Premium
The human toxicity of marijuana
Author(s) -
Nahas Gabriel,
Latour Colette
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1992.tb126479.x
Subject(s) - toxicity , physiology , medicine , dronabinol , pathophysiology , animal studies , cannabinoid , receptor
The pathophysiological effects of marijuana smoke and its constituent cannabi‐ noids were reported first from in‐vitro and in‐vivo experimental studies. Marijuana smoke is mutagenic in the Ames test and in tissue culture and cannabinoids inhibit biosynthesis of macromolecules. In animals, marijuana or Δ‐trahydrocannabinol (THC), the intoxicating material it contains, produces symptoms of neurobehavioural toxicity, disrupts all phases of gonadal or reproductive function, and is fetotoxic. Smoking marijuana can lead to symptoms of airway obstruction as well as squamous metaplasia. Clinical manifestations of pathophysiology due to marijuana smoking are now being reported. These include: long‐term impairment of memory in adolescents; prolonged impairment of psychomotor performance; a sixfold increase in the incidence of schizophrenia; cancer of mouth, jaw, tongue and lung in 19‐30 year olds; fetotoxicity; and non‐ lymphoblastic leukaemia in children of marijuana‐smoking mothers.