Recreational Marijuana: Facts, Fables, and Concerns

Course overview

This is a webinar that concentrates on the human and societal issues that are occurring in the United States because of the upsurge in recreational usage of high potency marijuana and marijuana products. With the state-led marijuana legalization effort, there has been a significant increase in the number of people of all ages that now consume some form of recreational marijuana on a weekly basis. The marijuana that Americans are using today is far more potent and dangerous than anything seen in the past. The marijuana in the market today is far more potent and dangerous than anything we have seen in the past. The United States has entered an age of recreational nuclear-strength potency marijuana. In 1969 at Woodstock, the average THC potency of marijuana was 1. Today, at dispensaries across the nation, marijuana can be purchased at potencies smokable, edibles, concentrates, and vape-able anywhere from 1 THC marijuana flower, to 500mg THC brownies, to 60-80 THC concentrates, to greater than 90 THC Vape Juice. None of these high potency marijuana products are safe. Dr. Bornstein will present the peer-reviewed link between high potency marijuana and depression, psychosis, schizophrenia, addiction, and suicide. Also discussed in detail will be the effects of THC on attention, decision-making, memory, and motivation. Data will be examined connecting high potency marijuana to poorer educational outcomes, professional achievement, and social relationship satisfaction. The third hour will discuss the dangers for people with co-morbidities and polypharmacy concerns and their use of recreational marijuana. Todays marijuana products are responsible for negative cardiovascular effects, immune dysfunction, many respiratory disorders, cannabinoid hyperemesis, and catatonia syndromes. It can also cause adverse drug reactions and act as a gateway drug to other substances such as opioids.