Marijuana Use in the Era of Changing Cannabis Laws: What Are the Risks? Who is Most at Risk?

Abstract

We review recent findings on medical aspects of marijuana use in order to identify those who are at greatest risk of marijuana-related medical problems. We analyze the impact of medical marijuana laws on health, in particular the disproportionate effects on adolescents and children. Chronic marijuana use predominantly affects certain areas of the brain that overlap the default mode network, linked hubs in the brain that play a supervisory role in critical thought processes such as attention, memory, and social interactions. Disruption of the default mode network areas has been documented in schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, illnesses with symptoms and brain changes that parallel findings in marijuana abusers. These findings counter the claim that marijuana is a harmless drug and are a cause for alarm in persons with cannabis dependence.

Department(s)

Chemistry

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0026-6620

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2024 The Missouri State Medical Association, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Sep 2018

PubMed ID

30385981

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