The effects of this plant on our body are becoming increasingly clear. Although many studies related to marijuana are still in the early stages, the number of them is growing. Tiffany Sanchez, an environmental health specialist from Columbia University, speaks about this. Discuss© Discover
So, what health consequences await a person if he uses marijuana? Besides minor side effects like short-term memory loss, recent studies have linked this herb to adverse effects affecting the lungs, heart, brain and gonads. For example, excessive marijuana use increases the risk of clogged arteries and heart failure, and can affect male fertility. Smoking weed also leads to chronic bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. Lead can also enter the human bloodstream from plants.
Excessive marijuana use, studies show, can aggravate or provoke schizophrenia, psychosis and depression in young people.
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Moreover, marijuana can pass into the fetus during pregnancy. Several studies have found that it is associated with low birth weight. Scientists also suspect that it increases the likelihood of newborns being hospitalized in intensive care units and stillbirths.
Cannabis and its derivatives are known to relieve pain. However, some studies note that this substance works little better than a placebo. Cannabis can also reduce nausea caused by chemotherapy, calm epileptic seizures, alleviate symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and be used as a sleeping pill. Recent studies have hinted that marijuana may slightly reduce opioid addiction, although this is also disputed.
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