Health
Q. What are the primary effects of using medicinal marijuana?
The most obvious effects of marijuana can be seen in the brain and nervous system. The immediate effect is a dulling of the senses, blunting of memory and concentration, and changes in behavior. Pain perception is altered, nausea is calmed, and appetite is stimulated. There is no current data concluding that permanent changes or actual changes occur in the brain with regular use.
Q. What are the benefits of using medicinal marijuana?
The National Institute of Health has come up with a list of
conditions that marijuana appears to be of benefit.
1. Stimulate appetite and relieve cachexia (the physical wasting
away of AIDS and cancer sufferers).
2. Control nausea and vomiting associated with cancer
chemotherapy.
3. Decrease intraocular pressure inside the eyeball for relief of
glaucoma.
4. Analgesia for pain management for a variety of conditions.
5. Neurological and movement disorders, such as muscle spasticity
and seizures.
6. Temporarily alleviates anxiety.
Q. What are the side effects of using medicinal marijuana?
The intoxication and effects on the nervous system lead to slowed reaction time and loss of coordination, which last for hours after ingestion. These effects make driving a car or operating machinery hazardous, and these activities should be avoided while under the influence of marijuana.Cannabinoids and THC also produce cardiovascular effects. Immediately after inhalation the heart begins to beat faster, the blood vessels dilate and blood pressure drops. This can cause dizziness and the sensation of palpitations in some people. Smoking marijuana is the most common form of ingestion, but is not the only one. There are hundreds of chemical compounds in the marijuana plant, and smoking delivers all of them along with the desired ones. The airways of the lungs are lined with tissues that have microscopic cilia, or little fingerlike extensions that ‘wave’ upwards from the lungs, to the mouth and nose. The purpose is to push mucus filled with foreign toxins back up and out of the lungs to the mouth and nose, where they can be swallowed or sneezed out. These cilia stop working with any kind of smoking, which means that the toxins (or organisms) trapped in the mucus have no way of escaping the lung.
The risks of using marijuana during pregnancy are unknown.
Q. What are the long term effects of using medicinal marijuana?
There is a documented, but mild withdrawal syndrome associated with the cessation of marijuana use after as little as a week. However this is not a common reaction and does not occur in the majority of users. The body does not become physically dependent.The symptoms of the withdrawal syndrome include: irritability, insomnia, mood swings, and mild depression.
A ‘drug holiday’ of at 1-3 weeks every 3-4 months is a good idea. This can help the patient differentiate side effects of marijuana from the possible symptoms of an illness.