Marijuana: Legal Doesn’t Mean Safe

<div class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGHY3qnuk7a0EJTu4VsGkalXUYdjlYUSvsT9mrK0DnXQnvBsChea7I5w7vXQ2mvAGnwlstFIKfXN3LlYRp4H56onXPwq8_I2p3M5vayAaBR50D6tSLmLfbjo-C4jCoEXJbAJpx9Xr_Y8w/s1600/marijuana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGHY3qnuk7a0EJTu4VsGkalXUYdjlYUSvsT9mrK0DnXQnvBsChea7I5w7vXQ2mvAGnwlstFIKfXN3LlYRp4H56onXPwq8_I2p3M5vayAaBR50D6tSLmLfbjo-C4jCoEXJbAJpx9Xr_Y8w/s200/marijuana.jpg" width="200" /></a>Twenty-three<br />states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing some form of marijuana<br />use, and recreational use of marijuana is legal in four states and D.C. <o:p></o:p></div><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />Does<br />this growing trend to legalize marijuana mean we don’t need to worry about it?  About<br />one in 10 people who try marijuana will become addicted to it which means that<br />they most likely will use it in increasing quantities, develop tolerance (less<br />effect from it as time goes on), will have withdrawal symptoms if they try to<br />stop, and will find that the marijuana use is causing them to neglect other<br />important areas of their life like work, relationships and leisure<br />activities. </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvHyowBcXCeFZxYSGOkvXfwYuFk22rAVN05JXkuCiIjt7p9e7seLI7JGHQ5ZNEJtvZq0eaLS5fB4585S2HR-Vk-Uv8IH94pbPaoNqi-6Cf5Z2Hpb2YVVuOeGxMbOMX-auSuiKb0rwFCV5/s1600/marijuana+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvHyowBcXCeFZxYSGOkvXfwYuFk22rAVN05JXkuCiIjt7p9e7seLI7JGHQ5ZNEJtvZq0eaLS5fB4585S2HR-Vk-Uv8IH94pbPaoNqi-6Cf5Z2Hpb2YVVuOeGxMbOMX-auSuiKb0rwFCV5/s200/marijuana+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />Even<br />occasional use of marijuana can have negative effects.  hen someone has marijuana in his/her system,<br />short term memory is impaired, reflexes are impaired and judgment is<br />impaired.  These impairments can last 24<br />hours or longer after the use of the marijuana so it is certainly not safe to<br />drive after using marijuana. Most people will not be able to perform other<br />demanding tasks (work-related activities, childcare) at the level they are<br />accustomed to after using marijuana.  <o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />All the<br />evidence that we now have indicates that marijuana is possibly permanently damaging<br />to the developing adolescent brain. All<br />children should be strongly discouraged from using it at all until they are at<br />least 21 years of age. If marijuana is<br />smoked there are also potential physical health risks, such as damage to the<br />lungs or cardiovascular system.<o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /><br />For more information, see American Psychiatric Association’s  <a href="http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Learn/Archives/rd2013_MarijuanaMedicine.pdf">Resource<br />Document on Marijuana as Medicine</a>. <o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br />By Andrew Saxon, MD<o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />Professor and Director, Addiction<br />Psychiatry Residency Program<o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />University of Washington<o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />Director, Center of<br />Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education<o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />VA Puget Sound Health<br />Care System<o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />Seattle, WA <o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></div><br />

addiction adolescents health marijuana substance abuse teens Marijuana: Legal Doesn’t Mean Safe

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing some form of marijuana use, and recreational use of marijuana is legal...

Read more »