The Active Components Of Marijuana And Recreational Purposes Essay

The legalization of the drug marijuana is a hot topic nowadays. Many people want this substance to be legalized and regularly available like cigarettes. But what some people do not know are the serious health risks involved when using marijuana. There is a lot more to marijuana than just smoking it.

There has never been a death from marijuana overdose. “A person would have to smoke 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC in a joint to overdose” (Wing). Marijuana was classified as an illegal drug in 1970, because it can be abused very easily (“infoplease”). Marijuana was then grown indoors. Marijuana is illegally used by many people daily. Marijuana should be legalized because it is naturally grown and can be used to help cancer patients, relieve stress, and be used daily.

In the United States, marijuana for medical purposes has gained more prevalence in current political discourse than in previous years. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a flowering plant that originally came from South and Central Asia. For centuries, the cannabis plant has been used for many natural products such as seed oils, seed, fiber that is used to make hemp products and contains over four hundred chemicals, some of which have an antibiotic like effect (Nordqvist, 2013). Studies have shown that two of the chemicals, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD), have a positive effect on humans for mild to moderate painkilling effects and sedative effects (Nordqvist, 2013). The purpose of this paper is

According to the authors, recent studies have shown that there is another compound in marijuana that is increasing the attention of both scientists and medical marijuana providers known as cannabidiol, or CBD. CBD is not an intoxicating product, and does not produce a high when alone, but some researchers claim it may calm the anxiety produced by THC. Some research suggests that marijuana with a better balance between CBD and THC is less risky than the high-THC, low-CBD strains that now dominate the upper end of the marijuana market (Caulkin 9). With scientists discovering the new compound CBD, it makes them more interested in doing further research in order to discover more roles of other compounds

Researchers tested the five most common cannabinoids (compounds containing cannabinol and active constituents of cannabis) on different strains of a “superbug” which had become increasingly resistant to antibiotics (King, 2009). All five substances showed extreme antibacterial activity against cannabinoids (King, 2009). The scientists showed that these substances found in cannabis, appear to kill bacteria by mechanisms different from those of conventional antibiotics, making them more likely to avoid bacterial resistance (King, 2009). Of the five cannabinoids tested, at least two of them have no known mood altering effects, suggesting they could be developed into marijuana based drugs without experiencing the “high” from the drug (King,

The cannabis plant contains over 85 cannabinoids, with tertahydro-cannibinol (THC), the principal psychoactive compound and Cannabidiol (CBD) forming the largest constituent. According to the website Medical Marijuana Inc, CBD or Cannabidiol Hemp Oil is derived from high CBD, low THC hemp plant. Since hemp oil only contains only a small trace of THC, it is considered a non-psychotic product. Hemp oil works by interacting with the body through the endocannabinoid system or the endogenous cannabinoid system. The system contains millions of cannabinoid receptor sites located around the Central Nervous System (CNS), immune system and the brain. The systems plays an important role of regulating the body’s homeostasis or state of balance by impacting functionalities such as hormone balance, sleep, mood, immune response, appetite and pain.

Under Federal law, only FDA-approved medications are legal to prescribe—and marijuana is not one of those approved medications. Still, more than a dozen States have approved its use to alleviate a variety of symptoms. Many of marijuana’s effects (including its psychoactive or mind-altering properties) stem from an ingredient called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which resembles a chemical that the body and brain make naturally. THC attaches to specialized proteins, called cannabinoid receptors (CBRs), to which the body’s natural chemicals normally bind. Along with THC, the marijuana plant contains over 400 other chemical compounds, including other cannabinoids that may be biologically active and vary from plant to plant. This makes it difficult to consider its use as a medicine even though some of marijuana’s specific ingredients may offer benefits.

