slimvictor
Bluelight Crew
OK, so marijuana is now legal in Washington state. But does that mean it's good for you?
"Daily use increases the risk of becoming dependent," says Roger Roffman, a professor emeritus at the University of Washington's School of Social Work. He supported Initiative 502, which called for the legalization of a small amount of marijuana for adults 21 and older in Washington.
Roffman says there are positive effects of marijuana use: It can help people relax and interact with others. It also can enhance some sensory experiences, like listening to music. And consumption for medical purposes can reduce symptoms of disease and treatments of disease, he says.
But dependence can cause impairment or distress, and effects that interfere with other areas of life, he says. "It's fairly common for people who are using marijuana regularly to complain that their ability to think clearly is impaired -- to remember, to organize their thoughts, to follow through with multitasking."
TLC, the active ingredient in marijuana "hijacks and corrupts" the natural process of endocannabinoids, a key family of chemicals that help guide the brain in proper maturation, says Ruben Baler, a neuroscientist with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). These chemicals "play key roles in memory formation, learning, decision-making," says Baler.
Not everyone who uses marijuana regularly experiences problems with thinking and memory, says Roffman. But researchers have not been able to predict which users will which won't.
"One of the main contributors to worse outcomes (of marijuana use) is the age at which you start," says Baler. "So we are particularly worried about young people who are using the drug."
The concern, especially for young people, "is that you're performing sub-optimally during those years when you should be working at peak levels of performance," he says. And with day-after-day use, the drug has a cumulative effect on achievement. Studies show that when marijuana is used chronically, "people achieve lower in academics, job performance and life satisfaction," says Baler. "It's difficult to understand why kids working so hard on their education, would engage in an act that would lower their chance of success."
And yes, marijuana is addictive, adds Baler. Approximately 1 in 5 people will become addicted. They can become quite ill if they try to quit. "There are many people who go into treatment to get over an addiction to marijuana."
cont at
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/06/nih-marijuana-effects/1751011/
"Daily use increases the risk of becoming dependent," says Roger Roffman, a professor emeritus at the University of Washington's School of Social Work. He supported Initiative 502, which called for the legalization of a small amount of marijuana for adults 21 and older in Washington.
Roffman says there are positive effects of marijuana use: It can help people relax and interact with others. It also can enhance some sensory experiences, like listening to music. And consumption for medical purposes can reduce symptoms of disease and treatments of disease, he says.
But dependence can cause impairment or distress, and effects that interfere with other areas of life, he says. "It's fairly common for people who are using marijuana regularly to complain that their ability to think clearly is impaired -- to remember, to organize their thoughts, to follow through with multitasking."
TLC, the active ingredient in marijuana "hijacks and corrupts" the natural process of endocannabinoids, a key family of chemicals that help guide the brain in proper maturation, says Ruben Baler, a neuroscientist with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). These chemicals "play key roles in memory formation, learning, decision-making," says Baler.
Not everyone who uses marijuana regularly experiences problems with thinking and memory, says Roffman. But researchers have not been able to predict which users will which won't.
"One of the main contributors to worse outcomes (of marijuana use) is the age at which you start," says Baler. "So we are particularly worried about young people who are using the drug."
The concern, especially for young people, "is that you're performing sub-optimally during those years when you should be working at peak levels of performance," he says. And with day-after-day use, the drug has a cumulative effect on achievement. Studies show that when marijuana is used chronically, "people achieve lower in academics, job performance and life satisfaction," says Baler. "It's difficult to understand why kids working so hard on their education, would engage in an act that would lower their chance of success."
And yes, marijuana is addictive, adds Baler. Approximately 1 in 5 people will become addicted. They can become quite ill if they try to quit. "There are many people who go into treatment to get over an addiction to marijuana."
cont at
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/06/nih-marijuana-effects/1751011/
