Marijuana Abuse

Marijuana abuse is most often characterized as the continual and habitual use of the drug. Many times, a marijuana addict will make the decision to quit or cut down on their use, but will quickly relapse due to the overwhelming mental and emotional cravings for it. Many people that have developed marijuana abuse problems find that they must use marijuana in order to be able to enjoy themselves and feel normal. Marijuana abuse is commonly accompanied by many signs that will often closely resemble the symptoms that are involved with those that are associated with alcohol and various other types of drugs that are commonly abused.

Chronic marijuana abuse will change an individual in variety of different ways; many of these changes will be seen socially, emotionally, physically, as well as psychologically. Individuals suffering with marijuana abuse issues tend to include the drug as a part of their daily lives and will gravitate to others who share their interest in the drug. Individuals who develop an addiction to marijuana will begin to compulsively seek out the drug, and eventually will lose interest in activities that once meant a great deal to them.

Marijuana abuse is reported to be widespread throughout the United States, among both adolescents and young adults. Marijuana abuse was reported to be a contributing factor in over 350,000 emergency room visits during 2008, according to The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Marijuana abuse has the potential to disrupt coordination and balance by binding to receptors in the brain which regulate balance, posture, coordination, and reaction time; therefore, learning, doing complicated tasks, and driving may also be affected.

Marijuana abuse can cause an individual's heart rate to speed up substantially; additionally, use of the drug can cause the blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. Marijuana abuse can cause a person's normal heart rate to increase by up to 50%. A large body of research suggests that a person's risk of heart attack during the first hour after smoking marijuana is potentially up to four times of their usual risk. This observation could be due to the way that marijuana abuse can raise blood pressure and heart rate, which can reduce the blood's capacity to carry oxygen. All of these various possibilities need to be examined more closely, because a large percentage of current marijuana abusers in the U.S. include adults from the baby boomer generation, who may have other cardiovascular risks that could increase their vulnerability.

Marijuana abuse can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, which is often accompanied by a heavy cough; a current government study reported sick days used by frequent marijuana smokers were often because of respiratory illnesses. The smoke of marijuana, like that of tobacco, consists of a toxic mixture of gases and various other toxins, many of which are commonly known to be harmful to the lungs. Marijuana abuse can cause many of the same respiratory problems that smoking cigarettes does, such as daily cough and phlegm production, a higher occurrence of acute chest illnesses, and a greater risk of lung infections.