Marijuana: The Proven Drawbacks on Your Body
by www.SixWise.com
As the most commonly used illegal
drug in the United States, the health effects of marijuana
are easily a public health concern. Over 40 percent of Americans
over the age of 12 (or nearly 98 million people) have tried
marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, according to the
National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
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Other names for marijuana include Pot, Reefer, Grass,
Weed, Dope, Ganja, Mary Jane, or Sinsemilla.
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Yet, surveys have found that the majority of kids (79 percent)
mistakenly believe that marijuana is safe.
In reality, marijuana has been linked to numerous short-
and long-term health impacts, and studies show that smoking
"pot" may actually be much worse for your health
than smoking cigarettes.
Six Ways Marijuana Seriously Harms Your Health
The active ingredient in marijuana, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol),
is responsible for the "high" that marijuana users
covet. It's also responsible for a myriad of short-term health
consequences, according to the Office of National Drug Control
Policy (ONDCP), including:
Over time, marijuana leads to even more health risks.
-
Increased risk of heart attack. Your risk of
having a heart attack more than quadruples in the first
hour after smoking marijuana, according to a study published
in Circulation.
-
Increased risk of lung cancer. Marijuana smoke
contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons
than tobacco smoke. Meanwhile, it causes increased levels
of an enzyme that converts hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic
form, which may accelerate changes that cause cancer.
And, because marijuana users typically inhale smoke more
deeply than cigarette smokers, they may be exposed to
more carcinogenic smoke.
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Nearly 50 percent of 12th graders have smoked marijuana,
according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse's
2005 Monitoring the Future Study.
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A study by the British Lung Foundation even found that
smoking three marijuana joints a day causes similar damage
to smoking 20 cigarettes.
-
Impaired immune system. THC impairs your immune
system's ability to fight disease, according to the National
Institute on Drug Abuse. The substance inhibits the disease-preventing
reactions of key immune cells, and studies have found
that mice exposed to THC were more likely to develop bacterial
infections and tumors.
-
Mental illness. A 2007 study in The Lancet found
that even infrequent marijuana use increases your risk
of becoming psychotic. Smoking marijuana is also linked
to depression, anxiety and personality disturbances.
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Respiratory problems. Like tobacco smokers, regular
marijuana smokers report increased respiratory problems
including cough, phlegm production, chest illness, obstructed
airways, and lung infections.
-
Physical dependence. Contrary to popular thought,
marijuana is classified as an addictive drug, and can
even cause cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Are There Any Benefits?
Whether or not marijuana should be allowed for medical use
has spurred great controversy, largely because it does, in
fact, offer some benefits (along with the risks noted above).
THC and other chemicals in marijuana impact receptors in
your brain and other areas of your body that control things
such as body movement, memory, vomiting, and your immune system.
According to the Mayo Clinic, marijuana may therefore help
to treat:
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Nausea
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Glaucoma
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Pain
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Multiple sclerosis
In fact, marijuana has been used for various medical purposes
for thousands of years, and was even listed by the U.S. Pharmacopeia,
the organization that sets standards for approved drugs in
the United States, until the 1940s. Today, however, marijuana
remains an illicit drug and is classified federally as a Schedule
1 drug, which means it is one of "the most dangerous
drugs that have no recognized medical use."
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Sources
National
Institute on Drug Abuse
Office
of National Drug Control Policy
BBC
News November 11, 2002
MayoClinic.com