However, the Food and Drug Administration have not deemed marijuana safe or effective in the treatment of any medical condition, although cannabidiol, a substance that is present in marijuana, received approval in June as a treatment for some types of epilepsy. This tension, between a widespread belief that marijuana is an effective treatment for a wide assortment of ailments and a lack of scientific knowledge on its effects, has been somewhat exacerbated in recent times by a drive toward legalization.
Twenty-nine states plus the District of Columbia have now made marijuana available for medical — and, in some states, recreational — purposes. A recent study published in the journal Addiction also found that use of marijuana is increasing sharply across the United States, although this rise may not be linked to the legalization of marijuana in participating states. Nevertheless, this rise in use is prompting major public health concerns.
In this article, we look at the scientific evidence weighing the medical benefits of marijuana against its associated health risks in an attempt to answer this simple question: is marijuana good or bad? Over the years, research has yielded results to suggest that marijuana may be of benefit in the treatment of some conditions.
These are listed below. Last year, a large review from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine assessed more than 10, scientific studies on the medical benefits and adverse effects of marijuana. One area that the report looked closely at was the use of medical marijuana to treat chronic pain. Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability, affecting more than 25 million adults in the U. The review found that marijuana, or products containing cannabinoids — which are the active ingredients in marijuana, or other compounds that act on the same receptors in the brain as marijuana — are effective at relieving chronic pain.
Another comprehensive review of evidence, published last year in the journal Clinical Psychology Review , revealed that using marijuana may help people with alcohol or opioid dependencies to fight their addictions.
But this finding may be contentious; the National Academies of Sciences review suggests that marijuana use actually drives increased risk for abusing, and becoming dependent on, other substances. Also, the more that someone uses marijuana, the more likely they are to develop a problem with using marijuana. Individuals who began using the drug at a young age are also known to be at increased risk of developing a problem with marijuana use.
The review published in Clinical Psychology Review assessed all published scientific literature that investigated the use of marijuana to treat symptoms of mental illness. Its authors found some evidence supporting the use of marijuana to relieve depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. That being said, they caution that marijuana is not an appropriate treatment for some other mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder and psychosis. The review indicates that there is some evidence to suggest that marijuana might alleviate symptoms of social anxiety , but again, this is contradicted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine review, which instead found that regular users of marijuana may actually be at increased risk of social anxiety.
Keep warm, keep well. Prevent DVT when you travel. Pharmacy help Out-of-hours medicines Your medicine cabinet How to use self-test kits safely Avoid medicines scams Bodybuilding and sports supplements. How to get NHS help for your pain Which painkiller? Ways to manage chronic pain 10 ways to reduce pain. Some examples include: feeling chilled out, relaxed and happy laughing more or become more talkative feeling hunger pangs "the munchies" feeling drowsy, tired or lethargic feeling faint or sick having problems with memory or concentrating experiencing mild hallucinations feeling confused, anxious or paranoid Can you get addicted to cannabis?
See tips for stopping smoking Trying to give up cannabis? If you need support with giving up cannabis: see a GP visit Frank's Find support page call Frank's free drugs helpline on see Drug addiction: where to get help Marijuana Anonymous is a free self-help group. Its "12 step" programme involves stopping using marijuana with the help of regular face-to-face and online support groups.
You can call them on callback service. Read more information about cannabis on the Frank website Cannabis and mental health Regular cannabis use increases the risk of developing a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia. The risk of developing a psychotic illness is higher in people who: start using cannabis at a young age smoke stronger types, such as skunk smoke it regularly use it for a long time smoke cannabis and also have other risk factors for schizophrenia, such as a family history of the illness Cannabis also increases the risk of a relapse in people who already have schizophrenia, and it can make psychotic symptoms worse.
Other risks of cannabis Other risks of regularly using cannabis can include: feeling wheezy or out of breath developing an uncomfortable or painful cough making symptoms of asthma worse in people with asthma reduced ability to drive or operate machinery safely If you drive while under the influence of cannabis, you're more likely to be involved in an accident.
In states where legal, marijuana is a fast-growing industry with sales to individuals over 21 in retail stores, wineries, breweries, coffee shops, dispensaries, online, as well as grown at home.
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Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Marijuana is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States. Although legalization activists and many marijuana users believe smoking pot has no negative effects, scientific research indicates that marijuana use can cause many different health problems.
After smoking marijuana, you can start feeling its effects almost immediately. These effects can last up to three hours. In contrast, when eating marijuana-based foods, such as gummies and brownies, the effects are delayed, but usually last longer. Marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol THC , attaches to the brain's cannabinoid receptors. These receptors connect to nerves in the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.
Multiple studies have linked marijuana use with a higher risk of the following psychotic symptoms:. Teen marijuana use is also linked to an increased risk of depression and suicidal behavior. Inhaling marijuana smoke causes your heart rate to speed up, forcing your heart to work harder.
These effects—which start within 15 minutes and can last for up to three hours— increase your chance of a heart attack. In fact, research shows your risk of heart attack can increase up to fivefold within the first hour after smoking marijuana.
The chemicals in marijuana are also linked to an increased risk of heart failure and a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation.
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