4 reasons why you shouldn’t party with weed

By Elainer Mogoa,

When Reggae royalty Morgan Heritage headlined the Extravaganza concert in Nairobi, the crowd went ablaze with excitement.
But that was not the only thing that went ablaze on that October 3^rd night.

Despite heavy security at the venue, fans arrived with rolls of marijuana which they smoked as the night wore on.

The night breeze wafted the smoke so much so that it could be seen like a cloud above the crowd.                               The next day, images of revelers ‘lighting up’ made their way online. Despite it being illegal in Kenya, the                       ‘herb’ has become socially acceptable for most young people.

With most people believing that ‘weed’ has no negative side effects, more and more youth are taking to cannabis. Here are four reasons why you shouldn’t party with weed:

1. Weed affects your lungs

While most weed smokers assume they’re better off than those who puff cigarettes, the truth is far from this assumption.
Marijuana smoke deposits four times more tar in the lungs and contains 50 – 70 percent more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke doesJust one joint could cause as much damage to the lungs as 5 cigarettes. Long-time weed smokers often suffer from bronchitis, an inflammation of the respiratory tract.

Marijuana affects other aspects of your health too because it limits your body’s ability to fight off infection.

2. Weed makes you forgetful

Another myth propagated by weed smokers is that weed ‘opens up your mind’.
On the contrary, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) affects the nerve cells in the part of the brain where memories are formed.
You tend to forget what you are saying often and your commitments.
It also leads to brain abnormalities leading to psychosis.

3. Smoking weed can make men sterile

When you smoke ‘Mary Jane’ it changes the structure of sperm cells, deforming them.
In the case of women, Marijuana use can upset a woman’s menstrual cycle. If you are pregnant, it can cause you to prematurely give birth to an undersized, underweight baby.

Studies also suggest that prenatal use of the drug may result in birth defects, mental abnormalities and increased risk of leukemia in children.

Over the last ten years, many children of marijuana users have been born with reduced initiative and lessened abilities to concentrate and pursue life goals.

4. Marijuana affects your judgment

Smoking weed doubles the risks of getting into car accidents and taking other drugs. Actually, most experts call it a gateway drug as it often opens doors to experimentation with harder substances.

Teenagers who regularly smoke weed are at a higher risk of dropping out of school.

The drug has also been linked with depression, anxiety, paranoia and personality disturbances.