Marijuana (cont.)
Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD
Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
In this Article
- Marijuana facts
- What is marijuana, and how is it abused?
- What is medical marijuana? How is medical marijuana prescribed?
- What are other names for marijuana?
- What is the history and different types of marijuana?
- Is marijuana addictive?
- What are the psychological and social effects of abusing marijuana?
- What are the physical effects of abusing marijuana?
- What are the treatments for marijuana abuse and addiction?
- Can marijuana abuse and addiction be prevented?
- What is the prognosis of marijuana abuse and addiction?
- Where can people find more information about marijuana abuse and addiction?
What are the psychological and social effects of abusing marijuana?
The bad effects of marijuana are numerous. For example, it can impair thinking, as in learning, and memory for several days after each time it is used. That risk seems to be even higher for people who score lower on IQ tests compared to those who score higher.
The social effects of smoking marijuana can be quite detrimental as well. Adolescents who use the substance are at higher risk of pregnancy, dropping out of school, delinquency, legal problems, and achieving less educationally and occupationally. Individuals who become dependent on marijuana tend to be less motivated, less happy, or satisfied with their life. They are also at risk for depression and for using larger amounts of alcohol and other drugs.
What are the physical effects of abusing marijuana?
In terms of how long marijuana tends to stay in your system, it can be detected on drug tests for about two weeks. Like many other chemicals that are ingested, marijuana can affect your body in many ways. It seems to be associated with an increased occurrence of certain cancers. It may also increase the risk of sexual dysfunction; statistics indicate that men who smoke or otherwise consume marijuana regularly are at higher risk of either having premature ejaculation or trouble reaching orgasm. Men and women who use this substance on a regular basis seem to have more sexual partners and to be more at risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases compared to those who do not use marijuana.
Marijuana's effects on the body and brain of a developing fetus seem to be clearly negative. Exposure to this substance before birth (prenatally) is associated with negative effects on fetal growth and body weight, as well as on the impulse control, focusing ability, learning, memory, and decision making in the child who was exposed to marijuana before birth. These negative effects by no means only affect babies who are exposed to marijuana before birth (in utero). Marijuana tends to negatively affect learning, judgment, and muscle skills in people who use marijuana by their own volition.
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