doses.

What is marijuana

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant,Cannabis sativa. The plant contains the mind-altering chemicaldelta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. Extracts with high amounts of THC can also be made from the cannabis plant (see "Marijuana Extracts").

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States (SAMHSA, 2014). Its use is widespread among young people. According to a yearly survey of middle and high school students, rates of marijuana use have steadied in the past few years after several years of increase. However, the number of young people who believe marijuana use is risky is decreasing (Johnston, 2014).

Legalization of marijuana for medical use or adult recreational use in a growing number of states may affect these views. Read more about marijuana as medicine in DrugFacts: Is Marijuana Medicine? atwww.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine.

Marijuana Extracts

Smoking THC-rich resins extracted from the marijuana plant is on the rise. Users call this practice dabbing. People are using various forms of these extracts, such as:

 

hash oil & honey oil- a gooey liquid

wax or budder- a soft solid with a texture like lip balm

shatter- a hard, amber-colored solid

 

These extracts can deliver extremely large amounts of THC to users, and their use has sent some people to the emergency room. Another danger is in preparing these extracts, which usually involves butane (lighter fluid). A number of people who have used butane to make extracts at home have caused fires and explosions and have been seriously burned.

Is marijuana addictive?

 

Contrary to common belief, marijuana can be addictive. Research suggests that about 1 in 11 users becomes addicted to marijuana (Anthony, 1994; Lopez-Quintero 2011).This number increases among those who start as teens (to about 17 percent, or 1 in 6) (Anthony, 2006) and among people who use marijuana daily (to 25-50 percent) (Hall & Pacula, 2003).

Marijuana's

Mental effects

 

  • Long-term marijuana use has been linked to mental illness in some users, such as:


  • temporary hallucinations—sensations and images that seem real though they are not

  • temporary paranoia—extreme and unreasonable distrust of others

  • Marijuana use has also been linked to other mental health problems, such as:

  • depression

  • anxiety

  • suicidal thoughts among teens

  •  

    worsening symptoms in patients with schizophrenia (a severe mental disorder with symptoms such as hallucinations, paranoia, and disorganized thinking.

What should I know about Marinol?

 

Marinol should be used with caution in the elderly and those with high blood pressure or heart disease. Marinol should also be used with caution in patients with psychiatric disorders (including bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia); disease symptoms may return with the use of this drug.

You may experience changes in mood or have other effects when first taking Marinol. Be sure that there is a responsible person nearby when you first take Marinol or when there is an adjustment in your dose.

Taking Marinol for long periods of time may cause dependence or addiction. If you stop taking Marinol suddenly, you may experience withdrawal symptoms, which include irritability, trouble sleeping, restlessness, "hot flashes," sweating, runny nose, loose stools, hiccups, and loss of appetite.

  •  

How does marijuana affect the brain?

 

Marijuana has both short- and long-term effects on the brain.

 

Short-term effects:

When a person smokes marijuana, THC quickly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. The body absorbs THC more slowly when the person eats or drinks it. In that case, the user generally feels the effects after 30 minutes to 1 hour.

THC acts on specific brain cell receptors that ordinarily react to natural THC-like chemicals in the brain. These natural chemicals play a role in normal brain development and function.

 

Marijuana overactivates parts of the brain that contain the highest number of these receptors. This causes the "high" that users feel. Other effects include:

 

  • altered senses (for example, seeing brighter colors)

  • altered sense of time

  • changes in mood

  • impaired body movement

  • difficulty with thinking and problem-solving

  • impaired memory

 

Long-term effects:

Marijuana also affects brain development. When marijuana users begin using as teenagers, the drug may reduce thinking, memory, and learning functions and affect how the brain builds connections between the areas necessary for these functions.

Marijuana’s effects on these abilities may last a long time or even be permanent.

For example, a study showed that people who started smoking marijuana heavily in their teens and had an ongoing cannabis use disorder lost an average of eight IQ points between ages 13 and 38. The lost mental abilities did not fully return in those who quit marijuana as adults. Those who started smoking marijuana as adults did not show notable IQ declines (Meier, 2012).

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