You have probably heard the claim that marijuana is less harmful than tobacco or alcohol.
We might find out that this is not true with more widespread use of more potent product. Too late? Arizona Prop 207, which legalizes marijuana and hashish, will be virtually impossible to change once it passes. A “yes” vote turns all 17 pages into law.
Dangers of marijuana that you might not have heard about include:
- Serious mental illness: Teenagers who smoke marijuana regularly are about three times as likely to develop schizophrenia. And 27% of people with schizophrenia had been diagnosed with cannabis use disorder, according to a 2010 review.
- Violent behavior: Despite its reputation for making users relaxed and calm, cannabis appears to provoke some patients to violence. In a Swiss study of 265 psychotic patients, young men with psychosis who used cannabis had a 50% chance of becoming violent over a 3-year period.
- Lowered IQ: Marijuana harms brain development, which is not complete until the early 20s. There was an average drop of 8 IQ points between age 13 and 38 in heavy users in teen and adult years, compared with no drop in never-users. There is a significant decrease in verbal memory for each 5 years of cannabis use, accompanied by a decreased size of working memory areas of the brain shown on functional MRI.
- Birth defects: A spectrum of neurologic impairments is seen, including some that mimic autism, and many heart and gastrointestinal anomalies may occur. Marijuana lingers in the system months after use is stopped. The father’s use may also harm the baby.
- Cancer: Marijuana contains more tar and carcinogens than tobacco, and marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and for a longer period.
- Impaired driving: Marijuana’s effects include distorted perceptions and impaired reaction time, attention span, and judgment. Users have a doubled risk of involvement in an auto crash.
- Cardiovascular disease: Users have an increased risk of stroke (26%), heart failure (10%), and sudden cardiac death.