Posts Tagged marijuana risks

Marijuana May Aggravate Situation for MS Patients

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse, Tobacco Abuse on March 31st, 2011

According to Dr. Anthony Feinstein, who conducted studies on effects of marijuana to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), medicinal marijuana does not work in cases of people who have nerve damaging autoimmune diseases.

medical marijuanaIn a study published last Monday, multiple sclerosis patients should avoid marijuana to keep their situation from being heavily aggravated. Although there are states that have legalized the use of marijuana for medical treatments, it’s one that persons with the above mentioned illness should not welcome.

There have been tests that show those with MS did worse on psychological tests if they smoked marijuana. While marijuana might help those infected with other chronic diseases, and it may have treated symptoms and alleviated pain for some patients, it works negatively for those with MS. The study might not prove that marijuana can hasten mental decline, but Feinstein hopes it would be enough to discourage people from seeking this kind of therapy.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society puts 400,000 Americans with MS. Despite having about one in every six of them smoking marijuana, his study is considered a pioneer in taking into account the effect of the drug on patients. “There are just no data on the topic,” Feinstein, a psychiatrist at the University of Toronto, told Reuters Health.

To offer some insights on the matter, he and his colleagues made a research by having two groups of 25 patients each with MS, with one group allowed to use marijuana regularly while the other group remained non-users. All other factors controlled (age, stage of disease, etc.), their results showed that after 12 hours of marijuana therapy, almost two-thirds of the marijuana users were cognitively impaired and performed poorly on psychological tests. On the other group, only one-third of them had the same conditions.

Although Dr. Feinstein admits that reactions to treatments are still on an individual basis, he suggests that people with MS be prioritized in the continuing study of cannabis medical treatments before everything becomes too late.

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Marijuana Use May Affect Men’s Sexual Function

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on February 18th, 2011

There may have been marijuana users that claim enhanced sexual desire when using the pot, but new reports are coming out that suggest marijuana could bring sexual dysfunctions among male users.

marijuana menThere are early findings that the penis contains receptors for marijuana’s active ingredient and that young men should think twice about the long-term effects before developing a penchant for pot use. “It’s a strong message to our younger generations and younger men,” Rany Shamloul, a physician in the University of Ottawa and Queen’s University in Canada as well as in the University of Cairo, said.

Marijuana use is widespread among men who are at the peak of their sex life. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime puts 162 million people all over the world are using marijuana each year, and 22 million use it daily. Long-term effects are therefore very important fields of study as there could be millions affected in the future.

It is natural for pot users to focus on the upside rather than the downside. Sharon Johnson, a professor of social work at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, has published a study in 2004 in the journal of Archives of Sexual Behavior that marijuana users experience pain during sex and have slightly elevated risks of inhibited orgasms.

“What we are really missing are clinical studies,” Shamloul said. “We are stuck with only animal studies and molecular studies, and some clinical studies done in the ’60s and ’70s, most on a very small number of men… We need well-designed, placebo-control studies examining marijuana’s effect in both the short-term and long-term.”

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Do’s and Don’ts of Talking to Kids About Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Tobacco Abuse on December 19th, 2010

In a previous post, we shared with you the results of the Monitoring the Future survey, where it was revealed that there was an increase in the rates of pot smoking among teens.

parent teen talkA feature on U.S. Health News suggested that the best way to address this increase is to keep kids from experimenting with marijuana, and one of the steps that parents need to take in order to achieve that is by talking to them. Some experts share inputs regarding how this should be done, because talking to kids about drugs is a delicate task that, when done incorrectly, can achieve an opposite – and disastrous – effect.

Janet F. Williams, professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ committee on substance abuse, suggests treating a discussion about drugs to a young child in the same way that one would treat a safety issue, such as looking both ways before crossing the street. One can start about the dangers of smoking, and then move on to drugs such as marijuana, which can also bring harm to the body.

It is also suggested that parents take advantage of “teachable moments,” such as talking about a news story regarding a drug-bust and use that as a topic of conversation. It is also important to do research, as it is helpful to support talking about marijuana being addictive with fact-based research.

Things that parents should never do when talking to kids about drugs include lying, especially about their own experience with drugs. It is also not advisable to think that one conversation is enough.

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Marijuana Is Not For Everyone!

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Prescription Drug Abuse on April 25th, 2010

Medical marijuana has been found to help patients manage their pains and other symptoms associated with certain conditions such as nausea, neurogenic pain, glaucoma, asthma, multiple sclerosis, leukemia, Tourette syndrome, childhood mental disorders, alcohol abuse, epilepsy, hepatitis, cancers and more. This usefulness has prompted advocates to promote and fight for the legalization of marijuana in different states. Some have already heeded the calls; there are now 14 states with medical marijuana laws in place.

marijuanaWith medical marijuana getting the approval of legislators in certain U.S. states, questions are being raised — why is marijuana still prohibited in several other states?

The answer is simple — it is not for everyone.

While patients of specific illnesses may benefit from the effects of marijuana to the body, some should not even try it.

Impact of Marijuana to the Brain

THC finds brain cells, or neurons, with high concentrations of cannabinoid receptors, and binds to them. The areas of the brain most affected by marijuana are the hippocampus, the cerebellum, the basal ganglia, and the cerebral cortex. The hippocampus has a big role in the learning process, and THC may thus interfere with learning and memory. This is especially critical for children or teens whose brains are still developing.

Marijuana may also affect judgment, coordination and perception. Under the influence of marijuana, remembering things you have recently learned or driving a car may seem to be a challenge.

This is why a patient who needs marijuana must get a medical transcription from a doctor to make sure that one can really take benefit from the use of marijuana.

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Common Health Effects of Smoking Marijuana

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on February 13th, 2010

Marijuana has been one of the most prevalent drugs out there. Compared to other drugs like ecstasy or steroids, marijuana exists to be one of the most accessible and most popular drugs in the black market. Marijuana’s direct and long-term effect to the brain and body has a very wide variation because of its complicated chemical make-up, but there are still side effects that are common to most heavy marijuana users.

Here are some known effects of marijuana to the body and brain:

marijuana smokingPsychological Health

Studies have showed a relationship between marijuana use and an increase in depression, schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts and anxiety. Although scientists cannot be conclusive to whether or not the user has these symptoms even before the drug use, there is basis to believe that the marijuana intensified an already existing case.

The marijuana is known for its effect to a person’s disposition. The pleasure center of the brain produces an instant easygoing attitude that prevents the user to acknowledge potential threats. It also has been known to lower the resistance to negative outside influences and an impairment of the user’s judgement.

Health of Heart and Lungs

There have been studies that found that the risk of heart attack quadruples within the first hour after smoking marijuana. The hypothesis being that marijuana causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure thus causing a reduction in the body’s capability to carry oxygen.

The smoke from the marijuana joint also increases the risk of cancer. Marijuana, when smoked on a habitual basis, can lead to serious pulmonary consequences. In the short run, there might be a restriction in breathing, increased coughing and a lowering of resistance against diseases of the lungs such as pneumonia.

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