According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, approximately half of all high school seniors have tried marijuana at least once in their lifetime, while about a fifth has used the drug within a month. The reason this drug is so widely used is that many people believe it to be natural or safe, or they think they can't become addicted to it. Because of the alarmingly frequent use of marijuana and its many adverse effects, it remains a hazard to public health.
Decreased Cognitive and Motor Functions
A study published in "Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior" in 2009 compared cognitive functions in healthy individuals and those in adolescents who use marijuana but were not under the influence of the drug at the time of the experiment. The study found that adolescents who use marijuana have impaired attention, difficulty learning, and decreased computing speed. Also, the subjects were found to exhibit a higher level of brain activity than healthy controls in identical tasks. The subjects in the study were also found to have subtle irregularities in the structure of their brains. A similar study compared cognitive-motor skills of controls and marijuana users in a series of tests. Unsurprisingly, the study concluded that people under the influence of marijuana have decreased motor skills.
Suppressed Physical and Mental Growth
A study conducted at the Arizona State University in 2010 lent more empirical data to the common belief by scientists that the use of marijuana during adolescence stuns growth. The study found that of all its subjects, those who used the most marijuana showed the least physical development. Additionally, the study showed strong signs that the use of marijuana, especially in great quantities, might slow mental development. The problem researchers encounter frequently when studying marijuana is that not enough people have been using the drug for long enough for science to take steps in understanding long term effects. Also, the potency of marijuana is constantly increasing. More research needs to be done in the field of marijuana and development, but these initial findings provide strong indications that the use of drugs might stun both physical and mental development.
Effects on the Respiratory System
A report released by the Department of Health and Human Services in 1982 titled "Marijuana and Health" revealed that marijuana smoke contains many of the same carcinogens as cigarettes; some of them are in even higher concentrations in marijuana. A study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" found that smoking five joints of marijuana is equivalent to a pack of cigarettes in terms of carcinogens. Many people try to avoid the tar and chemicals in marijuana smoke by using a water pipe. However, according to studies conducted by MAPS, or the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, and California NORML, smoke filtered by water removes more THC than tar. This essentially means patients have to smoke more to achieve similar relief, consuming more carcinogens in the process. It is unclear whether marijuana can cause cancer by itself or not, but it does cause certain respiratory problems in those who smoke it.
References
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Marijuana
- "Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior"; Functional consequences of marijuana use in adolescents.; Jacobus, Bava, Cohen-Zion; vol.4, 559-565, 2009.
- "Journal of Psychopharmacology"; A study investigating the acute dose-response effects of 13 mg and 17 mg Delta 9- tetrahydrocannabinol on cognitive-motor skills, subjective and autonomic measures in regular users of marijuana.; Weinstein, Brickner, Lermar; vol.4, 441-451, 2009.
- "Psychology of Addictive Behaviors"; Does adolescent alcohol and marijuana use predict suppressed growth in psychosocial maturity?; Chassin, Dmitreva, Modeki; Vol.1, 48-60, 2010.
- "Addiction"; The added risk of opioid problem use among treatment-seeking youth with marijuana and/or alcohol problem use.; Subramaniam, Ives, Stitzer.; vol.4, 686-698, 2010.
