Marijuana is not harmless! It is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly called THC. THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, starting off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the “high” that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentrating, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.
There are many more reasons that Marijuana is harmful. Marijuana’s “high” can affect these functions in a variety of ways, causing distorted perceptions, impairing coordination, causing difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and creating problems with learning and memory. Research has demonstrated that among chronic heavy users these effects on memory can last at least seven days after discontinuing use of the drug. These aren’t the only problems connected to marijuana use. Research tells us that chronic marijuana use may increase the risk of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals, and high doses of the drug can produce acute psychotic reactions. Researchers have also found that adolescents’ long-term use of marijuana may be linked with lower IQ (as much as an 8 point drop) later in life.
We also know that marijuana affects heart and respiratory functions. In fact, one study found that marijuana users have a nearly five-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug. A study of 452 marijuana smokers (but who did not smoke tobacco) and 450 non-smokers (of either marijuana or tobacco) found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems, including respiratory illnesses, than nonsmokers.
The harms of marijuana use can also manifest in users’ quality of life. In one study, heavy marijuana users reported that the drug impaired several important measures of health and quality of life, including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.
Finally, there are very real consequences associated with marijuana use. In 2010, marijuana was involved in more than 461,000 emergency department visits nationwide. This is nearly 39 percent of all emergency department visits involving illicit drugs, and highlights the very real dangers than can accompany use of the drug. Take the Marijuana Self Assessment and see for yourself, if marijuana use is a problem.
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Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
Co-founder and Executive Director
Licensed Family Therapist working with addictions and families since 1981
Labels: abuse, cannabinoid receptors, cannabis, chronic, learning, marijuana, memory, psychotic, schedule 1, schizophrenia, thc
Marijuana: Harmless or Harmful?
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