Marijuana Can Be Harmful To Your Health

[qwlauren35]

Last edited Sat Oct 5, 2024, 10:05 AM - Edit history (1)

As America’s Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Harms

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/04/us/cannabis-marijuana-risks-addiction.html?unlocked_article_code=1.P04.9LJf.AivlZpARCzws&smid=url-share

DISCLAIMER: My intention for posting this is not to return to "no marijuana". It's to point out that it's not safe for everyone, that it's not well studied, that it's potency is not well regulated, and a lot of these issues have to be addressed "after the fact". We basically put something on the market before all of the studies were done, and every once in a while, someone gets VERY sick. If you think about the drug advertisements on TV, they have to list the side effects and risks. No one does that with marijuana. I think that's a problem.

The NYT writes one-two sentence paragraphs, so you won't get the gist of the article if I post four. So I am taking some liberties to paraphrase the article into a few bullet points.

- due to the current government classification of marijuana, its effects and risks are not being studied, and doctors are unable to classify cannabis related illnesses. As a result, there's a lot of misdiagnosis, and people don't realize that cannabis is making them sick.

- due to lack of regulation in most states, there is no maximum potency that can be sold.

- one of the illnesses caused by marijuana use is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a condition caused by heavy cannabis use and marked by nausea, vomiting and pain. It can lead to extreme dehydration, seizures, kidney failure and cardiac arrest. In rare cases, it has caused deaths.

- many people are using marijuana to manage mental health issues like anxiety and depression; however, for a very small percentage of people, it can cause temporary psychosis (cannabis-induced temporary psychosis)and is increasingly associated with the development of chronic psychotic disorders.

-- almost all of the illnesses reported in the article are happening to ***heavy*** users. Starting at 20 times a month, and sometimes several times a day.

As marijuana legalization has accelerated across the country, doctors are contending with the effects of an explosion in the use of the drug and its intensity. A $33 billion industry has taken root, turning out an ever-expanding range of cannabis products so intoxicating they bear little resemblance to the marijuana available a generation ago. Tens of millions of Americans use the drug, for medical or recreational purposes — most of them without problems.

But with more people consuming more potent cannabis more often, a growing number, mostly chronic users, are enduring serious health consequences.

About 18 million people — nearly a third of all users ages 18 and up — have reported symptoms of cannabis use disorder, according to estimates from a unique data analysis conducted for The Times by a Columbia University epidemiologist. That would mean they continue to use the drug despite significant negative effects on their lives. Of those, about three million people are considered addicted.

While the drug can assist the endocannabinoid system, alleviate some symptoms of disease and otherwise make people feel good, regular heavy doses of it can also throw the system off balance. People must continue escalating their use to get the same effect. And quitting can cause anxiety, depression and other signs of withdrawal.

“Cannabis should not have a free pass as something that is safe because it’s legal — or safe because it’s natural — because actually it clearly causes harm in a number of my patients,