What Happens If You Smoke Marijuana Regularly in The Long Term?
Marijuana refers to the dried part of the Cannabis sativa plant. This part can include leaves, flowers, roots, even seeds. The component called THC in marijuana exerts a “high” effect on its users. How to use marijuana varies according to natreleaf.com, it can be rolled into cigarettes, using bongs, to using a vaporizer. Marijuana can also be mixed into foods such as brownies, cookies, candy, or even brewed like tea. Compared to other types of recreational drugs, marijuana is considered the most “benign” and has the least risk. Even the use of marijuana as a medical therapy for health has begun to be recognized in various countries.
The use of burnt marijuana causes the same respiratory problems as smoking. The components in marijuana can irritate the lungs, causing coughing, excessive phlegm production, and a high risk of suffering from other lung diseases such as pneumonia and lung infections. Three hours after consuming marijuana, your heart rate will increase and in the long run, it can cause heart rhythm instability. This increases the risk of developing heart disease later in life. Those who use marijuana and have a history of heart disease are at a higher risk of having a heart attack. Marijuana use can cause structural changes in the hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex in the brain.
The more often and the greater the amount of marijuana consumed, the more significant changes will appear. This part of the brain is important in influencing how we judge positive and negative things in the environment and how we make decisions about them. Researchers reveal the changes that occur in the brain can also occur due to long-term use which usually leads to addiction that cannabis users who are in the process of becoming addicted experience structural changes and the formation of new connections in the brain associated with addiction.
The long-term effects of marijuana use in both men and women can have an impact on fertility. In men, it can result in decreased levels of the hormone testosterone, resulting in reduced sperm count. Besides, the risk of suffering from erectile dysfunction to testicular cancer is also higher. In women, it can cause irregular menstrual cycles.