Marijuana or Cannabis is one of the bused drugs in America and the rest of the world. Interesting accumulating evidence show that the significant negative impact of this drug outweighs the positive effects. However, the medical benefits of the drug seem on the process of chemical compounds as compared to the drug itself. Medical debates show that chemical compound in marijuana are the problem as compared to the plant. The said chemical compound affects the mental and physical health of the persons abusing this drug. There have been traditional efforts to control the use of marijuana through legislation laws, (Crick, Haase, & Bewley-Taylor, 2013). However, in the recent past the efforts and the laws are being lifted to relax the implementation of the same legislations and the population is responding fast in accepting the legalization of the use of marijuana. The aim of this paper is to discuss how lifting on the laws of the said drug indicate adverse tolerance of Cannabis among populations. The paper will also discuss impact of legalization marijuana on the safety, security and overall quality of human life. Also, the paper will analyses the effect of relaxation of the laws controlling this drug to other hard core drugs such as cocaine, heroin and meth-amphetamines among others.

Chapter III: The Science of Cannabis: Nature and Effects Before we start studying in detail the effects of Cannabis on human nervous system, we need to understand a few details about the Endocannabinoid system. The effects of Cannabis are due to the fact that there are receptors in our brain which allow certain active molecules found in Cannabis to bind to those sites. These receivers are called Cannabinoid receptors and the many different cells and tissues which allow Cannabinoids to bind to them are responsible for the diversity and varied physiological results of marijuana consumption. This process of binding of cannabis compounds to the receptors found in our brain is depicted in the structural representation given below : Ever since Drs.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), also known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is the main psychoactive substance found in the cannabis plant. Cannabis isn’t just a single drug molecule, like alcohol or cocaine, but a mix of over 420 different chemical components. 61 of the called cannabinoids are unique to marijuana. THC is the chemical that triggers cannabis’ main drug action and effects in the body and brain. THC is like a feel-good chemical bomb that explodes on contact, and then breaks up into at least 80 different by products (or metabolites) before it’s eliminated from the body. The process starts as soon as THC enters the blood stream, and begins zeroing in on cannabinoid receptors in the brain and central nervous system Once it checks into the brain, THC takes its own time in checking out. Unlike many other drugs, which are excreted from the body within hours, THC metabolites stick around--stored

A number of movements to legalize marijuana have been gaining attention lately. Currently there are 14 states where marijuana is legal for medical use (medicalmarijuana). 41% of U.S. citizens believe marijuana should be legalized (drugpolicy) but others are still concerned about health damage. American society has lost the war against marijuana, and that's okay. We should stop wasting time and money trying to reverse history and instead legalize both medical and recreational use of this mild narcotic widely seen as no more harmful than alcohol.

When marijuana smoke is inhaled, THC and other cannabinoids enter the user’s body. The chemical is absorbed into the bloodstream and flows to the brain. Once it reaches the brain, it binds to the CB1 receptor and activates it to relieve symptoms such as nausea and pain (Hanson, 2010). CB2 receptors are found in the immune system and are involved in reducing inflammation as well as pain responses (Hanson, 2010). This is useful for individuals who suffer from illnesses such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis, where inflammation is common and where pain is also associated (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2015). THC also affects the production and release of various neurotransmitters; chemical messenger molecules which carry signals across the

Many regions of the brain contain cannabinoid receptors, of which anandamide molecules, concerned with regulating mood, appetite and emotions, naturally bind to. Cannabis contains an active ingredient known as ‘delta-9-tetrahydrocannabonic’ (THC), and when smoked or eaten, the THC imitates the activity of anandamide by binding to cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells, and therefore influences

less dangerous than tobacco and people smoke less of it at a time. Or you can

Marijuana is illegal in fifty states because of its classification as an illicit drug, but controversial issues have been established that this “illicit drug” has improved the course of treatment for suffering patients. Marijuana has beneficial effects when used in medicinal scenarios for the treatment of pain; thus it should be an administered drug for patients who can benefit from the use of this drug. Marijuana has undergone analysis for its use as a medicine and the results have shown improvements in the patients who were treated with this drug. Doctors have expressed opposite opinions, making this issue very controversial.