Risks if you are a puffer

The WHO website on marijuana use describes the following risks related to its use:

The acute effects of cannabis use has been recognised for many years, and recent studies have confirmed and extended earlier findings. These may be summarized as follows:

Cannabis impairs cognitive development (capabilities of learning); free recall of previously learned items is often impaired when cannabis is used both during learning and recall periods;

Cannabis impairs psychomotor performance; human performance on complex machinery can be impaired for as long as 24 hours after smoking as little as 20 mg; there is an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents among persons who drive when intoxicated by cannabis.

The chronic health effects:

Prolonged use may lead to greater impairment, which may not recover with cessation of use;

Development of a cannabis dependence characterised by a loss of control over cannabis use is likely in chronic users;

It can exacerbate schizophrenia in affected individuals;

Heavy cannabis consumption is associated with a higher prevalence of symptoms of chronic bronchitis and a higher incidence of acute bronchitis than in the non-smoking cohort;

Cannabis used during pregnancy is associated with impairment in fetal development leading to a reduction in birth weight;