Cannabis, which is an illegal drug after all, although it has countless different names, is the dried flower, leaves, seeds and branches of the cannabis plant. Although it is legal to use in some countries, it is considered an illegal drug in most of the world, especially in the United States of America. Although the fact that it is herbal gives it an innocent mask, what comes out when you remove the mask is really creepy.
The cultivation, sale and use of cannabis, which is considered an illegal drug in our country, is a crime. Even setting aside the legal limits, what cannabis use does to the body and brain is truly troubling. Negative effects on human health and social life manifest themselves as permanent and temporary damages. Let’s take a closer look at the harms of cannabis use in different areas.
Harmful effects of cannabis use:
Addiction: The hardest habit to break
Marijuana addiction, called marijuana use disorder, is the use of cannabis. It is seen in 3 out of 10 people. 10% of cannabis users have this addiction. Those who use cannabis in early teens or adolescence are more likely to become addicted. The use of cannabis, which first starts with enthusiasm and curiosity, turns into an addiction in a short time, and the amount of use is gradually increased.
Brain health: Addicts live like a vegetative state
Marijuana directly affects memory, learning, attention, decision making, coordination, emotion and reaction part of the brain. Marijuana has a short-term negative effect on all of these parts of the brain in the first 24 hours. In long-term use, the negative effect on the same parts increases and the person develops permanent attention deficit, learning difficulties and memory loss over time.
Cancer: Doesn’t cure, makes it worse
The biggest claim of countries that legalize cannabis use is the therapeutic effect of cannabis on cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy Scientific studies prove that cannabis use does not have any positive effect on cancer cells. On the contrary, it has an effect that increases the number of cancerous cells in lung and respiratory tract cancers and testicular cancers, just like cigarettes.
Driving: Increases accident risk by slowing reaction time
Even the most novice drivers know that when driving, your full attention should be on the road, even if you are traveling at low speed. So what does marijuana do? It slows down your reaction time, obscures your decision-making ability, disrupts your coordination and distracts your perception. When you get behind the wheel like a plant, you can neither stop nor control the speed when you see a pedestrian, and as a result, even a small mistake causes a fatal accident. It is also illegal to drive under the influence of drugs, such as drunk driving.
Heart health: Increases the risk of heart attack and stroke
As soon as a person inhales cannabis smoke, the heart rate increases and blood pressure rises. These are not good things. Increased heart rate and increased blood pressure increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. A review of reports of people suffering from heart attacks and strokes in the United States reveals that the majority, especially teenagers, use marijuana.
Lung health: Cancer, emphysema and COPD are inevitable
Cannabis is generally burned with different methods and used by inhaling the smoke like cigarettes. Marijuana smoke has toxins, irritants, and carcinogens, just like tobacco smoke. All these substances damage lung tissues, causing scarring and damage to small blood vessels. As a result, lung cancer, emphysema, and COPD become inevitable diseases.
Mental health: Causes schizophrenia and hallucinations
Marijuana use causes bad thoughts, anxiety, paranoia and mood disorders in the short term. In the long term, transient psychosis, schizophrenia and hallucinations occur. The emergence of schizophrenia is inevitable, especially in people who use cannabis in early youth and adolescence. Some experts have also established a direct link between social anxiety and suicidal thoughts and cannabis.
Pain relief: No more effective than drugs
The reason why patients are allowed to use cannabis, especially in some states of the United States, is the pain relief effect. Marijuana does indeed reduce chronic pain caused by damaged nerves. However, there are countless drugs produced for the same purpose. Studies have found no results suggesting that marijuana is much more effective than other pain medications. So the use of cannabis as a pain reliever is just an addict’s excuse.
Pregnancy: It ends the life of the unborn child before it even begins
To start with an emotional reaction, no woman who is human, even a little sane, smokes or drinks alcohol while pregnant. Does not use a drug such as marijuana. It prevents the development of both body and brain health of the fetus. It increases the risk of miscarriage. It causes the emergence of diseases that children born will suffer throughout their lives. Breastfeeding mothers should also not use alcohol, cigarettes or marijuana because these substances pass directly to the baby through milk.
Passive smoking: It’s as bad as smoking
Just like tobacco smoke, cannabis smoke also has harm caused by passive smoking, that is, exposure to this smoke. In other words, saying that I do not drink, but I have been in a smoking environment is just as harmful as drinking. The effects are almost the same. If a person who uses cannabis is affected by all of the above-mentioned harms, the person exposed to cannabis smoke is also affected by 75% of these harms. Just as you do not use marijuana yourself, do not allow it to be used with you, especially around babies and children.
Conclusion: Is cannabis harmless?
All the data and information we have shared in this article have been shared by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC and are only a portion of the aforementioned damages. It’s really creepy that for some reason in recent years, marijuana use has been talked about as if it’s harmless and cool in so many pop culture items. Marijuana is a drug and causes death in the long run.
The fact that it is herbal and looks innocent because it looks like a cigarette does not change the fact that it is a drug. Even when we leave aside the fact that it is illegal, its negative effects on body and brain health are indisputable. Please keep in mind that doing sports, eating healthy, reading books and improving yourself will be much more beneficial than breathing a smoke in the long run. Do not hesitate to seek help from experts in case of addiction.
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