Marijuana Is a Health Hazard
Marijuana has been legalized in some states in the USA. I can’t forget the time when that happened. I was astounded because I had known someone who used marijuana and I saw its effects on him. Needless to be said, it wasn’t pretty. First of all, you didn’t think smoking marijuana would have no effect whatsoever, did you? If ordinary cigarettes could cause lung cancer, then expect marijuana to be more harmful than them. The primary active component of marijuana is called THC which is short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
The chemical THC alters the way hippocampus, a part of your brain, works. The hippocampus is the part of our brain responsible for learning, keeping memory, connecting experience with emotions, etcetera. Which means that for a frequent marijuana user, these aspects are skewed and altered. The ability of the hippocampus to function deteriorates, hence affection mental and behavioral aspects of a person. Not only does learning and memory deteriorate, but one’s behavior is also altered. This especially holds true for heavy users who smoke marijuana every day or so.
With regards to one’s physical well-being, smoking marijuana greatly increases the risks of lung cancer. When one smokes marijuana frequently, cotton mouth isn’t the only side effect. Cough, phlegm, chest colds as well as display symptoms of chronic bronchitis. This is due to the fact that the tar inhaled by marijuana smokers is around five times as great as cigarette smokers since marijuana smokers tend to keep the drag of the marijuana inside their lungs longer than cigarette smokers do.
Marijuana could affect the every day behavior of a person such as causing one to have a short attention span and anxiety or panic attacks. In short, despite being legalized, marijuana is completely a health hazard. Proceed with caution and think hard before you decide to lay hands on it.
Filed under: Medical & Safety Concerns, Interventions
