Marijuana – the safe drug?

Before you believe the myths about marijuana – the safe drug – do a little research. Just because marijuana is legal in some states, and decriminalized in many, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Alcohol beverages are legal, but alcohol does more damage than all drugs put together. It’s not a matter of what’s believed about marijuana — only the facts matter.

There’s been lot of research on marijuana and, while not all of it’s conclusive, much of what’s been discovered regarding pot use is that it’s not a “safe” drug. There are consequences to pot smoking, and most of the consequences have to do with learning and motivation. Pot smoking negatively affects the ability to learn and concentrate. Memory is affected, especially when pot use starts in the teen or even pre-teen years. Below is a list of consequences taken from NIH:

Adverse Consequences of Marijuana Use

Acute (present during intoxication)

• Impaired short-term memory
• Impaired attention, judgment, and other cognitive functions
• Impaired coordination and balance
• Increased heart rate
• Anxiety, paranoia
• Psychosis (uncommon)

Persistent (lasting longer than intoxication, but may not be permanent)

• Impaired learning and coordination
• Sleep problems

Long-term (cumulative effects of repeated use)

• Potential for marijuana addiction
• Impairments in learning and memory with potential loss of IQ
• Increased risk of chronic cough, bronchitis
• Increased risk of other drug and alcohol use disorders
• Increased risk of schizophrenia in people with genetic vulnerability

In today’s workforce, a person needs all the intelligence they have — pot smokers are at a disadvantage from the start. Not only work, though  – what we’ve noticed in treatment is that continuous and frequent pot smoking tends to separate the pot smoker from others mentally and emotionally. It’s difficult in treatment to connect with a heavy pot smoker.  Marijuana – a safe drug? I don’t think so. At least a person should know the facts about pot and not live in a fantasy world where the perception is that pot smoking is consequence free.