What is Marijuana?

Physical and Mental Effects of Marijuana Use

Though cannabis psychoactive chemicals are classified separately here because of their unique place in our psychoactive chemical abuse culture, they are actually hallucinogens. There are two major differences between cannabis preparations and LSD or other hallucinogens. One lies in its effective dose. Cannabis preparations are much less potent and must be taken in very large doses to obtain all the effects usually caused by other hallucinogens. This is especially true in comparison with LSD which is effective in millionths of a gram while cannabis doses are usually measured in grams. The second difference is that cannabis preparations produce much more sedation than other hallucinogens.

Cannabis is usually smoked in marijuana cigarettes and causes mild euphoria, sedation, increased pulse, disturbance in short-term memory, and red eyes. Cannabis can also impair judgment and coordination and has caused motor vehicle accidents. Cannabis has been shown to produce physical dependence but only when given in extremely high doses that are rarely taken even by people who use it regularly.

Adverse Effects of Marijuana

Adverse effects are similar to those produced by the other hallucinogens, except that they occur less often because the relative effective doses used are smaller. Psychiatrists practicing in some parts of the United States, such as Oregon, report more adverse effects than are seen in other areas. This may simply be a dose-effect phenomenon since much of the most potent U.S. marijuana is grown in northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii. Higher potency marijuana has a greater content of THC, the active ingredient. The greater the THC, the greater are the chances for toxicity. Like PCP, THC is also stored in body fat and can have prolonged effects, especially if very potent marijuana is used.

Because marijuana is smoked, some feel that, like tobacco smoking, it will be found to produce chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer. People with cardiovascular disease who smoke marijuana have developed angina. This effect may be due to the elevation in heart rate that normally occurs when using marijuana.

One of the most controversial effects of marijuana is the amotivational syndrome that has been observed in people who chronically use marijuana. It is characterized by lethargy, low motivation to engage in productive work, boredom, mild depressive feelings, and trouble concentrating and remembering. Several studies have attempted to either prove or disprove the existence of this syndrome, but they had conflicting results. Thus, the scientific literature offers no clear answer to this long-standing problem. Many clinicians believe that the syndrome is real because they have observed it in many of their patients, but clear proof awaits further studies.

A related effect is the so-called marijuana hangover. The literature is more consistent here, with many studies showing that smoking one marijuana cigarette can have persistent, subtle but measurable effects on fine motor coordination and concentration for as long as 12 to 24 hours after intake.

Endocrine Effects–In females, chronic use can cause disruption of the menstrual cycle. An increased incidence of infertility or difficult conception has been noted with chronic marijuana use. In males, gynecomastia has been noted in chronic heavy users as well as some cases of decreased testosterone levels and diminished sexual interest. Marijuana has been shown to cause a lowering of body temperature which can cause a diminished febrile response, thereby compounding the problem of infectious disease.

Neurological Effects of Marijuana

In-coordination, dizziness, tremors, involuntary movements, photophobia, headaches, and numbness may occur with marijuana use. The information and acquisition phases of short term memory may be impaired. EEG changes, seen as a mild slowing in alpha-wave frequency, may occur. An increase in Stage 4 sleep and a decrease in REM sleep have been reported.

Psychiatric Effects of Marijuana

• Acute Panic Reactions – Depends on the dose administered and the experience of the user. Usually due to the rapid heart rate, disconnected thoughts, and paranoid ideation users experience. Usually clears spontaneously.
• Depressive Reaction – Usually occurs with larger than normal doses. Clears spontaneously within 1 to 2 days. Can also occur with chronic use, and the effects are longer lasting.
• Toxic Psychosis – Usually occurs with larger doses of THC than the user is accustomed. Hallucinations, depersonalization, and derealization are prominent features and usually clear spontaneously in 1 to 2 days.
• Recurrent Reactions – Extremely rare in users whose last psychoactive chemical use was more than 6 months ago. Marijuana effects re-experienced days or weeks after the last dose.
• Amotivational Syndrome – (Burned out, Vegged out, Space Cadets) Decreased drive, shortened attention span, poor judgment, distractibility, impaired communication skills, diminished effectiveness in interpersonal situations, and a tendency to introversion. These effects are usually seen in chronic users.