THE SKINNY: Cannabis (commonly referred to as marijuana or weed) affects everybody in slightly different ways, but the impact it has on someone’s body and the risks associated are similar between users. Some side effects include slower reaction time, anxiety, hallucinations, increased appetite, respiratory problems, and impaired attention, memory, and learning skills.
Read more about what cannabis does to your body.
How Does Marijuana Work?
In layman’s terms: Basically, ingesting cannabis exposes the brain to THC (its main psychoactive ingredient), which causes the brain to release chemicals that can alter a person’s abilities and reactive time.
The more scientific explanation: When cannabis is ingested, THC passes into the bloodstream and is carried to organs including the brain. In the brain, THC connects to receptors on brain cells (or neurons) and influences the activity of those neurons, including the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which helps you feel pleasure. A neurotransmitter is simply a chemical that allows neurons to communicate, so when you ingest THC, you affect how your brain cells talk to one another.
Because it impacts the brain directly, cannabis can also affect your thinking, memory, coordination, senses and perception of time. These side effects can last even after the initial high wears off.
The Short-Term Side Effects of Marijuana
Cannabis affects everyone differently. Some common short-term side effects include:
- Impaired vision
- Slowed reaction time
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Increased appetite
- Respiratory problems
Why these things can happen
Like alcohol, cannabis is a depressant, a type of substance that slows the central nervous system, so consuming cannabis can lead to impaired vision and slower reaction time. This is why driving under the influence of cannabis is so dangerous.
Cannabis also acts as a stimulant to the heart, so it can increase heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety in users. This simultaneous slowing down and speeding up of one’s system can confuse the body.
More purified forms of THC can also create hallucinations, or false sensory perceptions, as a side effect. You can’t predict what hallucinations someone is going to have, and when someone is hallucinating, they are not going to react or behave the same as if no substance were in their brain. This can lead to them hurting other people, not just themselves.
Other short-term side effects on the body include increased appetite and respiratory problems.
Long-Term Side Effects of Marijuana
Brain Development is Essential
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Although the brain stops growing in size by early adolescence, the teen years are all about fine-tuning how the brain works.” This is because the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning, prioritizing and decision making, is one of the last to mature, usually around age 25.
Cannabis can have adverse long-term effects on people whose brains are still developing. Research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that using cannabis during this time can permanently impair attention, memory and learning skills.
Other Serious Long-Term Effects
Using cannabis before 25 can increase your likelihood of developing a substance use disorder as repeated use can lead to physical dependence or psychological addiction.
Smoking cannabis can also increase one’s risk of developing lung cancer or other lung diseases because inhaling a burning substance of any kind exposes the user to carcinogens. There is no healthy way to smoke.
If you or someone you know is struggling with cannabis misuse, our PreventEd counselors are here to assist. Please fill out this form to get in touch.
