WHAT ARE THE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA
Marijuana has indeed come a long way and has scaled many battles so far with the issue of legality. It’s still a touchy subject but many are beginning to embrace it. It’s because of the many uses and benefits that can be derived from it.
Whichever way you look at it, marijuana is here to stay. It’s due to the various researches aimed at uncovering all its effects, short or long, on the human body system. With its legal status receiving boosts in some states, you can find marijuana in products spanning spheres.
It includes health, medical, recreational and skin care, and makeup. Before you use marijuana be sure to take note of the following short and long term effects.
Short term effects of marijuana
- Reduces Anxiety
Marijuana has a profound effect on anxiety and it’s usually in a very short period. With the anandamide (the body’s own THC) produced by the brain linking up with the cannabinoid, anxiety takes a hit. It’s a fact that most users of marijuana suffer from one form of anxiety or another.
- Memory Issues
Marijuana has the capacity to impair your memory, especially when your brain is trying to form new ones. The area of the brain concerned with memory is the hippocampus and its cellular process of creating new memories is interrupted by marijuana. This happens when cannabinoid receptors in the hippocampus are activated.
- Minimal Pain
In the human body, there are cells that carry pain signals and have cannabinoid receptors that run from the spinal cord up to the brain. With marijuana, their receptors make the body less sensitive to pain. Many patients with painful health issues such as cancer use marijuana for this particular effect.
Other Short Term Effects Include:
- Increased heart rate
- Hallucinations
- Increased Appetite.
Long term effects of marijuana
- Lungs Damage
Smokers of marijuana stand the risk of damaging their lungs in the long term. Although Marijuana’s effects are not as pronounced as those of cigarettes, you’re still exposing your lungs to a great deal of smoke which could leave you facing serious health complications.
- Addiction
Marijuana is a very powerful plant/drug and it’s proven to contain chemicals and substances that are addictive in the long run says one expert marijuana doctor. Many people who use it for recreational and medical purposes attest to the fact that they can’t do without it. Further research shows a pattern of continuous use and dependence on marijuana by regular users.
- Changes in cognitive and brain functions
Smoking Marijuana could cause long term changes in the way your brain functions. With a powerful substance like THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) getting hooked to cannabinoids receptors in your brain it could lead to long term and permanent effects on how you think, behave and other cognitive functions.
Other Long Term Effects Of Marijuana include:
- Damage to the reproductive system
- Depression
In conclusion, using marijuana or any marijuana-infused product, medication or drug should be done with caution. Also, seek advice and guidance from reliable marijuana doctors.
