The United States government and state governments are gradually allowing marijuana use. Some states allow medical marijuana use only for people with a diagnosed condition, such as cancer or glaucoma, while other states have decided to allow recreational use of the drug. People have even pointed to marijuana as a treatment for addiction to harsher drugs like opioid pain relievers and heroin. While some people are celebrating the decriminalization of marijuana, there are still many who are concerned. There are physical and mental health risks of using the drug that you need to keep in mind before you inhale, or digest. Marijuana, like alcohol is addicting and comes with risk.
Physical Risks of Smoking Weed
While many people automatically think about the problems with smoking and lung function, smoking marijuana may lead to other physical risks as well. First, a recent study found that smoking marijuana long-term reduces blood flow to the brain, especially to the part of the brain (the hippocampus) that is responsible for memory, especially long-term memory. Researchers found that long-term marijuana smoking may put you at risk for Alzheimer’s Disease. The researchers think that the chemicals in marijuana may prevent memory formation.
In addition, smoking marijuana leads to impaired function and reflexes, which means that people who are smoking the drug cannot react quickly in change situations. For example, researchers in both New Zealand and France found that people who had smoked marijuana prior to driving were twice as likely to be involved in a fatal car accident than non-smokers.
Heavy marijuana smokers must also deal with brittle bones. Researchers think that long-term marijuana smoking may hinder bones’ ability to absorb calcium effectively. Heavy marijuana users break bones more easily, and both women and men have higher incidences of osteoporosis later in life.
Finally, there is the very real concern that marijuana users suffer from the same problems that plague cigarette smokers. Smoking marijuana leads to decreased lung function, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The use of marijuana also decreases the body’s ability to fight off infections, especially lung infections, which leads to an increased risk of bronchitis and pneumonia.
Mental Health Risks of Smoking Weed
Perhaps the largest side effect of prolonged marijuana use is that it leads to a reduction in IQ, which is the measure of human intelligence. A recent study demonstrated that women who use marijuana suffer from lower levels of verbal memory from middle age forward. While researchers are not clear why, this poor verbal memory found in long-term marijuana users affects the brains of women more than men, which may be because women have larger verbal memories than men to begin with.
Researchers have also found that while initial amounts of marijuana may be relaxing, if the drug is smoked in higher doses, it can increase symptoms of confusion, anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations. Other marijuana users have reported adverse experiences with the drug, with psychosis and hallucinations present with the first use. Long-term users have also reported problems with depression and lack of motivation.
Other mental health effects are serious as well. Research has demonstrated that marijuana users have a harder time performing cognitive tasks such as concentration for long periods of time, organizing their information and using information taken into the brain effectively. Using marijuana also may lead to problems with task organization at work or school, as well as a decreased ability to adapt to changes at work or school.
Particularly troubling is the research that has found marijuana use in young teenagers (14 or 15) leads to an increased risk of acquiring mental health disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The more marijuana a teenager smokes, the more likely he or she is to develop a mental health disorder. Researchers have noted this may be a result of changes marijuana use, especially heavy use, has on brain chemistry. Many types of mental illness are thought to originate with changes in brain chemistry, and teenagers appear to be particularly at risk.
Physical and Mental Aspects of Addiction for Marijuana Users
Marijuana use also leads to physical and mental cravings for frequent users, which may trigger addictive behaviors. Marijuana addiction is a real thing. Users develop a tolerance to the drug over time, which means that any effects you have from the drug will also increase with heavier usage. Withdrawal symptoms can also occur with heavy use. These withdrawal symptoms include decreased appetite and weight loss, difficulty with sleep and regulating sleep rhythms. An increase in irritability and aggression are also noted by both users and researchers.
Like alcohol or cigarettes, marijuana usage brings with it many side effects, both in physical and mental health as well as relationships with family and work or school performance. While many people believe they can smoke marijuana and not become addicted, research has proven that marijuana is an addictive substance. Use of marijuana, especially long term, leads to memory problems, issues with reaction time, lung problems, bone breakage problems and mental health concerns with memory and concentration. Marijuana use should be considered very carefully before you ever take the first hit from a joint.
