Legal High?
As more and more states are considering legalizing marijuana it behooves us to revisit some facts about the drug.
Marijuana came to represent love and peace in the 60s and by the 1980s was connected with violence at a global level, with traffickers using high powered assault weapons to control their business. Opinions, surrounding circumstances and strengths of marijuana have changed throughout the years. However, some basic facts have not.
EFFECTS
Marijuana contains some of the same cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco. In fact, the amount of tar and monoxide inhaled is five times greater, puff for puff in marijuana, than cigarettes, contributing to respiratory problems for people who smoke it on a regular basis. Chronic use can be associated with chronic coughing, wheezing and acute chest illnesses.
Scientists at the University of California and scientists in England at the University of Birmingham have discovered that marijuana can cause respiratory problems and even market deterioration in lung function after a number of years of use. The study in Birmingham concluded that these findings “may have serious long-term implication for what is currently regarded as a relatively ‘harmless’ recreational habit.”
PERFORMANCE
Marijuana users are likely to be low academic performers. Marijuana can cause problems with concentration and thinking. One study found that college students who used marijuana regularly had impaired attention and memory skills 24 hours after using the drug. Their poor academic performance and later frequent absenteeism from work, puts marijuana users low on the list of those “most likely to succeed”
Good sport performance is difficult to achieve for someone with poor coordination caused by marijuana use. As this can be a key deterrent and the only point of concern for those young people with ambitions of doing well at school sports, it is a point that should be made known by parents and teachers.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Marijuana may cause increased anxiety, panic attacks, depression and even thoughts of suicide. Users have impairment in sensory and time perception and aren’t safe drivers. 15% of shock-trauma patients involved in car accidents had been smoking marijuana, according to one report.
ADDICTION AND WITHDRAWAL
Another common misconception is that marijuana is not addictive. Regular users behave like any other drug dependent persons. They will use it compulsively even if it is creating problems with family, work, health or social life.
Heavy marijuana users can develop withdrawal symptoms when ceasing use of the drug. Withdrawal symptoms include irritability, anxiety and difficulty sleeping.
THE FUTURE
We think of marijuana users as young people and may erroneously dismiss it as a phase of life, or something that kids will grow out of. The truth is that the earlier kids start using marijuana, the more likely they are to become dependent on other harmful drugs. Four out of every ten persons, age 12 and older, have tried marijuana at least once in their lifetime and one of every ten reported using it within the last month (at the time of survey). It is the most commonly used addictive drug, but perhaps the most ignored, in terms of the actual damage it does.
SOLUTIONS
Kids do listen to their parents. Educate your kids on the real dangers of marijuana. Talk to them about their future and where they want to be one day. The party today can lead to worse consequences than they realize. If someone you know is abusing marijuana, get them into treatment.
