In this article, Kristen Weir reviews the effects marijuana has on the developing brain. As more states are now legalizing marijuana for not only medical but recreational use, many medical doctors and psychologist fear the long-term effects. Many of marijuana’s long-term effects are still unknown even though it is one of the most widely used illegal substance in the United States. Recreational use in states that marijuana is legalized in only pertains to citizens 21 or older. Even with the age restrictions, some doctors still fear the legalization of marijuana recreational will allow the drug to become more accessible to younger adults or adolescences. Susan Weiss, the director of the division of extramural research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), voiced her concerns on the topic stating, “There are a lot of open questions…. But there 's a growing literature, and it 's all pointing in the same direction: Starting young and using frequently may disrupt brain development." (Weiss). As she acknowledges the fact that there is a “growing literature” when it comes to marijuana use and its effects, she also admits the new research is all leading to the same conclusion, frequent use and starting young may disrupt normal brain development. The government and other private institutions are funding and researching these unknown effects.
Medically, marijuana has proven to be a productive drug. Studies show marijuana has helped dealing with “pain, muscle spasms, seizure disorders and nausea from cancer chemotherapy.” (Weir) Scientist believes these benefits come from a chemical compound in marijuana called cannabidiol. This chemical is not the active chemical that gives marijuana users the mind-altering effects. With the unce...
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...eveloping parts, the frontal cortex, is responsible for planning, judgment, decision-making and personality. Teenagers also have to deal with the immaturity of their endocannabinoid system. This system is accountable for the psychological mechanisms that respond to the active drug in marijuana, THC. Krista Lisdahl, PhD, the director of the Brain Imaging and Neuropsychological Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, states, “That system (endocannabinoid) is important for cognition, neurodevelopment, stress response and emotional control, and it helps to modulate other major neurotransmitter systems” (Lisdahl). Frequent exposure to marijuana can “dial down cellular activity in the endocannabinoid system… That sets the stage for why adolescents may be more sensitive to the effects of repeated marijuana exposure, from a neuroscience perspective." (Lisdahl)
Marijuana is a unique and controversial drug. It is a popular psychoactive drug that is easily accessible and relatively inexpensive. Marijuana is often considered a recreational drug despite its illegal status. It is illegal because there are many uncertainties surrounding this substance. In fact, some favor the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes while others oppose. Opponents of marijuana insist that legal approval will result in serious personal and social problems.
After smoking, or consuming marijuana, it is distributed in the brain. The concentration of marijuana in the brain may be governed by an active transport process in the choroid plexus network of blood vessels in the brain which regulates intraventricular pressure by absorption and secretion of cerebro spinal fluid. one scientific experiment it gave an example of how the distribution of marijuana in the central nervous system could effect man. At a high dose of 30 mg./kg. marked sedation and pronounced motor incoordination peaked at the one hour interval subsiding in 8 hours when over reaction occurred to external stimuli; man reveals incapacitation of cognitive and motor function. High concentrations of marijuana are usually found in the following parts of the brain: the frontal cortex (the general association area), and hippocampus (short term memory and oreintation). As a result, perception of time, mood and general cordination is impaired. It is apparent that marijuana intoxication effects the neurological functions and usually disappears in 24 hours, but can become a permanent malfunction.THC effec...
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse marijuana causes the user to feel euphoric by acting on the brain’s reward system. The euphoria is caused by the release of dopamine it to the user system. Other effects can include heightened sensory perception (e.g., brighter colors), laughter, altered perception of time, and increased appetite. Marijuana also inhibits the formation of new memories and causes coordination and balance to be degraded. These reactions are caused by binding the receptors in the cerebellum and base ganglia. The effect is similar to the impairments that are normally associated with consuming alcohol. Habitual users can also develop acute psychosis, a fundamental derangement of the mind (as in schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality especially as evidenced by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech and behavior (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The IQ level of a marijuana users also decreases over time according to a Duke University study conducted by clinical psychologist Madeline Meier “people who bega...
The purpose of my paper is to prove that marijuana effects teens and their mind. Marijuana is a tobacco-like substance produced by drying the leaves, stems, flower tops of the Cannabis sativa (Indian Hemp) plant (Fact Sheet, 1). It is smoked or eaten to get hallucinated and receive pleasure. It grows just about anywhere. It is illegal in some countries but in others it is used for medical purposes (Encarta, 1). Some names that it is called a joint, nail, pot, Mary Jane, hive, etc. (Fact Sheet and Facts for teens, 1). Marijuana stays in the body for several days after one smoking session. In a chronic user marijuana can stay in the body for up to several weeks (Facts for Teens, 1).
Marijuana effects two main parts of the human body, the cardiovascular and the central nervous systems. Low doses of marijuana consists of a sense of well being and drowsiness/relaxation. As the doses increase other effects tend to come in, altered sense of time and sensory awareness, difficulty in memory such as remember last movements. Conversations are cut and thoughts are incomplete and exaggerated laughter also take place when doses are increased. At much higher to extreme doses, paranoia, hallucinations, panic attacks and delusions occur.
To many, marijuana is seen as a horrible narcotic that causes many physical and social problems. To others, it's a harmless drug that gives the body a relaxing sensation. Marijuana can be found on many college campuses and high schools. It is estimated that at least 70 million Americans have tried it, and of those people, 10-14% become dependent of the drug (1). Marijuana is often referred to as the "gateway" drug, leading the user to more serious narcotics. Marijuana users experience different sensations, from excessive mellowness, fuzzy memory, to the munchies. Some of the typical effects are impairment of memory, alteration of memory, motor coordination, posture, cognitive ability, and sensory perception. So what is it in marijuana that keeps users wanting more?
