Jack Joaquin
ENG101-L11
Essay #4
October 28, 2013 The High Life
The use of marijuana, smoked or eaten, can produce adverse physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral effects. It can impair short-term memory, judgment, and distort perception (Marijuana Use). Marijuana use is very controversial, and is viewed by most as negative, but has proved to be beneficial as well. All ages and races use marijuana, and contrary to popular belief, it can become addicting (Marijuana Tips for Teens).
Marijuana smoke, like that of tobacco, consists of a toxic mixture of gases and small particles, many of which are known to damage the lungs. In addition, marijuana smokers generally inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers, the lungs are exposed longer to carcinogenic smoke. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm build up, more chest illnesses, and a greater risk of lung infections. Even the slightest of marijuana use can cause a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, followed with a heavy cough (NIDA Drug Facts).
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the main active ingredient in marijuana, creating many of its known side effects. The effects of smoking marijuana are instantaneous. THC passes quickly from the lungs into the bloodstream, which then carries the chemical to the brain. The effects of smoked marijuana can last 1 to three hours. If marijuana is consumed, the effects usually take 30 minutes to 1 hour, but can last up to 4 hours. Smoking marijuana delivers more THC into the blood stream than eating or drinking the drug (NIDA Drug Facts). The THC of marijuana has been steadily increasing. This increasing potency may create more severe consequences of marijuana use than in the past, especially for young people and new users. We are still not sure how individual smokers adjust to the rise in THC levels, or what consequences the shift in THC levels has on the brain and body. However, we do know the effects of marijuana use in general (Marijuana Use). As THC enters the brain, it causes a euphoric feeling or what many call “being high.” This feeling is created because the THC is acting on the brains reward system, which is the area that responds to pleasurable things like sex, chocolate, and other hard-core drugs. THC activates the reward system in the same way that nearly all drugs of abuse do, by stimulating brain cells to release dopamine. Along with euphoria, relaxation is another reported effect in human studies. There are many other effects like heightened sensory perception, laughter, altered perception of time, increased appetite, sleepiness, depression, anxiety, fear, distrust, and panic, that all vary based on the individual user (NIDA Drug Facts).
Marijuana use also impairs a person’s ability to form new memories and to shift focus. THC also throws off coordination and balance by interacting with the parts of the brain that regulate balance, coordination, posture, and reaction time. Therefore, also affecting learning, doing complicated tasks, athletic participation, and driving. Because marijuana impairs judgment and motor coordination and slows reaction time, an intoxicated person has an increased chance of being involved and being responsible for an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drugs other than alcohol are involved in about 18 percent of motor vehicle driver deaths. A recent survey found that 7 percent of drivers who were involved in accidents tested positive for THC (Marijuana Tips for Teens).
Marijuana has many negative affects, but research has proven the positive side. Scientists have confirmed that the cannabis plant contains active ingredients beneficial for relieving pain, controlling nausea, stimulating appetite, and decreasing eye pressure. As a result, more research on cannabis based drugs and safe delivery was warranted. These studies paved the way for what we know today as medical marijuana. Many people benefit from this drug today, like cancer patients, people with AIDS, those with multiple sclerosis and individuals with neuropathy pain (NIDA Drug Facts).
Medical marijuana is prescribed by doctors, monitored by the federal government, and grown by patients in some states (Marijuana Use). There are those who disagree with this idea of treatment. They say we are creating legal drug dealers and corrupting our communities. Our country has always known drug dealers and our communities were corrupt long before medical marijuana. The reality is that marijuana has been around for many years, and if the users want it, they will find it by any means necessary. It’s not the drugs, but the people who use them. Marijuana use, good and bad, is and will continue to be a controversial subject in our society for years to come.

Works Cited
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Marijuana Tips for Teens. Pamphlet. (2013) Print.
“NIDA Drug Facts.” National Institute On Drug Abuse. 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. http://drug abuse.gov/publications/term/160/DrugFacts
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/ National Institutes of Health. Marijuana Use. NIH Publication Number 12-3859. (2012): Page # 1-12. Print.