IS WEED THAT BAD FOR YOU ?

The dangers of cannabis and cannabis seeds are routinely touted in the media and by governments; in fact, the debate has been re-ignited in the press recently with the government’s decision to reclassify the drug from class C to class B. However, is it actually bad for you, and to what extent? We have a look at one of the country’s most contentious drugs…

What does cannabis do?

Cannabis ‘gets you high’, but what does this actually mean? In scientific terms, the use of cannabis has psychoactive and physiological effects; it changes your mood, can cause hallucinations, and increases your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, reduces your coordination, concentration, and short-term memory. The noticeable effects can be comparable to a night of heavy drinking, depending on the user.

Is it very dangerous?

While some studies link cannabis to long term memory loss in some cases, they are inconclusive. There is also evidence to suggest that a minority of people would have a bad allergic reaction to use of the drug, similar to that of a mild to serious peanut or dairy allergy. The most serious effects of marijuana use stem from smoking the drug, but these risks are similar to those of smoking, and modern research has found that vaporisation eliminates these health risks.

Cannabis is in fact not as bad for you as legal drugs, such as nicotine or alcohol. Cannabis doesn’t show the same addictive properties or the long term health risks of either of these other drugs. Studies have also found that marijuana is not as socially destructive as either nicotine or alcohol use or abuse. The generally relaxing qualities of the drug (and the its illegal nature) mean it leads users towards private or secluded use as opposed to more dangerous ‘party’ drugs such as ecstasy or cocaine.

Heavy cannabis use (over 6 joint’s worth a day) has been linked to more serious health risks, but again most of these are linked to the smoking of the drug rather than effects of the drug itself