The question, "is marijuana harmful?" does not have a simple answer. Marijuana, also known as weed, Igbo, Mary Jane, Kush, SK, Arizona, Gbana, from the cannabis plant, is known to help some people while it may harm others. Marijuana's harmful effects depending on the individual, the source and why they are using marijuana. Sometimes the positive effects of weed outweigh the negative effects of weed.


IS MARIJUANA HARMFUL? - POSITIVE EFFECTS OF WEED
The positive effects of marijuana have been known and sought for thousands of years as evidenced by the charred cannabis seeds found at an ancient burial site in modern-day Romania, from third millennium B.C.1 In modern times, the positive effects of weed include both illicit and legitimate uses.

Marijuana is the most widely-used illegal narcotic in the Western world including Nigeria and is used mostly for the positive effects of weed known as a "high."

The Health Benefits of Cannabis
1. It Can Help You Lose Weight
If you’re an avid Green Flower reader, then you’re already aware that cannabis users have been shown to be slimmer, on average, than non-users. That’s because cannabis helps the body regulate insulin production, and manage caloric intake more efficiently.

2. It Can Regulate and Prevent Diabetes
Because cannabis helps regulate body weight, it only makes sense that it would help prevent and regulate Diabetes. Again, you can thank the herb’s ability to regulate insulin production for this medical breakthrough.

3. It Fights Cancer
This is the big one that everybody’s been talking about. Both scientists and the federal government have released a good amount of evidence showing that cannabinoids fight certain types of cancer. It doesn’t get much more substantial than that.

4. It Can Help Depression
Depression is one of the more widespread, yet least talked about medical conditions in Nigeria especially young people. And research is showing that cannabis can help treat it.


5. It’s Showing Promise in Treating Autism
Like many other high-profile disorders, autism may be a prime target for cannabis-based treatments. Science is digging into it, but in the meantime, some parents are using it to help manage violent mood swings in autistic children.

6. It Provides a Safer Alternative to Drugs and Alcohol
Cannabis can be harmful if you use it irresponsibly, but it’s nowhere near as destructive as alcohol for example. With wider availability, cannabis can and will become a substance of choice – and likely save a lot of lives (and livers) in the process.

7. It Helps Regulate Seizures
Using medical cannabis to regulate seizures is another one of the more high-profile findings coming out of medical science. For folks with disorders like Epilepsy, cannabis is showing immense promise.

8. It Can Help Broken Bones Heal Faster
Can you believe that cannabis can actually mend broken bones? It’s true, as CBD evidently reacts chemically with collagen, spurring along the healing process. Another very exciting find.

9. It’s a Treatment for ADHD
For those with serious trouble concentrating, or who have children suffering from ADD or ADHD, cannabis might be the treatment you’ve been waiting for. It’s safer and more effective than medications like Ritalin or Adderall.

10. It Can Help Treat Serious Addictions
I already mentioned that cannabis can be a viable, safer alternative to substances like alcohol and tobacco, but did you know that it can also be used as a treatment for addictions to these substances, and more? Individuals addicted to serious drugs like heroin, opiates, and cocaine, are showing promise in ridding themselves of their addictions through cannabis therapy.

Of course, it’s entirely possible to develop a dependency to marijuana, also – so responsible and mindful use is key.

11. It Treats Glaucoma

One of the first big medical issue that cannabis was shown to effectively treat is Glaucoma. Ingesting cannabis helps lower the pressure in the eyeball, giving patients at least temporary relief.

12. It Can Improve Lung Health
You probably never saw this one coming – especially since Marijuana is commonly associated with smoking, and smoking with chronic lung problems. But some conditions, including lung cancer and Emphysema, have been shown to regress when cannabis is thrown into the mix.

13. It Helps Anxiety
Fact: cannabis can actually cause anxiety but there are ways to potentially avoid that. And it’s also true that for many people, cannabis can help alleviate anxiety disorders.

14. It Can Slow the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease
Cognitive degeneration is pretty much unavoidable as we age, and Alzheimer’s disease falls under that umbrella. The good news is that studies are showing cannabis can stop the progression of Alzheimer’s, which may lead to longer, richer lives for millions.



Other medical conditions thought to possibly benefit from the positive effects of marijuana include:

Eczema
Epilepsy
Huntington's disease
Insomnia.

You ever wonder why most touts 'Agberos' in the streets of Lagos hardly fall sick? Marijuana is synonymous to all of them.


IS MARIJUANA HARMFUL? - NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF WEED
While positive effects of weed can be seen both recreationally and medically, there are many negative effects of weed to also consider.

Major harmful effects of weed are seen when tolerance develops and marijuana is abused. Once a user becomes tolerant to effects of a drug, they tend to increase their dosage, increasing the likelihood of marijuana addiction and the other negative effects of weed. The state of tolerance also indicates the user will experience the negative effects of weed withdrawal during periods of drug abstinence. If a user abuses marijuana, the negative effects of weed are seen in the person's life as they choose to use marijuana above all else.

Other negative effects of weed include:

Altered senses
Dizziness, tiredness, fatigue
Reduced coordination and balance
Cognitive impairment (read: marijuana psychological effects)
Anxiety, panic, paranoia
Hallucinations
Mood alterations
Altered blood pressure, dizziness
Increased heart rate
Flushing
Dry mouth
Nausea, vomiting
Tooth discoloration
Increased appetite
Skin rash
Dry eyes
Blurred vision
Cough, sore throat


Do you have stories about marijuana use and what are your views about the use of marijuana?

Good article.....

Divine herb

Just a mere thought of the name Weed gives me Erection, Transmission, Confusion, with I Mean, Transmission...

Weed is Bae

I don't think that marijuana harms health. It seems to me that this article http://www.ncsm.nl/english/marijuana-health-effects perfectly describes how marijuana affects human health. Marijuana doesn't cause addiction, soothes, helps relax. You don't run the risk of losing short-term memory. Marijuana is often used in treatment, for example, marijuana helps cope with pain, insomnia, depression. I think that marijuana is more healthy than antidepressants and sleeping pills.