The truth behind smoking cannabis

We have all heard that ‘even though cannabis is a drug, it is harmless’. Most believe that since it is a herb (unlike other drugs) it is safe, not addictive and does not have any side effects at all. But experts have released a 20-year study that finally demolishes claims that smoking weed is harmless, dailymail.co.uk reported.

According to the report a definitive 20-year study into the effects of long-term cannabis use has smashed the argument that the drug is safe. Cannabis is highly addictive, causes mental health problems and opens the door to hard drugs, the study found.

The paper by Professor Wayne Hall, a drugs adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO), builds a compelling case against those who deny the devastation cannabis wreaks on the brain. Professor Hall found that one in six teenagers who regularly smoke the drug become dependent on it. Cannabis doubles the risk of developing psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia.

Users do worse at school. Heavy use in adolescence appears to impair intellectual development. One in ten adults who regularly smoke the drug become dependent on it and those who use it are more likely to go on to use harder drugs. Driving after smoking cannabis doubles the risk of a car crash, a risk which increases substantially if the driver has also had a drink. Smoking it while pregnant reduces the baby’s birth weight.

The truth behind smoking cannabis

Hall said that “if cannabis is not addictive then neither is heroin or alcohol”.
“It is often harder to get people who are dependent on cannabis through withdrawal than for heroin, we just don’t know how to do it,” he added.

Those who try to stop taking cannabis often suffer anxiety, insomnia, appetite disturbance and depression, he found. Even after treatment, less than half can stay off the drug for six months.
His main finding is that regular use, especially among teenagers, leads to long-term mental health problems and addiction.

“The important point I am trying to make is that people can get into difficulties with cannabis use, particularly if they get into daily use over a longer period,” he said.
He also added that there was no doubt that heavy user’s experience a withdrawal syndrome as with alcohol and heroin. Source