Health & Fitness
Dude, It's Just a Little Weed!
Debunking Marijuana Myths
By Jill Hubble, MSEd., LADC, LPC
Adolescent Mental Health Therapist, Headway Emotional Health
There are many commonly accepted myths perpetuated by seemingly reputable sources about marijuana and its effects, including, unfortunately, members of the mental health community. Let’s focus on the top five myths and the truths that you may or may not already know:
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1. Marijuana is not addictive.
This is a myth that people entering rehab for pot addiction say they wish they had known before they got into it. And while the mental health field has historically helped spread this misunderstanding, it is working hard to change that perception by including marijuana as an addictive substance in the most updated version of the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual 5 (used by mental health professionals in the United States as the standard classification and diagnostic criteria for every psychiatric disorder recognized by the U.S. healthcare system). Marijuana is psychologically AND physically addicting. We can say this because there is now substantial evidence that individuals who stop smoking pot go through real withdrawals. Some of these symptoms include:
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· anxiety
· depression
· irritability
· loss of appetite
· insomnia
· restlessness
2. You don’t get high from weed.
It is true that the actual cannabis plant will not make you “high,” but once the drug in weed, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), travels to your brain it affects the neuron receptors and changes the chemical balance in your brain with a surge of dopamine (in the same way that nearly all drugs of abuse do), inducing a euphoria or “high.”
3. Marijuana calms and relaxes you.
While many people do experience feelings of euphoria and a sense of peacefulness and relaxation, marijuana is actually categorized as a stimulant. This means that the individual smoking pot will experience an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. It can also lead to long-term negative psychological and cognitive effects. Which leads me to…
4. Marijuana doesn’t cause permanent damage.
Marijuana has been found in several studies to cause permanent change in brain chemistry and at times cognative functioning. Researchers around the country, including the University of Maryland, have found conclusive evidence that adolescents who use marijuana can suffer serious, long-term or permanent cognitive impairment, lowered intelligence and an increased risk of severe psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and psychosis. In 2004, the American Academy of Pediatrics released Legalization of Marijuana: Potential Impact on Youth, which stated: “…the significant neuropharmacologic, cognitive, behavioral, and somatic consequences of acute and long-term marijuana use are well known and include negative effects on short-term memory, concentration, attention span, motivation, and problem solving, which clearly interfere with learning; adverse effects on coordination, judgment, reaction time, and tracking ability, which contribute substantially to unintentional deaths and injuries among adolescents (especially those associated with motor vehicles); and negative health effects with repeated use similar to effects seen with smoking tobacco.”
5. Marijuana isn’t as bad as cigarettes.