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Describe the physical and psychological effects of marijuana
Describe the physical and psychological effects of marijuana
Review related literature about marijuana
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In the United States, the most significantly used illicit drug is marijuana. People use this social drug to ease or enhance interaction (Kornblum 115). The scientific term for this commonly used drug, marijuana, is Cannabis sativa (Hasday 24). Cannabis sativa is a dioecious hemp plant and can be produced in various forms. Usually, the dried leaves, flowers, and buds of the plant is used as marijuana. In addition, the flowers of the female plant and the buds are the most vigorous part. Furthermore, the plant produces the main psychoactive substance, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Wishnia 44). In Putting a Match to the Marijuana Myth, Peggy Mann states “Most kids are fully convinced that the use of Marijuana is not harmful. But new medical research proves them dead wrong.” Thus, marijuana does cause mental and physical corruption to the user. The mental damage is to memory and reduced motivation. Also, the physical damage is to the reproductive system, respiratory system, and immunity.
In Ohio State University, researchers have established evidence proof that specific parts of marijuana can actually help reduce inflammation in the brain connected to memory. Gary Wenk, Professor of Psychology, uses a THC-like synthetic drug tested on rats. His work demonstrates the artificial drug can improve memory (“Marijuana” 14). However, this statement is not all true. The drug is just an imitation for the real chemical. Some parts of the brain like memory, judgement, and coordination lose balance and control when using the real substance (Hasday 37). According to researchers in an article published in “ The Journal of the American Medical Association,” long-term intense use of marijuana can harmfully affect memory and attention tests. The damag...
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Lane, Scott D., et al. “New Study Examines Impact of Marijuana Smoking on Motivation In Teens.” DATA: The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory and Application 24.11 (2005): 1-7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Nov. 2009.
Mann, Peggy. “Putting a Match to the Marijuana Myth.” The Saturday Evening Post 252.6 (1980): 12+. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Nov. 2009.
Macintosh, Sara. “Pot and Performance.” Do It Now. Oct. 2009. Web. 13 Nov. 2009.
“Marijuana May Reduce Memory Impairment.” Neuropsychiatry Reviews 9.12 (2008): 14. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Nov. 2009.
“Study Links Long-Term Marijuana Use With Memory Impairment.” Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly 14.10 (2002): 3-4. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Nov. 2009.
Wishnia, Steven. The Cannabis Companion. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press Book Publishers, 2004. Print.
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).
Although most public information on drugs is funded by anti-drug organizations, hopefully we will still learn the true facts about marijuana. The brain is the most complicated part of the human body. I will begin by explaining certain parts and their functions. In doing this I hope to give a better understanding of our brain while implicating the possibilities of chemical induced complications “The brain with its 15 billion neurons and nerve cells operates using chemical and electrical messages” (Swanson, 1975).1 This is how we perceive our senses. Differences in the way our brain translates these messages can impair perception.
With marijuana is becoming legal in some states for medical reasons, other states are still questioning how marijuana can be beneficial and even a problem. In “The Truth about Medical Marijuana” by Carrie Shortsleeve, published in 2013 on the website Men’s Health, Shortsleeve describes how tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, found in marijuana, can be used for medical benefits. In the passage, she explains how the immune system and brain are affected by THC especially if the substance is high in dosage. When Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly, Ph.D., “the director of the University of Mississippi’s Marijuana Project,” injured his back, he begins to research what benefits marijuana has when using the drug as medicine, and Shortsleeve shares this with people who maybe considering medical marijuana. Shortsleeve uses statistics, in depth research, and real- life situations to show how some people trust marijuana as medicine; even though, some of these people were once against medical marijuana.
Marijuana is a drug that is harmful to a person¡¯s health. It has been found to have adverse impacts on one¡¯s mental processes such as memory, attention, judgement, and problem- solving (Butcher, Mineka, Hooley, 2004, p.415). Also, marijuana can interfere with a person¡¯s ability to think rationally and logically. Thus, the lapse in judgement caused by the drug use can lead to risky sexual behaviours and this may result in increasing sexually transmitted disease such as AIDS. Moreover, the long-term use of marijuana may cause chronic breathing problems and cancer ...
