Do not leave prescription THC medications (dronabinol, nabilone), marijuana, hash oil, can alcoholics eat food cooked with alcohol or cannabis-infused edibles any place where children, pets, or anyone else may unknowingly consume the product. States laws exist that require certain amounts to be placed in a locked and secure container or area. These rules can and have change based on political changes that may occur in the legislature.
In all states, including states that allow recreational marijuana, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal. Cities, municipalities, does water flush alcohol out of urine employers, landlords, and universities may have special policies about the use of marijuana. Use within any federal land, national park or monument is still illegal. Be sure to check all rules before use, especially in areas that may be under federal law. Research suggests that roughly 9% of users become addicted to marijuana, with higher rates if the user starts at a young age (17%) and in those who use marijuana daily (25% to 50%). While not everyone who uses marijuana becomes addicted, when a user begins to seek out and take the drug compulsively, that person is said to be dependent or addicted to the drug.
Long-term adverse effects may include addiction, decreased mental ability in those who started regular use as adolescents,4 chronic coughing, susceptibility to respiratory infections, and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Long-term, heavy use of marijuana (THC) can lead to a condition called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). In this syndrome, persistent nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain can occur in people who have previously smoked marijuana long-term (six months or more). Dehydration, electrolyte disturbance, and acute kidney failure can occur. Researchers think it is much more common in the U.S. than previously thought, especially with continued legalization of recreational marijuana. Furthermore, the last few years have seen a substantial rise in the use of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), especially in frequent cannabis users.
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component of cannabis, which is one of the 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD).
- Cannabis use disorder can be diagnosed as mild (when a person has two or three of these symptoms), moderate (four or five of these symptoms), or severe (six or more of these symptoms).
- Other countries to do so are Canada, Georgia, Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, South Africa, and Thailand.
- Experts note that marijuana use in the young can lead to abnormal brain development.
A Quick Take on Cannabis and Its Effects
Frequent use of high-potency THC over extended periods of time suggests that there can be negative effects on learning, memory, attention and problem-solving ability, as reported in Pediatrics. The AAP suggests that doctors urge parents not to use marijuana around children. Other concerns with children include the potential of exposing them to secondhand smoke and accidental poisoning with edibles such as brownies or candy.
However, in April 2020, the DEA fully removed the controlled drug status of Epidiolex in the US. The ABCD Study® explores the effects of environmental, social, genetic, and other biological factors on the developing adolescent brain. This study will provide critical insights into risk and resilience factors for cannabis and other substance use to inform future prevention interventions. Many jurisdictions have lessened the penalties for possession of small quantities of cannabis so that it is punished by confiscation and sometimes a fine, rather than imprisonment, focusing more on those who traffic the drug on the black market. Researchers have reported that they are working on treatments for CHS, as well as new medical marijuana products that do not cause CHS.
National Surveys That Collect Information About Cannabis Use
Research suggests that marijuana use increases the risk of psychosis in people who have schizophrenia. The legislative policies that have been established to helpstay reviews reduce the risks in relation to cannabis have long represented an obstacle to research concerning medical cannabis use. Improved knowledge of the endocannabinoid system and of exocannabinoids has proven that cannabis may have significant therapeutic effects.
It is important to recognize that these state marijuana laws do not change the fact that using marijuana continues to be an offense under Federal law. Per federal law, cannabis is illegal and a schedule 1 substance as noted in the U.S. Use of medical marijuana outside of the state laws for illegal use or trafficking will not be tolerated by state or federal government. Panic attacks, paranoia and psychosis may occur acutely and be more common in psychiatric patients (Heller). For chronic users, the impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after its acute effects wear off, as noted by the NIDA.
Does cannabis use during pregnancy affect a developing baby?
Some vaporizers use a liquid marijuana extract that can be extremely high in THC content and can be dangerous to novice users, resulting in emergency room admissions. People commonly use cannabis by smoking dried plant material (“buds” or “herb”) in joints like a cigarette, in blunts—cigars or cigar wrappers that have been partly or completely refilled with cannabis—or in pipes or bongs (water pipes). Dried cannabis can also be vaped using electronic vaporizing devices such as dry herb vaporizers and vape pens. Sinsemilla (Spanish for “without seed”) is the dried, seedless (i.e. parthenocarpic) infructescences of female cannabis plants. Advanced cultivation techniques such as hydroponics, cloning, high-intensity artificial lighting, and the sea of green method are frequently employed as a response (in part) to prohibition enforcement efforts that make outdoor cultivation more risky. Extremely hot showers and topical capsaicin cream have been found to relieve symptoms of CHS, but exactly why this occurs is not known.
It is important to recognize that state medical and recreational marijuana laws do not change the fact that using marijuana continues to be an offense under U.S. federal law. Per federal law, cannabis (marijuana, hashish) is a schedule I drug. To determine if the severe nausea and vomiting is due to marijuana use, most people will need to stop use of marijuana for a week or two to determine if their symptoms improve. Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome can be mistaken for cyclic vomiting syndrome, which is characterized by episodes of severe vomiting that have no apparent cause.