Marijuana's Effects On The User example essay topic

Marijuana Marijuana arrests in the united states doubled between 1991 and 1995. In 1995, more than one-half-million people were arrested for marijuana offenses. Eighty-six percent of them were arrested for marijuana possession. Tens of thousands of people are now in prison for marijuana offenses. An even greater number are punished with probation, fines, and civil sanctions, including having their property seized, their driver's licenses revoked, and their employment terminated. Despite these civil and criminal sanctions, marijuana continues to be readily available and widely used.

' Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana. Sinsemilla (sin-see-me-yah; it's a Spanish word), hashish ('hash' for short), and hash oil are stronger forms of marijuana.

All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. In other words, they change how the brain works. They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana. They also contain more than 400 other chemicals.

Marijuana's effects on the user depend on the strength or potency of the THC it contains. (5) THC potency of marijuana has increased since the 1970's but has been about the same since the mid-1980's. fewer than one out of four seniors smoke weed THC in marijuana is strongly absorbed by fatty tissues in various organs. Generally, traces (metabolites) of THC can be detected by standard urine testing methods several days after a smoking session. However, in heavy chronic users, traces can sometimes be detected for weeks after they have stopped using marijuana.

The effects of the drug on each person depend on the user's experience, as well as: how strong the marijuana is (how much THC it has); what the user expects to happen; where (the place) the drug is used; how it is taken; and whether the user is drinking alcohol or using other drugs. Some people feel nothing at all when they smoke marijuana. Others may feel relaxed or high. Sometimes marijuana makes users feel thirsty and very hungry - an effect called " the munchies. ' Some users can get bad effects from marijuana.

They may suffer sudden feelings of anxiety and have paranoid thoughts. This is more likely to happen when a more potent variety of marijuana is used. If someone is high on marijuana, he or she might seem dizzy and have trouble walking; seem silly and giggly for no reason; have very red, bloodshot eyes; and have a hard time remembering things that just happened. When the early effects fade, over a few hours, the user can become very sleepy. There has been much talk about the possible medical use of marijuana. Under U.S. law since 1970, marijuana has been a Schedule I controlled substance.

This means that the drug, at least in its smoked form, has no commonly accepted medical use. THC, the active chemical in marijuana, is manufactured into a pill available by prescription that can be used to treat the nausea and vomiting that occur with certain cancer treatments and to help AIDS patients eat more to keep up their weight. According to scientists, more research needs to be done on marijuana's side effects and potential benefits before it is used medically with any regularity. Marijuana has serious harmful effects on the skills required to drive safely: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and the ability to react quickly. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana.

Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road. Marijuana may play a role in car accidents. In one study conducted in Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana, and 12 percent tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine. (1) Data have also shown that while smoking marijuana, peoples how the same lack of coordination on standard 'drunk driver' tests as do people who have had too much to drink. (8) Some studies show that when people have smoked large amounts of marijuana for years, the drug takes its toll on mental functions. (4) Heavy or daily use of marijuana affects the parts of the brain that control memory, attention, and learning.

A working short-term memory is needed to learn and perform tasks that call for more than one or two steps. Smoking marijuana causes some changes in the brain that are like those caused by cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Some researchers believe that these changes may put a person more at risk of becoming addicted to other drugs, such as cocaine or heroin. (12) Scientists are still learning about the many ways that marijuana could affect the brain. Yes. While not everyone who uses marijuana becomes addicted, when a user begins to seek out and take the drug compulsively, that person is said to be dependent or addicted to the drug.

In 1995,165,000 people entering drug treatment programs reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, showing they need help to stop using the drug. (9) According to one study, marijuana use by teenagers who have prior serious antisocial problems can quick lead to dependence on the drug. (3) Some frequent, heavy users of marijuana develop a tolerance for it. 'Tolerance " means that the user needs larger doses of the drug to get the same desired results that he or she used to get from smaller amounts.

Up until a few years ago, it was hard to find treatment programs specifically for marijuana users. Now researchers are testing different ways to help marijuana users abstain from drug use. There are currently no medications for treating marijuana addiction. Treatment programs focus on counseling and group support systems. There are also a number of programs designed especially to help teenagers who are abusers. Family doctors are also a good source for information and help in dealing with adolescent marijuana problems.