420 Controversy: Is Marijuana a Harmless Drug?

Marijuana has been touted since the 60's as a 'safe', 'natural' drug used to help people relax and have a good time. While cigarettes have been denounced as cancer-causing, dangerous, and a second-hand menace to anyone in the vicinity, and rightly so, it seems that marijuana has escaped any social stigma and is the 'cool' drug to take in high school, just as cigarettes were back in the days of '56 Chevies and sock-hops.

"What are the real risks of smoking marijuana in today's youth?" asks Mary Rieser, Executive Director of Narconon Drug Rehab Georgia. "The real risk is the perception that marijuana is harmless and the real facts are often not known. Marijuana use can lead to marijuana addiction, health probleems, and the use of other drugs. Know the facts. Among marijuana users today, known as 4-20, is a symbolic day for users to spark one up. '420, National Weed Day' is celebrated, albeit informally, across the world. Know the facts."

Many of the things Americans “know” about marijuana are myths or misperceptions. People need to know the truth about this harmful drug.

M Y T H 1

Marijuana is harmless.

Marijuana is far from harmless; in fact, recent scientific findings about the drug are startling.
Most of the drug treatment for young people in the United States is for marijuana alone. Marijuana emergency-room mentions have skyrocketed over the past decade, and the drug is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, even when personality traits and pre-existing conditions are taken into account.

FACTS:

Health Consequences

• Marijuana smoke contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. Using marijuana may promote cancer of the respiratory tract and disrupt the immune system.
• Marijuana smokers have a heightened risk of lung infection.
• Long-term use of marijuana may increase the risk of chronic cough, bronchitis, and emphysema, as well as cancer of the head, neck, and lungs.
• Mentions of marijuana use in emergency room visits have risen 176 percent since 1994, surpassing those of heroin.
• In 2001, marijuana was a contributing factor in more than 110,000 emergency department visits in the United States.
• Marijuana can cause the heart rate, normally 70 to 80 beats per minute, to increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute or, in some cases, even to double.
• In a 2003 study, researchers in England found that smoking marijuana for even less than six years causes a marked deterioriation in lung function. The study suggests that marijuana use may rob the body of antioxidants that protect cells against damage that can lead to heart disease and cancer.
• Marijuana affects alertness, concentration, perception, coordination, and reaction time— skills that are necessary for safe driving. A roadside study of reckless drivers in Tennessee found that 33 percent of all subjects who were not under the influence of alcohol and who were tested for drugs at the scene of their arrest tested positive for marijuana. In a 2003 Canadian study, one in five students admitted to driving within an hour of using marijuana.
• Smoking marijuana leads to changes in the brain similar to those caused by the use of cocaine and heroin.
• Marijuana users have more suicidal thoughts and are four times more likely to report symptoms of depression thanpeople who never used the drug.
• The British Medical Journal recently reported: “Cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, consistent with a causal relation. This association is not explained by use of other psychoactive drugs or ersonality traits relating to social integration.”

Social Consequences

• Heavy marijuana use impairs the ability of young people to concentrate and retain information during their peak learning years. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active chemical in marijuana, changes the way sensory information gets into and is processed by the part of the brain that is crucial for learning and memory.
• Animal studies indicate that marijuana use may interfere with brain function and create problems with the perception of time, possibly making the user less adept at tasks that require sustained attention.
• Marijuana use has been associated with poor performance in school. One report showed that youths with an average grade of D or below were more than four times as likely to have used marijuana in the past year as youths with an average grade of A.
• Marijuana users in their later teen years are more likely to have an increased risk of delinquency and more friends who exhibit deviant behavior. They also tend to have more sexual partners and are more likely to engage in unsafe sex.

Economic Consequences

• Use of marijuana and other illicit drugs comes at significant expense to society in terms of lost employee productivity, public health care costs, and accidents.
• Americans spent $10.6 billion on marijuana purchases in 1999.

Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy

“Someone suffering from marijuana addiction needs as much help as someone suffering from any other drug addiction,” comments Ms. Rieser. “Get them the help they need.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with an marijuana or other drug problem, contact Narconon today for immediate assistance.  Visit www.drugsno.com or call 1-877-413-3073.

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