ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Cannabis is now legal in 36 states for medicinal purposes and 17 states for recreational use. The drug has been touted for its pain-relieving and calming effects, but there are some myths you should know about.
It’s just about everywhere you look and is legalized in more states every year. But there’s more to the story when it comes to cannabis use.
“The common misconceptions and attitudes is that marijuana is harmless, which it’s not,” explained Cynthia Fontanella, PhD, from the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at The Ohio State University.
In fact, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, cannabis contains three to five times the amount of carcinogens as tobacco. And cannabis can lead to permanent IQ loss of as much as eight points if you start using it at a young age. Studies also link the drug to depression, anxiety, suicide, self-harm, and psychotic episodes. Another myth: it’s not addictive!
“Cannabis use disorder is frequent use of cannabis use and causing significant impairment in functioning,” continued Fontanella.
Studies suggest that 30 percent of those who use cannabis have some degree of cannabis use disorder.
And our last fallacy: it’s OK to drive with cannabis in your system. Fontanella said the truth is the drug significantly impairs judgement, motor coordination, and reaction time and can increase your chances of a car crash. Helping you to understand misconceptions about cannabis.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said people who use cannabis are more likely to have relationship issues, poor educational outcomes, and low career achievement.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; and Roque Correa, Editor.