Stop Smoking, Quit Smoking

Smoking Weed Effects - Harmful Effects of Smoking Grass

Weed goes by many names, such as cannabis, which is the scientific name, marijuana, ganja, pot, grass and hemp. Weed as been labeled an illegal drug for over a century.

Here are some of the most common harmful effects of smoking weed...

Trouble remembering things
Sleepiness
Anxiety
Paranoia
Altered time perception

Here are some of the other side effects of smoking pot that people see...

Dry mouth
Nausea
Headache
Decreased coordination Increased heart rate
Altered body temperature
Reduced muscle strength
Decreased cerebral blood flow
Increased food consumption
Anxiety and panic
Paranoia
Confusion
Aggressiveness

Although legalization activists and many marijuana users believe smoking weed has no negative effects, scientific research indicates that marijuana use can cause many different health problems.

Short-Term Effects

The short-term effects of weed include:

Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch)
Problems with memory and learning
Loss of coordination
Trouble with thinking and problem-solving
Increased heart rate, reduced blood pressure

Sometimes marijuana use can also produce anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic.

Effects on the Brain

When high doses of marijuana are used, usually when eaten in food rather than smoked, users can experience the following symptoms:

Hallucinations
Delusions
Impaired memory
Disorientation

Effects on the Heart

Within a few minutes after smoking marijuana, the heart begins beating more rapidly and the blood pressure drops. Marijuana can cause the heart beat to increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute, and can increase even more if other drugs are used at the same time.

Because of the lower blood pressure and higher heart rate, researchers found that users' risk for a heart attack is four times higher within the first hour after smoking marijuana.

Effect on Short Term Memory

Both those for and against the use of the weed agree that excessive use can affect short term memory.

Effects on the Lungs

Smoking marijuana, even infrequently, can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, and cause heavy coughing. Scientists have found that regular marijuana smokers can experience the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers do, including:

Daily cough and phlegm production
More frequent acute chest illnesses
Increased risk of lung infections
Obstructed airways

Marijuana contains more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke and because marijuana smokers usually inhale deeper and hold the smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers, their lungs are exposed to those carcinogenic properties longer.

One study found that marijuana smokers were three times more likely to develop cancer of the head or neck than non-smokers. Many researchers believe than smoking marijuana is overall more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco.

Other Health Effects

Research indicates that THC impairs the body's immune system from fighting disease, which can cause a wide variety of health problems.

One study found that marijuana actually inhibited the disease-preventing actions of key immune cells. Another study found that THC increased the risk of developing bacterial infections and tumors.