Vast majorities of people seem to think that smoking marijuana is only a temporary feeling, and that it has no long term affects. The opposite is exactly true, in that marijuana has detrimental long-term effects on the body. Studies show that when people have smoked large amounts of marijuana for years, the drug takes its toll on mental functions (Chopra 37). Researchers are still learning about the many ways that THC (the main chemical found in marijuana) affects the brain. It is very difficul...
Marijuana is often referred to as a drug, but this “drug” has been proven to kill a portion of cancer and help other diseases. Marijuana for years has been judge as a harmful drug for teens and adults, but in reality marijuana saves lives and helps patients with pain who suffer from severe diseases. Besides helping patients with cancer, marijuana has also help people who have diabetes and anxiety. Marijuana can’t cure these diseases but it does help patients who suffer from pain keep calm and relieve their pain. “Nonetheless, cannabis has recently been the focus of medical research and considered as a potential therapeutic treatment and cure for cancer.Cannabinoids have been proven to reduce cancer cells as they have a great impact on the rebuilding of the immune system. While not every strain of cannabis has the same effect, more and more patients are seeing success in cancer reduction in a short period of time by using cannabis.” (“Cannabis...
Research shows that teenagers that use marijuana experience various developmental problems. For example, teens that use marijuana can have brain abnormalities, such as reduced brain volume and quality of white matter. This means marijuana causes smaller hippocampal and prefrontal cortex sizes. In fact, marijuana also causes reduced cognitive functioning, such as poor performance in school and memory and concentration
The use of drugs and mind-alternating substances has been a part of society for decades. The ‘high’ that people attain from the use of such substances is very attractive and exciting however, the effects of this use are minimized. Particularly for youth, a group of individuals who are seeking independence and experimentation, drug use represents the balance between taking risks and taking responsibility for one’s actions. However, the developmental processes of adolescents are known to not encompass the maturity required to fully think through such decisions. As such, the use of a ‘smaller-scale’ drug like marijuana is even more minimized. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what the risks of using marijuana are for youths, why they are the most affected, how this problem has progressed over the last three decades, and what preventative measures and treatment options are in place. It will also discuss what schools, parents, and government agencies could be doing to help improve the issue, and the impact that this issue is having on society.
When getting high becomes more frequent, the effects become more serious. The brain, or control center, is greatly affected by marijuana. The average person may not know the brain does not fully develop until their mid-twenties. Hence, why most states set the legal drinking age to twenty-one years old. States also contemplate on the legalization of marijuana because drug use can harm the brain at any age, but teenagers and children are more susceptible to long term damage due to incomplete brain development. One way that marijuana affects the brain includes THC stimulating the brain cells which create the high state of mind. The stimulation can cause hallucinations, paranoia, uncoordination, and impairment. The ability to remember and judgement
The marijuana affect the brain development, because the teenager are under go development still of age of 25. The effect of marijuana is immediately when is consume as smoke. The marijuana contain some chemical that affect the brain pressure, memory, thinking, concentration, movement, coordination, and sensory a time perception. All this affects the development of the brain and receptor, because is on constant development and every time that the teenager smokes the effect is immediately and this effect can be last for one to three hours. The concern about the use the marijuana is because affect the development of the brain and affect the intellectuality. According to National Institute of Drug Abuse, the overstimulation of these receptors on the brain areas produces the marijuana "high," as well as other effects on mental processes. In facts the used of mariju...
Long-term memory is crucial to human processing, without it people would remember nothing. Marijuana in some cases can actually heighten long-term memory. For example, some marijuana users may experience distance memories such as childhood experiences more vividly while intoxicated then when not under the influence. This is said to happen because while intoxicated, users are in a “dream like state”, allowing the brain to bring back memories which may have been forgotten (Lenson, 2001). For example, many users tend to reminisce with old friends about experiences they may have had many years earlier. With that said, long-term memory or recall can also worsen with very high levels of intoxication. For example, while intoxicated people have a tendency to forget what they were going to do, or sometimes they will complete a task without knowing why they did so (Tart, 2001). There is no complete explanation for why this happens, but one reason may be that because marijuana increases human senses, it allows more information to be processed in a smaller amount of time. As a result, there may be too much information available and certain things may be temporarily forgotten. ...
Marijuana and alcohol use have been thought to be detrimental to brain function. The purpose of this experiment was to observe, and test, what kind of effects marijuana and alcohol have on the brain. This experiment is a longitudinal study that consisted of the participants using alcohol and marijuana over a period of three years and being evaluated by a series of tests. These tests measured multiple aspects of cognition such as memory and how quickly they could understand and sort material. The partakers were chosen from students in California whose ages ranged from 16-19 years old, therefore these students are in late adolescence and early emerging adulthood. It is important to note these stages because the use of drugs can alter the brain
Marijuana/ weed affects the brain development, being thought teens use this drug it may reduce thinking, memory, and learning functions and affect how the brain builds connections necessary to function. Study shows that people that started smoking weed heavily as a teen have an ongoing use and lost an average of eight IQ points between 13 and 38 and it doesn 't fully return when they quit smoking when their adults. Weed also affects people’s breathing, the reason being is because it irritates the lungs and people that smoke weed heavily have the same breathing problem as tobacco smokers. The symptoms of having this problem is daily cough and phlegm, more frequent lung illness, and a high risk of lung