Marijuana, weed, pot, grass, reefer, ganja, Mary Jane, Blunt, Joint, Roach and Nail
All of the names above are the street names used for Marijuana. It is perhaps just as popular or more popular than smoking traditional cigarettes, particularly among our younger population with far more deadly effects. Because marijuana has been around so long, it is estimated that 40% of the population has used marijuana at some point in their lives. That equates to about 97 million people.
Marijuana does not have the same reputation as other drugs like cocaine or heroin as a drug of choice for most drug addicts, but none the less it is still a drug with deadly consequences when used. Unfortunately it is more widely accepted and overlooked as an addictive drug.
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the US. The percentage of youth between 12 -17 is at high risk of using the drug at least once a month. These statistics haven’t changed much from 1999 to present day.
If you were ever curious and wondered if smoking weed is healthy, here are some facts that will quickly change your mind and I urge you to.
- Marijuana affects your brain
THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) the psychoactive compound in marijuana, damages the nerve cells in the brain that controls memory. It affects your ability to control yourself and your sense of time. Your reaction time for motor skills such as driving is reduced by 41% after smoking one joint, and 63% after smoking two.
- Marijuana affects your lungs
Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, including some of the most harmful substances found in tobacco smoke. Smoking one marijuana cigarette deposits about 4 times more tar into the lungs than filtered tobacco cigarettes. It will injure and destroy lung tissue, and the smoke from marijuana contains 50% – 70% more cancer causing chemicals than the smoke from tobacco.
- Marijuana affects other aspects of your health
The risk of heart attack is 5 times more than usual in the hour after smoking a marijuana cigarette. It affects your immune system and increases your chances for severe chest colds. Some research has shown where after prolonged use, it can increase the risk of developing mental illness.
There is nothing good to come out of using marijuana. There has been well over 7,000 published scientific and medical studies documenting the damage derived from smoking weed. Not one of them indicate marijuana to be safe. So is smoking weed healthy? That would be a big fat NO!
Through public health and education, it is hoped to drive the point home of the harmful effects of marijuana. Statistics are alarming particularly for our youth population. Our efforts to educate is helping but more needs to be done.
