Cannabis: Not So Innocent

by Matthew Ajaj

August 6, 2022

(Updated December 30, 2023)

In 1969, 4% of the American population supported the legalization of marijuana. Just over half a century later, 68% answered in the affirmative. [1]

A lot of things have changed in the past five decades, but a 64% swing in public opinion really stands out among the crowd. The statistical surprises do not stop there, however. As Americans’ views of marijuana have tempered, so have the laws. Since first legalized in Colorado in 2012, 18 more states have followed suit. And as would be expected, more people have tried marijuana: 4% in 1969, 38% in 2013, and 49% in 2021. [2]

But perhaps the most troubling statistic amongst all this data is the effect it has had on the youth. According to the Monitoring the Future national study, 7.9% of young adults aged 19-22 who are in college are daily marijuana users, and 13% in the same age bracket who are not in college are daily marijuana users. (Note: This study constituted “daily marijuana users” as those who smoke marijuana 20 or more days per month.) And while it appears that a relatively similar amount of youths have been trying marijuana today as they did in decades’ past, the amount of daily users is at the highest ever recorded since the study began tracking this data in 1980. [3] Compounding this predicament is the fact that the amount of THC (the primary psychoactive and habit-forming component of marijuana) in cannabis has increased exponentially over the last few decades; in other words, the weed that is being smoked by the millennials and zoomers of today is vastly different and more dangerous substance than what was used by boomers and Gen Xers when they were growing up. [4]

Marijuana has certainly lost its stigma over the years, and many—if not most—would say that these concerning statistics are not concerning at all. The arbitrary reply to marijuana criticism is that unlike cigarettes and alcohol, cannabis does not ravage their organs or cause cancer or compromise their health in any way, and those drugs are legal so there is no reason why weed should not be. This libertine dictum has been the guiding principle to the mass-acceptance of marijuana over the past half-century. But is it even true? Does marijuana really have no effect on our health? Is this substance safe to expose to our children?

The answer to all these questions, to put it bluntly, is a resounding no.

There are countless reasons to question cannabis usage, but here are ten great ones to start with.

1)     Marijuana Is Correlated to Depression – The National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that 10.1% of kids age 12-17 smoked marijuana in 2020, and of the 17% of youths that had a major depressive episode within that past year, 22% of them had smoked marijuana. This can be compared to the 83% of youths that did NOT have a major depressive episode in that past year, of which only 7.9% smoked marijuana. [5] The conclusion can be made the smoking marijuana nearly tripled the risk of having a major depressive episode, but some might counter that the depression is what onset the marijuana use. The truth is likely a mixture of both, but other studies certify that usage of the drug clearly leads to depression; a meta-analysis conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that cannabis use during adolescence showed a statistically significant increase in risk of development of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts in young adulthood compared to non-users. [6]

2)     Marijuana Is an Ineffective Coping Mechanism – Undoubtedly there are many cases in which depression and anxiety incite young adults to take up pot as a potential cure. However, marijuana fails as an antidepressant and anxiolytic and stress reliever in much the same way that tobacco and alcohol do: it is only a temporary solution. Marijuana will not motivate one to go to the gym regularly to improve their health and physicality; it will not increase productivity at work and land a promotion; it will not help get household chores done any faster to allow more free time to spend with friends and family. Rather, marijuana stands in the way of achieving those things. The key to a happy and healthy life is through finding meaning, and that can be accomplished through taking on responsibility; life feels worth living when there are people depending on you and you are making a positive difference in the world. Marijuana is antithetical to responsibility and accomplishment; it has a sedative effect that incites idleness and inaction and mitigates motivation. All in all, marijuana only provides temporary relief from our burdens, and hinders us from uncovering the fulfillment found in bearing and overcoming such burdens.

3)     It Is an Addictive Substance – Despite what all the cannabis crusaders might say, cannabis IS an addictive substance. 9% of those who try it, 17% of those who start as teenagers, and as high as 50% of those who use daily will become addicted to marijuana. [7] Addiction involves tolerance to the drug, incapability to quit and/or subjectivity to withdrawal symptoms if attempting to quit, inability to get through the day without getting high, and even forgoing personal responsibilities because of one’s need to use marijuana.

4)     Marijuana Bunts Intellectual Growth – Numerous studies have shown the inhibitory effects of marijuana on the developing adolescent brain. The brain matures into one’s twenties, and weed interrupts this process during formative years. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America (PNAS) conducted a longitudinal study which showed that the most persistent marijuana users experienced a significant decline in IQ by approximately five to six points from adolescence to their adult years. [8]

5)     Marijuana May Cause Permanent Psychosis – Schizophrenia is a highly debilitating, lifelong psychiatric disorder that necessitates medical management and often strict supervision in hospital and home settings. One of the leading criticisms of marijuana usage has been its strong link to schizophrenia, and while it cannot be attributed to a majority of cases, the data suggests that a cannabis habit increases one’s risk of developing schizophrenia by two to three times. [9]

6)     Pot Is Not for Babies – Many gasp at the mere thought of a woman smoking a cigarette in pregnancy, but not many realize the impact of women smoking marijuana while pregnant. It is unfortunately not all that uncommon, and surely many of these women may not be aware of the detrimental effects of marijuana on their baby due to the pervasive idea that cannabis is a harmless substance. Studies have shown that marijuana use has innumerable effects on a baby in the womb, the neonatal period, and throughout childhood. [10] 

