Marijuana_and_Its_Effect_on_the_Human_Body

I feel that if smoking a cigarette is bad for your health then why is medical marijuana not bad for your heath. I did some research on this subject looking at the medical ramifications. I may be wrong but the following along with the feeling of people in general about the fact that it is an illegal drug is why most states will not approve its use. There is ongoing research about the effects of this drug on the human body due to the fact that widespread marijuana use has only become prevalent in this country within the last three decades, so the effects of long-term use are just beginning to become apparent. In my research I have found it is the most effective method of ingesting the active part of it---cannabinoids. Marijuana by many is said to one of the safest recreational substances available and this true because the scientific studies support the conclusion that cocaine, heroine, alcohol, and even cigarettes are more dangerous to a person health than marijuana. In addition, the celebrated pharmacological properties of cannabis have led thirty-six states to permit its use as a therapeutic drug for, among others, those suffering from AIDS; various painful, incurable and debilitating illnesses; the harmful side effects of cancer chemotherapy, and glaucoma. When smoked for the mere purpose of getting high it is found that marijuana affect health, brain function, and memory. When used in the medical arena, marijuana is like any other powerful prescription drug: it has potentially dangerous side effects, and the decision to use it to treat patients must involve the same balancing test as the one required for chemotherapy or AZT. I have broken down some of the effects of marijuana on the body systems because the most potent argument against the use of marijuana to treat medical disorders is that marijuana may cause the acceleration or aggravation of the very disorders it is being used to treat. Immune system Smoking marijuana regularly (a joint a day) can damage the cells in the bronchial passages which protect the body against inhaled microorganisms and decrease the ability of the immune cells in the lungs to fight off fungi, bacteria, and tumor cells. For patients with already weakened immune systems, this means an increase in the possibility of dangerous pulmonary infections, including pneumonia, which often proves fatal in AIDS patients. Respiratory System The main respiratory consequences of smoking marijuana regularly (one joint a day) are pulmonary infections and respiratory cancer, which has not been totally conclusively proven. The effects also include chronic bronchitis, impairment in the function of the smaller air passages, inflammation of the lung, the development of potentially pre-cancerous abnormalities in the bronchial lining and lungs, and, as discussed, a reduction in the capabilities of many defensive mechanisms within the lungs. Marijuana smoke and cigarette smoke contain many of the same toxins, including one which has been identified as a key factor in the promotion of lung cancer. It has been concretely established that smoking cigarettes promotes lung cancer (which causes more than 125,000 deaths in the US every year), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic bronchitis and emphysema) and increased incidence of respiratory tract infections. Mental Health, Brain function and memory In my research I found that marijuana is at the root of many mental disorders, including acute toxic psychosis, panic attacks (one of the very conditions it is being used experimentally to treat), flashbacks, delusions, depersonalization, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, and uncontrollable aggressiveness. Marijuana has long been known to trigger attacks of mental illness, such as bipolar (manic-depressive) psychosis and schizophrenia. In the short term, marijuana use impairs perception, judgment, thinking, memory, and learning; memory defects may persist six weeks after last use. In addition, marijuana use has many indirect effects on health. Its effect on coordination, perception, and judgment means that it causes a number of accidents, (car and otherwise). (Sarnia website) For further information, you may find the following sites helpful: • www.sarnia.com/GROUPS/ANTIDRUG/reality/updatejl.html, for information on links between marijuana use and mental health risks. • www.sarnia.com/GROUPS/ANTIDRUG/mrr/21.96.10.html, for more information on the indirect effects of marijuana on health • http://www.adf.org.au/drughit, the Australian Drug Foundation website • http://marijuananews.com/a_safe_ high_.htm a reprint of New Science magazine "Marijuana Special Report: A Safe High'" • http://marijuananews.com/claim_four.htm, an article about the similarity of long-term marijuana use effect on the brain to that of "hard" drugs • www.drugs.indiana.edu/publications/iprc/misc/smokescreen.html, for general information on the health risks of marijuana. • http://www.health.org, the homepage of the National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information, for general information on marijuana.