Marijuana and the Immune System

Smoking one joint a day, can suppress the immune system dramatically

In the USA thirteen states have legalized the medical use of marijuana.  It is used in the treatment of many chronic and or terminal illnesses; however, there are many negative effects that marijuana has on the body, one of which is the effect it has on the immune system. 

Studies have proven that using marijuana regularly, smoking a single joint a day, can suppress the immune system dramatically.  Not only does it cause damage within the lungs by damaging the cells that protect the lungs from harmful organisms we breathe in, but it also is an immunosuppressant in all systems of the body which lowers our resistance to organisms that attack the cells of our body and cause illnesses. 

How Marijuana Hurts the Immune System

Our bodies are designed to naturally fight off infection by cells that attack and kill infection causing organisms.  When the body recognizes one of these bad organisms, the good cells that protect the body seek out the infection and kill it.  When a person has an immune system that is weakened by illness, such as AIDS, the good cells are not strong enough to fight the potentially fatal infections and thus the body becomes weak and sick.  When the immune system is strong and functioning properly it is the best natural defense against infection and disease. 

Ironically, cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy are a large demographic that tends to be prescribed medical marijuana.  Chemotherapy patients have a weakened immune system because the chemicals used in chemotherapy tend to kill both the bad and the good cells of the body, leaving it susceptible to infection.  Thus when a chemotherapy patent smokes marijuana to help relieve the negative effects of chemotherapy, they are also potentially weakening the immune system further by suppressing what is left of their immune system.  Marijuana may help relieve the side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea and poor appetite, but it is also exposing the body to secondary infections that can inhibit or prolong treatment and recovery.  For whatever positive effects marijuana has on the chemotherapy patient, studies have shown that the negative effects are far more prevalent and damaging.

How Marijuana Effects Respiratory Illnesses

A person who smokes as little as one marijuana cigarette a day can be highly prone to infections of the lungs and possibly contract lung cancer.  Chronic bronchitis is also noted as an adverse affect of habitual marijuana use.  Bronchitis is the impairment of the small air passages of the lungs caused by inflammation, which is thought to be a precancerous abnormality of the linings of the lungs in which the infection fighting mechanisms are reduced and leave the lungs susceptible to infection and disease. 

The smoke from marijuana contains toxins that are known to be the main factor in the formation of lung cancer; much like the effects of smoking cigarettes.  Studies have shown that one marijuana cigarette contains four times as much toxins as a regular cigarette and since studies have identified the toxins in cigarettes as the key promoter of lung cancer, it is then noted that marijuana use is also a large factor in lung cancer; four times larger.  Although studies are not conclusive enough to state the fact, it is highly likely that the regular use of marijuana can cause severe lung disorders such as COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), bronchitis, emphysema, and infections of the respiratory tract.  It is also noted that a large percentage of regular marijuana users have contracted cancers of the mouth, larynx, and pharynx.  The fact is those people who are prescribed marijuana to help them in their recovery of certain cancers are already immune deficient and the added use of marijuana only lessens their abilities to fight the diseases and infections they are prone to.

Research on the Effects of Marijuana is Ongoing

The long term effects of smoking marijuana are still being researched; some studies are inconclusive but there is a large amount of evidence to support the negative effects of habitual marijuana use and how it negatively affects the immune system of our bodies.  Over the last thirty years the recreational use of marijuana has been increasing dramatically.  Now that medical professionals are viewing cannabis as a medicinal drug, it seems it has become viewed as more positive than negative.  That does not eliminate the negative aspects of this drug and individuals should be educated and informed before using it medicinally. 

The fact that many studies prove that the habitual use of one marijuana cigarette a day can cause significant immune difficulties in patients who are already suffering immune deficiency problems from illnesses they are being treated for such as AIDS and cancer.  The use of marijuana as a medicine is not unlike any other medicinal drug in use; they all have some kind of significant side affect that should be discussed and researched before patients are prescribed this drug. 

Read More: Marijuana: Pros And Cons

The negative effects that marijuana has on the immune system can be devastating and potentially lethal if not carefully monitored.  The toxins in marijuana can totally disable the much needed cells that attack and destroy infection causing antigens within the body; without these killer cells, the body has no defense to fight off infections and thus leaving the body open to illnesses and diseases that can cause permanent damage or even death.

Researchers continue to study the effects of marijuana on the body and are concluding that the drug is far more dangerous than they first thought.  Because the immune system of our bodies is our most important weapon against disease, infection, and premature death, it is imperative that we do all that we can to not damage it any more than what happens naturally through the disease process.  Putting substances into our bodies that work against our natural immunities is far too dangerous a proposition and should be considered as extremely dangerous.  The benefits of the medicinal use of marijuana seem quite weak when compared to the dangers associated with its use.  One should be very aware of those dangers and seek out other, less dangerous solutions to relieve symptoms that the use of marijuana has been marked for.