Rheumatoid Arthritis and Marijuana

Marijuana (also spelled marihuana) is the common name given to any drug preparation from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (Marijuana, p. 9563). Various forms of this drug are known by different names throughout the world, such as kif in Morocco, dagga in South Africa, and ganja in India. Hashish refers to a dried, resinous substance that exudes from the flowering tops of the plant. In Western culture, cannabis preparations have acquired a variety of slang names, including grass, pot, tea, reefer, weed, and Mary Jane. Cannabis has been smoked, eaten in cakes, and drunk in beverages. In Western cultures marijuana is prepared most often as a tobaccolike mixture that is smoked in a pipe or rolled into a cigarette. In the United States, use of marijuana is prohibited by law.

Research into the use and abuse of marijuana is complicated by several facts (Wilson M. Compton , et al.). One is that in countries such as the United States where marijuana use is illegal, it is not possible to know the extent of usage by people who do not come into contact with health or legal authorities concerning their marijuana use, and people may be reluctant to report illegal behavior on surveys.

Marijuana has its major physiological effects on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems; these effects are primarily sedative and hallucinogenic. Low doses psychologically produce a sense of well-being, relaxation, and sleepiness. Higher doses cause mild sensory distortions, altered time sense, loss of short-term memory, loss of balance, and difficulty in completing thought processes. Even higher doses can result in feelings of depersonalization, severe anxiety and panic, and a toxic psychosis, along with hallucinations, loss of insight, delusions, and paranoia. Physiologically, the heart rate increases and blood vessels of the eye dilate, causing reddening, and the appetite for food is stimulated. A feeling of tightness in the chest and a lack of muscular coordination may also occur. Research suggests that marijuana smoke may have a long-term harmful effect on the lungs. Users may develop tolerance for the drug, but studies have not determined whether physical dependence results. New growing practices have increased the potency (THC content) of U.S.-grown marijuana fivefold or more, causing concern among drug-abuse experts about adverse effects from higher THC doses (Kate Zernike).

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis affects between 0.3% and 3% of the population, depending on how the disease is defined (Sheon, R. P., et al.). It is two or three times as common in women as in men. A chronic inflammatory disease, it frequently affects the hands, wrists, knees (a particularly disabling complication), feet, shoulders, neck (but usually not the rest of the spine), and hips. Virtually any movable joint, even those of the jaw and larynx, can be affected. Joint pain is characteristic, but it is not necessarily proportional to the degree of deformity. Joint swelling and morning stiffness are common. The same joints on both sides of the body are usually affected. Fatigue and weight loss may occur in some ...