Pubdate: Tue, 11 Jun 2013
Source: Verde Independent (AZ)
Copyright: 2013 Western News & Info, Inc
Contact: http://verdenews.com/Formlayout.asp?formcall=userform&form=1
Website: http://verdenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4433
Author: Dr. Leon Cattolico

MARIJUANA HARMLESS? THINK AGAIN

As a physician and member of the Board of Directors of MATFORCE, I am
very concerned about the increase in marijuana use amongst youth in
Yavapai County.

According to the 2012 Arizona Youth Survey 25 percent of 12th grade
students in Yavapai County admitted to regular marijuana use. This is
a 7 percent increase from the 2010 Arizona Youth Survey.

Is this what we want for the future of our children? Do we want to
continue to see a rise in our children getting high on the drug
marijuana? Will that help them in school or help them become better
citizens?

As a physician, I am very concerned about how marijuana affects
health. It is important to me that parents and youth have the real
facts and understand the negative impacts. The research into the
adverse effects of using marijuana is new and evolving. But some of
what we know thus far has been summarized by the Community Anti-Drug
Coalitions of America.

Marijuana also has negative effects on the lungs. Marijuana smokers
can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers,
such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest
illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections. A study of 450
individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do
not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work
than nonsmokers. Marijuana smoke, in fact, contains 50-70
percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke.
Long-term studies have shown that regular marijuana smokers report
more symptoms of chronic bronchitis than nonsmokers.

"Marijuana has negative effects on the heart. Marijuana increases the
heart rate by 20-100 percent shortly after smoking; this increased
heart rate can last up to three hours. Marijuana users also have a
4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after
smoking the drug, in part due to increased heart rate as well as the
effects of marijuana on heart rhythms, causing palpitations and
arrhythmias.

"Marijuana can also have negative effects on mental health. Studies
have consistently shown a very strong association between chronic
marijuana use and mental illness - especially schizophrenia and
psychosis, but also including increased rates of anxiety, depression,
and suicidal thoughts. When compared with those who have never used
cannabis, young adults who began using the drug at age 15 or younger
are twice as likely to develop a psychotic disorder, and four times as
likely to experience delusional symptoms. A number of longitudinal
studies throughout the world have found that users who had tried
cannabis by age 18 are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with
schizophrenia than those who have not used the drug, and approximately
13 percent of cases of schizophrenia could be averted if cannabis use
was prevented."

Lowers IQ - A study published in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences found persistent marijuana users who started
smoking at a young age had lower IQ scores as adults. They were more
likely to have attention and memory problems in later life. And even
when they stopped using marijuana for a prolonged amount of time, the
effects of a lower IQ were still observed.

The bottom line is that the drug marijuana is much more dangerous than
many realize. As a physician I strongly encourage you to make positive
choices for good health!

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Dr. Leon Cattolico lives in Clarkdale. He is a physician and member of
the Board of Directors of MATFORCE
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MAP posted-by: Matt