7 false beliefs about marijuana use

Cannabis, also known by the names of marijuana or hashish depending on the form in which it is presented, is a depressant substance of the system central nervous system (CNS), which has several molecules with psychoactive effects, including a molecular compound known by the name of "tetrahydrocannabinol" (THC).

On the other hand, another of the characteristics of marijuana is the high degree of acceptance of which enjoys, and its use is very common in countries around the world, especially among adolescents and people young man. However, being relatively popular does not mean that this drug is harmless.

The combination of economic interests behind cannabis, on the one hand, the complexity of how drugs work, on the other, and the The fact that the consumption of these products is still taboo in many aspects has led to the appearance of a large number of myths about marijuana, which exposes people to misinformation and risk taking when consuming this substance from the purest ignorance. Therefore, in this article we will review the main false beliefs about marijuana.

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Misconceptions about marijuana use

Below we will explain the false beliefs about marijuana use that tend to occur more frequently.

1. Marijuana is a natural product

The concept of "natural" is widely used as an adjective in the world of marketing, since this is a diffuse idea to which, however, positive qualities are associated. In this case, both in the countries in which the sale of marijuana is legal and in those in which it is not, a a system of advertising in favor of cannabis according to which this is a natural product because it is not created in laboratories through the synthesis of molecules, but is obtained from making minimal changes in the parts of a plant.

But keep in mind that nature is full of highly toxic elements that are harmful to health. That marijuana is called a "natural product" (that is, it can be consumed without being artificially processed) and comes from a plant does not mean that it cannot cause health problems, since in that sense tobacco and opium are also natural (beyond that tobacco usually has a lot of added chemicals, since natural tobacco can also cause long-term health problems term).

And, on the other hand, the cannabis plants used to create the product are far from the organisms that we can find in nature; In the vast majority of cases they are the fruit of artificial selection over generations, so that those in which the amount of THC is greater are selected to increase the addictive potential of the drug. Thus, human intervention is in the very DNA of the plant that is used to sell marijuana.

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2. Marijuana is harmless to health

One of the main misconceptions about marijuana use is the thought that some people think that the Marijuana is harmless to health because it is an "ecological" and natural substance, which derives from the myth that we have seen before.

One of the most notable problems of long-term marijuana use is the alterations that various studies have shown that it causes at the cerebral level. In addition, it can cause a host of physical and psychological problems, such as the ones we are going to mention below.

It should be noted that the findings of several studies published in 2022 highlighted that if marijuana is consumed during pregnancy, this could cause the baby to become anxious and hyperactive.

In the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5, which was published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the "cannabis use disorder" and "cannabis intoxication", the main symptoms of intoxication being the following: when there is recurrent consumption, it can reach cause problematic behavior and even quite significant psychological changes (for example, euphoria, motor incoordination, anxiety, impaired judgment, etc.).

In addition, when cannabis intoxication occurs, two or more of the following symptoms may occur: considerable increase in appetite, tachycardia, dry mouth and conjunctival injection.

In order to diagnose a cannabis use disorder, it must have been used frequently for a long time and to have appeared for at least 1 year symptoms such as the following: that there is a desire or persistent efforts to stop consuming marijuana, spends too much time in activities that are necessary to get marijuana, there is a powerful desire to consume marijuana, this frequent consumption causes the person to fail to fulfill their obligations at work or studies, they consume more and more quantities etc

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3. Having some therapeutic effects, smoking a joint is okay

Among the false beliefs about the consumption of marijuana, we can find that there are those who believe that having some therapeutic effects there is nothing wrong with smoking it. However, the medical uses that are carried out under the supervision of professionals are far from recreational consumption, so it cannot be said that it is therapeutic if it has not been prescribed by a doctor, in which case the recommended amounts should not be exceeded.

It should be noted that there are studies that have found that marijuana could help fight pain, as long as it is consumed under medical supervision and without exceeding the amounts prescribed. However, the data on its therapeutic effectiveness to date are still insufficient, so more studies would be necessary to prove it.

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4. Marijuana is not addictive

Another of the false beliefs about the consumption of marijuana that occurs quite frequently is the fact that some people think that marijuana use cannot cause addiction, so it is also have the belief that they could drastically stop using without consequences. There are numerous investigations that have been able to demonstrate that prolonged consumption usually causes addiction, especially if it begins to be consumed during adolescence.

It is worth mentioning that the "cannabis withdrawal syndrome" is reflected in the DSM-5, the main symptoms being: when it ceases sudden consumption of marijuana, after having been consuming frequently for a long period of time, 3 or more symptoms such as aggressiveness, anger or irritability, anxiety or nervousness, insomnia, notable loss of appetite and even weight loss, restlessness, depressed mood and even some physiological symptoms (tremors, sweating, fever, chills, pain) abdominal pain or headaches.

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5. Marijuana is much less harmful to health than tobacco

One of the false beliefs about the use of marijuana that is often found quite is often the thought that marijuana is not as harmful to health as it is the tobacco.

What actually happens is that it has been shown that Cannabis contains a high percentage of tobacco carcinogens and also in a higher quantity (up to 50% more). On the other hand, when you smoke an unfiltered marijuana joint and inhale the smoke deeply, your risk of cancer is greatly increased.

Also, when smoking marijuana, a bronchodilator effect is produced, so that the absorption of various toxic substances increases, just as it happens with tobacco. Therefore, the smoke from marijuana joints can also be harmful to passive smokers.

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6. Marijuana cannot cause mental disorders

One of the most dangerous misconceptions about marijuana use is the thought that its use cannot cause mental illness.

The reality is that at any point in cannabis addiction, even after using very little for a short time, can trigger various psychiatric disorders, the most common being depressive disorders, psychotic episodes or even schizophrenia, so it should be be very careful when consuming marijuana recreationally, since the serious consequences that can be triggered could become irreversible.

7. It is not dangerous to drive if you have just used marijuana

Among the main false beliefs about marijuana use there is one that is very dangerous for road safety and that is that thought that some people have who believe that if they have smoked a joint they are not in danger if they drive after a vehicle.

The truth is that if you drive a vehicle under the influence of cannabis, Not only is your own life at risk, but also that of the people and their companions who are in the vehicles that circulate around, so this could be the most dangerous misconception about cannabis use.

It is dangerous to drive a vehicle when marijuana has been consumed because this substance produces a considerable decrease in attention, causes reaction time to increase, so responses and reflexes will be slower, can distort reality considerably and also prevents the person from being able to correctly judge distances, which could cause them to collide against another vehicle.

Another problem that occurs quite frequently is when a person drives a vehicle having consumed marijuana and alcohol, and it is not unusual to read or watching various news items on television reporting an accident caused by a driver who had tested positive for alcohol and cannabis or other substances.

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