Title: Mental and Physical Effects of Marijuana
Headings: Here’s what marijuana actually does to your body and brain
Here’s what marijuana actually does to your body and brain
Marijuana is legal for all adults in 14 states, but its federal designation as an illegal drug has made studying the substance difficult.
Marijuana use is linked to a rare syndrome that causes nausea and vomiting.
Marijuana can make you feel good.
In the short term, it can also make your heart race.
Marijuana's effects on the heart could be tied to effects on blood pressure, but the link needs more research.
Weed may also help relieve some types of pain.
Pain relief could include the discomfort of arthritis.
Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease may also find some relief.
Marijuana may also be helpful in controlling epileptic seizures.
But it can also mess with your sense of balance.
And it can distort your sense of time.
Weed can also turn your eyes red.
And you'll probably get the munchies.
Some women have reported having more satisfying sex when using marijuana.
Marijuana may also interfere with how you form memories.
In some people, weed could increase the risk of depression.
Marijuana buds are seen at the "Oregon's Finest" medical marijuana dispensary in Portland
And it may also increase the risk of developing schizophrenia.
Regular marijuana use may also be connected to an increased risk of social anxiety.
Bob Leeds, co-owner of Sea of Green Farms, shows some of the marijuana he produces during a tour of his company's facility in Seattle, Washington June 30, 2014.
Marijuana use could also affect sperm count.
A person could need more sedation medication for surgery if they have a regular marijuana habit.
It's worth noting that marijuana has likely gotten stronger since the 1980s, and that its ratio of THC to CBD has changed as well.
A variety of medicinal marijuana buds in jars are pictured at Los Angeles Patients & Caregivers Group dispensary in West Hollywood, California U.S., October 18, 2016.
Most importantly, regular weed use is linked with some specific brain changes — but scientists can't say for sure whether one causes the other.
Most researchers agree that the people most susceptible to brain changes are those who begin using marijuana regularly during adolescence.
Marijuana use affects the lungs but doesn't seem to increase the risk of lung cancer.
Some athletes think marijuana could be used in ways that might improve certain types of physical performance.
There's evidence that marijuana use during pregnancy could have negative effects.
CBD pills could help people cut down on marijuana use or quit.
There are still so many questions about how marijuana affects the body and brain that scientists say far more research is needed.
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Content: In the clinical trial for the drug, common side effects included sleepiness, fatigue, decreased appetite, diarrhea, and insomnia. But it can also mess with your sense of balance. File photo of a man gesturing during a demonstration in support of the legalization of marijuana outside the Supreme Court building in Mexico City
Thomson Reuters
Marijuana may throw off your balance, as it influences activity in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, two brain areas that help regulate balance, coordination, reaction time, and posture. And it can distort your sense of time. David Moir/Reuters
Feeling as if time is sped up or slowed down is one of the most commonly reported effects of using marijuana. A 2012 paper sought to draw some solid conclusions from studies