Cannabis or Marijuana is highly abused illegal drug in United States. According to National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report, a lot more than 15.2 million men and women were abusing Cannabis in 2008. Cannabis abuse is linked with several negative effects, both physically and mentally, often involving violence and injury. Numerous individuals are finding addicted to Cannabis unaware of its harmful effects. Following are the harmful effects of Cannabis abuse:

Effects on general wellness
There are several effects of Cannabis on general wellness. It mainly effects immune system, respiratory program, cardiovascular system and neurological program. The Cannabis virtually affects every single program in the body. The general well being effects of cannabis are:

• Somatic effects
Somatic effects of Cannabis abuse consist of decrease in blood pressure, increased heart rate, red eyes, dry mouth, dilation of blood vessels in eyes causing redness, reduced intra-occular pressure, enlargement of pupils, sensation of cold or hot hands and feet, increased craving for food.

• Heart attack
There is a high risk of heart attack in Cannabis smokers. The inhalation of the smoke increases the heart rate from 20 to 50 percent. The heart rate may stay high for about 2 hours. It also results in decreased oxygen carrying capacity of blood. Due to this, there will be complicated modifications in blood pressure and could result in heart attack.

• Effects on lungs
Cannabis abusers have difficulties of rapid lung destruction. The carcinogenic hydrocarbons present in Marijuana increases the risk of cancer amongst its abusers. Cannabis abuse can trigger acute and chronic bronchitis, stinging of mouth and throat accompanied by cough, cough along with phlegm production, much more frequent chest illnesses, higher risk of lung infections, obstructed airways, emphysema.

• Causes cancer
Cannabis smoke has 50 to 70 percent much more carcinogens when compared to tobacco smoke. Cannabis smokers are more prone to lung and neck cancer compared to cigarette smokers. One Cannabis joint smoking is said to be equivalent to 20 cigarettes.

Effects on mental well being
Cannabis abuse can trigger mental illnesses or it worsens the existing psychotic symptoms. THC, a psychoactive chemical present in Marijuana, has deteriorating effects on brain. The THC, once inhaled, passes from lungs into blood stream and reaches brain. The THC molecules on reaching brain bind to cannabinoid receptors and impair its functioning. On prolonged abuse of Cannabis, there will be mental illnesses, mood swings etc.,

• Psychoactive effects
Psychoactive effects of Cannabis mainly depends on the amount of intake of drug, environment and health of a person. Cannabis intake gives ‘high’ like euphoria or altered state of consciousness. The drug abuser will have enhanced appreciation for music, humor, colors appear a lot more intense, nostalgia, improvement of working of senses. Cannabis abuse will result in anxiety, irritability, paranoia, agitation, suicidal ideation, depression, schizophrenia, distorted perceptions, impaired co-ordination, lack of interest and concentration, lack of problem solving ability.

• Neurological effects
Cannabis has adverse effects on nervous program of a individual. THC chemicals present in Cannabis attach to cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These chemicals interfere with the communication between neurons. These chemicals impact the region known as hippocampus and results in short term memory loss. They also result in alteration in behavioral pattern of a abuser.

Effects on oral well being
Cannabis abusers have quite poor oral health and hygiene. They have increased risks of dental carries and periodontal diseases. Abusers are majorly prone to numerous oral infections due to the fact of the immunosuppressing ability of Cannabis. Cannabis smoking and chewing causes Cannabis stomatitis (chronic inflammation orally), white patches in the mouth (leukoplakia), thickening of oral skin (hyperkeratosis). Cannabis abuse outcomes in pre-malignant (cancerous) lesions in the mouth. Ultimately, Cannabis abuse results in oral cancer.

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LED Dental Announces Sponsorship of Academy of General Dentistry

Burnaby, British Columbia (PRWEB) October 24, 2010

LED Dental announced today a corporate sponsorship agreement with the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), a professional association of more than 35,000 general dentists who are dedicated to professional excellence through the pursuit of continuing education (CE). This sponsorship from the maker of the VELscope Enhanced Oral Assessment system will provide AGD member dentists with a wide range of CE opportunities that focus on oral cancer and other oral disease screening topics through the end of 2011.

According to Peter Whitehead, LED Dental founder and CEO, “We are proud to be associated with the AGD, whose members are to be commended for their ongoing commitment to providing the best oral health care possible to their patients.” He noted that oral cancer takes the life of one North American every hour of every day, and that dental practices are the first line of defense in detecting oral cancer and other oral disease in early stages. “Early detection can be the difference between life and death,” said Mr. Whitehead. “Dentists who regularly combine conventional oral cancer exams, involving visual inspection and palpation, with the two-minute VELscope exam greatly increase their odds of catching the disease in early and even pre-cancerous stages.”

“The AGD is delighted to forge this partnership with LED Dental to increase our members’ knowledge of oral cancer, oral cancer research, and oral cancer screening techniques,” said AGD President Fares Elias, DDS, JD, FAGD. “With new cases of oral cancer emerging on a daily basis, the importance of educating oral health care providers who deal with this disease has never been greater.”

AGD constituents can choose from three CE courses on various oral cancer topics through the end of 2011, with 12 total sessions available. The courses are all half-day lectures, given by well-known speakers on oral cancer.

Integrating a 1-2-3 Oral Cancer Screening into Your Office (Lou Graham, DDS): The responsibility for oral cancer screening falls on all dental professionals. Participants will discuss why it’s important to screen for oral cancer and what the risk factors are; why early detection is key; ways in which to enhance visualization for both the hygienist and the dentist; how VELscope technology fits into the screening modality; what to do if something looks unusual; when to perform a brush biopsy and when to refer for surgical biopsy; and how to communicate with patients so they understand the value of the screening and don’t panic if something is unusual.

Dispelling Dysplasia in 2010 (Kevin Huff, DDS, MAGD): This course is designed to simplify the identification protocols for early oral cancer detection and to review the published technique for a physical oral screening. Screening, diagnosis, documentation, and patient management are all important aspects of this process. This course will enhance the ability of all dental professionals and staff to deal confidently with these important issues. Hands-on participation workshop activities include manual and visual head and neck examination techniques; hands-on direct optical fluorescence visualization techniques using the VELscope system; and interactive case discussions.

Four Steps to Help Save Lives—Dr. Bregman’s Early Oral Cancer Detection for Dentists and the Dental Team (Jonathon A. Bregman, DDS, FAGD): Today, oral cancer kills one person in the United States every hour. That’s a shocking statistic, and it’s time for the dental profession to make a change. Dr. Bregman’s presentation provides participants with a comprehensive and well-structured experience that covers four main topics: the target population; the complete examination and accurate records; new detection tools; and patient discussions. Effective communication skills are taught in each topic area. The end result is that attendees create their own to-do list that can be transformed into immediate action.

The VELscope system recently was honored by the World Health Organization (WHO) for being an innovative device that addresses global health concerns. After months of evaluation, WHO identified VELscope as a device that is likely to be accessible, appropriate, and affordable for use in low- and middle-income countries. The VELscope device was one of eight commercialized devices, and the only dental device, to be honored by the WHO in this manner.

AGD member dentists can find the CE opportunities available in their region by visiting http://www.agd.org, clicking on “Education” and selecting “Speaker Information.”

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