Expert: Charles I. - 8/30/2007

Question
Hi, I'm 18 years old and I've smoked Marijuana a few times. I just started smoking Marijuana recently, actually. It's been three times so far.  

My question is: Are there any side effects to smoking Marijuana every once and a while? I've read that Marijuana can lead to depression and so on. Am I at risk?

Thanks.

Answer
Hi Joe,
Thanks for your question. First and foremost, it is important to remember that marijuana is illegal regardless of how often you smoke it. For an occasional smoker, such as yourself, this might be the worst potential side-effect. Obviously being caught by the police could be detrimental for you...even with small quantities. Secondly, your marijuana use could jeopardize your job if your employer conducts random drug screens or if you get hurt or involved in an accident while at work...if you file a workman's comp. claim more than likely you will be drug tested.
Physically, smoking marijuana can increase your heart rate thus causing a higher work-load on your heart. This could be a problem if you use while participating in physical activities or if you have high blood pressure or a pre-existing heart condition. If you are smoking weed then you are introducing smoke into your lungs; many of the same compounds found in cigarette smoke (ie. tar, carcinogens, cyanide and carbon monoxide)can be present in marijuana smoke. Also, marijuana is generally smoked differently than cigarettes (ie. inhaled much deeper into the lungs and held in the lungs longer) so the toxic compounds in marijuana can have greater accessibility to your lungs and could potentially cause damage...even in limited quantities. A person's immune system may also be affected by marijuana smoking but this is generally attributed to long-term chronic smoking and has not been proven definitely due to the lack of reliable research on humans. Additionally, smoking marijuana may cause problems with your reproductive system (ie. lowered sperm count and possible erectile dysfunction) but once again this tends to happen with long-term chronic smokers.
As far as depression is concerned, as with any drug, marijuana affects the chemicals in our brains that cause pleasure and regulates our moods. If you are a "now and then" smoker (couple times a month) depression probably won't be an issue. If you are prone to depression normally then marijuana smoking may amplify it. There is no cut and dried answer to this because we are all physiologically different and what effects one person one way may effect another person differently.
A question I would pose to you is why after 18 years of not smoking pot would you want to start? If it was because of curiosity, well you smoked it three times now and there shouldn't be much of a mystery any longer. Is it peer pressure? Is it because it allows you to relax and escape problems? These are some questions you may want to present to yourself. I have many client's who started out as occasional pot smokers and one thing eventually led to another. I'm not telling you that occasionally smoking pot will lead you down the path of death and destruction...just be careful. There are more negative things about marijuana than positive. I hope this helps.
Good Luck,
Charles