There are a million reasons why people should not smoke marijuana. For starters, marijuana contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC but it also contains in excess of 400 additional chemicals too. The marijuana of the 2000’s is much more potent than the marijuana that was smoked back 30 or 40 years ago.
This newer strain of marijuana causes people’s heart and pulse to race, it impairs memory, hinders concentration, and it thwarts coordination and reaction time. In some people marijuana causes anxiety and panic. It is also proven to be psychologically dependent. Those who smoke marijuana develop a tolerance and need more to get the same effect as they once did.
For young people, marijuana is even worse.
Most teens who smoke marijuana lose interest in school and extracurricular activities. This may have a lot to do with the fact that marijuana damages the brain and hinders things such as thinking and comprehension. Teens also have a tendency to experiment further and use other drugs when they start young.
Since marijuana slows reaction times down it is not advised to smoke and drive. Marijuana also tampers with the reproductive system. It causes babies to be premature when the mother smokes it during pregnancy and it causes lower fertility rates in both men and women. In addition, marijuana does damage to both the heart and the lungs.
Marijuana increases the heart rate by up to 50% which can be dangerous. Because marijuana smoke is unfiltered, breathed in deeply and then held in it is more dangerous than cigarettes. Marijuana and its carcinogens can cause cancer. The threat is just as real as it is for smoking cigarettes.
Another problem with marijuana is that it sticks around for a very long time, even after the buzz is gone. Most illicit drugs are out of a person’s system within three days but not marijuana which can hang around for as long as 45 days. THC stores itself in a person’s fat tissues.
It is the natural job of the body to try to remove these chemicals so it converts them into metabolites. This is precisely why it takes so long to be able to test clean for marijuana on a urine test.
Marijuana has an impact on the central nervous system that will attach to the brain’s neurons and plays havoc on their ability to communicate with each other. It is these neurons that are responsible for short-term memory, for example. Out of all the chemicals found in marijuana, THC is the most problematic.
THC actually binds to the cannabinoid receptors and alters coordination, the thought process, and concentration. And that’s not all.
THC upsets the production of different neurotransmitters, which act as messengers in the brain. This can cause the onset of depression, personality disorders, and anxiety. Marijuana also damages a person’s emotions. This is brought about by the euphoric feelings that marijuana causes and why many people who smoke it display a carefree attitude while they are high.
There are countless reasons why a person should quit smoking marijuana. Marijuana causes people to feel sluggish, unmotivated, and often even lazy. People refer to this as feeling “burned out” and it is a syndrome that is all too well-known amongst pot smokers. The feeling of not having any motivation is enough reason for many smokers to stop.
A final thought to keep in mind is that smoking just one marijuana cigarette is the same as smoking between 2.5 and five cigarettes, depending on the potency. This means that it is certain that marijuana smoke can and likely will cause some type of respiratory problems.
Quitting marijuana can be a scary endeavor for some people and even for those who have tried to quit and have failed it is important to know that help is available. Quitting is an option and it can be done successfully.