A major argument of those in favor of the legalization of marijuana is that there are absolutely no negative health effects resulting from the usage of cannabis, but this could not be farther from the truth. Every day, teens and adults seriously impair their judgment skills, learning skills, motor skills, and other important brain functions necessary to complete basic everyday tasks. However, those who regularly participate in the usage of marijuana seem to be completely unaware of these effects on the brain and the rest of the body. Despite these blatant health issues directly related to the usage of marijuana, laws are becoming more and more lenient on the production, sales, and usage of cannabis. This is absolutely absurd, as there is no simply no reason for the government to authorize the usage of a literal poison to the masses. The negative health effects of marijuana are many, and put those who often use marijuana at extreme risk later on in their lives.
Of the vast quantity of side-effects to the usage of marijuana, the effects on the brain and mental state of the user may be the most severe. One of the most obvious yet serious effects on the brain is the degradation of memory. Within cannabis, there is a compound known as THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. This compound, when ingested, attacks nerve cells in the brain, which hurts the brain’s ability to remember important information (drugfreeworld.org 1). In addition, it will also make it difficult for the brain to learn new information (Buddy 1). Overall, this will severely hurt an individual’s ability to excel in school or one’s career. On top of these memory related effects, it can also cause hallucinations or delusion in an individual (Buddy 1). While these effects could...
... middle of paper ...
... on one’s mental and physical health, as well as the effect it can have on one’s personal life and others can be severe and dangerous, and can easily destroy one’s entire life if something is not done. There is simply no reason to legalize the usage of marijuana throughout the country, as it will only continue to endanger the health and livelihood of the people of the United States.
Works Cited
"DrugFacts: Marijuana." NIDA. December 2012. National Institute on Drug Abuse. 5 Jan. 2014 .
T., Buddy. "Basic Facts About Marijuana." About.com. N.p., 23 July 2013. Web. 5 Jan. 2014. .
"The Harmful Effects of Marijuana." drugfreeworld.org. Foundation for a Drug Free World, n.d. Web. 5 Jan. 2014. .
Of course, there are many people opposed to legalizing marijuana, despite the benefits. Some doctors are against legalizing marijuana because they think that it will cause “emotionally crippled adults”, and they think that people can become addicted to it. Doctor Howard Samuels believes that marijuana is a psychoactive drug which will create problems for adults in the future. I disagree with this. It doesn’t do anything harmful to your brain, so I don’t see how it would cause problems for adults in the future that use marijuana. You can’t become addicted to it, like you can with cigarettes and alcohol. Marijuana doesn’t have nicotine in it, which causes the addiction to cigarettes. Doctors prescribe morphine to patients, and that is very addictive...
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 ...
"23 Health Benefits Of Marijuana ." Business Insider . N.p., 20 Apr. 2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.
The brain is the most complicated part of the human body. I will begin explaining certain parts and their functions. In doing this to I hope to give a better understand 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 perceptions. Hallucinogens prevent the brain from receiving all of these messages in order. All of the information that we receive is through millions of transactions of neurons, like a computer, marijuana alters these transactions .
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...
First of all, marijuana Damages on the brain are a lot. In fact it can do more damage than it can help. Some people might say that Marijuana can help with diseases like cancer but it can damage you brain cells and cause you a different cancer. Marijuana containing on the same chemicals that are found in tobacco and cause tumors in some cases be higher concentrations. Smoking and five Joint is comparable to smoking a whole pack of cigarettes a sufficient injury to tumors. The use of marijuana affects the nerve cells that are found in the brain and is responsible for storing information and be a memory, where it is difficult to remember what the person on the rolls of the events, even if a few minutes ago and the weakness of memory makes it difficult to focus. The ex...
Have you ever thought about what marijuana actually does to you? Most people hear the word marijuana and see the picture perfect scenario. They picture goofy stoners smoking a joint, and laughing until there stomachs hurt. This would be the situation in a perfect world. Unfortunately we do not live in a perfect world. There are always setbacks to every thing we do. As humans evolve we believe more and more that we are all invincible. We do not think about the major affects of the different things we do recreationally. This includes marijuana. One of the biggest debates in the United States is the debate about legalizing marijuana. Many people believe that marijuana should be legalized because why not? They think that it would be beneficial
Marijuana has been the center of debate for several years now. There are many opinions on the subject, some believe that marijuana will be a “save all” that can help with medical advances, is less harmful than alcohol along with the taxability, so they push extremely hard for it to be legal. Others believe it will cause the world to collapse starting with it being addicting and moving to the detrition of our mental health, and want to do all they can to keep it illegal. Even though some believe it is bad for your mental health and can be very addictive, marijuana should be legal because it has positive medicinal and recreational uses and is taxable and safer than alcohol.
