Myths and Facts about Marijuana
Don’t get caught up in a net of myths regarding marijuana. Misinformation can be dangerous. Find out the facts instead.
Myth- Marijuana use can lead to permanent mental illness.
It is thought that occasional use of marijuana can bring about psychological damage due to the fact that users often behave irrationally and erratically when they smoke it.
Fact- There is no scientific evidence to support the belief that mental illness is connected to marijuana use. However after using marijuana, some users experience feelings of anxiety, panic and irritability. The effects of this are short-lived. When marijuana is ingested in large doses is can bring about temporary toxic psychosis. This is rare. When it does happen it is related to the drug being eaten as opposed to being smoked. The real problem is in relation to the adverse effects upon the memory of a marijuana user. Short term memory is dramatically impacted, and over prolonged use, this can begin to effect long term memory as well.
Myth- Marijuana is a more powerful and potent drug today than it was back in the 1960s and 1970s.Fact- Marijuana is the same today as it was 30 or 40 years ago. Only the users have changed. The Drug Enforcement Administration samples the THC content of marijuana regularly and only a small portion of the marijuana seized has been shown to be more potent that the marijuana from yesteryears. Important to note is that the potency of marijuana is not necessarily what makes it more harmful.
Myth- Offenses regarding marijuana use are not punished in a severe manner.
Fact- The arrests in the United States related to marijuana use doubled between the years of 1991 and 1995. For example, in the year 1995, more than an estimated one-half-million individuals were arrested for offenses connected to marijuana. Punishments range from fines, civil sanctions, probations, property seizures and the revoking of driver’s licenses.
