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7/29/2019 Marijuana - Marijuana and Health
1/5
MarijuanaandHealth
Addiction
1in10peoplewhotrymarijuanawillbecomeaddictedtoit,developingadependencethatproduceswithdrawal,cravings.
Ifmarijuanausestartsinadolescence,thechancesofaddictionare1in6.i
Long-termstudiesfromtheUSAandNewZealandhaveshownthatregularcannabissmokersreportmoresymptomsofchronicbronchitisthannon-
smokers.ii
Andtoday'smarijuanaisnotthemarijuanaofthe1960s;potencyhastripledinthepast15years,accordingtoa2009reportfromtheU.S.government.Ithasgrown5timessince1960.
IntheU.S.since1990,morepeoplehavegonetotheemergencyroomafterusingmarijuanaeventhoughtheoverallnumbersofmarijuanausershas
remainedrelativelystable.iii
IntheU.S.,cannabisemergencyrateshavebeenrisingsharplyforcannabis-relatedadmissions.Visitstohospitalemergencydepartmentsbecauseof
cannabisusehaverisenfromanestimated16,251visitsin1991tomorethan374,000in2008. iv
TheBrainandMentalHealth
Marijuanausedirectlyaffectsthebrain,specificallythepartsofthebrain
responsibleformemory,learning,attention,andreactiontime.Theseeffectscanlastupto28daysafterabstinencefromthedrug.v
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Scienceconfirmsthattheadolescentbrain,particularlythepartofthebrainthatregulatestheplanningcomplexcognitivebehavior,personality
expression,decision-makingandsocialbehavior,isnotfullydevelopeduntil
theearlytomid-20s.Developingbrainsareespeciallysusceptibletoallofthenegativeeffectsofmarijuanaandotherdruguse.vi
Marijuanauseissignificantlylinkedwithmentalillness,especially
schizophreniaandpsychosis,butalsodepressionandanxiety.vii
TheHeart
Marijuanausecancauseanincreaseintheriskofaheartattackmorethan
four-foldinthehourafteruse,andprovokeschestpaininpatientswithheartdisease.viii
TheLungs
Researchhasshownmarijuanasmoketocontaincarcinogensandtobeanirritanttothelungs,resultingingreaterprevalenceofbronchitis,cough,and
phlegmproduction.ix
Marijuanasmoke,infact,contains50-70percentmorecarcinogenichydrocarbonsthantobaccosmoke.x
Evidencelinkingmarijuanaandlungcanceraremixed,witha recentstudystatingthatcannabissmokingincreasestheriskofdevelopingalungcancerindependentlyofaneventualassociatedtobaccoexposure.xiOtherstudieshavefailedtofindsuchalink.xii
Marijuanasmokealsoincludesanenzymethatconvertssomehydrocarbons intoacancer-causingform,potentiallyacceleratingthechangesthatproducemalignantcells.xiii
MarkGold,perhapsthemostdistinguishedprofessorinthecountryondrugsandthebrainandbody,said,Itispossible,butnotproven,thatcannabis
smokemaybelesstoxicthancigarettesmoke,butitisnotbetterthancleanair.Clear,unbiased,andconvincingevidenceofsafetyandcomparable
efficacyareneededfortherapeuticclaims.Itissmoke,afterall.ColumbusbroughtTobaccototheNewWorldandittooknearly500yearsforabsoluteproofoftobaccosmokedangerousnesstobeestablished,Goldcontinued.
Tothisday,eachyear,over400,000UnitedStatesdeathsareduetotobaccosmoke.
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Pregnancy
Marijuanasmokingduringpregnancyhasbeenshowntodecreasebirth
weight,mostlikelyduetotheeffectsofcarbonmonoxideonthedevelopingfetus.xiv
IQ,Learning,andJobPerformance
Oneofthemostwelldesignedstudiesonmarijuanaandintelligence,releasedin2012,foundthatpersistent,heavyuseofmarijuanaby
adolescentsreducesIQbyasmuchaseightpoints,whentestedwellintoadulthood.xv
Otherstudieshavefoundthatmarijuanauseislinkedwithdroppingoutofschool,andsubsequentunemployment,socialwelfaredependence,anda
lowerself-reportedqualityoflifethannon-marijuanaabusingpeople.xvi
AccordingtotheU.S.NationalSurveyonDrugUseandHealth,youthwithpooracademicresultsweremorethanfourtimesaslikelytohaveused
marijuanainthepastyearthanyouthwithanaverageofhighergrades.Thisisconsistentwithanexhaustivemeta-analysisexaminingforty-eight
differentstudiesbyMacleodandcolleagues,publishedbyLancet,whofound
thatmarijuanauseisconsistentlyassociatedwithreducedgradesandareducedchanceofgraduatingfromschool.xvii
Inaddition,studieshavelinkedemployeemarijuanausewithincreased
absences,tardiness,accidents,workerscompensationclaims,andjob
turnover.xviii
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iWagner,F.A.&Anthony,J.C.Fromfirstdrugusetodrugdependence;developmentalperiodsofrisk
fordependenceuponcannabis,cocaine,andalcohol.Neuropsychopharmacology26,479-488(2002).
