Negative effects of Marijuana
Marijuana is defined by the National Institute of Drug Abuse as “the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant.” Marijuana is popular amongst the youth for the mind-altering happy effects that it gives. Eleven million young adults aged 18 to 25 used marijuana in the past year in the past year. Marijuana is the second most complex drug that humans use. In addition they have nearly 500 chemicals found in the substance which exceed Tobacco. Marijuana is also known as weed, pot, mary jane, herb, and cannabis. In addition Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States which is why this needs to be brought to attention to implement prevention programs for the youth. Due to this drugs complexity and lack of research leads marijuana to be a drug that should be taken seriously.
Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since the ancient times. Developed in China in 2737 BC for medical use. Popularity gained and spread to India, North America, & Europe in 400 AD. Marijuana has been used by humans for several thousands of years for ropes, food and herbal medicine, and textiles for several thousands of years. Marijuana is made from the Cannabis seed. When it grows it will produce a flower. One they remove the flower from the plant they let it dry. The dried flower is what is used to smoke or turn into other products. From the weed being processed to being dealt to the buyer, a lot of chemicals can be transferred and input to the weed during this process. So you really don’t know what you are smoking. The active ingredients in marijuana are THC, which has a mild painkilling quality, and CBD, which has a sedative quality. At this time marijuana is categorized as a hallucinogen.
Marijuana is very diverse and can be ingested in many ways. The most common is smoking. People hand roll marijuana into rolling papers, in pipes, and bongs. Alternatives to smoking included ingested by mixing it into foods. Edibles are commonly cooked into pastries such as brownies, cookies, or cupcakes. In addition it could be added to drinks or candies. These are much more potent and will cause a much longer lasting high. Marijuana can also be ingested through THC-rich resins such as hash oil, wax,or shatter glass. These resins are much more concentrated and can cause a much longer lasting and potent high than smoking. For people edibles take about an hour to kick in. Users sometimes think that they are not working which causes them to eat more which can be detrimental and cause serious side effects. The effects of edibles and resins can last from six to ten hours. If taken in large doses, edibles can cause anxiety attacks, extreme paranoia, and even hallucinations.
The National Institute of Drug Abuse state “When a person smokes marijuana, THC quickly passses from the lungs to the bloodstream. The blood carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. The body absorbs THC more slowly when the person eats or drinks it. In that case the generally feed the effects after 30 mins to an hour.” Because of the increased levels of THC in pot today the effects are more intense. Short term effects of marijuana include altered senses, altered sense of time, changes in mood, impaired body movement impaired memory, and problems with thinking and problem solving. In extreme cases it can cause delusions, hallucinations, and temporary psychosis. Another short term effect is increased heart rate. Marijuana can increase your heart rate for up to three hours meaning an increased chance of having a heart attack. Luckily short term effects of marijuana normally ceases shortly after use. Many should know that dependency can form after marijuana use, even when used as a short term drug.
The long term effects of marijuana can be very harmful to the body. The inhalation of cigar papers and rolling papers have chemical causing compounds. In addition the inhalation of marijuana can cause lung damage due to the constant inhaling of bad chemicals which cause build up in the lungs which can eventually cause build up in the lungs. This can lead to diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Emphysema, Bronchitis, and Pneumonia. Long term marijuana use has been linked to the impairment of thinking, memory, and learning function especially if the person started smoking in their teenage years. It is also shown to to cause damage to the reproductive system. THC has been proven to reduce sperm mobility and in women they are shown to produce less sex hormones. In addition the risk of psychosis is seven times high for a daily marijuana user. And marijuana users are more prone to anxiety and depression. In addition there is a correlation between marijuana and lower IQ’s, testicular cancer, infertility in men and women, schizophrenia, and heart disease. Though there has been no significant research showing negative long or short term effects of marijuana use but hope is still alive to get this dangerous drugs off the streets of our youth.
Marijuana is very dangerous and potentially addictive because it reaches the same pleasure centers in the brain that are targeted by heroin, cocaine, and alcohol. When coming down from the drug the user may have feelings of depression and fatigue. Long term users often report having “brain fog” which causes problems with concentration, thinking clearly, and remembering things. No matter how gets into your system, weed affects almost every organ in your body, including your nervous and immune system. The physical effects of marijuana include dizziness, red eyes, dilated pupils, shallow breathing, dry mouth, increased appetite, and slowed reaction time. Because of this driving under the influence can be very dangerous to you and those around you. Even though THC has never been proven to be toxic to the human body does not mean that there is no negative impact on the body. It is important to remember absence of evidence does not equal evidence of absence.
Many millennials think that Marijuana is not harmful because there are no withdrawal symptoms and feel as though it is not habit forming. This is not always the case. Physical symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, sleeplessness, weight loss, grouchiness, decreased appetite, and anxiety. Research suggests that between nine and thirty percent of those who use marijuana may develop some degree of marijuana use disorder. In addition, the Drug Abuse Warning Network stated “marijuana was one of the leading factors related to emergency room visits involving illicit drug use. It accounted for 376,476 visits during a single year”. THis is something for a user to adknowledge. Marijuana is not as addictive as other drugs but is more addictive than it used to be because it is more concentrated now.
Another problem that marijuana users should be aware of is how long it stays in your system. Marijuana is not water soluble so it takes much longer to get out of your system than other drugs. Marijuana is lipid soluble so it stays in your fat cells for an extended period of time. Weed can be checked in urine for nearly a week after smoking. Blood test are much more accurate but can take nearly a month to clear out of your system. And hair tests show every drug ever taken while the hair was growing. According the to National Institute on Drug Abuse “25-50% of users who take this drug on the daily will become addicted at some point”
With the information being presented in the informative statistics being provided the daily user of marijuana should strongly reconsider using this drug. It is said that those who stop using this drug gain ambition and energy. In addition you may develop better eating habits. Since THC causes intense cravings called munchies which are typically for unhealthy foods, not having those intense urges anymore may help you make healthier choices during meal time. Your lungs will get cleaner over time instead of being built up with tar which can cause cancer, emphysema, and other serious health issues. There would be no legal concerns because you would not be dealing with illegal substances anymore which could get you in trouble with the law and your university. In addition one of the most motivating for young adults would be increase in money in your wallet. If you were a habitual user you can easily spend hundreds of dollars on weed. All that money could be in your pocket.
In parting, Marijuana although shows no negative effects through research there are many negative effects to this “harmless drug”. Many users should be aware of all the long and short term effects of the drugs. Its effect on your body psychologically and physically. In addition to its effect on everyday life creating obstacles for you such as not being able to pass a drug test. Many people start smoking without knowing all the repercussions to smoking. The everyday smoker should be informed about all the possible effects it could have on your body. I hope this paper could get you better informed and hopefully prevent further use.