Epidemiological evidence has linked lung disease, increased respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms, chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive disease and emphysema to marijuana smoking.In some instances,marijuana use can cause alteration and sometimes loss in memory characterized by slowed reaction time,hampered information processing, un-coordinated motorre actions and performance, and attention deficiency that result in mood disorder syndrome, psychosis and schizophrenia . Accordingly, a review on the effects of marijuana smoking on the lungs found out that prolonged cannabis smoking leads to lung cancer and cancers of the upper aero digestive tract . Moreover,a brief exposure to second hand marijuana smoke leads to acute vascular endothelial dysfunction.Nonetheless, lack of sober mental control due to the detrimental effects of marijuana among intoxicated drivers has been reported to increase the risk of road accident.
The occurrence of these events is hypothesized by the fact that when one smokes marijuana joint, he/she is four times exposed to carbon monoxide and five times more tar deposition than a single tobacco cigarette due to more deep inhalation and longer holding breath times and lack of cannabis cigarette filters . Consequently, psychiatric disorders among marijuana smokers have been associated with acute and chronic smoking . As a result, young cannabis users are likely to experience a deficiency in mental performance characterized by slowness in information processing, amnesia and deprived attention which adversely affects their learning faculties. In addition, pregnant women who get exposed to cannabis are more likely to experience weakened visualization and dexterity, and may give birth to children that are prone to abnormal behaviors .Once the presence of cannabis is detected in the human central nervous system, it excites the production of dopamine and endogenous opioids which inhibits the secretion of acetylcholine responsible for pharmacological changes in the brain leading to a decrease of glutamatergic synaptic transmission which causes brain functioning abnormalities among the cannabis smoking communities.
The endocannabinoid system receptors, cannabinoid receptor type 1 and cannabinoid receptor type 2 offer inhibitory function, whereCB1 receptor act on the production of cyclic adenosine monophosphate pathway once they receive a signal from adenyl cyclase inhibitor activation while CB2 receptor plays an important role in blocking inflammatory activity and tissue damage. Therefore, brain structural abnormality has been observed in chronic cannabis smokers with more effects imposed on the grey and white matter density. Moreover, variable brain activity among cannabis consumers has been reported and compared to non-smokers in which greater brain activation is observed in the prefrontal region of smokers while hypo-activation is noted along the left superior parietal cortex due to high concentrations of the two cannabinoids, THC and CBD, THC alters the hippo campal capacity and neurochemistry while on the other hand, CBD defends against toxic variations .Nonetheless, cerebral stroke, one of the leading causes of death has been associated with cannabis intake according to a number of preclinical studies and scientific case reports.
Scientifically, neurological stroke and Alzheimer’s disease solely result from exposure to reactive oxygen species such as peroxynitrite,hydrogen peroxide, epoxides etc. and oxidative stress pathways that cause tissue and cellular damage, conditions which are largely promoted by cannabis smoking.Accordingly, THC is a potential agent of oxidative stress and a threat in the initiation of ischemic stroke.Pharmacological and toxicological properties of cannabis are contributed by eighteen classes of chemicals which include hydrocarbons, sugars, simple fatty acids, terpenes, amino acids, and nitrogenous compounds. Accordingly, cannabis has been used for treating oncology patients, epileptic patients ,and management of inflammatory bowel disease , neurological and psychiatric disorders , and sometimes in children to treat autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and in pregnant mothers in the management of hyperemis gravidarum.This has been attributed to the non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD which interacts with the CB2 receptor that gets activated to reduce pain, seizures and inflammations in patients, and sometimes in the management of epilepsy, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorders . Evidently,therapeutic capacity of THC against chronic pain and sclerosis neurologicalailments has also been documented .