Marijuana and Adolescents: Understanding the Risks
MAR 14, 2025With the increasing legalization of marijuana across many states, it's important to understand the potential impact on adolescents.
Read MoreIn the modern world, we have a lot of negative impulses coming from television, newspapers, Facebook feeds, and many other things. So, with negative thinking comes “fight or flight” hormones that release into the body; cortisol is one example. This can be okay for a short period of time, maybe a few hours or even days. But, if it happens for many days, months, or years, then it creates a very bad effect on our bodies, just like getting hypertension, diabetes, cancers, heart problems, or brain problems.
When we have a lot of negative emotions, it has a negative effect on our body. As discussed earlier, if we are in a “fight or flight” state, hormones like cortisol get released, and this can cause the blood pressure to go up. When the blood pressure goes up, the glucose system in the body also is affected; you breathe faster, oxygen levels may go down, other negative side effects happen, which in turn affects the brain, and we can’t think properly!
When you change that negative thinking to positive thinking, it helps with creativity, impulsivity, and we are more compassionate and empathetic. It has also shown tremendous health benefits; people live longer when they are in a positive mood. For example, if you look at places around the world where people are living to 100 years or more all of the time, you may ask, “what is special about those places?” We call these areas “blue zones,” and they include Sardinia, Italy, Loma Linda, California, Okinawa, Japan, and others. In these cities, they focus more on gratitude, positivity, simple living and high thinking. Because of this approach to life, they have better lives and longevity.
Today I’d like to talk about four chemicals:
So, being in a positive mood automatically causes all of these hormones in our body to get released, and it has a big impact on us. It is true that when being positive you live longer and have less diseases!
With the increasing legalization of marijuana across many states, it's important to understand the potential impact on adolescents.
Read MoreNasal airflow problems can cause difficulty sleeping, trouble breathing during exercise, snoring, changes to your sense of smell, mouth breathing and pain or pressure in your face.
Read MoreYou know good sleep makes you feel better. But did you know lack of sleep is linked to increased risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
Read MoreWhen you need local health information from a trusted source, turn to the CHI Health Better You eNewsletter.