Marijuana has been used for many years by people on all continents. But just what are the short term and long term effects of using marijuana on a frequent basis? Studies show that there many short term dangers that people need to be aware of when they are using marijuana often and regularly. And parents need to know the dangers that their children can be subjected to when they are exposed to marijuana. Marijuana is known to have an adverse effect on the way a person thinks, makes judgment calls, and the way they perceive things around them. There is some memory loss that is associated with frequent marijuana use. This loss of memory can affect the way a person learns and how react with the world around them. There are some mental illnesses that are being attributed to long term marijuana use but studies on this are still inconclusive. Some of the other short term effects of continued marijuana use include (1) feelings of anxiety, (2) disjointed thinking, (3) delusions, (4) hallucinations, (5) an increase in appetite, (6) inability to make accurate judgments, (7) memory loss (short term), and (8) inability to meet deadlines and expectations.

The long term effects of frequent marijuana use are now being studied as people have been using this drug for many years. Long marijuana use can increase the risk that a person has for (1) diseases of the heart, (2) heart attacks, (3) emphysema, (4) bronchitis, (5) chronic lack of ambition, and (6) problems with breathing. When people over the age of 50 continue to smoke marijuana they put an added stress factor on their heart that in most cases is irreversible. Perhaps the most common, and serious, of the above long term effects from smoking marijuana is chronic lung and breathing problems that can have a profound effect on the quality of life.