MARIJUANA: 10 PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF SMOKING IT - ARTE - 2025

The marijuana or cannabis sativa is a drug commonly abused whose active ingredient is THC (delta-9-tetrahidrocarbocannabinol). The THC it contains is mainly found in the buds of the cannabis sativa plant, therefore, users of this drug usually consume only the crushed buds (“maría”), their pollen (“pollen”) or the pressed pollen (“ hashish").

The consequences of smoking marijuana are psychological and physical: it causes tolerance and psychological addiction, negative behavioral effects, damage to the brain and others that will be described later.

The origin of marijuana dates back to ancient China. The oldest known written record of cannabis use comes from the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 BC.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were also familiar with cannabis, while in the Middle East, the use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545 it spread to the western hemisphere where the Spanish imported it to Chile for use as fiber.

Marijuana, known as pot in some Latin American countries, is one of the most widely used drugs of abuse despite being illegal in most countries. Today there is an open debate about its legality as many consider it a soft drug. In fact, there are more and more countries where its use is considered legal, whether therapeutic or recreational.

Does marijuana cause harm? Is it really a soft drug? What harmful physical and mental side effects does it produce in our body? Are they negative or positive? And in our behavior are there noticeable changes before and after? Is it good for anything?

All about marijuana: key facts and information

This drug is usually consumed by smoking a mixture of the substance with tobacco to facilitate its burning and inhalation. This form of administration causes the effects to occur almost instantaneously since the active principle is absorbed through the capillary veins of the lungs and alveoli and quickly reaches the bloodstream and brain.

Once it reaches the central nervous system, THC binds to the CB1 receptors of the cannabinoid system. The existence of receptors for THC in our body is an indicator that our own body naturally generates substances that bind to these receptors and cause an effect similar to that of THC.

The endogenous substances that bind to this type of receptor are lipids and the best known are anandamide and 2-AG (2-arachidonylglycerol). In addition to cannabis, there are other products or substances that contain anandamides that bind to these receptors, such as chocolate.

In addition, the number of cannabinoid receptors in our central nervous system is greater than that of any other neurotransmitter, in certain areas of the brain their number is up to 12 times greater than that of dopamine receptors.

The cannabinoid system acts primarily in the cerebellum, which governs motor coordination; in the brain stem that regulates vital functions; and in the striatum, the hippocampus and the amygdala, responsible respectively for reflex movements, memory and anxiety.

Marijuana use is widespread worldwide and the number of users is growing. The following list details the countries where marijuana use is most widespread:

Source: United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. (2015). Use of drugs in 2013 (or latest year available). Obtained from UNODC: unodc.org

The increase in the consumption of this substance is due, among other factors, to the fact that more and more countries are joining the legalization of its consumption and cultivation, whether recreational or medicinal. In some countries, such as Spain, cannabis use has been decriminalized, that is, marijuana users are no longer socially frowned upon. In fact, several therapeutic effects on health are known.

The following figure shows the current legal situation of marijuana around the world:

Source: By Trinitresque (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

There is an intense debate about whether marijuana should be a legal drug or not, although I have a clear position on this issue, I prefer to keep it to myself and simply give the data for each person to decide for themselves.

Effects and consequences of marijuana

The following list of facts is especially intended for those who use or are considering using marijuana, although I believe that it is information of common interest and could be useful to anyone who wants to form an opinion about marijuana based on facts and reasons.

Affects the brain in the short term

As explained above, the active ingredient in marijuana (THC) binds to cannabinoid receptors, which triggers the release of dopamine from the reward system.

All substances, actions, objects, etc. that may be subject to an addiction cause this effect.

Produces psychological addiction

Due to the increased release of dopamine in the reward system, it creates a pleasant effect that works as a reinforcer and makes the person who consumes it want to continue taking it.

It does not produce long-term brain changes

Unlike other drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, it does not cause long-term brain changes. This means that the brain changes described in point 1 are transitory.

Does not produce physiological addiction

Physiological addiction occurs when long-term use of a substance produces permanent changes in the brain that create a discomfort effect when the person has not consumed the substance for a while (withdrawal syndrome).

Marijuana does not cause this type of addiction, since it does not produce long-term brain changes, so that people who consume this substance do so to achieve its positive effects, not to alleviate the negative effects of consuming it.

May produce unwanted behavioral effects

Although it does not cause long-term changes in the brain, the brain changes it causes last for a time in the brain (approximately 2 hours). Therefore, if marijuana is used with a high frequency, the brain does not have time to recover between takes.

This is what happens in some chronic users of large quantities, in them the brain does not recover and the amotivational syndrome occurs. This syndrome is characterized by a loss of interest and motivation to do anything, even to practice hobbies or do something that the person enjoyed doing.

