Cannabis has been known to induce quite a number of unwanted side effects. Short term side effects include somatic, psychoactive as well as neurological effects. Unfortunately, because of laws prohibiting research on long-term use, there is very little progress on the study of Cannabis long term side effects.
The few data on long term use of Cannabis is a mix of studies from human cases and animal subjects. So far, here are some of the conditions and disorders associated with Cannabis long term side effects.
Lower IQ
According to a study published in the “Canadian Medical Journey” in 2002, smoking 5 or more marijuana joints per week had a negative effect on global IQ score. People who took Cannabis frequently had a harder time remembering things and processing information. This is because the cannabinoids in marijuana restrain the secretion of several neurotransmitters in the hippocampus, lowering neuronal activity in this area of the brain. This eventually leads to a decrease of cellular activities associated with formation of memory.
Anxiety, Psychosis and Depression
Mostly associated with withdrawal symptoms than cannabis long term side effects, anxiety, psychosis, and depression result from prolonged exposure to cannabinoids, particularly to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (?9-THC, commonly called simply THC). Since THC is largely responsible for the high feeling, the altered state of consciousness and euphoria that Cannabis users experience, it affects the mood and disposition of those who take it.
Depending on the mental state of the user, the potency and amount of the drug taken, frequency of intake, and the user’s metabolism, Cannabis (as well as withdrawal from it) can cause the brain to experience the exact opposites of the euphoric state, which are depression, anxiety and psychosis.
Decreased Fertility
In animal subjects, administration of high levels of THC showed a significant decrease in testosterone levels, sperm production, sperm motility, and sperm viability. In females, it interrupts the menstrual cycle and messes up hormone levels for the sex organs. In other words, one of the cannabis long term side effects is a significant decrease in fertility in both male and female Cannabis users.
Pregnancy
For those who used Cannabis during pregnancy, cannabis long term side effects are observed in infants. Aside from growth impairment, permanent cognitive deficiencies were seen in the children of Cannabis-using mothers.
Other studies even associate long term use of Cannabis by mothers with children’s anxiety disorders, hyperactivity and inability to interact socially with others.