As America's Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Harms

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/04/us/cannabis-marijuana-risks-addiction.html?unlocked_article_code=1.P04.9LJf.AivlZpARCzws&smid=url-share

The NYT writes one-two sentence paragraphs, so you won't get the gist of the article if I post four. So I am taking some liberties to paraphrase the article into a few bullet points.

- due to the current government classification of marijuana, its effects and risks are not being studied, and doctors are unable to classify cannabis related illnesses. As a result, there's a lot of misdiagnosis, and people don't realize that cannabis is making them sick.

- due to lack of regulation in most states, there is no maximum potency that can be sold. What is now available is up to 20 times stronger than the joints from 20 years ago.

- one of the illnesses caused by marijuana use is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a condition caused by heavy cannabis use and marked by nausea, vomiting and pain. It can lead to extreme dehydration, seizures, kidney failure and cardiac arrest. In rare cases, it has caused deaths.

- many people are using marijuana to manage mental health issues like anxiety and depression; however, for a very small percentage of people, it can cause temporary psychosis (cannabis-induced temporary psychosis)and is increasingly associated with the development of chronic psychotic disorders.

-- almost all of the illnesses reported in the article are happening to ***heavy*** users. Starting at 20 times a month, and sometimes several times a day.