Cannabis sativa, or marijuana, grows in many parts of the world. While some early data about marijuana was
inaccurate, time has confirmed other beliefs and new data has led to new concerns. Highly cultivated forms of
marijuana have now emerged which have more than 300% greater toxicity than the virtual “weed” of yesteryear.
Lung Damage
Because marijuana smoke is inhaled deeply and held in the lungs for up to half a minute, smoking one marijuana
joint is much more dangerous than smoking five cigarettes. With each puff, marijuana smokers inhale more than
150 cancer-causing substances and almost twice as much tar as they would from a tobacco cigarette. More than
100 of the 421 chemicals in marijuana smoke are very irritating to the lungs. Additionally marijuana smoke also
contains more than 150 complex hydrocarbons, some of which are known to cause precancerous growths. Also,
marijuana often contains mold and other disesase-carrying organisms like salmonella and aspergillus, germs that
rapidly infect and multiply once they enter the lungs. More than a few marijuana smokers have found out the hard
way that such severe lung infections do kill.
Heart and Blood Pressure Changes
Smoking marijuana can increase the heart rate. This increased stress on the heart can cause severe chest pain in
those with narrowed coronary arteries. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of heart
problems, marijuana is especially risky for you.
It also causes blood vessels to dilate, or enlarge, resulting in a decrease in blood pressure. This is especially seen in
a user’s bloodshot eyes.
Brain Damage
Marijuana has several damaging effects on brain cells.
 Widens the tiny gaps between nerve cells in the brain, making communication between nerve cells
difficult.
 Causes a dense material to clog up the tiny gaps between the nerve cells, further blocking communication
between them.
 Hampers activity inside each nerve cell, especially the making of protein, which the cell needs for proper
functioning.
 Interferes with thinking- focusing attention, learn anything, or remember what happened the day before.
Damage to Males
Marijuana reduces the level of the male hormone testosterone. With low testosterone levels, boy may not mature
into men. As long as they use marijuana, and even for a time after they stop, their genitals do not function
properly.
In physically mature males, marijuana can reduce testosterone levels so much that men might experience difficulty
having sex. Without testosterone, a male cannot have an erection.
Damage to Females
Marijuana appears to have the opposite effect that it has in men: Testosterone levels increase. This causes women
to develop dark body hair, facial hair and acne. Marijuana also disrupts normal menstrual cycles, and may interfere
with ovulation, the process by which a women’s ovaries release an egg each month.
Damage to Fetuses and Infants
Since human eggs are present in women from birth, the eggs are vulnerable to damage from prolonged marijuana
use.
Immune System Suppression
Because of the way marijuana weakens the immune system, marijuana users are vulnerable to all kinds of
infections – especially lung infections. A weakened immune system has great difficulty fighting diseases such as
bronchitis and aspergillosis.