Causes tolerance

The brain gets used to the changes produced by marijuana and each time higher doses of this substance are needed for the person to notice the same effects, therefore, the dose and frequency increases, and it can become a chronic consumer.

Stimulating and sedative effect

In addition to these effects, at low doses it can cause euphoria, decrease in certain pain (for example, eye), decrease in anxiety, accentuate sensitivity to colors and sounds, decrease in short-term memory (recent memories), slowing of movements, stimulation of appetite and thirst and loss of awareness of time.

At high doses it can induce panic, toxic delirium and psychosis.

It can favor the appearance of diseases

The fact of consuming it smoked mixed with tobacco favors the appearance of diseases related to tobacco consumption, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

May induce schizophrenia

In a study with rats by Dr. Kuei Tseng it was found that the administration of THC in adolescent rats caused a deficit in the maturation of the GABAergic connections of the ventral hippocampus with the prefrontal cortex, which would cause a decrease in impulse control.

This maturation deficit is also found in patients with schizophrenia, but it is not the only cause of the development of this disease. To develop schizophrenia, it is necessary to have a genetic predisposition and to live in a certain environment.

Therefore, the mere fact of consuming marijuana during adolescence cannot cause schizophrenia, but it can induce it in people with a genetic predisposition and increase the chances of suffering it.

Therapeutic properties

Cannabis has therapeutic properties such as anxiolytic, sedative, relaxing, analgesic and antidepressant.

It is recommended in low doses for numerous diseases that cause pain and anxiety such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic pain or some types of cancer.

Quoting Ana Pastor from El Objective (La Sexta): "these are the data, hers are the conclusions."

7 Curiosities about marijuana

Multitude of names

In the United States and other Anglo-Saxon countries it is also known as «grass, pot, dope, Mary Jane, hooch, weed, hash, joints, brew, reefers, cones, smoke, mull, buddha, ganga, hydro, yarndi, heads and green".

Discoverer of marijuana

Shennong, a character from Chinese mythology who supposedly participated in the founding of this civilization 5000 years ago, is considered the discoverer of the medicinal properties of dozens of plants.

This includes cannabis, whose female plants were, according to him, good for relieving gout, rheumatism or menstrual cramps. To prove it, he tested each and every plant, some even poisonous. Furthermore, to discover its medicinal power, he even consumed about 70 different concoctions in one day.

More cannabis "stores" than starbucks

According to the health authorities of the state of Colorado, which legalized the recreational and medicinal use of cannabis in 2014, there are more dispensaries than Starbucks stores: by the end of 2015 there were 269 of the former, while there were only 248 Starbucks.

Legality in Rastafarians

In 2008, an Italian court ruled that members of the Rastafarian religion could possess large amounts of marijuana.

This was his response to the arguments made by a man arrested with 100 grams of weed, who explained that cannabis was sacred to his creed. Currently, the country has a bill in parliament to legalize the plant.

First online sale

It is said that the first online sale was of marijuana. It was made in the 1970s by some students at Stanford University using ARPANET, the network created to connect institutions and promoted by the United States Department of Defense.

This network was the origin of what the internet is today. Apparently they contacted colleagues at MIT about the sale of a certain amount of weed. However, some people don't consider this the first cyber transaction as it never materialized.

Legality in North Korea?

There is an unfounded rumor on the internet that smoking marijuana in North Korea is legal. But is not the case. Apparently a reporter saw a North Korean rolling a cigarette in the middle of the street and thought it was cannabis. He told it and it went viral.

Growth in Bhutan

Cannabis grows uncontrollably in Bhutan, but its people do not use it for smoking, but as feed for pigs.

However, as a consequence of access to international media, tourist arrivals and changes in the lifestyle of its citizens, they have finally started smoking cannabis. Personal consumption continues to be prohibited by the authorities.

References

1. Caballero, A., Thomases, D., Flores-Barrera, E., Cass, D., & Tseng, K. (2014). Emergence of GABAergic-dependent regulation of input-specific plasticity in the adult rat prefrontal cortex during adolescence. Psychopharmacology, 1789–1796.
2. Carlson, NR (2010). Drug Abuse. In NR Carlson, Physiology of behavior (pp. 614-640). Boston: Pearson.
3. Sidney, S. (2002). Cardiovascular Consequences of Marijuana Use. Journal of Clinical Pharma, 42, 64S-70S.
4. Stahl, SM (2012). Reward disorders, drug abuse and their treatment. In SM Stahl, Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology (pp. 943-1011). Cambridge: UNED.
5. United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. (2015). Use of drugs in 2013 (or latest year available). Obtained from UNODC.
6. United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. (2015). World Drug Report 2015. Obtained from UNODC.