Marijuana: 4 Reasons To Understand Why It Is Not Harmless
Marijuana is a psychoactive substance that upon entering the body alters it, generating stimulant, depressant and hallucinogenic effects. It can produce euphoria at first, then relaxation and, on some occasions, hallucinations and delusional ideas.
Below we will mention 4 facts why compulsive marijuana use in the short or long term is not harmless (in all cases we are referring to smoked marijuana, not the medicinal use of cannabis).
These are some of the effects that make marijuana a substance capable of wearing down people’s well-being.
1. Alters the central nervous system
Marijuana consumption alters perception, can produce spatio-temporal disorientation, and increases the probability of suffering accidents (car accidents, at work) because psychomotor coordination is affected ; Concentration decreases, reflexes are altered, reaction times are slower.
In the long term, the greater the frequency of consumption and the earlier the connection with the substance begins, generates neurocognitive impairment It affects cognitive functions, decreasing abilities such as solving mathematical problems, understanding texts, memory, making the learning process difficult.
It also produces a decrease in interest and willingness to study because The psychoactive component THC can also generate amotivational syndrome characterized by a decrease in the ability to maintain the normal course of different activities such as holding a job or completing studies.
Marijuana consumption, by altering the state of consciousness and perception, generates changes in mental activity to the point of producing auditory or visual hallucinations, paranoid ideas, depersonalization, a feeling of loss of control, panic, and terror.
This is because THC has an impact on parts of the brain responsible for perception, attention, and the senses. These episodes can occur as a consequence of compulsive consumption, as withdrawal symptoms, or due to a previous predisposition of dual underlying pathology triggered by consumption.
On the other hand, Smoking marijuana may increase the risk of schizophrenia which can be triggered by three factors: frequent consumption + early onset of consumption + genetic predisposition to have said mental illness.
3. It is capable of producing psychological dependence
Not all marijuana use will escalate to problematic use, however, if the consumer has factors predisposing to addiction in their body, psychological dependence may develop, a relationship of necessity with substance
We can speak of psychological dependence when consumption is compulsive, when there are manifestations of irritability, anxiety, desire to consume, changes in mood and spirit in moments of abstinence and the need to consume marijuana to carry out certain activities. The dependent person feels that he needs the substance to function better.
4. Increases risk of developing respiratory problems, such as lung cancer
The high temperature of the smoke and the toxic substances produced through combustion, such as tar, are aggressive and invasive factors for the respiratory system; It causes irritation of the lungs and can cause some types of cancer. It can also cause respiratory crises, bronchitis, pneumonia, breathing difficulties, and cough.
It is worth clarifying that the reasons mentioned to understand why marijuana is not harmless are not exclusive to it, since They are also applicable to other psychoactive substances such as alcohol.
Ignorance of the harmful effects caused by the consumption of marijuana cigarettes makes it one of the main psychoactive drugs most consumed in the world, either addictively or for recreational use. Marijuana is very easy and quick to access and consumption in adolescence is increasing, from increasingly younger ages.
It is often thought that tobacco cigarettes pose more danger to health than marijuana cigarettes. Although it is correct that tobacco causes great damage to the entire organism, smoked marijuana is never beneficial to health nor is its consumption without harmful consequences.
