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5 Health Concerns Associated With Marijuana

Published April 09, 2015

With certain areas of the U.S. now taking a laxer approach to marijuana use, the number of users has also been increasing. This, alone, is certainly not cause for alarm, but the current decriminalization is also leading to plants with higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). As the main mind-altering chemical in marijuana, a higher THC level can lead growers to a bigger profit. ^[1] But more potent levels of THC could be linked to dependency, and that's where health problems could come in. ^[2] That said, here are 5 things you need to know about the risks.

1. Pesticide Exposure

Contamination from pesticides is always a concern, but in the case of marijuana—for the most part—there are no standards in place. Often, anything goes when it comes to pesticide use. Sometimes, that's a lawn care product or something else not meant for human consumption. All these chemicals can become even more problematic when marijuana is inhaled, which then heads straight for the lungs and bloodstream. ^[3]

2. Brain Changes

In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers suggested recreational marijuana use could change the brain. ^[4] 20 casual smokers' brain scans were compared to scans from 20 nonusers; preliminary results noted the smokers had a significant shift in density and changes in shape in the areas that controlled emotion and motivation. Another study commented that smoking could actually shrink your brain! ^[5] What does all this mean? It's probably too early to tell, but it's definitely something to look out for.

3. Fertility

There's a possible link between marijuana and male fertility—especially in young men. In a study of about 2,000 men trying unsuccessfully to conceive for at least 12 months, 318 had abnormal sperm shape and size, and men who had smoked three months "before producing the sperm samples were about one-and-a-half times as likely to have abnormal sperm as were men who had not used marijuana." ^[6] And that effect was doubled in men under 30 who smoked. But then again, Bob Marley had 13 children, so it looks like the jury's still out on this one.

4. Testicular Cancer

Another study suggested marijuana use could double the risk for testicular cancer in young men. ^[7] Still, while the testicular cancer rate has been rising over the past century, this isn't exactly ironclad evidence. According to the American Cancer Society, a man’s lifetime risk of getting testicular cancer is about 1 in 263. Because it's highly treatable, the "lifetime risk of dying from this cancer is very low: about 1 in 5,000." ^[8] So even if the drug could increase that risk, it's still fairly small.

5. Cardiovascular Effects

More and more young, otherwise healthy patients are showing up in emergency rooms with symptoms of heart attack and stroke. Most often, these patients are also regular marijuana users. Does this equal causation? Definitely not, but there is a recent study suggesting a "growing risk of marijuana-associated adverse cardiovascular effects, especially in young people"—certainly something to think about. ^[9]

One Final Thought

Remember, though, these are just a few possible health worries when it comes to smoking; probably one of the most dangerous, unspoken risks of marijuana is just being caught. Although progress may be happening in some places, there are others where the legal repercussions are absolutely unimaginable (20 years for simple possession in Louisiana, for example). Tell us that you think about these health concerns in the comments below.

-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM