What do Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, D.C., and Washington state have in common? They've legalized recreational marijuana use for adults. And a total of 24 states allow medical marijuana in various ways: in New York, you cannot smoke it, although you can inhale a vapor, eat it, use a tincture or take pills. More than 12 states have decriminalized possession. No wonder marijuana use more than doubled from 2001 to 2013. Unfortunately, according to a study in JAMA Psychiatry, in 2012-13 nearly 30 per cent of users had marijuana use disorder, otherwise known as MUD. That's a huge percentage. Symptoms include problems with normal functioning, cravings and withdrawal symptoms, such as inability to sleep, restlessness, nervousness, anger or depression within a week of ceasing heavy use. This MUD treatment also makes you older. [continues 121 words]
Up In Smoke (Cheech and Chong,1978) may have floated the hazy notion that smoking marijuana was harmless fun, but new research shows that a woman's chance for delivering a healthy baby is actually what goes up in smoke if she lets smoke into her brain and lungs while pregnant. Researchers from the University of Arizona looked at 24 studies of pregnancy and marijuana smoking. They discovered pregnant women who smoke cannabis were more likely to be anemic and babies more likely to end up in neonatal intensive care with a low birth weight. [continues 146 words]
"Up in Smoke" (Cheech and Chong, 1978) may have floated the hazy notion that smoking marijuana was harmless fun, but new research shows that a woman's chance for delivering a healthy baby is actually what goes up in smoke if she lets smoke into her brain and lungs while pregnant. Researchers from the University of Arizona looked at 24 studies of pregnancy and marijuana smoking: They discovered that pregnant women who smoke cannabis were more likely to be anemic and their babies more likely to end up in neonatal intensive care with low birth weight. [continues 158 words]
Up in Smoke (Cheech and Chong, 1978) may have floated the hazy notion that smoking marijuana was harmless fun, but new research shows that a woman's chance for delivering a healthy baby is actually what goes up in smoke if she lets smoke into her brain and lungs while pregnant. Researchers from the University of Arizona looked at 24 studies of pregnancy and marijuana smoking: They discovered that pregnant women who smoke cannabis were more likely to be anemic and their babies more likely to end up in neonatal intensive care with low birth weight. [continues 148 words]
Alanis Morissette, the Canadian songstress who penned the tune Mary Jane, admits to using pot in the past to juice up her creativity. But when she became pregnant - her son Ever is four now - she gave up the weed. You Oughta Know what she knows: Smoking pot while you're pregnant or breastfeeding is dangerous for your fetus and your child. Studies show that when you expose your fetus to marijuana, chances are your child will have lower test scores on visual problem-solving, visual analysis, and visual and motor co-ordination, plus behavioural problems and a decreased attention span. These are lifelong handicaps. [continues 151 words]
Alanis Morissette, the Canadian songstress who penned the tune "Mary Jane," admits to using pot in the past to juice up her creativity. But when she became pregnant - her son Ever is four now - she gave up the weed. "You Oughta Know" what she knows: Smoking pot while you're pregnant or breastfeeding is dangerous for your fetus and your child. Studies show that when you expose your fetus to marijuana, chances are your child will have lower test scores on visual problem-solving, visual analysis, and visual and motor coordination, plus behavioral problems and a decreased attention span. These are lifelong handicaps. [continues 156 words]
With clever names like Peace of Mind, Girl Scout Cookies, Train Wreck and Tsunami, it's a good bet that the marketers of legal marijuana finished high school. That's less certain for their younger customers. New research shows daily marijuana use before the age of 17 cuts your chances of graduating from high school or getting a college degree by 60 per cent. And that info's just the tip of the joint. Now that marijuana is legal for recreational use in Washington and Colorado, and for medical purposes in 19 other states plus the District of Columbia, scientists are able to study the drug more closely. [continues 161 words]
Drs. Oz & Roizen With clever names like Peace of Mind, Girl Scout Cookies, Train Wreck and Tsunami, it's a good bet that the marketers of legal marijuana finished high school. That's less certain for their younger customers. New research shows daily marijuana use before the age of 17 cuts your chances of graduating from high school or getting a college degree by 60 percent. And that info's just the tip of the joint. Now that marijuana is legal for recreational use in Washington and Colorado, and for medical purposes in 19 other states plus the District of Columbia, scientists are able to study the drug more closely. The result is an outpouring of data on marijuana's formerly unknown or underappreciated risks. [continues 144 words]
When Cheech and Chong lit up the movie screens with their marijuana fogged dialogue - "Hey man, how's my driving?" "I think we're parked, man" - they probably never imagined cannabis would become legal. But today more than 20 states have authorized medical marijuana, while Colorado and Washington have legalized it for personal use. So we say it's time to back up (carefully) and take a look at the health risks associated with recreational use (addressing medical use is for another column). [continues 191 words]
When Cheech and Chong lit up the movie screens with their marijuana-fogged dialogue - "Hey man, how's my driving?" "I think we're parked, man" - they probably never imagined cannabis would become legal. But today more than 20 states have authorized medical marijuana, while Colorado and Washington have legalized it for personal use. So we say it's time to back up (carefully) and take a look at the health risks associated with recreational use (addressing medical use is for another column). [continues 191 words]
