Know the Risks of Marijuana
Marijuana use comes with real risks that can impact a person’s health and life. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in the U.S. and its use is growing. Marijuana use among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women is going up. At the same time, the perception of how harmful marijuana use can be is declining. Increasingly, young people today do not consider marijuana use a risky behavior.
But there are real risks for people who use marijuana, especially youth and young adults, and women who are pregnant or nursing. Today’s marijuana is stronger than ever before. People can and do become addicted to marijuana.
Marijuana
Risks
Marijuana
use can have negative and long-term effects:
Brain
health: Marijuana
can cause permanent IQ loss of as much as 8 points when people start using it
at a young age. These IQ points do not come back, even after quitting
marijuana.
Mental
health: Studies
link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic
episodes. It is not known, however, if marijuana use is the cause of these
conditions.
Athletic
Performance: Research
shows that marijuana affects timing, movement, and coordination, which can harm
athletic performance.
Driving: People who drive
under the influence of marijuana can experience dangerous effects: slower
reactions, lane weaving, decreased coordination, and difficulty reacting to
signals and sounds on the road.
Baby’s
health and development: Marijuana use during
pregnancy may
cause fetal growth restriction, premature birth, stillbirth, and problems with
brain development, resulting in hyperactivity and poor cognitive function.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other chemicals from marijuana can also be
passed from a mother to her baby through breast milk, further impacting a
child’s healthy development.
Daily life: Using marijuana can affect performance and how well people do in life. Research shows that people who use marijuana are more likely to have relationship problems, worse educational outcomes, lower career achievement, and reduced life satisfaction.
Marijuana
Addiction
Contrary
to popular belief, marijuana is addictive. Research shows that:
·
1-in-6
people who start using the drug before the age of 18 can become addicted.
- 1-in-10
adults who use the drug can become addicted.
Over the past few decades, the amount of THC in marijuana has steadily climbed; today's marijuana has three times the concentration of THC compared to 25 years ago. The higher the THC amount, the stronger the effects on the brain—likely contributing to increased rates of marijuana-related emergency room visits. While there is no research yet on how higher potency affects the long-term risks of marijuana use, more THC is likely to lead to higher rates of dependency and addiction.
About
Marijuana
Marijuana
refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis
sativa or Cannabis indica plant. Marijuana is a
psychoactive drug that contains close to 500 chemicals, including THC, a
mind-altering compound that causes harmful health effects.
People smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes, in pipes or water pipes, in blunts, and by using vaporizers that pull THC from the marijuana. Marijuana can also be mixed in food (edibles), such as brownies, cookies, and candy, or brewed as a tea. People also smoke or eat different forms of marijuana extracts, which deliver a large amount of THC and can be potentially more dangerous.
Rise
of Marijuana Use
Today, marijuana use is on the rise among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women. People ages 18-25 have the highest rate of use. Marijuana and THC remain illegal at the federal level, even though many states have legalized its use. In states where legal, marijuana is a fast-growing industry with sales to individuals over 21 in retail stores, wineries, breweries, coffee shops, dispensaries, online, as well as grown at home.
https://www.samhsa.gov/marijuana
Comments
States who have made Marijuana Use legal should have to reverse their laws to comply with Federal Law. HHS and FDA need to get their act together to review current research and current laws and regulations and recommend changes in current laws to the Congress.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea
Party Leader
No comments:
Post a Comment