medical marijuana

The Adverse Effects of Marijuana Use

With the ongoing shift toward the legalization of Marijuana, some scientists and physicians are making note of the adverse side effects marijuana can have on patients. According to an article in The New England Journal of Medicine, Marijuana use may have adverse effects, particularly on the brains of young people. There has been a temporal relationship found between the use of marijuana and stroke in young people. These strokes can sometimes go undiagnosed and have the potential to be severely debilitating.

Marijuana used for medicinal purposes, particularly immunocompromised patients, should be considered high risk and offers the potential for severe complications, including death. These risks have not been properly studied and are seen by some to be poorly defined; however, the risks are still present and one should consider said risks when seeking Marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Marijuana use can also have adverse effects when mixed with other medications. Health care providers need to maintain a high level of caution and look for irregular drug interactions in their patients who use marijuana products.

With the research on medicinal Marijuana on-going it is crucial that health care providers keep up to date on research and recent studies pertaining to said subject. It is also particularly important to enhance and support research on Marijuana and its uses.

For more information visit The New England Journal of Medicine.