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24. Marijuana is tolerated despite its dangers By
Tom O'Connell Marijuana,
our widely used illegal drug, is tolerated in our society despite its
dangers to mind, body, and spirit. It took a long time for people to reduce
their denial about tobacco addiction, and it's also slow to get people to
accept the truth about the hallucinogen we call marijuana. We don't like to
change our habits. "Hey,
I'm not harming anybody, what's the big deal about having a little
pot?" As with other drugs, people rationalize their use of marijuana.
They use it to cope with life, to make life more satisfying, to get in touch
with deeper parts of the personality, to relax, to increase creativity, or
maybe even to delve into and possibly discover the meaning of life. But
when we take in life-damaging substances in a way that impairs our ability
to function to our full potential, what we're referring to unhealthy
dependence, or addiction. We're
also avoiding the kind of relating that is needed for mental health.
According to alcoholism pioneer Dr. Stanley Gitlow of Mt. Sinai Hospital in
New York, "Addiction is a disease in which any technique for adapting
to life is used other than interpersonal relating." Marijuana use
impairs relationships as users get caught up in craving, compulsion, lack of
control despite efforts to control consumption, and continuation of the
behavior in spite of life-damaging consequences. The
key words here are "life-damaging consequences." Just what are the
consequences of habitually taking marijuana? This complex drug with hundreds
of chemical ingredients has important effects on the user: Impairs
the ability to understand relationships and to express complex ideas.
Intelligence involves the ability to grasp relationships between concepts,
so marijuana affects intelligence. Users have trouble focusing on a topic
for any sustained length of time, i.e. they have memory problems. Irregular
sleeping habits and insomnia are common among users. Body movements and
balance are adversely affected by continued use. And blurred vision and
irregular visual perception are likely to occur. MOTIVATION
PROBLEMS-- Users
lose interest in vigorous activities and become depressed, moody, and
fatigued. Actually, they experience an inability to cope with life's
challenges. COMBINATION
WITH OTHER DRUGS-- When
taken with other substances such as alcohol, barbiturates , amphetamines,
etc., the effects of each drug are compounded and can easily become three
times more deadly than if they were taken alone. RESPIRATORY
SYSTEM-- Bronchial
tubes often become inflamed, leading to slight fever, chest discomfort, and
a nagging cough. Also, marijuana has more cancer-causing ingredients than
tobacco smoke. Smoking three or four joints a week is like smoking 16
cigarettes a day, seven days a week. Infected sinuses are common, and
eventually necessitate surgery. BLOOD
PRESSURE-- Elevated
heart rate is common, along with higher blood pressure. Aneurysms may occur,
and people with any kind of heart condition are increasing their health
risks by using marijuana. CELL
FUNCTION-- Abnormal
cell division may be triggered, and lower white cell immunity may occur.
This can cause increased bronchitis, sinusitis, flu, and viral infections
among users. REPRODUCTIVE
SYSTEM-- Among
the effects on the male reproductive system are decreased masculinity,
infertility, and inadequate sexual performance. Among women there can be
decreased femininity, irregular menstrual cycles,
problems of fertility, and dangers connected with pregnancy. So marijuana, the hallucinogen, can easily lead to unhealthy dependence. And this can lead to many problems. Some of the symptoms of marijuana dependence are confusion, loss of judgment, and distortion of time and space. Prolonged use can lead to severe depression, moodiness, fear of death, and panic attacks. And, as research continues, more life-damaging effects are uncovered. Is marijuana an "innocent" substance? |
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