Sunday, October 26, 2014

Health Effects From Marijuana Use


Marijuana is known for its medical use. It is commonly known that marijuana indeed does help patients suffering from chronic pain. Marijuana is also known to be a great painkiller. It can help with stress, relieve headaches and can significantly increase your appetite. Many patients with eating disorders have restored to using medical marijuana. Intake of cannabis is known to give users what we refer to as “the case of the munchies”. 

However use of marijuana also carries many negative effects. In our brain our pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, sensory and time perception is heavily influenced by cannabinoid receptors. The receptors are activated by chemicals that are similar to those that are released when an individual consumes THC. When these receptors receive high volumes of these chemicals both from those produced in our body and those consumed from smoking marijuana, it harms these receptors which leads to complications in the functions that are influenced by these receptors. This basically means heavy usage can lead too short term memory loss and slower reaction times.


To sum it up, marijuana isn’t perfect. Yes there are some negative health effects, but these are in situations when an individual is consuming excessive amounts of it. The way I see it is everything should be done or consumed in moderation. Too much of anything is not good for our body, no matter what it is. We have exposure to tobacco products and alcohol which can do significant damage to our health and can lead to death, but we are not allowed to relax and smoke a joint?  I don’t see the justice in that, but that is my point of view, what is your? What do you think? 


Sources:


  1. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/health-headlines/pot-should-be-legalized-and-regulated-like-alcohol-says-addiction-centre-1.2046372
  2. http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana
  3. http://o.canada.com/news/national/the-pros-and-cons-of-pot
  4. http://search.proquest.com.library.sheridanc.on.ca/docview/199053491?pq-origsite=summon

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