The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Marijuana is a popular recreational drug with a strong following campaigning to legalize it for both medicinal and recreational use. This paper serves to illustrate the harmful effects of marijuana use as it pertains to prenatal, adolescent and adult use. By understanding the methods of absorption and mechanism of interaction in the body, we can see a correlation between the effects of marijuana and its toxicity. Through extensive research of case studies on marijuana use we were able to determine marijuana’s harmful effects physically, developmentally and cognitively. Through these methods of research, it can be concluded that marijuana has detrimental effects on the developing body in utero ,as well as, during adolescence. Furthermore, marijuana has consistently been found to cause long term damage such as short stature, attention span, and verbal retention (Solowij, et. al. 2011). In adults, smoke inhalation of the substance has been found to be more detrimental than the smoke inhalation of tobacco. While marijuana touts a variety of medicinal benefits in its application as a form of palliative care, its toxicity and the prolonged adverse effects of the substance are too strong to ignore.
Recommended Citation
Dean, P. (2013). Can Marijuana Be Harmful When Used Prenatally or During Adolescence?. The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences, 6(2). Retrieved from https://touroscholar.touro.edu/sjlcas/vol6/iss2/2
