Consequences of Marijuana Use
People who smoke marijuana do it for a variety of reasons. Whether you are it using it to feel good, feel better or different and to allow you to fit in, marijuana use has consequences.
- Addiction: According to researchers from Columbia University, New York, New York, up to 9% of people who use marijuana become addicted. Repeated use will lead to addiction, with or without risk factors for addiction.
- Driving Under the Influence: Much like alcohol, marijuana has been linked to automobile accidents. One survey found that over 39 percent of drug-related crashes were related to marijuana use, as reported by researchers from the University of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, and New York Academy of Medicine, New York, New York. Marijuana in your system increases your reaction time and distance judgment, alertness, and causes coordination problems, for up to three hours after use.
- School or Work Problems: Effects on your attention, memory, and comprehension can last for days and weeks after using marijuana and the more you use it, the worse the effects are. Longtime marijuana use is associated with memory problems, poor mental and physical health, lower salaries, fewer career successes and even lowered life satisfaction.
- Paranoia and Panic Attacks: Some people experience paranoia and panic when they are under the influence of marijuana. The reaction stays until the drug wears off. These symptoms can cause long-lasting problems with psychosis, anxiety, and panic in some people and worsen symptoms in people who are already dealing with mental health conditions.
Medicinal Marijuana Use
The United States Controlled Substances Act of 1990 has classified marijuana has a Schedule I substance, which means it has a high potential for abuse. Even though at least half of the states have legalized medicinal marijuana, and many others have legalized it for recreational use, under the federal government, there is no approved medicinal use.
There are two prescription medications which contain THC that are currently available for medicinal use: Marinol and Cesamet.
Marinol and Cesamet
Both Marinol and Cesamet are used to treat the side effects of chemotherapy. Marinol is also used to treat patients with HIV suffering from cachexia, a wasting away syndrome causing weight loss, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness and loss of appetitive.
Medical marijuana has been used for managing a variety of illnesses, including pain, cancer, and depression. One argument for medicinal marijuana is that pharmaceutical drugs have severe side effects and can be addictive and that both these circumstances do not apply to marijuana.
Marinol and Cesamet have regulated levels of THC, so they don’t necessarily provide a high. As a result, they are generally addictive.
However, if you are smoking recreational marijuana for managing pain and health symptoms, it is still possible for you to become addicted.
Both prescription THC and smoked marijuana for medical purposes will cause side effects, including:
- Dizziness and drowsiness
- Short-term memory loss
- A high
- Severe anxiety
- Psychosis
Use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is not FDA approved or monitored. As a result, you have no way of knowing if the marijuana is pure, how potent it is, and what type of side effects you will experience.
In states that allow for medicinal use, the only people who can use medicinal marijuana are those who have received a prescription and/or approval from their doctors. Doctors do not prescribe medicinal marijuana to anyone under age 18, who is pregnant, who has heart disease or a history of any mental health condition that causes psychosis.
Marijuana Addiction is Real
Just because marijuana is not as big of a health problem as alcohol, opioids or heroin, it is a still can affect your daily life. For some people, marijuana use can affect every aspect of their life – from their personal life to their professional life.
People who smoke and consume marijuana in large amounts are unable to quit and do not lay any emphasis on the negative consequences likely are addicted. In the long-term, marijuana use will cause memory and concentration problems, and problems with decision making.
Motivation and mood are also affected by marijuana use which may explain some of the reasons a person becomes addicted. This is because withdrawal will decrease dopamine, the brain chemical linked to motivation and there is also a reduction in serotonin, the chemical responsible for mood responses.
How to Quit Smoking Marijuana for Good
If you think you are addicted to marijuana, you may want to quit, and you are wondering how you can go about doing this.
When you are ready to quit, do not replace marijuana with another addictive habit, such as alcohol or cigarettes. You should replace it with a healthy habit, such a new hobby or fitness routine so you can stick to quitting.
Depending on the duration of your marijuana use, the experience may be easy or difficult. The duration of withdrawal for heavy users could take up to three days, but symptoms should take up to 3 weeks to dissipate.
While it possible for you to detox from marijuana on your own, your doctor can prescribe a medication to help you manage withdrawal symptoms. Medications can help you with nausea, vomiting, headaches and muscle pains.
If you cannot quit marijuana on your own, you may need to seek help from a hospital that specializes in addictions or a drug rehabilitation center. Outpatient centers are designed to help people with marijuana addictions and are available to people who wish to remain in their own homes.
Inpatient programs can help people who need a higher level of care that allows them to focus solely on recovering from their addition.
The Takeaway
For some people, marijuana is a harmless indulgence or used for medicinal purposes. But for many others, it becomes an addiction causing adverse effects on their lives.
It is possible marijuana addiction should affect up to 4 million Americans. Quitting is possible, but can cause withdrawal symptoms. Any addictive substance could be harmful to your health and affect various aspects of your life, and marijuana isn’t any different.
If you think you are addicted to marijuana and need help quitting, talk your doctor, loved ones, a religious leader or get in touch with someone who can refer to a facility that specializes in helping people with addiction.
