VOA慢速英语2019 食用大麻的使用可能会带来意外的风险

Edible¹ Cannabis Use May Carry Unexpected Risks

Experts warn there could be unexpected health risks from eating foods containing the drug cannabis. Those risks include accidental overdose, children eating them accidentally and unexpected effects in older adults.

专家警告，食用含有毒品大麻的食物可能会带来意想不到的健康风险。这些风险包括意外过量，儿童意外食用它们以及对老年人的意外影响。

The commentary by doctors Lawrence Loh and Jasleen K. Grewaland appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Lawrence Loh和Jasleen K.Grewaland医生的评论发表在《加拿大医学协会杂志》上。

Loh is with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. He said, "What we really want the public to know is that legal doesn't mean safe. People need to know that how they react will depend on the manner cannabis is consumed, the amount that is consumed and the person's own metabolism²..."

Loh在多伦多大学达拉拉纳公共卫生学院就读。他说：“我们真正希望公众知道的是，法律并不意味着安全。人们需要知道他们的反应方式将取决于大麻的消费方式，消费量和个人自身的新陈代谢。 ”。

Loh is with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. He said, "What we really want the public to know is that legal doesn't mean safe. People need to know that how they react will depend on the manner cannabis is consumed, the amount that is consumed and the person's own metabolism..."

Loh在多伦多大学达拉拉纳公共卫生学院就读。 他说：“我们真正希望公众知道的是，法律并不意味着安全。人们需要知道他们的反应方式将取决于大麻的消费方式，消费量和个人自身的新陈代谢。 ”。

Loh said it can take hours for the cannabis high to take effect if the drug is eaten instead of smoked. So, he said, people might eat more of the cannabis as they wait for the high to happen.

Loh表示，如果食用而不是吸烟，那么大麻的高浓度作用可能要花费数小时。因此，他说，人们在等待高潮发生时可能会吃更多的大麻。

While a cannabis overdose will not kill you, it can be unpleasant, Loh said. He added, "We suggest people start with a low dose and go slow."

卢说，尽管过量吸食大麻不会杀死您，但可能令人不快。他补充说：“我们建议人们从低剂量开始，然后慢慢走。”

Loh and Grewaland also suggest that doctors add questions about cannabis to those they usually ask a patient, so they can offer education and advice.

Loh和Grewaland还建议医生向通常问病人的人增加有关大麻的问题，以便他们提供教育和建议。

A warning such as this one "is really important," said Dr. Michael Lynch. He is medical director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center and with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania.

迈克尔·林奇博士说，这样的警告“非常重要”。他是宾夕法尼亚州匹兹堡毒药中心和匹兹堡大学医学院的医学主任。

Lynch said the risk of dying from an overdose is low. But he added that the risks of medical problems or injury is very real. "The greatest risk is to the young and the old," he said.

林奇说，服药过量死亡的风险很低。但他补充说，医疗问题或受伤的风险是非常现实的。他说：“最大的风险是对年轻人和老年人。”

Lynch said those who overdose would be at risk for falls, vomiting⁴ and weakness.

林奇说，服药过量的人有跌倒，呕吐和虚弱的危险。

An increase in heart rate and blood pressure could also be more of a problem for older people, Lynch said.

林奇说，对于老年人来说，增加心率和血压也可能是一个更大的问题。

He added, "People need to be educated about the risk so these outcomes can be avoided."

他补充说：“需要对人们进行风险教育，以便避免这些后果。”

重点词汇：

Words in This Story：

consume -v. to eat or drink (something)

metabolism -n. the chemical processes by which a plant or an animal uses food, water, etc., to grow and heal and to make energy

dose -n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time

vomit³ -v. to have the food, liquid, etc., that is in your stomach come out through your mouth because you are sick

outcome -n. something that happens as a result of an activity or process

1 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

2 metabolism   

n.新陈代谢

参考例句：

• After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食，卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。
• All living matter undergoes a process of metabolism.生物都有新陈代谢。

3 vomit   

v.呕吐，作呕；n.呕吐物，吐出物

参考例句：

• They gave her salty water to make her vomit.他们给她喝盐水好让她吐出来。
• She was stricken by pain and began to vomit.她感到一阵疼痛，开始呕吐起来。

4 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”