iiTetrault,J.M.,Crothers,K.,Moore,B.A.,Mehra,R.,Concato,J.,&Fiellin,D.A.(2007).Effectsofmarijuanasmokingonpulmonaryfunctionandrespiratorycomplications. ArchivesofInternal
Medicine,167(3):221-228.
iiiSubstanceAbuseandMentalHealthServicesAdministration,CenterforBehavioralHealthStatistics
andQuality.(2011).DrugAbuseWarningNetwork,2008:NationalEstimatesofDrug-Related
EmergencyDepartmentVisits.HHSPublicationNo.SMA11-4618.Rockville,MD.
ivSubstanceAbuseandMentalHealthServicesAdministration,CenterforBehavioralHealthStatistics
andQuality.(2011).DrugAbuseWarningNetwork,2008:NationalEstimatesofDrug-Related
EmergencyDepartmentVisits.HHSPublicationNo.SMA11-4618.Rockville,MD.
vHallW&DegenhardL(2009).Adversehealtheffectsofnon-medicalcannabisuse. Lancet,
374:1383-1391
viGiedd.J.N.(2004).Structuralmagneticresonanceimagingoftheadolescentbrain.Annalsofthe
NewYorkAcademyofSciences ,1021,77-85.
viiMooreTH,ZammitS,Lingford-HughesA,etal.Cannabisuseandriskofpsychoticoraffective
mentalhealthoutcomes:Asystematicreview.Lancet370(9584):319328,2007.AlsoLarge,M.,
SharmaS,ComptonM.,Slade,T.&O.,N.(2011).Cannabisuseandearlieronsetofpsychosis:a
systematicmeta-analysis.ArchivesofGeneralPsychiatry.68.AlsoseeArseneaultL,etal.(2002).
Cannabisuseinadolescenceandriskforadultpsychosis:longitudinalprospectivestudy. British
MedicalJournal.325,1212-1213.
viiiHallW&DegenhardL(2009).Adversehealtheffectsofnon-medicalcannabisuse. Lancet,
374:1383-1391.
ixTetrault,J.M.,etal.Effectsofcannabissmokingonpulmonaryfunctionandrespiratory
complications:asystematicreview.ArchInternMed167,221-228(2007).
xHoffman,D.;Brunnemann,K.D.;Gori,G.B.;andWynder,E.E.L.Onthecarcinogenicityofmarijuana
smoke.In:V.C.Runeckles,ed.,RecentAdvancesinPhytochemistry.NewYork:Plenum,1975.
xiBrambilla,C.,&Colonna,M.(2008).Cannabis:Thenextvillainonthelungcancerbattlefield?
EuropeanRespiratoryJournal,31 :227-228.
xiiBello,D.(2006).Largestudyfindsnolinkbetweenmarijuanaandcancer. ScientificAmerican,
Availableat:http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=large-study-finds-no-link
xiiiTashkin,D.P.(1999).Effectsonmarijuanaonthelunganditsdefensesagainstinfectionand
cancer.SchoolPsychologyInternational,20(1):23-37.
xivHallW&DegenhardL(2009).Adversehealtheffectsofnon-medicalcannabisuse. Lancet,
374:1383-1391.
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xvMeieretal.(2012).Persistentcannabisusersshowneuropsychologicaldeclinefromchildhoodto
midlife.ProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciences.
xviFergusson,D.M.andBoden,J.M.(2008),Cannabisuseandlaterlifeoutcomes.Addiction,103:
969976.
xviiMacleod,J.;Oakes,R.;Copello,A.;Crome,I.;Egger,M.;Hickman,M.;Oppenkowski,T.;Stokes-
Lampard,H.;andDaveySmith,G.Psychologicalandsocialsequelaeofcannabisandotherillicitdrug
usebyyoungpeople:Asystematicreviewoflongitudinal,generalpopulationstudies. Lancet
363(9421):1579-1588,2004.
xviiiNationalInstituteonDrugAbuse(NIDA).(2011).ResearchReportSeries:CannabisAbuse.
AccessedNovember2011at
http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Cannabis/cannabis4.html