Marijuana Problems Surfacing Since Massachusetts Legalization
© David Burton 2019
Marijuana Problems Surfacing Since Massachusetts Legalization
© David Burton 2019 |
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Despite all the claims that pot smoking is harmless, evidence continues to show that such is not the case. On-premise consumption of marijuana increases the risk of marijuana-impaired driving by shifting more pot use to public locations. Patrons of these establishments are likely to drive home when levels of THC - the most important intoxicating chemical in cannabis — are highest. (Although THC can last in the blood for days, levels are generally highest from 30 minutes to two hours after smoking.) Multiple studies have found that marijuana use approximately doubles the risk of car crashes and increases the risk of alcohol-related crashes among those who have also been drinking.[3] Studies are showing that risks of Marijuana consumption extend beyond road safety. “Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs on the market today. While it may have the impression of being a harmless, fun substance, it is still a drug that changes what goes on in the mind, sometimes with significant consequences. The long-term effects on the brain and body make marijuana a dangerous drug to a lot of people, leading to negative outcomes that don’t show until years later. “To understand what marijuana does to a user in the long run, it’s necessary to look at how the drug works in the brain. Marijuana is as effective as it is because its active chemical compound (tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC) mimics substances called endocannabinoids that the human body produces on its own. In the brain, endocannabinoids work by controlling the production of neurotransmitters (chemical substances that facilitate communication between the brain and the central nervous system). In the rest of the body, endocannabinoids relax muscles, reduce inflammation, protect damaged tissue, and regulate appetite and metabolism, among many other functions. “Because endocannabinoids are so important, the brain has readymade receptors for them. Since the THC in cannabis mimics natural endocannabinoids, marijuana is unique among other drugs in that regard. The same physiological effects that arise from the normal application of endocannabinoids are triggered with the use of marijuana, especially in the brain. This is why smokers experience memory issues, augmented levels of pain, and alterations to emotion, pleasure, and movement control. “The memory issues come from the way marijuana hits the hippocampus, the region of the brain that regulates short-term memory. The effect of cannabis temporarily prevents the brain from developing new memories and learning new things, which is a form of short-term memory. “Researchers who published their findings in the Molecular Psychiatry journal discovered that heavy cannabis users are at risk for developing false memories, [Emphasis mine] even if those users had gone without smoking pot for over a month. “Such a finding is one of a number that suggests people who were regular marijuana smokers in their teenage years are more likely to have memory problems as adults. . . . “Another study published in JAMA Internal Medicine noted much the same thing, with researchers surprised that there was ‘such a consistent association with verbal memory for chronic exposure to marijuana,’ even when other factors (like cigarettes and alcohol) were accounted for. As past years of marijuana use went up, verbal memory scores went down; . . . “There is much more research that suggests people who regularly smoke marijuana (on a daily basis) for a number of years struggle with cognitive tasks more than those who either do not smoke cannabis or who do so infrequently and/or for shorter periods of time. . . . “Aside from memory, other research has looked at the long-term effects of marijuana on dopamine. Production of the neurotransmitter that regulates the pleasure and reward centers of the brain can be compromised if the marijuana use is heavy, according to an article in Molecular Psychiatry found. People who smoked a lot of marijuana tested positive for lower dopamine release in the region of the brain that also controls attention and impulsive behavior. Participants in this study tended to start smoking pot around the age of 16 and became dependent on the substance by 20. {Despite claims to the contrary, it seems that Marijuana is addictive.} . . . “A former president of the American Psychiatric Association commented on the study, saying that there is a growing body of evidence that shows that youth use of cannabis develops into problems in adulthood. - - - “. . . Research from the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that regular marijuana use can not only contribute to the possibility of a heart attack, but also to heart rhythm disorders and stroke, even in young people who have no other risk factors for heart disease. “The point is echoed by the American College of Cardiology, which notes that marijuana causes irregular heart rates and increases the risk of an acute coronary syndrome, which refers to any number of conditions that can be brought on by the sudden interruption of the blood flow to the heart. As a result of this, users who are susceptible to conditions of the heart are taking a serious risk when they smoke marijuana. ‘Marijuana’s use,’ writes the American College of Cardiology, 'may be associated with increased mortality in patients with a history of myocardial infarctions (heart attacks).' “One of the more distressing risks of long-term effects of marijuana consumption is found in women who are pregnant. Health Canada explains that smoking pot during pregnancy ‘has been associated with long-lasting harm to the exposed child’s memory.’ In addition to potential damage done in utero, cannabis toxins are also carried in breast milk and can be passed to the infant during breastfeeding. The U.S. government’s National Institute of Child Health and Development also advises against the consumption of recreational drugs before pregnancy and during breastfeeding. - - - “The risk of addiction . . . is only for one in 10 users; however, for people who start their cannabis use in adolescence, the rate increases to one in six. Withdrawal is also a real problem [Emphasis mine]. . .” (Ref. 4) Adolescent use of marijuana is a significant and growing concern. “Marijuana use in adolescence is associated with altered brain development, a decline in cognitive function and poor academic performance. Adolescents who use marijuana perform worse on tests of problem solving, with problems also in areas of attention, memory and learning. After 28 days’ abstinence from marijuana use, there was still diminished performance in areas of complex attention, verbal memory and planning in some studies.8 It is also thought that cannabis use in susceptible adolescents and young adults may lead to schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders.” (Ref. 5) One of the first states to legalize marijuana was the state of Colorado. Cannabis for medical use was approved in Colorado in 2001 and it legally went on sale for recreational use in 2014. Now, in 2019, studies are revealing some unwanted consequences of marijuana use. “Hospital visits related to cannabis drastically increased after Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, a new study shows. “University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers reviewed health records of 9,973 patients at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital from 2012 to 2016, and found a more than three-fold increase in cannabis-associated emergency department visits, [Emphasis mine] according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The state legalized cannabis completely in 2012 and allowed sales in 2014. “Some patients reported eating edibles (about 10.7 percent of cannabis-attributable visits), but a majority of cases were related to inhaled marijuana, according to the study . . . “Symptoms included: Uncontrollable vomiting, acute psychosis, intoxication and heart problems. - - - “Car crashes rose 6 percent from 2012 to 2017 in four states that legalized marijuana during that period – Nevada, Colorado, Washington and Oregon – a greater rate than in four comparable states that didn't, the Highway Loss Data Institute found. [Emphasis mine] “Some doctors have also warned of a link between marijuana and psychosis.” (Ref. 6) Now, new concerns have arisen about the use of marijuana, particularly with regard to THC, the ingredient in marijuana that gives people their high. “Millions of people now inhale marijuana not from joints or pipes filled with burning leaves but through sleek devices and cartridges filled with flavored cannabis oils. People in the legalized marijuana industry say vaping products now account for 30 percent or more of their business. Teenagers, millennials and baby boomers alike have been drawn to the technology — no ash, a faint smell, easy to hide — and the potentially dangerous consequences are only now becoming evident. “Most of the patients in the outbreak of severe lung illnesses linked to vaping — which has left 1,479 people sick and 33 dead so far {as of October 2019} — vaped THC, the ingredient in marijuana that makes people high.” [Emphasis mine] (Ref. 7) Think marijuana is completely harmless? THINK AGAIN! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References:
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| 8 November 2019 {Article 385; Suggestions?_33 |