By Jordan Matus
ThirdAge News
"It helps me," says one user. "I feel better," says another. Despite the recent Supreme Court ruling against medical marijuana, regular pot smokers will be the first to attest to the drug's feel-good benefits, disregarding its very real harmful effects.
Until recently, marijuana was thought to be a fairly innocuous drug. "This may be because during the 1960s, the molecular concentration of marijuana's active ingredient THC was relatively low," says James W. Smith, M.D., specialist in addiction medicine and medical director of the Schick-Shadel Hospital in Seattle. "Today, the typical concentration is roughly 1,000 percent stronger, comparable to hashish."
This increased potency carries an increased likelihood of bodily harm. Consider that the carcinogen content of marijuana smoke is much higher than that of tobacco, and holding in a deep breath keeps these carcinogens in contact with sensitive lung tissue for much longer.
In addition, marijuana use decreases exercise tolerance, increases the risk of heart attack, accelerates the aging process of brain cells, reduces resistance to infection and decreases testosterone and sperm production in men.
So the risks of marijuana addiction are real. Here's how to quit cold turkey, or help a loved one do the same:
Be prepared for withdrawal. While marijuana withdrawal symptoms aren't nearly as intense as those associated with alcohol, nicotine cigarettes or harder drugs, recent research indicates they're quite real. Aggression, anxiety, irritability and hypersensitivity to pain are all possible, says Smith. However, these symptoms should fade within a month.
Enlist family support. Breaking any addiction is difficult, and becomes almost impossible without close family members providing encouragement. Let them know what you're trying to do, which will make it more difficult to backslide, and counter-condition yourself to do something with your spouse or kids whenever you have a craving.
Break out of old patterns. "Stay away from the sights, smells, locations and activities that you associate with smoking marijuana," Smith suggests. These cues will cause a Pavlovian desire for a joint that will be extremely difficult to resist. "Over a period of years this response will begin to fade, but in the meantime it's a very slippery slope back to addiction."
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