Smoking Marijuana Research Paper

Matthew Morris

Marijuana contains at least fifty percent more cancer-causing substances than tobacco. Studies show that one joint full of marijuana can do the equivalent amount of damage as five cigarettes. Smoking cannabis can cause long can suffer long-term lung damage. It can result in permanent damage to the respiratory system and bronchitis. Marijuana has been proven to damage the layers of cells that line the inside of the lungs, which is why smoking marijuana causes coughing and wheezing. It has also been shown to cause cases of air pockets between the two lungs in young and middle-aged adults. Marijuana and tobacco smoke share many of the same compounds. Tobacco smoking is associated with numerous adverse pulmonary clinical outcomes,

Smoking cannabis also harms the lungs by killing cells that help keep the lungs clear of dust and and germs. This lack of cell can also increase the buildup of mucus in the lungs. The decrease in productivity of the immune system and the harm done to the protective cells in the lungs can result in lower respiratory tract infections among marijuana smokers. Risk of respiratory effects from inhaling marijuana smoke are heightened by the more intensive way in which marijuana is smoked. When smoking marijuana compared to tobacco, there is a prolonged and deeper inhalation and it is smoked to a shorter butt length and at a higher combustion temperature. This results in approximately 5 times the carbon monoxide concentration, 3 times the tar, and the retention of one-third more tar in the respiratory tract. Higher levels of ammonia and hydrogen cyanide have also been found in marijuana smoke, compared to tobacco. Marijuana can interfere with motor coordination, short-term memory and concentration. Smoking marijuana regularly can damage the respiratory tract and may cause changes in sexual

Long-term, chronic, use of cannabis can lead to abnormalities in the brain that are also shown along with other drugs that are more infamous than marijuana. In a study that conducted the exposure of THC to baby rats, showed that the rats later in life had more difficulty with memorization than rats that were not exposed to THC.Regular use is associated with an increased risk of developing a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia. A psychotic illness is one where you experience hallucinations. Your risk of developing a psychotic illness is higher if you start using cannabis in your teens and if you have a family history of mental illness. Cannabis use has also been shown to increase the risk of a relapse in people who have schizophrenia, and could make existing symptoms worse. Other studies in adolescent rats have shown that it can alter the rats reward system later in their lives. This fault in the rats reward system, which can be taken that the reward systems in humans could be affected too. Problems with human reward systems can lead to use with other drugs or heavy alcohol use, in effort to attain a sense of achievement. Studies have shown that frequent marijuana users display impaired neural connectivity in specific regions of the brain. A New Zealand scientist conducted an experiment showed that people who smoke cannabis or use cannabis could be associated with a loss of eight IQ points