1. By: Sammy Jo Sweet & Lori MacKendrick
Effects of Marijuana
By: Sammy Jo Sweet
&
Lori MacKendrick

2. Learning Objectives By the end of the presentation, the student will:
Be able to describe marijuana and how it is used
Describe THC and how it is...
Describe the short and long term effects of marijuana
Describe the effects marijuana has on the brain
Describe the effects using marijuana has on learning abilities
Describe the effects using marijuana has while driving
Describe the adverse effects using marijuana during pregnancy has on the developing fetus
Describe how schizophrenia is related to using marijuana

3. What is Marijuana?
Made from the dried leaves, seeds, and flowers of hemp plant
A hallucinogen- substance that distorts how the mind perceives the world you live in
Most commonly used illegal drug in the world

4. How is it used? Usually smoked as a cigarette (joint)
- feel the effects within minutes
Can be smoked in a pipe, mixed with food and eaten, brewed in tea
1 joint= 5 cigarettes

5. Chemicals in Marijuana
Consists of over 400 chemicals
THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) – main psychoactive ingredient
Amount of THC determines strength and potency
1974-1%, %, %
Up to 24%

6. THC Is addictive THC binds to cannabinoid receptors in CNS
Many receptors found in hippocampus, cerebellum, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex

7. Alcohol vs. Marijuana Is smoking a joint the same as taking a drink?
You decide.
Alcohol contains one chemical: ethanol
Marijuana contains 400+ chemicals
Alcohol is eliminated from body in few hours
THC remains in body for weeks, maybe months
THC damages immune system
Alcohol does not

8. Acute Effects Within 30 mins.=
 heart rate, anxiety, loss of coordination and balance, ‘dreamy’ state, panic,  reaction time, memory loss
Depend on how much taken, potency, and presence of other added drugs

9. Long Term Effects Male sterility Women’s menstrual cycle
Hereditary defects
Lung disease
Heart complications
Brain abnormalities
Memory

10. Male Sterility
Marijuana affects part of brain that controls sex and growth hormones, decreasing testosterone levels
This can lead to decrease sperm count and also
change the actual structure of sperm cells, leading to many abnormal defects

11. Menstrual Cycle
Marijuana affects the part of the brain which controls hormones responsible for the sequence of female’s menstrual cycle
Using can cause irregular periods (and may even lead to inability to become pregnant)
This can be reversible, but may take several months from time of quitting smoking marijuana for cycle to become normal again

12. Hereditary Defects
Cannabis is one of few drugs which cause abnormal cell division, leading to severe hereditary defects
Marijuana is one of many substances that cross the placenta, entering and affecting the fetus

13. Effects in Pregnancy Exposed babies shown to have following effects:
Low birth weight* & prematurity
Increased risk for leukemia
Altered response to visual stimuli
Increased tremors and nervousness
High-pitched cry(neuro. developmental problems)
Behavioural problems in school
Poor performance on visual perception, language comprehension
Deficits in decision-making, memory, ability to remain attentive

14. Lung Disease
Typical user inhales more smoke and holds it longer than they would a cigarette, creating severe impact on lungs
Marijuana smoke contains 50%-70% more cancer causing substances than tobacco smoke

15. Lung Disease Users deal with many respiratory problems:
Daily chronic cough
phlegm production
Chest illnesses
Bronchitis (inflammation)
Risk for lung cancer (increase enzymes that convert hydrocarbons into cancer-causing form)

16. Heart Complications Marijuana has significant impact on the heart:
Increase heart rate beats per minute
Raise blood pressure
Reduce blood capacity to carry oxygen
Causes 4X greater chance of experiencing heart attack within first hour of smoking joint

17. Brain Abnormalities: Effects on areas of high cannabinoid receptors
Effects in learning
Marijuana and driving
Mental health effects (schizophrenia)

18. The Brain Hippocampus- critical for short term memory
Cerebellum- responsible for coordination
Basal Ganglia- responsible for muscle movement

19. Effects on Learning
THC changes the way sensory information is processed
Learned behaviours deteriorate

20. Marijuana and Driving Cannabis intoxication= 4.3% fatalities
Difficulty in alertness, concentration, coordination, and ability to react quickly
While using, hard to judge distances, react to signals and sounds on the road
Effects can last up to 24 hours

21. Marijuana & Mental Health
Marijuana metabolizes very slowly, building up high levels in the body, huge risk for depression and schizophrenia
Early use (<21) increases risk of developing psychosis by 4X (hallucinations and delusions)
Highest risk with other predisposing factors, but...we cannot identify these vulnerabilities beforehand

22. "Smoking cannabis virtually doubles the risk of developing mental illnesses such as schizophrenia”, researchers say.
“Those who were heavy consumers of cannabis at age 18 were over 600% more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia over the next 15 years than those did not take it”
Dutch study show exposure in adolescents increased risk in later life by 6% (even with minimal use)
60% of schizophrenia patients had a link to cannabis use

23. Video
s/Cannabispsychoticbreakdown.aspx