The effects of marijuana on physical psychological & physiological functioning - Essay Example

Research also shows that the earlier people start using drugs, the more likely it is for them to experiment with other drugs. Impact on physical functioning According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (2010), marijuana use can lead to some immediate physical consequences like increase in heart rate by as much as 50 percent, depending on the amount of THC. The increased heartbeat and pulse rate can cause chest pain and heart failure especially if the individual is taking other legal or illegal drugs.

The white of the eye changes to somewhat pink in color because of dilation of the vessels in the conjunctiva of the eye giving it a ‘blood-shot’ appearance. Other physical effects include drop of the pressure in the eyeball, sense of cold or hot hands and feet, relaxation of the muscles and dry mouth and throat. These effects are temporary and mostly disappear after a couple of hours. The unfiltered smoke inhaled into the lungs can cause cellular changes called metaplasia, which are considered precancerous.

Continual smoking of marijuana can cause tissue damage resulting in abnormal functioning of the lungs since the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers is nearly three to five times more than that inhaled by tobacco smokers. In laboratory test, the tars from marijuana smoke have produced tumors when applied to animal skin (Venable, P.C., 2004). These studies suggest that it is likely that marijuana use can cause cancer if used for a prolonged period of time. In men, marijuana use has been found to decrease testosterone, cause breast enlargement and lead to sterility particularly if the drug use began during puberty.

In women, marijuana leads to irregular menstrual cycles, depression, an increased testosterone level and the possibility for having children with moderate to severe physical and mental deficiencies ranging from learning disabilities to babies born with weak central nervous systems. Some research studies suggest that the use of marijuana during pregnancy may result in premature babies and in low birth weights (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2010). Impact on psychological functioning Marijuana has been found to be psychologically addictive and users have been found to have a hard time limiting their use.

Although many argue that marijuana is not addictive, users who have stopped smoking it report irritability, inability to sleep, uncontrollable crying, mood swings and feelings of sickness during withdrawal. Long-term marijuana users crave for higher doses of the drug to get the same “high”. Although marijuana causes the users to feel elated and happy within minutes of using the drug, they often feel paranoid. One of the adverse reactions to marijuana is “acute panic anxiety”. People who have used marijuana describe this reaction as an extreme fear of “losing control” which causes panic causing them to often look out the windows, pace the floors or chew their fingernails (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2010).

These symptoms usually disappear in a few hours. Impact