Many could argue that marijuana is destructive physically as well as mentally. “The National Institute on Drug Abuse says marijuana can cause heart irregularities, lung problems, and addiction” (Welch). “One joint can be just as damaging to [the lungs] as smoking at least two and a half cigarettes” (Ruff). According to Dr. Tom Wright, director of a substance abuse treatment center for adolescents in Rockford, “teens may be especially sensitive to marijuana’s effects because their brains are still being formed” (MJ Rebuttal). However, the marijuana legalization proposition would have tight restrictions and regulations by the states that would eliminate some of those issues, such as age. These facts are not consistent; the evidence is not backed from reliable sources. One institute is referred to, but more experts are needed to verify the information.
The legalization of marijuana has been a highly debated topic for many of years. Since the first president to the most recent, our nation’s leaders have consumed the plant known as weed. With such influential figures openly using this drug why is it so frowned upon? Marijuana is considered a gateway drug, a menace to society, and mentally harmful to its consumers. For some people weed brings a sense of anxiety, dizziness, or unsettling feeling. Like alcohol, tobacco or any other drug, those chemicals may not respond well with their body. For other people marijuana brings joy, a sense of relief, and takes the edge off of every day stress. For those who are associated with cannabis, purposes usually range from a relaxant, or cash crop, to more permissible uses such as medicine, and ingredient to make so many other materials. We now need to look at what would change if marijuana were legal. Benefits to the economy and agriculture, health issues, and crime rates are three areas worth looking at. Deliberating on the pros and cons of this plant we can get a better understanding for marijuana. From there it will be easier to make a clear consensus on what is best for the nation.
Marijuana has the reputation of giving users a high when smoked, eaten, or inhaled through vaporization. The chemical that causes the feeling of euphoria is called Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). When smoked or ingested, the THC rapidly passes through your lungs or stomach, then your bloodstream, and to other organs in your body. When it finally reaches your brain, the THC targets specific brain cells called cannabinoid receptors (Harding, 2013). These receptors are especially found in parts of your brain that control your memory, thinking, pleasure, concentration, perception of time, and coordinated movement. Users will experience alterations with their mood, have difficulty with problem solving, and will definitely have trouble learning and memorizing. These are just a few health issues marijuana can cause to your brain.
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...
For thousands of years human beings have attempted to find ways to get passed the struggles of their lives. With the pain of the world stopping people from enjoying simple pleasures, sometimes there is a need for help. Marijuana brings millions of people relief from the pain they feel on a day-to-day basis. This completely natural plant which helped so many people has puzzled the leaders of our nation for a long time. The THC in marijuana causes its users to experience a mild-huluciginic or high. The effect that marijuana has on a person has prevented the product from being legalized. Many other details about the plant, like the speculation of it being a gateway drug, have put another blockage on its legalization. Even though there are speculations about the plant, the benefit that it brings to the table most definitely out way its disadvantages. Marijuana can also alleviate several symptoms associated with cancer and Aids treatments and disorders. While Marijuana is effective as a medicine, it is also extremely lucrative. The economic benefits that Marijuana brings to the table are endless. Upon marijuana’s legalization, the economy would experience an immediate influx. Legalization of Marijuana would also drastically reduce crime in our cities and form a more productive society through its positive uses. The benefits that marijuana brings medically and economically are considerable enough to legalize its use medically or recreational.
There has always been controversy about marijuana and the affects it has on health and the issue of legalization. Some people believe it is very destructive to one’s health, and yet others feel the complete opposite about it. Is Marijuana truly harmful to one’s health? “Marijuana, the Deceptive Drug”, written by George Bierson, was published in the Massachusetts News. In this article, Bierson determines that marijuana is harmful in many ways. He seems to think that it damages the brain, the reproductive system, and also contributes to the halt of production in the immune system. Bierson also tries to persuade the reader that marijuana is a “gateway drug” that leads to larger drugs in the future. However, by conducting research of my own, I have come to the conclusion that Bierson’s article simply lacks truth.
Scientists have found that smoking marijuana can cause you to lose your memory. Marijuana has many psychological and physical effects. People usually smoke marijuana in cigarettes or pipes, but it can also be mixed with food and beverages. The short-term effects of marijuana include both psychological and physical reactions. These reactions usually last for three to five hours after a person has smoked marijuana.