Mekdlawit Demissie IGED 130-06 Informative Speech Outline Topic: Marijuana Speech Goal: To inform the audience about the long and short term effects of marijuana usage. Central Idea: Marijuana is the most commonly used drug amongst young people in the United States. Introduction: I. Attention getter:
Marijuana while illegal on a federal level has been legalized in 18 states and the District of Columbia for medical use and also for personal use for anyone over 21 in Washington and Colorado. 48% of Americans admit to using marijuana according to a 2013 survey conducted by Scientific America. With the change in public opinion concerning marijuana the need to understand the effect and consequences associated with its use are vitally important. What are the effects on the brain and the rest of the body? Does it matter when you start using marijuana? Also what is the effect marijuana use has on a person’s life, to include school, work, family and friends.
“A marijuana high can enhance core human mental abilities. It can help you to focus, to remember, to see new patterns, to imagine, to be creative, to introspect, to empathically understand others, and to come to deep insights. If you don’t find this amazing you have lost your sense of wonder. Which, by the way, is something a high can bring back, too.” - Sebastian Marincolo (Goodreads).
... just over half of all drug arrested in the States. The Budgetary Effects of Marijuana Prohibition claim that prison expenses add up to around $14 billion a year for tax payers (Friedman). Marijuana is truly a menace and the high level of police attention required is eating up tax payer’s money. This constant battle known as, “The War on Drugs” has been going on for around 75 years now and has only gotten worse in the recent years. Not only is this drug harmful to society in the sense of money, it can also impair vision and reaction time. Researchers have found that THC activates microglial cells, which are immune cells in the cerebellum. These microglial cells then induced inflammation in the cerebellum, which resulted in the learning and coordination problems (Rettner para.5). Considering it is nearly impossible to test for the drug it poses a control problem.
Marijuana, also known as Cannabis is the third most well-liked recreational drug, which only falls behind alcohol and tobacco, in the United States (The Whitehouse, n.d.). Marijuana is made up of dried leaves, plants, stalks, and pits from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa, which comprises of the mind-altering compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in addition to other associated compounds. This plant substance can correspondingly be converged in a resin called hashish or an adhesive black fluid called hash oil. Efforts to legalize marijuana for medication treatment and recreational use in the United States have grown in current years. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that marijuana may perhaps assist in a reduction of nausea, encourage hunger, and lessen pain (Food and Drug Administration, 2006). On the other hand, the American Medical Association (AMA) does not tolerate marijuana as a medication (1995-2013). So many answers are needed with such contradictory opinions around this exceedingly controversial drug to decide what measures need to be taken from the federal government for a final solution.
The Effects of Marijuana Marijuana is a mood altering or psychoactive drug that has many nicknames, such as pot, weed, ganja, sensi, herb, and. others. The. It is an ancient drug that dates back to hundreds of years to the Asia. Many cultures have used it during meditation, religious.
Marijuana has many bad side effects that harm the body. According to Szara Braude, marijuana slows down reactions causing problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking, and loss of coordination (Marijuana as a medicine 53). Many people use this drug not knowing wh...
What is Marijuana? The marijuana affects the brain development on teenager. Also affect the function at school, work, and social life of the teenagers. The marijuana increases the risk of mental health issues. The sadistic show that the used of marijuana increase every years. Marijuana affects the teenager and also their families.
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.
Marijuana is an extremely popular drug, not only in America, but in every other country in the world as well. However, there are many people who do not know exactly what it is or where it comes from. Marijuana is a blend of flowers, seeds, leaves, and stems from the Indian hemp planted called Cannabis. This plant contains a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes the “high” feeling that users experience when smoking it (“Marijuana: Effects, Medical Uses & Legalization”). The THC in marijuana is analogous to the nicotine in tobacco, but it is not as harmful. They both have many similarities, but they also have significant differences.
People usually abuse marijuana by becoming addicted and smoking it just because instead of using it for their well-being. I went around and asked about ten people I know who have been smoking for at least five years. When I asked them if they had ever experienced memory problems, learning difficulties, trouble with problem solving and loss of muscle activity and addictive capability, they responded, “If anything, marijuana enhances my memory.” “I would not be able to learn in school if I did not smoke.” “The only problem I had, was being addicted to marijuana, but it was all in my head because when I finally stopped smoking, I had no withdrawal symptoms.” The only side effect that seemed to be accurate when asking these questions was the addictive properties. Although being addicted to marijuana mentally can be a problem, all of the many positive side effects of marijuana outweigh the one negative side effect that seems to be the most