image by: Holly Area Community Coalition

HWN Suggests

As America’s Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Harms

A $33 billion industry has taken root, turning out an ever-expanding range of cannabis products so intoxicating they bear little resemblance to the marijuana available a generation ago. Tens of millions of Americans use the drug, for medical or recreational purposes — most of them without problems. But with more people consuming more potent cannabis more often, a growing number, mostly chronic users, are enduring serious health consequences. The accumulating harm is broader and more severe than previously reported. And gaps in state regulations, limited public health messaging and federal restraints on research have left many consumers, government officials and even medical practitioners in the…

read full article

Featured

 It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem

Not surprisingly, greater THC potency has contributed to more addiction and illness. The appropriate response is both to make illegal any marijuana product that exceeds a THC level of 60 percent and to impose higher taxes on potent forms of pot, much as liquor is taxed more heavily than beer and wine.

Articles of Interest

Cannabis users who are self-medicating run higher risk of paranoia, study finds

Those who take drug because of pain, anxiety or depression found to be more likely to develop paranoia than recreational smokers.

I traded booze for THC drinks. But are there hidden risks?

Even in a best-case scenario where you’re buying from a responsible operator, THC isn’t as harmless as many believe. A recent study led by researchers at the University of California at San Francisco found people who regularly used marijuana in either smokable or edible form had reduced blood vessel function comparable to tobacco smokers. This is associated with a greater risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular issues.

Psychosis is the last marijuana side effect you should be worried about

Reefer madness—the idea that marijuana drives most of its users to commit crimes and descend into sin—is an ableist morality fable. But for a specific population of marijuana users, there is a link between pot use and mental health. A study published yesterday in The Lancet Psychiatry underlines that link as well as providing some new detail on who is at risk. But overemphasizing the connection poses its own problems.

The Health Hazards of Legalizing Marijuana

“Regular recreational marijuana users had psychotic disorders at a greater rate than any other recreational drug. More than cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, LSD, PCP, or alcohol. The risk of negative mental health effects is increased about five times by regular use of high potency marijuana.” High potency refers to the fact that the commercialized pot sold legally today is not the same naturally grown weed smoked by constituents of the counterculture.

Cannabis and Brain Health

Cannabis affects brain development. Cannabis use directly affects brain function — specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision-making, coordination, emotions, and reaction time.

Cannabis Poisonings Are Rising, Mostly Among Kids

As products like weed gummies proliferate, more children and teens are suffering symptoms including seizures and life-threatening breathing problems.

Cannabis use could double risk of heart deaths, study suggests

Experts say research from University of Toulouse raises ‘serious questions’ about health risks of cannabis.

Does high-potency cannabis impair mental health?

Why researchers are raising red flags about super-concentrated pot—especially among teens.

Does Weed Ruin Your Workout Gains?

In a paper about cannabis use in female athletes, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in March, researchers found there was actually no difference in body composition, heart function or strength between weed users and non-users. They compared female athletes who were long-term users of cannabis and those who weren’t, and the only change seemed to be that those who used cannabis weren’t as powerful, but had better endurance.

Health Risks From Cannabis May Grow as Users Age

More older people are using cannabis products regularly, but research suggests their cannabis-related health problems are also on the rise.

How does cannabis affect the body?

Experts say regular cannabis users are at higher risk for a host of negative health impacts, from depression to heart disease.

How Harmful is Marijuana?

The most heated arguments over medical marijuana do not concern its ability to alleviate patients' symptoms but rather its potential danger to individual users and to society.

How safe is your weed?

Millions of Americans use cannabis and would like to think the products they buy are safe. But regulation is state by state and full of holes. NPR's new series digs into the risks and solutions.

It’s Time for a New Discussion of Marijuana’s Risks

You may reasonably decide the benefits outweigh the harms, but you should know about those potential harms.

Lifelong Marijuana Use Correlated With Troubled Middle Age

The cause and effect might not be so straightforward.

Long-Term Marijuana Use Could Have Zero Effect on IQ

Last summer, a study found that long-term cannabis use reduced cognitive skills. A new study seems to say the opposite.

Marijuana Use Might Be Wrecking Your Heart

According to research published in the journal Heart, cannabis use is linked to a doubled risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, a 29 percent higher chance of acute coronary syndrome, and a 20 percent greater risk of stroke. The researchers crunched data from 24 studies spanning 2016 to 2023, making it one of the most comprehensive looks at how sparking up might mess with your heart. They admit some faults in the data, like imprecise measurements of how much cannabis was consumed, which doesn’t change the overall picture: marijuana’s health risks are real.

