Short And Long Term Effects Of Marijuana Upon The Brain Essay

Marijuana can have very damaging affects on a person?s brain. It can impair a person?s short-term memory, decision-making and signal detection (Cannabinoids). ?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? (Marijuana). After having used marijuana a

Besides causing cancer, other long-term side effects can occur. Flu like symptoms can occur that includes eating disorders, chronic bronchitis, and mood swings that may not dissipate for up to 18 months. There is also the psychological effect that marijuana has on the user. Many studies have shown that long time users who tried to quit could not do so, not necessarily because of a powerful withdrawal like that of crack cocaine, but because they missed the actual "high" that marijuana offered. The "high" is actually causing mental problems as well. Studies done have shown that pot smoking can cause short term memory loss, as well as creating a sort of "fog" in the mind of the user. More serious mental effects include depression and suicide. As one doctor's journal stated: “It is generally agreed that there is a progressive increase in depressed mood from abstainer to substance user and a corresponding increase in suicide attempts.”(Joy, 13) A final problem that

Smoking of marijuana can cause the person to become addicted to cocaine, heroin, and other drugs. Heavy or daily use effects the parts that control memory, attention, and learning (Facts for Teens, 13). When teens are 12 and 13 they are more exposed to drugs and most likely don’t listen to their parents (Age in Stem., 1). Some other psychological side effects would be paranoia, anxiety, fatigue, Euphoria, and mood swings (Fact Sheet, 1). Studies have shown that when a person uses marijuana it causes the heart to beat faster and work harder (Fact Sheet, 2). When people have smoked large measures of marijuana for years, the drugs takes its charge on mental functions (Facts for Teens, 13).

The brain is the most complicated part of the human body. I will begin explaining certain parts and their

People might think smoking marijuana is cool. They might try it without knowing what it is or what affects is has on you. Once someone smokes it for the first time, they might keep doing it again and again and they could get hooked on it for life. People who use marijuana usually never use any other type of illegal drugs, but more than seven thousand five hundred people get arrested for using marijuana every year. There is a wide variety of marijuana, but they are all based off of two marijuana plants, Indica and Sativa. Marijuana is very popular in America, and all over the world. Marijuana affects the body, it can be used as medicine, and marijuana can be addictive.

The brain can be considered the most complex organ in the body and the centrepiece of the nervous system. Although the brain works as a unified whole, neuroscientists have identified areas within it that perform specific functions. This makes the brain interconnected by three different layers: the central core, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. All of which contain structures that regulate everyday life and psychological function.

However, there is accumulating evidence of the psychological consequences of using marijuana. Many chronic marijuana smokers have a psychosis that is now medically deemed as, “A-motivational Syndrome” (Chopra 38). A psychosis is a condition where a person experiences some loss of contact with reality. A person with a psychosis can experience any or more of the following symptoms: auditory hallucinations (hearing voices that aren't really there), visual hallucinations (seeing things which aren't there), delusions (believing things that aren't true), jumbled thoughts and strange behavior. Patients with A-motivational Syndrome are left with the well-recognized and permanent symptoms of memory loss, apathy and loss of motivation (Chopra 38). After marijuana started to be widely used approximately 20 years ago, for permanent damage to occur it was felt by some that marijuana had to be heavily used over at least three years. However, there is accumulating evidence that smaller amounts will do damage. It is logical that to get the permanent “ A-motivational Syndrome”, small amounts of damage have to accumulate incrementally (Chopra 40). Although many marijuana connoisseurs of today may totally deny that that the use of this drug has lasting effects on the brain, research findings clearly indicate that long-term use of marijuana produces changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse (Erickson 89).

