The Negative Effects of Marijuana

The effects that marijuana has on the brain has been a widely controversial topic for the past century. Scientist have found both pros and cons in their studies on users of marijuana. In this essay, I will be reviewing the known negative effects that marijuana has on the body. There are several points I will be discussing. These points are distorted perception, loss of coordination, increased heart rate and blood pressure, trouble with thinking and problem solving, and problems with memory and learning.

Marijuana is the most commonly used drug in the United States. When smoked, it begins to effect people immediately and can last for one to three hours. When it is eaten in food, such as baked in brownies and cookies, the effects take longer to begin, but usually last longer. Marijuana has harmful effects on the skills required to drive safely: alertness, the abiliy to concentrate, coordination, and the ability to react quickly.

You can still have these effects 24 hours after smoking marijuana.

Within a few minutes after smoking marijuana, the heart begins beating faster and your blood presore drops. Marijuana can cause your heart beat to increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute, can also increase even more if other drugs are used at the same time. The lower blood pressure and higher heart rate, researchers found that users risk for a heart attack is four times high within the first hour after smoking, compared to their general risk of heart attack when not smoking. A lot of scientific research has shown that heavy marijuana use negatively affects smokers learning abilities and social skills by causing problems in their daily lives.

People who smoke marijuana for a long time can cause memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive abilities to get worse over time, but emotional abilities are also affected in short-term pot smokers who use marijuana every now and then.

Marijuana smokers are 3 times more likely to develop cancer on the head or neck than non-smokers. Marijuana smoke contains 3 times the amount of tar found in tobacco smoke and 50 percent more carcinogens, it would seem clear to assume that there is an increased risk of lung cancer for marijuana smokers. However, researchers have not been able to definitively prove such a channel because their studies have not been able to adjust for tobacco smoking and other factors that might also increase the risk.

Smoking marijuana, even , occasionally can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, and cause heavy coughing. Regular marijuana smokers can experience the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers do, including: Daily cough and phlegm production, More frequent acute chest illnesses, Increased risk of lung infections, and obstructed airways. Most marijuana smokers consume a lot less cannabis than cigarette smokers consume tobacco, however the harmful effects of smoking marijuana should not be ignored. Marijuana contains more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke and because marijuana smokers typically inhale deeper and hold the smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers, their lungs are exposed to those carcinogenic properties longer, when smoking.

Studies have found that children born to mothers who used marijuana during pregnancy exhibit some problems with acoustic development. According to those studies, prenatal marijuana exposure can cause: Altered responses to visual stimuli, Increased tremulousness, problems with sustained attention and memory, and poor problem-solving skills. Research indicates that THC impairs the body’s immune system from fighting disease, which can cause a wide variety of health problems. One study found that marijuana actually avert the disease-preventing actions of key immune cells. Another study found that THC increased the risk of developing bacterial infections and tumors. In Conclusion, Although legalization activists and many marijuana users believe smoking pot has no negative effects, marijuana can cause several health problems.