HEALTH COACH - Doctors stress the health effects of marijuana - Health

HEALTH COACH -  Doctors stress the health effects of marijuana - Health

Canadian doctors say it's time to talk about the impact of using marijuana on health.The Canadian Medical Association called on Thursday a strong public health approach to legalize marijuana.The group aims at:

• Preventing drug abuse and addiction.
• Make sure that assessment, counseling and treatment services are available for those who wish to stop using.
• Increase security for vulnerable groups such as young people pregnant women and people with psychiatric and psychiatric illnesses.

In people with psychiatric and psychiatric illnesses, marijuana can precipitate convulsions and in some cases, psychosis, said Dr. Granger Avery, president of the CMA. "That is why we made recommendations on age and restricted access to certain groups."With the approach of legalization, Dr. Robert Tanguay, a pain psychiatrist in Calgary, focuses on educating people as a form of prevention."I think the part of the addiction medicine of me says:" You know, decriminalization is a good idea and legalization is a good idea, "said Tanguay." The psychiatrist in me says that we Must be careful. "Contrary to the perception among some, marijuana is not neutral or inert in its effects on people, Tanguay said.

What are some of the disadvantages and benefits?

Smoking of marijuana can cause a chronic bronchitis disease.Cannabis interacts with almost all parts of the nervous system and many tissues in the body, said Dr. Harold Kalant, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of TorontoCannabis also increases heart rate and workload on the heart. Doctors reported cases of middle-aged men with narrowed arteries having heart attacks within an hour of toking."And even more worrying, I think, are young men, men 20 years old at the beginning, suffering from traits," said Mr. Kalant. The number of published incidents of what is happening in the medical literature is low and the way it appears to occur is not yet clear, he said.

Marijuana is not neutral or inert in its effects on people (Sean Kilpatrick / Canadian Press) Another concern is how to regulate against driving or impaired driving.In medicine, the strongest research on medical marijuana indicates positive effects on:

• Relieve chronic pain (for three months or more) in adults.
• Stimulate appetite in people with cancer, AIDS and other diseases.
• Facilitates nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy.

There are also potential benefits and ongoing clinical trials testing cannabis or its components for:Kalant believes that when cannabis is legalized there should be a "very clear specification of what the maximum percentages of THC and the minimum percentages of CBD are for medical and non-medical purposes"Apart from physical health, experts say that legalization offers a chance to increase awareness and education among Canadians of all ages.