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What Marijuana (Cannabis) Can Do for Your Health and Wellness
Is Marijuana Addictive? Using marijuana can, in certain circumstances, lead to dependency on the drug — but it does not appear to create a dependency at the rate of alcohol or heroin. According to NIDA, an estimated 9 percent of marijuana users will become addicted to it. (28) That number goes up to about 17 percent among those who start using marijuana as teenagers. (28) In contrast, an estimated 32 percent may become dependent on tobacco, and an estimated 17 percent on heroin. (29) But experts think that it may not just be the chemical makeup of marijuana itself that’s causing the addiction — it may be that there are other societal and psychological factors at play when a person becomes dependent on the drug. How Else Will Marijuana Affect My Brain? Depending on your age, the dose, and how regularly you use it, marijuana does affect the brain, both in the moment and over time. The population that may experience the most pronounced effects are young people. “Across the board, it’s predominantly agreed that THC exposure when your brain is still under construction might not be beneficial,” says Gruber. Those who start using marijuana at a young age may be at greater risk for long-term effects on thinking and memory. This is because it affects the region of the brain responsible for executive functioning, which develops last. Executive functioning refers to the processes that have to do with decision making, problem-solving, planning, and memory. One study showed that teenagers who started smoking between ages 14 and 22 — but who stopped at 22 — had significantly more cognitive difficulties than those who did not smoke. (30) Another study found that adults who had started smoking marijuana before they were 17 showed significant impairments in verbal fluency, memory, and abstract reasoning. (31)
How Will Smoking Weed Affect My Lungs? Research has shown that long-term smoking can have negative effects on the respiratory system. (8) Because marijuana contains some of the same toxins and carcinogens as tobacco, regular users may experience: Chronic bronchitis Coughing Wheezing Increased phlegm production Decreased lung function Being a smoker of both tobacco and marijuana can intensify these symptoms — but they can be reversed if you stop smoking. (32) Will I Get Lung Cancer From Smoking Pot? While smoked marijuana has a similar toxin profile to tobacco, studies suggest only a weak association between cannabis smoking and lung cancer. So it’s very unlikely that you’ll develop lung cancer as a result of smoking only marijuana. (33) A large 2015 analysis of thousands of lung cancer cases found that between non-habitual marijuana smokers and habitual smokers, there was no statistically significant difference in the risk of developing lung cancer. (34) How Will Marijuana Affect My Heart? Marijuana can increase your heart rate, and there is a small chance that it could lead to more serious cardiovascular problems. After you smoke marijuana, your heart rate can increase by 20 to 100 percent. (35) This effect can last for up to three hours, according to NIDA. (36) This increase in heart rate could possibly make cannabis users more susceptible to heart attacks than nonusers, but the research on this isn’t sufficient, according to a 2017 report. (37) How Long Does Marijuana Stay in Your System? Even though marijuana’s effects usually only last for a few hours, THC can stay in the body for days or even weeks. (39) But the more you use the drug, the longer it can stick around. A single use can be detected by urine tests up to three days later. If you’re a heavy, chronic user, the drug can be detected up to 30 days after a single use. (40)
Can I Smoke Marijuana While I’m Pregnant? An increasing number of women — particularly those younger than 24 — are using marijuana while pregnant. (41) Women are finding that it can help treat the nausea, anxiety, and stress that can accompany pregnancy. But marijuana can be passed to infants through the placenta, just like other drugs that women are cautioned to avoid while pregnant. So what exactly are the risks? “That’s a big question,” says Judy Chang, MD, MPH, a professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Chang is currently researching the attitudes and beliefs of women who use marijuana while pregnant. She says that the major studies that have looked at use in pregnancy seem to suggest that children of mothers who consume marijuana while pregnant may experience negative cognitive effects. These studies found that children whose mothers used marijuana during pregnancy were at greater risk for difficulties with attention, memory, and impulse control later in childhood. (42) These children, other research has found, may also be more likely to grow up and use marijuana themselves. (43) “The key takeaway is that there may be some impact to the brain,” Chang says. “And no studies at all indicate a benefit.” In addition, these large studies might be outmoded. Chang points out that they were conducted at a time when the drug wasn’t as potent, and the main method of consumption was smoking. THC content has increased exponentially over the years, she adds, and people are consuming edibles more, which have a stronger effect. “Regular use used to mean smoking a joint three times a week,” says Chang. “The women we talk to are smoking more frequently than that, and they’re not necessarily using it in cigarette form.” Because it’s not quite clear how use can affect the children of mothers who consume the drug while pregnant or breastfeeding, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists discourages using marijuana during these times. (44) Mothers who are considering using marijuana while pregnant may also face another unwanted complication: Consuming the drug while pregnant is considered child abuse in at least 24 states. (45) Marijuana-Related Warnings Like alcohol and other drugs, using marijuana can impair your ability to drive, operate machinery, or perform any activity that requires you to be alert. According to reporting done in 2017 by The Denver Post, the number of fatal car crashes linked to marijuana use has risen sharply in Colorado since the state legalized it in 2012. The number has risen each year — and so has the potency of the marijuana found in the systems of those who died in these accidents. (46) There have also been reports of children being adversely affected after accidentally eating edibles intended for adults. If you are going to keep edibles around, make sure they are in a place where no children can find them.