The Effects of Marijuana
Marijuana
is the greenish tobacco-like substance produced by drying the
leaves and flowering tops of the cannabis sativa plant. It contains
more than 400 chemicals. The psychoactive, mind-altering chemical
that is responsible for the physical and psychological effects
of marijuana is Delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some of the
most common nicknames for marijuana are pot, grass, dope, weed,
reefer, doobie, tea, herb, Thai sticks, Acapulco Gold, Sinsemilla,
bud, Mary Jane, blunt, and hydro.
While
there is heated debate with people pushing for marijuana to be
legalised for medical purposes; mainly as a pain reliever, it
should be noted that there are currently in mainstream use medical
drugs that are not only more effective on pain relief than marijuana,
but they also lack the side effects that are associated with marijuana.
Method
of Ingestion:
Marijuana is smoked in the form of loosely rolled cigarettes called
"joints", in hollowed out commercial cigars called "blunts", in
standard pipes or in water pipes known as "bongs".
Short-Term
Effects of Smoking Marijuana:
- Drowsiness
- Impaired
short-term memory
- Reduced
ability to concentrate
- Loss
of coordination
- Increased
heart rate
- Dry
mouth
- Bloodshot
eyes
- Decreased
social inhibitions
Long-Term
Effects of Smoking Marijuana:
- Paranoia
- Abnormal
physical development in males: reduced testosterone levels
may delay deepening of voice, growth of beard, development
of muscle mass. It can also lead to decreased sperm count
and difficulty having children.
- Abnormal
physical development in females: Increased testosterone
and decreased estrogen levels may cause irregular menstrual
cycles and an increased risk of infertility.
- Carbon
monoxide and tar into lungs (Pot smoke has 70% more cancer-causing
chemicals than tobacco smoke, so that heavy pot smokers
may have as much or greater potential for developing cancer
as cigarette smokers).
- Reduced
capacity to fight off infections (and added risk of infection
to smokers who share joints)
- Decreased
motivation/ambition
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