What are marijuanas long-term effects?
Marijuana smoke, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse, contains some of the same cancer-causing compounds as tobacco – sometimes in higher concentrations. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day. In addition to the risk of lung cancer, long-term marijuana users may experience the following: • Additional stress on the heart – this is of particular concern to users who already suffer from high blood pressure, hardening or the arteries, or are prone to strokes. • Reproductive system problems. Marijuana suppresses the production of male sex hormones, shrinks the testes, and inhibits sperm production. Marijuana has also been shown to inhibit ovulation in women. • Difficulty concentrating and short-term memory loss • A weakened immune system. THC has been found to impair the body’s natural disease-fighting abilities, increasing the risk of bacterial infection
