What kind of effects does marijuana have?
Marijuana can make people feel happy, relaxed, comfortable and uninhibited. It also increases appetite, alters perceptions and reduces coordination. In large doses, marijuana can cause confusion, restlessness, anxiety, hallucinations and paranoia (Hall et al., 1999). It can also contribute to poor performance at work or school, and may cause learning problems in young people (Canada. Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, 2002). Some people with mental illness use marijuana to relieve the symptoms of their disorder or the unpleasant side-effects of their medication (Hall, 1998; Dixon et al., 1990). Is marijuana a benign substance? In some respects, marijuana is safer than other ‘street’ drugs, in that no known overdose deaths are recorded from marijuana alone (Kalant, 2001). Although the drug is often used socially like alcohol, frequent, long-term use can lead to several problems, especially for people with certain psychiatric disorders (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or post-t
