How Marijuana Affects School, Work, and Social Life - Not Quite What You May Think!

Marijuana use has the potential to cause problemsthese children are more likely to exhibit deficits in
in daily life or make a persons existing problemsproblem-solving skills, memory, and the ability to
worse. Many think that marijuana is a harmlessremain attentive. Students who smoke marijuana
drug that has little or no harmful results for theget lower grades and are less likely to graduate
average person. If this is what you think, youfrom high school compared with their nonsmoking
should think again! Marijuana compromises thepeers. Workers who smoke marijuana are more
ability to learn and remember information, lastinglikely than their coworkers to have problems on
for days or weeks after the acute effects of thethe job. Several studies have associated workers
drug wear off. This can greatly affect your workwho smoke marijuana with increased absences,
and social life.tardiness, accidents, workers compensation claims,
Every exposure is a risk. Babies born to womenand job turnover.
who used marijuana during their pregnanciesMarijuana users themselves report poor
display altered responses to visual stimuli,outcomes on a variety of life satisfaction and
increased tremulousness, and a high-pitched cry,achievement. When asked how marijuana
which may indicate problems with neurologicalaffected their cognitive abilities, career
development. Marijuana-exposed preschool childrenachievements, social lives, and physical and mental
have been observed to perform tasks involvinghealth, the overwhelming majority of heavy
sustained attention and memory more poorlycannabis users reported the drugs deleterious
than non-exposed children do. In the school years,effects on all areas of life.