The Addiction to Marijuana

In the 1900s, weed had already had relatively long legal history in the United States. Many historians believe the Jamestown settlers were the first to introduce cannabis to the United States in 1611. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both grew hemp in the 1700s, which was distributed to drug stores to help cure migraines and menstrual cramps. In the beginning weed was used for recreational purposes, and still is used to aid aliments, some aliments worse than others.

The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, which is also the most responsible for its intoxicating effects, is known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. THC is one of the cannabinoids found in marijuana, and there are over sixty of them. It is the cannabinoid that produces the high, and although there are other cannabinoids present, the effect is different with the absence of THC. They interact with THC to affect its impact in a variety of ways: enhancing or attenuating it, speeding up or slowing down its onset, and influencing how long the effect lasts (Caulkin 7).

This book explains real the medicinal value of marijuana. why is it illegal? David Ford explains how the federal government created a systematic campaign of deception that began in the 1930's. From fifty years of research and interviews with hundreds of marijuana users, the author offers many arguments why marijuana should never have been illegal. The government is aware that marijuana never resulted in even one documented death. In 1966, the voters of California and Arizona approved marijuana for medical purposes. This has sparked up a controversy. Should it be legalized or not? I want to write about this because, this is one of the most talked about and most argued about subjects in America today. It is definitely a subject that should be examined and researched a little more. I will use David’s book to illustrate whether or not marijuana should be legalized or not. In honesty I am not a fan for marijuana, I think the world functions just fine as it

As more effective treatments for diseases and cancers are being developed, a safe and promising drug is being under attack for its many misconceptions. Marijuana use of both medicinally and recreationally, has been hindered by the misconceptions it has faced due to it being on the schedule 1 drug class of the U.S government. These misconceptions of medical marijuana have hindered its legalization by having people continue to believe them, refusing to learn the beneficial properties of medical marijuana, and as a result have affected people who could benefit from this form of treatment.

THC, the active ingredient in pot works on specific parts of the brains hardware, called cannabinoid receptors. Turning on a cannabinoid receptor with THC creates a bunch of cellular reactions that at last create to the "high" that you feel when you smoke weed. Cannabinoid receptors exist throughout the brain. They are most common in parts The areas of the brain that influence pleasure, time, memory, and concentration have the highest concentration of these receptors. Smoking weed frequently can overpower

Due to recent changes in legalization of Marijuana, the question of it being an addictive substance has come up often. According to Dale Archer, M.D., the vast majority of people that are avid marijuana users show no addictive symptoms, they can take it or leave it (Archer, M.D., 2012). This topic is of great interest as the response to the legalization of marijuana is gaining differing opinions from different generations. Many people assume that marijuana itself is addicting, research shows that the main ingredient THC or Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is not chemically addictive (Archer, M.D., 2012). There is a line between use and abuse; any substance can be abused, whether it is soda, food, cocaine or other drugs. The question is do the chemicals in

Using marijuana can lead to the development of problematic use, known as a marijuana use disorder. This takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Data suggests that 30% of people who use marijuana have some level of marijuana use disorder. People who begin to use marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to have marijuana use disorder or addiction compared to adults.People that use marijuana daily have addiction rates between 25% and 50%. Dependence is usually associated with marijuana use disorders. When frequent users of marijuana quit using it, they feel physical and psychological discomfort, otherwise known as withdrawal symptoms. This leads many people to resume their usage. Dependence is when the brain adapts

The primary psychoactive compound found in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC for short. THC basically stimulates your brain cells which causes them to release dopamine. Dopamine helps control the brain’s “reward and pleasure centers” and gives off “the high”. The scientific way THC works is that it mimics the structure of endocannabinoids, which are molecules which the human body produces naturally. Endocannabinoids work with cannabinoid receptors to regulate appetite, mood, and memory. Since THC mimics the shape of endocannabinoids, they

The question of legalizing marijuana has been an issue for many years. In the Unites States from the 1600s to late 1800s hemp was harvested on U.S. soil to create materials such as rope, paper and clothing. It was during the 1800s that cannabis products became popular for medical use and was sold in many pharmacies across the nation. It became a requirement to label these over-the-counter medicines containing cannabis but it was still legal. Around the early 1900s the many Mexicans immigrated to U.S. to escape the Mexican Revolution conflict. These immigrants smoked marijuana recreationally and brought this concept with them. El Paso, Texas became the first U.S. city to ban marijuana in 1915 (Benson, 2015) By 1937, 46 of the 48 states has passed laws banning marijuana use and the Marijuana Tax Act was passed making it illegal to have marijuana unless it was for medical reasons. In 1952 the Narcotics Control Act of 1956 was imposed and the federal government started requiring minimum prison sentences for possessing marijuana. Marijuana was made a schedule I drug meaning it had no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse in the Controlled Substance Act of 1970.

The prohibition in the 1930's detrimentally distorted the view of marijuana ever since it was declared illegal. Marijuana has and still continues to be looked down upon due to the unexplainable psychological effects of the human mind. Futhermore, the American society has viewed marijuana in such a negative way that it holds people to the reputation as a loser or stoner. This skewed perception of a lazy and unmotivated marijuana users in America is the result of over seventy years of propaganda and misinformation spread by private interests who needed cannabis illegal for their own personal gains. However, as America rapidly industrialized, societies view of marijuana began to change. The truths and therapeutic benefits of marijuana slowly started to surface among the public. Marijuana should be legalized in the United States not only for medicinal use, but for taxation and stimulation of the economy, and a possible end to continuous drug war.

When a receptor receives information, it causes changes in the nerve cell. The chemical in marijuana that has a big impact on the brain is called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). It is the main active chemical in marijuana. Scientists recently discovered that some areas in the brain have a lot of THC receptors, while other have very few or none. These clues are helping researchers figure out exactly how THC works in the brain.

“Marijuana is the most commonly used drug illegal drug in the world.” (“What is Marijuana”, 2013). It has recently become legal in a couple states, and more states are sure to follow their lead in the upcoming months. People can make the argument that marijuana does not have any negative effects, but they are wrong. Becoming addicted to marijuana is easy, and it only opens up the door for you to try other harmful drugs once marijuana quits getting you high. You need to know the whole story, how people become addicted, the negative effects it has on your body and mind, and what you can do once someone you know has become addicted.

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

Marijuana has a long standing history of being one of the most controversial substances in America. While the history or the Cannabis plant indicates not only acceptance as a useful plant, but even advocated as a source of revenue and medicinal usage, much of the United States government propaganda over the last 100+ years has led Americans to accept very slighted and often false information about the plant and its uses. Based on the origin of the illegalization of marijuana and the inconsistent findings of its effects in comparison to other substances, both legal and illegal, marijuana should be decriminalized and treated as a recreational substance just as alcohol and tobacco are.

Drugs are heavily used throughout the entire world. However, it is important to understand and not undermine the variability in which drugs are used. It is clear some are for distinct medical treatment and others are for recreational use. In the United States, marijuana has been and continues to be a very controversial drug. Some states have allowed marijuana consumption for medicinal purposes, while others have completely outlawed the drug. Those who are against the legalization and regulation of marijuana suggest the economical and health risk associated with consumption of the drug are too high. Although there is risk involved with the legalization of the marijuana, our country has already been risking too much banning the drug.