Marijuana and its effect

For most of human history, marijuana has been completely legal. It’s not a recently discovered plant, nor is it a long-standing law. Marijuana has been illegal for less than 1% of the time that it’s been in use. Its known uses go back further than 7,000 B.C.

The marijuana (hemp) plant, of course, has an incredible number of uses. The earliest known woven fabric was apparently of marijuana, and over the centuries the plant was used for food, incense, cloth, rope, and much more. In the late 1600, marijuana was such a critical crop for a number of purposes (including essential war requirements – rope, etc.) that in Virginia the government went out of its way to encourage growth.

Nowadays though it is widely available and even acceptd in some communities, marijuana remains a legally restricted harmful drug. It’s main ingredient is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a mind-altering chemical. Marijuana produced today has a level of THC that is up to 25 times higher than the type sold in the 1960s. And depending on how it is “cut”, it can contain hundreds of other harmful chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

* Adversely affects normal cell formation.
* Produces feelings of isolation and depersonalization.
* Produces shakes, lack of coordination and headaches.
* Makes any mental or emotional problem worse.
* Increases the heart rate.
* Has 50 percent more tar per ounce than tobacco.
* Decreases air flow and creates loss of lung capacity in little more than a month of regular smoking.
* Produces chronic irritation of nasal and lung passages.
* Creates precancerous changes in the lungs of smokers in their 20s.
* Suppresses sex drive and sexual performance with prolonged use.
* Can lead to impotence.
* Harms the developing fetus.
* Is associated with increased still births, neonatal deaths, decreased birth weight and abnormal reactions in children born to mothers on marijuana.
* Decreases brain response, affects thinking and brain function, creates confusion and problems with short and long term memory, and distorts perception of time.
* Causes blackouts.
* Impairs driving skills. Studies show brake response time is increased, concentration is decreased and risk taking is increased.
* Distorts peripheral vision, especially in the first two hours after using.