Negative Effects of Marijuana

Negative Effects of Marijuana (Essay with Outline)

A drug is described by Webster's New World Dictionary as, "any chemical agent that effects body processes." Is marijuana good or bad? Does it have more positive short-term effects than bad? What about the long-term effects? Is there really something that smokers have to be in fear of? By examining both sides of this controversy, we can decide if marijuana has more positive or negative effects.

Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried shredded flowers and leaves of "cannabis sativa," or more simply, the hemp plant. Marijuana is a mood altering or "psychoactive" drug, it is also known as weed, trees, pot and many more nicknames.(Comptons)

Marijuana itself comes from the Indian hemp plant. It is the third most widely used drug in the United States. And according to a survey taken in 1988, and it is the number one illegally used drug in the United States. Marijuana is so popular that an estimated one out of every three people in the US has tried it and around 44% of US high school students have smoked it. Marijuana users are not easily detected. It is a drug used in all areas of society.

The Indian hemp plant is found all over the world, including the US. There are three different types of Indian hemp, "Cannabis Sativa," which is the most widely used and grown type of marijuana.(Wu, TC)

Marijuana can be taken in three ways: by eating, made into a tea, or smoking (the most popular).Sometimes, when potential smokers cannot bear the inhale of the smoke into their lungs, they will eat it, chewing it up, so it get diffused into their bloodstream, or make it into a tea, for the same reason. Smoking can be done two ways using a pipe, or by one of two cigarettes called a "joint" or a "blunt". A joint is a rolled piece of paper that is twisted at the ends. A blunt is normally an emptied cigar wrapper filled with marijuana. In a blunt you can fit much more marijuana. Though a blunt isn't always purely marijuana, it can be mixed with other drugs such as angel dust.

Marijuana has different effects on people, and certain types of cannabis can cause different effects in the same person. The amount of "THC" (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) may also change the reaction. THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana, lingers in the body for a long time. Four days after a joint is smoked, 20% of the THC is still in the body's fatty tissues. In some cases THC is prescribed for

treatment of vomiting and as an appetite stimulant under the alias of "marinol." Combining alcohol or other drugs with marijuana can intensify the reaction. A first time marijuana smoker will usually feel no effects while a chronic or heavy user will get a "high." This is because the users body does not already have marijuana in their system, so their body is not used to the reaction, so it might resist. When marijuana has been in your system a couple of times, the brain does not resist it, allowing the mind-altering effects to take place.

The effects of being high peak within seventy minutes of the first inhale. Within two to three hours, the effects will die down and the person will feel sleepy. When a person is high, normal sight sounds, tastes, or events can seem very funny or interesting. Some users believe they see and hear things more clearly while they are high. When intoxicated, time seems to pass a lot slower. To the user, minutes will seem like hours. The intoxicated person may get very thirsty or hungry, a common effect called, " the munchies." A few minutes after the person inhales they will probably get a dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, decreased reaction time, and also a loss of coordination. The blood vessels in the user's eyes will probably enlarge, giving the person a "blood shot" appearance. Some users believe it enhances sexual relations. (Mathew, RJ)

There are many ways that marijuana can harm the body, both the immediate and long-term negative effects. Some short-term effects are that it often disables the users short-term memory and may cause trouble with challenging tasks. Even very simple tasks can become a struggle for someone who is high. A student that is under the influence of marijuana may find it hard to learn or concentrate. Loss of coordination and

Judgement helps make marijuana the leading cause of automobile fatalities. Timing and coordination are normally delayed by marijuana. As a result, users are often very confused and useless. The effect marijuana can have on the brain and central nervous system is very serious. Smoking marijuana reduces the strength and speed of communications between the mind and body. This occurs in the brain and