6 Surprising Facts About Smoking Pot

As more states legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use, more addiction experts and parents fear that the greater availability of cannabis will cause more teens to start smoking pot, or to abuse the drug. 

In an effort to curb this, and to educate teens on the dangers of marijuana, the National Institute on Drug Abuse put together a brochure for teens.

Here are some of the surprising findings:

1. Pot can stay in your system for weeks. The THC in marijuana is rapidly absorbed by fatty tissues in various organs throughout the body. In general, standard urine tests can detect traces (metabolites) of THC several days after use. In heavy users, however, THC metabolites can sometimes be detected for weeks after use stops.
2. Pot hurts your lungs. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same breathing and lung problems that tobacco smokers do, such as a daily cough, and a greater risk of lung infections like pneumonia.
3. High doses of marijuana can cause psychosis. Some people experience an acute psychotic reaction (disturbed perceptions and thoughts, paranoia) or panic attacks while under the influence of marijuana.
4. Pot does impact your driving. Marijuana is the most common illegal drug involved in auto fatalities. It is found in the blood of around 14 percent of drivers who die in accidents, often in combination with alcohol or other drugs.
5. Marijuana is linked to school failure. Marijuana’s negative effects on attention, memory, and learning can last for days and sometimes weeks — especially if you use it often.
6. Marijuana is addictive. Research shows that approximately 9 percent, or about 1 in 11, of those who use marijuana will become addicted. 

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