THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA
The immediate effects of using marijuana include rapid heartbeat, disorientation and lack of physical coordination. Users may also experience feelings of anxiety, paranoia, distrust or panic. But the problem does not end there. According to scientific studies, the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, can be detected in the body for weeks or even months.1
Heavy use can lead to many health problems. Marijuana contains 50 percent more cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke and impairs the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity up to five times more than cigarettes.
In terms of adverse effects on the lungs, one cannabis joint is equivalent to between 2.5 and 5 cigarettes.
ADDICTION?
Contrary to earlier beliefs, marijuana has been found to be an addictive drug. Around 30 percent of marijuana users suffer from marijuana addiction. Youth who begin using marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop an addiction to marijuana.
One study showed that those who start using cannabis before age 18 are more likely to become habitual users. Early, persistent and frequent marijuana use during adolescence is associated with a decrease in IQ points, lower educational attainment, limited occupational success and lower income later in life.2
LOSS OF POTENTIAL
Marijuana use has also been found to cause increased aggressiveness, paranoia and personality changes. The higher the potency of cannabis, the more likely it is to cause violent behavior.3
Use among men may double the risk of partner miscarriage—regardless of the woman’s use.4 Marijuana use can change the structure of sperm cells, deforming them. Even small amounts of marijuana can cause temporary sterility in men.5 Marijuana can also disrupt a woman’s menstrual cycle.6
Children whose mothers used marijuana during pregnancy are 65 percent more likely to be diagnosed with autism. Prenatal marijuana exposure may also increase the risk of the child developing intellectual and learning disabilities.7
REFERENCES
- Pot Not So Harmless for Teens, April 30, 2019, Duke Research Blog
- Associations between Marijuana Use Trajectories and Educational and Occupational Success in Young Adulthood, April 28, 2018, Springer Nature
- Marijuana Violence and Law, 2017, Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy
- Male Marijuana Use Might Double Partner’s Miscarriage Risk, October 16, 2019, The Brink, Boston University
- How Does Marijuana Affect Male Fertility? May 29, 2020, Urology Associates
- Menstrual Cycle in Women Who Co-use Marijuana and Tobacco, May–June 2018, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine
- Maternal Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Child Neurodevelopmental Outcomes, August 10, 2020, Nature Medicine
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