Controversy continues over the use of marijuana as medicine. Advocates state that marijuana works effectively to aid conditions where pain relief and appetite stimulation prove necessary, and also helps chemotherapy patients and those with AIDS. Others argue that marijuana is an addictive and harmful substance, and that calls for legalization of medical marijuana are tantamount to legitimizing drug abuse. As the debate rages on, 14 states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Users of medical marijuana should be well informed of its side effects.
Immediate Physical Side Effects
Those who use marijuana for medical purposes are vulnerable to the same side effects as those who use it illicitly.
Medical marijuana patients who are new to using the drug may be taken aback by some of its initial effects, which include dry mouth, and increased food consumption, according to the American Association of Family Physicians, or AAFP. These initial effects prove more of a nuisance than a serious health concern.
The cardiovascular influences of marijuana may prove distressing to those with a heart condition such as high blood pressure. Marijuana intoxication causes increased heart rate. Patient with concerns regarding this side effect should consult their doctors.
Immediate Psychiatric Side Effects
The "high" associated with marijuana use is a desired effect among those who use the drug illicitly. For those who use marijuana for medical purposes, this effect may prove disturbing. Marijuana can produce a euphoric feeling, accompanied by fits of laughter, spatial disorientation and a distorted perception of time. At its worst, marijuana can cause feelings of paranoia, anxiety and panic that can become frightening to the uninitiated user.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, reports that ingestion of marijuana in food or drink, rather than by inhalation, will more likely to produce acute toxic psychosis, replete with symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.
Long-Term Physical Side Effects
Marijuana can cause respiratory disturbances similar to those experienced by tobacco users. Coughing, increased phlegm production and shortness of breath are common, and eventually can transition to bronchitis or emphysema. NIDA has reported that long-term users have decreased immunity to illness, and increased incidence of respiratory infections and airway obstructions.
Long-Term Psychiatric Side Effects
NIDA states that long term exposure to THC, the active component in marijuana, may hasten the loss of brain cells associated with memory. Short-term memory loss and the inability to process new knowledge are observed in long-term heavy marijuana users.
A link between marijuana use and schizophrenia has also been observed, though scientists remain unsure if the marijuana use is a cause of psychosis, or if the increased incidence of marijuana use among schizophrenics is the result of the individual's attempt to self-medicate against the initial effects of a burgeoning mental illness.
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