Health Effects of Marijuana Use

Health Effects of Marijuana Use

Introduction

The history of Marijuana in the United States can be traced back to 1619 when the drug began to be regulated for recreational or medical purposes. However, initially, hemp was use to produce ropes and it was only until the 1850's that pharmaceuticals began introducing this drug. However, states eventually began to label these drugs as poison and adopted the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act in the 1930's

Discussion

Problems grew during the Great Depression when unemployment skyrocketed and there were fears that the increase in the number of Mexican immigrants could lead to the excessive use of marijuana. This led to several researches being carried out with resulted in determination of the fact that marijuana led to crime, violence, and over socially unacceptable behaviors. Most of these undesired behaviors were observed among the minorities and hence, steps had to be taken in order to curb the consumption of this drug (Pope & Yurgelun, 1996, 521-527).

As soon as the individual consumes this drug, he feels a sense of relaxation and pleasure. The release of dopamine leads to feelings that are considered to be better compared to other drugs. Apart from these effects, various other effects have been witnessed by people. This includes increased appetite, altered perception of time, increased laughter, higher sensory perceptions, etc. However, it may even produce feelings of panic, distrust, fear, anxiety, depression, and drowsiness.

Marijuana affects the memory of a person due to which people find it difficult to form new memories. It also disrupts the balance of an individual by linking certain parts of the brain together. Hence, reaction time, coordination, and posture are affected. It is due to this that athletes consume this drug as it leads to maneuvers that are usually difficult to accomplish (Pletcher, 2012, 173-181).

Marijuana users who consume the drug in large quantities may experience issues such as a loss of sense, delusions, and hallucinations. There is a difference between the effects of the drug in the short-term and in the long-term. A lot of inconsistencies have been reported in the long-term effects of marijuana. However, one thing is clear that it affects the bran and causes permanent damage. The reason there is inconsistencies in the results is that users of marijuana also consume other drugs. This leads to a difficulty in determining what effect marijuana has had on the user and the effect the other ...