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@eduganja | |
Cannabis produces euphoria and relaxation, perceptual alterations, time distortion, and the intensification of ordinary sensory experiences, such as eating, watching films, and listening to music.2 When used in a social setting it may produce infectious laughter and talkativeness. Short-term memory and attention, motor skills, reaction time, and skilled activities are impaired while a person is intoxicated.2 The most common unpleasant side-effects of occasional cannabis use are anxiety and panic reactions.2 These effects may be reported by nave users, and they are a common reason for discontinuation of use; more experienced users may occasionally report these effects after receiving a much larger than usual dose of THC.2 Cannabis smoking or ingestion of THC increases heart rate by 2050% within a few minutes to a quarter of an hour; this effect lasts for up to 3 h.2 Blood pressure is increased while the person is sitting, and decreased while standing.2 These effects are of negligible clinical significance in healthy young users because tolerance develops to them.2 The acute toxicity of cannabinoids is very low.2 There are no confirmed published cases worldwide of human deaths from cannabis poisoning, and the dose of THC required to produce 50% mortality in rodents is extremely high compared with other commonly used drugs.2 Psychmotor effects and driving Cannabis produces dose-related impairments in cognitive and behavioural functions that may potentially impair driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery.6 These impairments are larger and more persistent for difficult tasks that depend on sustained attention.6 The most serious possible consequence of acute cannabis use is a road-traffic accident if a user drives while intoxicated.2 The effects of recreational doses of cannabis on driving performance in laboratory simulators and standardised driving courses have been reported by some researchers as being similar to the effects when blood alcohol concentrations are between 007% and 010%.2 However, studies of the effects of cannabis on driving under more realistic conditions on roads have shown much more modest impairments,7,8 probably because cannabis users are more aware of their impairment and less inclined to take risks than alcohol users.7,8 Results of epidemiological studies of road-traffic accidents are equivocal because most drivers who have cannabinoids in their blood also have high blood alcohol concentrations.2 In two studies with reasonable numbers of individuals who had only used cannabis, there was no clear evidence of increased culpability in these drivers.9 The separate effects of alcohol and cannabis on psychmotor impairment and driving performance in laboratory tasks are roughly additive,9 so the main effect of cannabis use on driving may be in amplifying the impairments caused by alcohol, which is often used with the drug.Summary of adverse effects of cannabis Acute effects Anxiety and panic, especially in nave users. Impaired attention, memory, and psychmotor performance while intoxicated. Possibly an increased risk of accident if a person drives a motor vehicle while intoxicated with cannabis, especially if cannabis is used with alcohol. Increased risk of psychotic symptoms among those who are vulnerable because of personal or family history of psychosis. Chronic effects (uncertain but most probable) Chronic bronchitis and histopathological changes that may be precursors to the developmentof malignant disease. A cannabis dependence syndrome characterised by an inability to abstain from or to control cannabis use. Subtle impairments of attention and memory that persist while the user remains chronically intoxicated, and that may or may not be reversible after prolonged abstinence. Possible adverse effects (to be confirmed) Increased risk of cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, and oesophagus; leukaemia among offspring exposed in utero. Impaired educational attainment in adolescents and underachievement in adults in occupations requiring high-level cognitive skills. Groups at higher risk of experiencing these adverse effects Adolescents with a history of poor school performance, who initiate cannabis use in the early teens, are at increased risk of using other illicit drugs and of becoming dependent on cannabis. Women who continue to smoke cannabis during pregnancy may increase their risk of having a low-birthweight baby. People with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, schizophrenia, and alcohol and other drug dependence, whose illnesses may be exacerbated by cannabis use |
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