Effects of Marijuana

Marijuana Affects Behavior, Memory and Perception

Some of the most common effects of marijuana include:

• Short term memory impairment
• Impaired motor skills
• Impaired judgment
• Slower reaction times to danger or obstacles in the road
• Peripheral vision is affected adversely
• Difficulty concentrating on tasks

There are also physical cardiovascular effects of marijuana use that include rapid heartbeat, feelings of panic or phobia like reactions and heightened blood pressure. As far as the neurobiology effects of marijuana, studies have shown that marijuana stimulates the same pleasure centers of the brain that are stimulated by other drugs like alcohol, cocaine and heroin.

Long-Term And Chronic Affects From Marijuana Use

Some studies have concluded that using marijuana daily exposes one to a risk of lung cancer equal to that experienced by a person who smokes five times the number of cigarettes. The carcinogenic ingredient of marijuana is a chemical called benzopyrene.

It’s been determined that one marijuana cigarette has almost 50 percent more benzopyrene than a regular tobacco cigarette. Benzopyrene affects a person’s body of suppressing the growth of cells. This genetic effect can cause a person to be more susceptible to the development of and growth of cancer in the body. Damaging these genes the way benzopyrene does is the main thing that leaves a person open to higher cancer risk.

Those who smoke marijuana also experience higher rates of things like chronic bronchial and lung inflammation, chronic bronchitis and injury to their airways. The effects are very similar to the impact experienced by cigarette smokers. Just like cigarette smokers, marijuana users are also more susceptible to respiratory infections.

Marijuana Can Also Affect The Immune System And Endocrine Systems

Hormonal effects are also significant to consider since the endocrine system is affected by marijuana use. In males, puberty can happen later than usual when marijuana is used heavily. In young women, constant marijuana use can hinder the body from producing and releasing eggs normally, affecting fertility. Since females are sometimes not included in studies of the adverse effects of marijuana use, knowledge of its full impact on women is more limited than the understanding of the impact on males.

Dr. Guy Cabral, a Professor from the Medical College of Virginia, spoke at a national (NIDA) conference on marijuana research and prevention of marijuana use. He said in his speech that the immune systems of heavy users of marijuana are compromised and that heavy use of marijuana puts the immune system in a weaker state. This leaves a person more open to harmful infections, viruses, fungi and bacteria. It may also cause a decrease in anti-tumor activity of cells of the body, leaving a person more open to the chances of developing tumors.

Marijuana Is Believed To Be Psychologically Addictive

While marijuana does cause some symptoms of physical addiction, the most troubling effects are those of psychological addiction. There are short-term psychological effects from marijuana use that include things like a heightened euphoric feeling, random or a magical type of thinking, a sense of time that becomes distorted and losing some of one’s short-term memory. Normally these effects wear off over time, but in heavy marijuana users, the effects can last longer, impairing the user’s ability to handle life’s stresses.

Researchers concerned with the levels of marijuana use have also pondered whether the use of marijuana eventually leads to the use of other drugs. Users who wish to continue their altered state of feeling euphoric may turn to other ways to continue that feeling, including trying other, more highly addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin.

Marijuana Stays In The Body For A Long Time

Chemicals in cannabis, especially the main compound responsible for the euphoric feeling, known as THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), is typically broken down over time by the body. About half of it is out of the body within 24 hours. The rest, however, along with trace metabolites, can be detected through tests for as long as 45 to 60 days. Tests used to find traces of marijuana include blood tests, urine and saliva tests.