Marijuana can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
After a long, ambiguous history featuring both the good and the bad, pot just got some devastating news. Recent test results showed it can affect long-term learning and actually lower IQ. It’s truly bad stuff.
And more people are using it than ever before. Marijuana is approved for medical use in 42 states and for some form of recreation in 25 states. (It’s all too evident in many locales. The square in Sante Fe reeks of the odor.) Pot has 40 million regular users in the U.S., including 20% of 18- to 25-year-olds.
Just exactly what is marijuana? It’s a plant that contains 483 chemicals, 66 of which are cannabinoids, the most troublesome being highly psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
How does it work? THC interacts with receptors in the brain, triggering release of feel-good endorphins. Smoking weed gives a peak effect in 30 minutes or less, relaxing muscles, imparting euphoria, increasing libido and impairing motor skills. The effects last up to 20 hours.
Making everything more problematic, THC potency has been jacked up some five-fold over the past decade. And there’s plenty of weed out there. Supply far exceeds demand.
Marijuana has had a troublesome history. It’s known to …
· Cause addiction in long-time users
· Act as a gateway drug to opioids
· Contribute to lung disease from toxic smoke
· Promote teen suicides
· Greatly increase the risk of auto accidents
Many people shrug all that away, claiming both societal and ecclesiastical benefits. A Chicago pastor was quoted as saying, “Complete legalization would be an act of compassion and mercy – one that follows the example of Jesus Christ.” (You can’t make this stuff up.)
One thing nobody doubts is its ability to make money. In Florida, revenues in the billions are projected for recreational pot, more than in any other state but California. That would translate to huge profits for the growers and others in the supply chain, as well as providing hefty tax revenues.
It almost happened in 2024 when a Florida constitutional amendment received 56% of the needed 60% vote for recreational use. Growers are trying again this year, but chances are slim because of new legislative hurdles. Politics have played a big role. Love him or hate him, Gov. DeSantis has been a staunch foe of unrestricted pot use.
Overshadowing all this is the news from recent studies. According to the Wall Street Journal, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found that, among 11,000 adolescents tested, marijuana users experienced impaired brain development compared to non-users – including worse verbal recall, processing speed, working memory and spatial skills. The problems, subjected to careful controls, were found to extend beyond adolescent years.
Making matters worse, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported cannabis use among teens is increasing, exposing even more youngsters to stunted brain development.
It sounds pretty bad and it is. But let’s keep things in perspective. Marijuana is not the only dangerous substance out there.
Access to downstream drugs is becoming easier, and that includes cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and some of the new, hard-to-diagnose narcotics like xylazine.
Even worse is alcohol – that old devil booze. Said by the World Health Organization to contribute to over 200 diseases, alcohol at even small levels boosts cancer deaths by as much as 5-10%.
There are all kinds of health risks out there.
Marijuana use is one of the truly bad ones.
Dr. Dave Trecker is a chemist and retired Pfizer executive living in Naples.