As THC gets into the brain, it also alters the hippocampus, an area in the brain related to learning and memory. When THC is introduced, the hippocampus has difficulties to communicate effectively with other brain regions, the article Dangers and consequences of Marijuana, mensions (11). Smoking pot hurts teenagers’ life because it makes the brain work harder than normal since THC them ow because their brain has to work overtime to compensate what THC does to the different regions within

Marijuana is known for causing issues with the human brain, which is a product of behavioral issues. Nevertheless, being under the influence of this drug can produce poor memory and little to no attention span (Marijuana: A Continuing Concern). Research shows that all of these effects can indeed take place after using the drug. After long term use of marijuana, the human brain may not become fully developed if the user started the drug at a young age. This could result in the brain not reaching its full potential. Furthermore, it is acknowledged that someone can have complications with their short-term memory after using the drug, and these complications can last for a multitude of days. People who are under the influence of marijuana have a difficult time paying attention to what is going on around them. With the use of marijuana comes brain damage, which some could become permanent (Marijuana: Breaking Down

There have been copious amounts of research and studies relating to this topic, since the 1970s. However, to discover these long term effects, it is necessary to conduct tests, some of these requiring decades of research in order to produce valid statistics. More recently, neuroscience studies have also contributed further to the research relating to this topic, in particular, focusing on the area of the structure of the brain, due to modern technologies. Research has demonstrated that various long term issues have arisen from adolescents using cannabis. The main issues discussed in this report are the mental illnesses linked to cannabis use, the impact of cognitive function, as well as changes in brain structure, which, to an extent also affect cognitive and behavioural function. Through the research I have conducted, it has been concluded that there are many valid sources, proving that the use of cannabis in adolescents is harmful to the brain in the future.

One region of the brain that contains a lot of THC receptors is the hippocampus, which processes memory. When THC attaches to receptors in the hippocampus, it weakens short-term memory. The hippocampus also communicates with other brain regions that process new information into long-term memory. In the brain, under the influence of marijuana, new information may never register, and may be lost from memory.

Marijuana continues to be the most widely used drug in the Western Hemisphere, its cognitive effects robustly revolve around memory. There have been many studies done on the chemical effects that marijuana has on the brain centers concerned with memory and learning. There are more productive studies relating to the effects of cannabis on short-term memory that show different memory processes effected by this drug. Though there is not much knowledge on the effects the drug has on long-term memory due to suspected confounds that temper with the process of collecting proper data, there have been studies showing lasting effects in adolescents and chronic users (Schoeler and Bhattacharyya, 2013). More research should be done on the long-term processes in order to better understand the lasting effects of cannabis use. Marijuana causes these adverse effects on memory by first altering chemical processes in the brain.

Does marijuana create an altered state of consciousness, or does it simply allow users to interpret more information at a quicker speed giving us the illusion of being “stoned”? For many years people of all ages have been using marijuana mainly for recreational purposes, not knowing that it increases their senses and perhaps even helps cure or prevent disease. After many carefully constructed experiments, it is now accepted by several scientists around the world that marijuana effects the human body as a whole, thus creating an altered state of consciousness.

In the United States, the most significantly used illicit drug is marijuana. People use this social drug to ease or enhance interaction (Kornblum 115). The scientific term for this commonly used drug, marijuana, is Cannabis sativa (Hasday 24). Cannabis sativa is a dioecious hemp plant and can be produced in various forms. Usually, the dried leaves, flowers, and buds of the plant is used as marijuana. In addition, the flowers of the female plant and the buds are the most vigorous part. Furthermore, the plant produces the main psychoactive substance, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Wishnia 44). In Putting a Match to the Marijuana Myth, Peggy Mann states “Most kids are fully convinced that the use of Marijuana is not harmful. But new medical

The article, “Marijuana and the Teen Brain”, from the Scientific American journal, Claudia Wallis, argues that marijuana negatively affects the teenage brain. Wallis begins her argument by stating her viewpoint on the drug and then proceeds to provide information to support her stance. Multiple studies by scientists/researchers are cited in this article including those based on x-rays of a marijuana user’s brain and others that tested marijuana users on their cognitive skills. Wallis additionally mentions a study on rats which tested the effects of THC. The author provides background information on marijuana to give the reader a better understanding of the concept. This source supports the argument that marijuana use has negative impacts on the human brain because the author also stands behind that argument. Wallis discusses these negative impacts and provides evidence to support her claim. This source cites various studies in which researchers tested the effects of marijuana on the brain which reinforces the argument that marijuana has abnormal effects on the human brain.