Marijuana’s Links to Heart Attack and Stroke Are Becoming Clearer

The evidence is stacking up that the drug is associated with a greater likelihood of heart problems.

More Kids Are Accidentally Eating Marijuana Edibles, Study Finds

Children younger than six years old account for about 40 percent of all calls to poison control nationally, lead author Marit Tweet, an emergency medicine doctor at SIU Medicine in Springfield, Illinois, tells NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee. “They can get into things, and you can’t really rationalize with them,” she tells the publication. With a marijuana edible, “they think it looks like candy, and maybe, they just want to eat it.”

Mounting research points to health harms from cannabis, THC and CBD use during pregnancy, adolescence and other periods of rapid development

People often assume there’s no risk when using cannabis or cannabinoids during vulnerable periods of life, but they’re basing that on little to no data. Our research and that of others suggests that cannabis use during pregnancy and adolescence can present myriad health risks the public should be aware of.

Nobody really knows what smoking pot does to your lungs

You shouldn't assume smoking a joint is harmless.

Psychosis, Addiction, Chronic Vomiting: As Weed Becomes More Potent, Teens Are Getting Sick

With THC levels close to 100 percent, today’s cannabis products are making some teenagers highly dependent and dangerously ill.

Stoned Age: The Real Risks of Getting High

From states making it legal to stars making it mainstream, marijuana seems like less of a big deal every day. But don't let the fuzzy stuff fool you—when you take a hit, so does your body.

Study Claims Marijuana Is Addictive, Damaging to the Brain, and Linked to Schizophrenia

Many of Hall’s findings pointed toward correlations between marijuana use and “adverse effects,” including addiction, brain impairment, low school attainment, harder drug use, and psychiatric disorders, particularly in adolescents. But, notably, he didn’t find or identify many effects that were definitively caused by marijuana use.

This Is How Weed Affects Men and Women Differently

With more states legalizing medical marijuana, businesses are exploring its potential for pain relief, including as a way to alleviate menstrual cramps. But there's one potential issue with this approach: the pain-killing potential of pot may be weaker for women. A new analysis in Drug and Alcohol Dependence found that men are less sensitive to pain after smoking weed, but women aren't.

What are the true risks of taking cannabis?

Can I get addicted, what are the short- and long-term effects and what can make cannabis harmful? Key questions answered

Whether It’s Smoking or Edibles, Marijuana Is Bad for Your Heart

The report, published May 28 in JAMA Cardiology, found that people who regularly used marijuana in either form had reduced blood vessel function that was comparable to tobacco smokers. Vascular function in those who used cannabis by either means was reduced roughly by half compared to those who did not use it.

Will Smoking Too Much Weed Damage Your Memory?

The report found that 63% of the participants showed reduced brain activity. The study didn’t find any link with long-term memories, but rather what they classify as working memory (such as performing activities).

‘It Took Over Everything’: Stories of Marijuana’s Little-Known Risks

“Cannabis is a lot of things at once,” said Dr. Kevin Gray, a psychiatrist and specialist in bio-behavioral medicine at Medical University of South Carolina Health. “It can be medically therapeutic. It also can be highly problematic.”

Resources

SAMHSA

Marijuana use comes with real risks that can impact a person’s health and life. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in the U.S. and its use is growing. Marijuana use among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women is going up. At the same time, the perception of how harmful marijuana use can be is declining. Increasingly, young people today do not consider marijuana use a risky behavior. But there are real risks for people who use marijuana, especially youth and young adults, and women who are pregnant or nursing. Today’s marijuana is stronger than ever before. People can and do become addicted to marijuana. Approximately 1 in 10 people who use marijuana will become addicted. When they start before age 18, the rate of addiction rises to 1 in 6.

Six Ways Science Says Marijuana May Hurt Your Health

Boosters of marijuana legalization often speak about the relative harmlessness of the drug, especially when compared to alcohol and tobacco, which kill millions of people a year worldwide. But while the evidence suggests that pot is less damaging than some other legal drugs, the exact effects of marijuana on human health have not been well studied. Existing research is often limited in scope and rarely shows a clear causal connection. But there have been some worrying findings, especially considering the increasing use of marijuana by American adults.