Side effects of using medicinal marijuana

The intoxication and effects on the nervous system lead to slowed reaction time and loss of coordination which last for hours after ingestion. These effects make driving a car or operating machinery hazardous, and these activities should be avoided while under the influence of marijuana.

Cannabinoids and THC also produce cardiovascular effects. Immediately after inhalation the heart begins to beat faster, the blood vessels dilate and blood pressure drops. This can cause dizziness and the sensation of palpitations in some people, and may cause problems for older people with cardiac conditions.

Smoking marijuana is the most common form of ingestion, but is not the only one. The lungs do suffer from this method. There are hundreds of chemical compounds in the marijuana plant, and smoking delivers all of them along with the desired ones. Smoke of any kind suppresses the natural defense system of the lungs. The airways of the lung are lined with tissue that has microscopic cilia, or little fingerlike extensions that "wave" upwards from the lungs, to the mouth and nose. The purpose is to push mucus filled with foreign toxins back up and out of the lungs to the mouth and nose, where they can be swallowed or sneezed out. These cilia stop working with any kind of smoking, which means that the toxins (or organisms) trapped in the mucus have no way of escaping the lung. This means that, bottom line, smokers are at higher risk of chronic lung conditions, infections and cancer.

The risks of using marijuana during pregnancy are unknown. However there is a study using monkeys that demonstrates a withdrawal syndrome in the infants of mothers who have THC in their system at the time of delivery.