Health effects of marijuana use
Just think twice
- Short-term effects of marijuana include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and loss of coordination.
- Long-term chronic marijuana use is associated with Amotivitional Syndrome, characterized by: apathy, impairment of judgement, memory and concentration and loss of motivation, ambition and interest in the pursuit of personal goals.
- Researchers have found a correlation between marijuana and an increased risk of deppression; an increased risk and earlier onset of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, especially for teens that have a genetic predisposition
- Like tobacco smokers, marijuana smokers experience serious health problems such as bronchitis, emphysema, and bronchial asthma.
- Extended use may cause suppression of the immune system
- Marijuana contains toxins and carcinogens, as a result users increase their risk of cancer of the head, neck, lungs, and respiratory track.
- Withdrawal from chronic use of marijuana can cause physical signs including, shakiness, sweating, stomach pains and nausea, as well as behavioral signs including restlessness, irritability, sleep difficulties and decreased appetite
american lung association
- Marijuana smoke contains a greater amount of carcinogens than tobacco smoke.
- Marijuana smokers inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, further increasing the lungs exposure to carcinogenic smoke
- People who smoke marijuana frequently, but do not smoke tobacco smoke, have more health problems
- Marijuana today is more potent than marijuana of past decades; for a while delta-9-tetrahydrocannadinol (THC) levels averaged 2.3%. Today average THC levels are higher than 8% and can go up to 35% in medical marijuana
- There are 33 cancer-causing chemicals contained in marijuana
- A comparison between marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke shows that when an equal amount is smoked, marijuana smoke deposits four times as much tar into the lungs
Respiratory effects of marijuana
University of washington - alcohol and drug abuse institute
- Marijuana smokers when compared to tobacco smokers have shown that there is a prolonged and deeper inhalation and it is smoked a shorter butt length and at a higher combustion temperature. This results in an estimated five-time increase in carboxyhaemoglobin concentration three-time greater amount of tar inhaled and retention of one third more tar in the respiratory tract.
- Long-term marijuana smoking is associated with an increased risk of respiratory complications, including an increase in cough, sputum production, airway inflammation, and wheeze - even at a young age and persisting after adjusting for tobacco smoking
- Smoking devices that use water filters have been shown to involve equivalent amounts of tar and do not reduce risks of inhalation
Consequences of marijuana use and driving
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- Drugs, including marijuana, can alter your perception, attention, balance, coordination, reaction time, and other skills drivers need to stay alert and safe
- Research indicates that marijuana is the most prevalent illegal drug detected in impaired drivers, fatally injured drivers, and motor vehicle crash victims.
- Drivers who drive after drinking alcohol AND using marijuana are at even higher risk