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Effects of Using Marijuana
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. In 2006 over 14.8 million Americans ages 12 and over used it at least once in the month prior to being surveyed. In 2007 over 40% of high school seniors said they used it at least once in their life, and over 30% of those were in the previous year. People think that it won’t harm them because it comes from the ground and is natural. But in reality, marijuana is a dangerous drug that causes a lot of psychological and physical problems.
Marijuana is classified as a schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs have no accepted medical use in the United States and have a high potential for abuse. However, in 1996 proposition 215 was passed in California making it legal to posses and use it for medicinal purposes. The patient must obtain a license from a physician for this to apply; and even though it’s legal in California, the patient can still get into trouble with the law. Once patients have been charged, it is up to the courts to determine the validity of their medical claim.
Marijuana is a drug that is usually smoked. The smoke from this drug has 50-70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco. When it is smoked, it is usually inhaled and then left in the lungs longer than normal cigarette smoke causing deregulated growth of epithelial cells in the lung tissue. Frequent use can lead to a daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent chest colds, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways just like cigarettes.
Smoking marijuana is direct linked to heart conditions as well. Research shows that the smoker has quadrupled their chance of having a heart attack within the first hour. It increases heart rate and blood pressure and reduces the amount of oxygen your blood carries.
The active chemical in this drug is called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). When smoked, the THC rapidly passes from...