Marijuana Positive Effects

Marijuana negatively affects one's health because it causes brain impairments. Marie Ellis from The University of Maryland School of Medicine states, “ Researchers exposed young mice to low doses of THC, which is the active ingredient present in marijuana, for 20 days. Then the mice were returned to their family to continue developing. When the mice became adults, the scientists discovered that the mice showed signs of impaired cognitive functions” (Marie Ellis, Marijuana in adolescence can cause permanent brain damage, Medicalnewstoday.com 1).This demonstrates that THC is an active chemical present in Marijuana that can cause long term brain impairments. Therefore, a low dose has the potential to permanently kill thousands of irreplaceable

Lauren Cox from Live Science Contributors states, “Marijuana reaches the same pleasure centers in the brain that are targeted by heroin, cocaine and alcohol” (Lauren Cox, Marijuana: Effects of weed on brain and body, Livescience.com 1).This suggest that people that have become addicted and are losing the effects of the “high” sensation tend to try harder drugs like heroin. This is because drugs like heroin or cocaine reaches the same pleasure centers in the brain that Marijuana does. Over time the high effects becomes to wear off on the body. Once Marijuana starts to not work the user may then turn to high potent drugs to obtain a high level of euphoria, feeling or state of intense excitement. Marijuana users that have built a tolerance are tempted to try harder drugs rather than quitting. Jeffrey DeSimone from Yale University states, “Marijuana intoxication may spawn curiosity or diminish apprehension about trying more dangerous drugs, or physiological and psychological benefits”(Jeffrey DeSimone, Is Marijuana a gateway drug, Jstor.org, Palgrave Macmillan Journals 1). This shows that over time a Marijuana user tends to lose the level of euphoria. They use more and more until it reaches the point where the drug no longer has an effect on the body. The body responds by developing a tolerance to the drug and decreasing the initial “high”. The body in desperation for the euphoria, urges one to go and experiment with newer drugs like cocaine or heroin in pursuit of obtaining their initial euphoria. This causes greater danger because drugs like cocaine or heroin have higher health risks and can even result in death.Columbia University Record states, “The CASA study establishes a clear progression that begins with gateway drugs and leads to cocaine use: nearly 90 percent of people who have ever tried cocaine used all three gateway substances first. More than half followed a progression from