7)     Don’t Drive While High – While alcohol remains the most common culprit for fatalities caused by driving under the influence, marijuana is becoming more troublesome as the mass-legalization process proceeds. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute produced a study which showed a 6.6% increase in injury crash rates and a 4% increase in fatal crash rates in Western states where marijuana was legal compared to states where it was not. [11] Another study showed the cannabis was involved in 21.5% of fatal crashes in 2018, which is more than double of what it was back in 2000. [12]

8)     Emergency Room Visits – While marijuana is known for its nausea-relieving effects, chronic usage can lead to the complete opposite: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. This condition is characterized by abdominal pain and excessive nausea and vomiting, as well dramatic and uncivil behavior by the patient. Hot showers are known to help relieve the symptoms, but many will still need to make their way to the emergency department. Approximately one-third of daily marijuana smokers will experience cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. [13]

9)      Costly Cannabis – Marijuana is an unnecessary expense that only further burdens one’s budget in what is currently a chaotic economy. Survey results vary; one study found that the average legal marijuana consumer spends over $1,300 a year on legal cannabis products alone. Especially for those struggling to make ends meet, dedicating over $100 a month on a recreational and harmful drug does not make much sense. [14]

10)    An Unbearable Odor – The effects on the marijuana user are bad enough, but the rest of us are left to deal with the smell. It is a truly putrid, headache-inducing, nostril-punishing, skunk-like stench that permeates parking lots, apartment complexes, and college campuses everywhere. All of these horrible effects of marijuana aside, its legality should be put into question based off of smell alone; to have such an odor saturate the air of our society is not fair to its non-using denizens.

Many will continue to scoff at the idea of marijuana’s dangers. While it may have been a countercultural phenomenon in the past, today the youth population’s perceptions of marijuana are largely downstream from older generations’ growing acceptance and legislative laxity. It should not need to be said that the modern situation is much more precarious, as we are now dealing with a substance with significantly higher THC content than yesteryear, mass-legalization, and disastrously pervasive chronic usage. It is an addictive substance that has already accounted for massive damage predominantly to young people, and the deleterious effects will only accelerate if the current acceptance and legalization trends continue. Given the growing number of states that have abdicated their duty to protect their inhabitants, it is critical for responsible adults and impressionable youths to be informed of the dangers of marijuana so they can make the conscientious decision to abstain from it.

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Citations

[1] Gallup. Support for legal marijuana holds at record high of 68%. Gallup.com. https://news.gallup.com/poll/356939/support-legal-marijuana-holds-record-high.aspx. Published November 20, 2021. Accessed August 6, 2022.

[2] Jones JM. Nearly half of U.S. adults have tried marijuana. Gallup.com. https://news.gallup.com/poll/353645/nearly-half-adults-tried-marijuana.aspx. Published November 20, 2021. Accessed August 6, 2022.

[3] Johnston L, Miech R, O'malley P, Bachman J, Schulenberg J, Patrick M. MONITORING FUTURE NATIONAL SURVEY RESULTS on DRUG USE Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use.; 1975. Accessed December 30, 2023. https://monitoringthefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/mtf-overview2019.pdf

[4] Freeman TP, Craft S, Wilson J, et al. Changes in delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) concentrations in cannabis over time: systematic review and meta‐analysis. Addiction. 2020;116(5):1000-1010. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15253

[5] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP21-07-01-003, NSDUH Series H-56). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/

[6] Volkow ND, Baler RD, Compton WM, Weiss SR. Adverse health effects of marijuana use. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(23):2219-2227. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1402309

[7] Gobbi G, Atkin T, Zytynski T, et al. Association of Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Young Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;76(4):426–434. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.4500

[8] Madeline H. Meier, Avshalom Caspi, Antony Ambler, et al. Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America (PNAS). 2012;109(40): E2657-E26644. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1206820109

[9] Arseneault, L., Cannon, M., Witton, J., & Murray, R. (2004). Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: Examination of the evidence. British Journal of Psychiatry, 184(2), 110-117. doi:10.1192/bjp.184.2.110

[10] Wu CS, Jew CP, Lu HC. Lasting impacts of prenatal cannabis exposure and the role of endogenous cannabinoids in the developing brain. Future Neurol. 2011;6(4):459-480. doi:10.2217/fnl.11.27

[11] Farmer CM, Monfort SS, Woods AN. Changes in Traffic Crash Rates After Legalization of Marijuana: Results by Crash Severity. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2022;83(4):494-501. doi:10.15288/jsad.2022.83.494

[12] Lira MC, Heeren TC, Buczek M, et al. Trends in Cannabis Involvement and Risk of Alcohol Involvement in Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities in the United States, 2000‒2018. Am J Public Health. 2021;111(11):1976-1985. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2021.306466

[13] Habboushe J, Rubin A, Liu H, Hoffman RS. The Prevalence of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome Among Regular Marijuana Smokers in an Urban Public Hospital. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2018;122(6):660-662. doi:10.1111/bcpt.12962

[14] Brown M. The Money Behind Marijuana. LendEDU. Published October 11, 2017. https://lendedu.com/blog/money-behind-marijuana