The Benefits Of Marijuana

Cannabis, also known as marijuana, refers to the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. All parts of this plant are known to contain delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is popularly attributed to the infamous “high” feelings (NIDA). Cannabis is associated under many different titles, but not limited to weed, Mary Jane, loud, kush, pot, etc. This plant can be consumed in many different ways, with the most common being inhaled or consumed through the digestive system. If it were not for the effects that cannabis has on our bodily systems, the drug would not be as popular and highly debated as it is. Although the chemical effects may differ slightly from person to person, the feeling of exhalation is the desired and attractive end goal of consumption.

Some of the major side effects listed on WebMD are “dizziness, shallow breathing, red eyes and dilated pupils, dry mouth, increased appetite, and slow reaction time.” A key piece of information here is that the slow reaction time can affect individuals that smoke and drive. If someone were to be under the influence of cannabis and be behind the wheel as someone swerves into their lane, they may be unable to properly respond to the situation causing the accident to be much worse than it could have been had they not been suffering from the consequences of smoking. Also, another down side to chronic marijuana use is that the individual could suffer from withdrawal symptoms, such as “cravings, irritability, sleeplessness, and less appetite” when they discontinue the use of marijuana (“Marijuana: How Does It Affect You?”). Some very dangerous effects of smoking cannabis are increased heart rate, increased bleeding, lower blood pressure, and tampering with your blood sugar (“Marijuana: How Does It Affect You?”). By altering these characteristics, many people have suffered from heart attacks “right after they use marijuana” (“Marijuana: How Does It Affect You?”). However life altering some of these effects may seem, they pale in comparison to the effects that cigarettes have on the body and yet, people still choose to smoke daily and the government allows this to continue. So we must ask ourselves, is marijuana any worse that half the substances that the government permits us to consume