Marijuana addiction and complications
Managing Medical Complications of 5 Commonly Abused Substances:
Part 2: Marijuana
In our last blog entry, we discussed the side effects of heavy drinking and how it made our job in treating men for alcoholism all the more difficult.
If we’ve learned anything in this recent era of progressive marijuana legalization we’ve learned that marijuana is here to stay. Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug worldwide, and the recent prevalence of marijuana dispensaries in California is making the use of marijuana somewhat of an epidemic. New ways to ingest marijuana are now available, including edible marijuana and even drinkable marijuana mixtures (like tincture).
Here are some of the side effects of chronic marijuana use.
Pulmonary Complications
The vast majority of marijuana users use it by smoking it. Of course, smoking leads to pulmonary issues. Even infrequent marijuana use can possibly lead to burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, possibly accompanied by a heavy cough. Regular users may develop complications similar to chronic tobacco use: daily cough, chronic phlegm production, susceptibility to lung infections (such as acute bronchitis), and potential for airway obstruction.
Smoking marijuana can triple the likelihood that the user will develop cancer of the respiratory tract or lungs.
Cardiac Complications
Frequent marijuana use decreases blood pressure. The resulting symptoms may include:
- Dizziness
- Syncope
- Falls
- Injuries
Increased cardiac output and cardiac work—coupled with a decreased capacity to carry oxygen—can lead to angina or acute coronary syndrome. These developments are much more common in mature adults than younger users. Angina and acute coronary syndrome are even more likely in older adults with preexisting cardiovascular disease. Marijuana use has also been linked to cardiac arrhythmias.
Long-term heavy users of marijuana seem to develop tolerance to some cardiovascular effects, but blood volume overall increases, heart rate slows, and circulatory responses to exercise are diminished.
Cognitive Impairment.
Marijuana has been proven to reduce short term memory, but beyond that, there is a lot of debate about the severity of marijuana’s effects on the mind. Chronic marijuana users have demonstrated cognitive impairment—particularly on memory of word lists and attention tasks – but there is debate as to whether these effects are permanent or reversible. Some studies show persistent cognitive impairments in longer-term cannabis users, even after 2 years of abstinence. However, most studies suggest that marijuana-associated cognitive deficits are reversible and related to recent exposure.
Marijuana Addiction and Treatment
Most of the men who come to treatment at our facility are being treated for addiction to other substances (like cocaine, opiates, or alcohol). Still, many of them are marijuana users as well to the point of being psychologically addicted to marijuana. If you are concerned about your own marijuana use or the marijuana use of someone you love, please contact our team of intake specialists who will be able to answer questions about the use of the drug.
