Teratogens+-+Marijuana

Marijuana comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It is the most frequent used drug in the united states with about 4 percent of adults in America using it daily. The active ingredient in marijuana is THC, short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. THC hits the body very quickly and the short term symptoms include; rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, red eyes, dry mouth, increases appetite, and shorter reaction time.These effects can wear off 3 to four hours after use but the lingering effects last long after this. There are a few risks of using this drug heavily, it has not ever been proven but some experts believe that heavy use can result in lung cancer. Marijuana is also addictive, psychologically at least. one in twelve occasional users feel withdrawal symptoms and the rate goes up with heavier use, Symptoms of withdrawal include; aggression, anxiety, loss of appetite, and depression. source: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/marijuana-use-and-its-effects

Marijuana and Birth Defects:

People have been warned about the dangerous effects of Marijuana on a pregnant women since the 1960's. At first it was said that people using marijuana would have deformed babies and that there were abnormalities in blood cells. This was disproved, but some people still believe it can cause chromosome damage. Since then they have done test on animals to see if it effects their babies. The babies have come out with a low weight or with deformities. Some also had to be aborted. Those effects only happened in large doses on certain rodents, or when the THC was given at certain times of the pregnancy. These test do very on species. There was a study on primates which were exposed to THC for 152 days and there were no big differences or abnormalities that effected them or their offspring. http://mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/use-of-marijuana-during-pregnancy

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