TCU Daily Skiff Wednesday, April 21, 2004
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Frequently asked questions about marijuana

What are the short-term effects of marijuana use?
• problems with memory and learning
• distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch)
• trouble with thinking and problem solving
• loss of motor coordination
• increased heart rate

What are the long-term effects of marijuana use?
Findings so far show that regular use of marijuana or THC may play a role in some kinds of cancer and in problems with the respiratory and immune systems.

• Cancer — It is known that marijuana contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints a day may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.

• Lungs and airways — People who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems as cigarette smokers: coughing and wheezing. They tend to have more chest colds than non-users. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections like pneumonia.

• Immune system — Animal studies have found that THC can damage the cells and tissues in the body that help protect against disease. When the immune cells are weakened you are more likely to get sick.

What does marijuana do to the brain?
Some studies show that when people have smoked large amounts of marijuana for years, the drug takes its toll on mental functions. Heavy or daily use of marijuana affects the parts of the brain that control memory, attention and learning. A working short-term memory is needed to learn and perform tasks that call for more than one or two steps. Smoking marijuana causes some changes in the brain that are like those caused by cocaine, heroin and alcohol. Scientists are still learning about the many ways that marijuana can affect the brain.

— National Institute on Drug Abuse
 
 
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