Show f f THE THC HUMAN SIDE IDE J h The Dangers of Marijuana Mar uana No Miracles in Gettin High By Diane Cashel Director of Drug Alcohol Education It seems like everyone is talking about marijuana Many people today mistakenly consider marijuana na as a harmless drug They prefer its effects to the more debilitating effects of alcohol depressants and stimulants Some like it because it contains no calories because it helps relax them or because they think it gives them a keen sense of absurd things But while some people people people peo peo- enjoy marijuana there are many dangerous physical and emotional effects that can cause or compound problems in peoples' peoples lives Usually marijuana is rolled into a joint and smoked and so it affects the lungs much like cigarettes cigarettes cigarettes ciga ciga- would do One joint equals four cigarettes in terms of carbon monoxide and one joint equals five cigarettes in terms of tar in the lungs We think there is a high correlation correlation correlation correla correla- tion between regular marijuana use and increased chance of lung can can- We are also seeing a higher rate of head neck bladder and esophagus cancers in people now in their fifties who were heavy marijuana users 30 years ago Remember these people were smoking a substance 6 10 times less strong than the marijuana today THC in the brain affects the pituitary gland the part of the brain that controls the release of sex and reproductive hormones Regular marijuana use in men will cause a decrease in testosterone and lower sperm count Users also report a decrease in sexual desire Are there term long-term genetic effects We know THC passes from the mother to the baby through the placenta Here is what we think In terms of sexual development female animals animals animals ani ani- mals which were given THC were found to show damage to the eggs in the ovaries Women are born with all of the eggs they will ever have In mice half of the eggs were dead and a quarter of the others were damaged making fertilization impossible This damage stops after the marijuana use stops Marijuana is both a depressant and hallucinogen It is a mind altering altering altering alter alter- ing substance Different people have different experiences depending depending depending depend depend- ing on how their brain responds to the drug Paranoia defensiveness and depression can also be as common common common com com- mon as feeling like everything's funny Impairments in learning memory perception and judgement are also negative effects of the drug As the years go on researchers will be gathering more information on marijuana use Marijuana use will not be going away but we need to gather information so that we know that marijuana use should not be taken lightly It is an illegal drug |