Marijuana’s Effect On The Brain
Posted on January 9, 2009
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Here is a article that I found, Marijuana’s Effect On The Brain. Some people consider Marijuana a gateway drug. Is it? Let’s see what this article has to say.
Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. It is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves derived from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; THC for short.
How is Marijuana Abused?
Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (joint) or in a pipe. It is also smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana. Since the blunt retains the tobacco leaf used to wrap the cigar, this mode of delivery combines marijuana’s active ingredients with nicotine and other harmful chemicals. Marijuana can also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish, and as a sticky black liquid, hash oil.* Marijuana smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor.
How Does Marijuana Affect the Brain?
Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body.
THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the “high” that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.1
Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.2 As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.
Research on the long-term effects of marijuana abuse indicates some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system3 and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine.4 Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse. Now you can always Visit the website here to read more about it….
Now as a JUNKIE, I am going to give you my own Personal Experience, Strength, and Hope.
I started out drinking because it was OK to drink, but NEVER do drugs!~ Well that lasted until I first smoked Pot when I was about 15. I was a runaway at the time and in a hold over and this one kid had some. I at first didn’t think anything happened but did later and OMG it was a wonderful experience. Right than and there I can see where the high gave me the confidence to be more assertive and upright when I would speak what was on my mind and not only that it gave me the courage to be able to confront girls.
Although it was the first drug that I did when I found Meth I no longer needed Pot. Meth took over and took me over in all aspects of my life. I just couldn’t get enough of it. I would go to any lengths that I could in order to get high. I would steal, lie, cheat, scam, etc just to be able to get my next fix. However, going through all of my life’s using I have never found a incident where I would steal, cheat, etc just to get a bag of Pot.
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20 Responses to “Marijuana’s Effect On The Brain”
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It is unbelievable that someone can say pot led them to meth! It sound to me the they need to take responsibility for there own decisions.
By teaching kids that all drugs are equally bad, we are implicitly saying that marijuana is as deadly as cocaine, heroin, barbiturates, etc.
The inevitable problem is that once they see their older friends and relatives use marijuana with little ill effect, they can reasonably presume that heroin has little ill effect and it too has been unfairly demonized by the adults and authority figures they once trusted.
“I wonder what else they lied to me about?”
As for the author, it seems that alcohol was his “gateway” into the world of psychoactives. Marijuana, despite the party line, can’t assume the blame for this one.
The simple truth: marijuana makes some lazy, unmotivated people even lazier and even less motivated and can probably give a heavy smoker a nice cough (though apparently not emphysema or lung cancer).
If its use included the other more worried about, more deleterious effects ascribed to it by its critics, the billions of dollars spent over the last 70 years trying to “prove” these negative effects would certainly have found some. To date they haven’t.
But many people won’t be bothered by such facts. Marijuana prohibition is an American constant and the experiences of less punitive countries such as Holland are somehow not applicable to discussions about America’s marijuana policies.
It seems that marijuana really does make some people irrational, illogical and paranoid–those who obviously don’t use it.
Marijuana did make my life better. I was mroe active, I got better grades, I was more involved with everything, but I guess people dont see the individual effects. Drugs take different effects on different people, not everyone will get lazy, stupid, or unmotivated. Like the author said he was more motivated to talk to girls, that was his hyph. Me I was jsut more motivated in everything, I was jollier, happier, and stronger. I did have the feeling nothing could stop me, and thats when I knew I had to control myself or I’d get into fights, so yes some can control themselves when on marijuana, and as a gateway drug with it leading to meth, that is not right at all. Marijuana is in no way a gateway drug, I’ve been doing marijuana for over a year and never considered doing another drug because my life was good with jsut marijuana.
I’m Me.
It is interesting to find that many of the supporters of pot use deny and even fabricate positive stories about the use of marijuana. In my research and watching friends and family members who’ve used it tell me that its harmful. Most people who use hard drugs start out with the “legal drugs” or “harmless drugs”, marijuana and alcohol being the primary gateways. The facts remain what they are, facts. Look them up in real scientific journals, not some web sights made by hacks who want to either make money or justify their own guilt.
As for places like Holland that legalized the use of these “harmless” drugs. Just live there for a few years and look at the effects upon hundreds of thousands of people who are zombies and living off of the honest hard working citizens of that great country.
As for use of this harmful drug, ask yourself this question. The next time you fly, ride a bus or train or even ride in a car. Would you want that pilot, operator or your driver high on pot?
In response to The Truth. I’ve been a drug user for the better part of my life, starting with alcohol at the age of 11. I moved from alcohol to opiates, opiates to barbituates, barbituates to speed and then finally settled out with marijuana. I’m twenty-three years old and have spent a good eleven years of my life an addict.
Marijuana impairs me in none of the ways the harder drugs did. Marijuana does not make me want to return to the shit I called my life when I was using addictive substances. It has not impaired my ability to maintain a successful career. Nor has it negatively impacted my relationships with friends or family.
The only negative impact I see from the occasional use of marijuana is the overcrowding of our prison system by non-violent offenders who would have otherwise been content to smoke their marijuana and not trouble anyone. As for the FACTS, you should look them up. Marijuana accounts for 0 primary deaths in the span of any given year. Marijuana has been found throughout history as a source of rope, paper, and medicine; from the Sumarians to the first colonists of Jamestown to those with a medical marijuana license today.
I suggest you know what you are talking about before blindly following trumped up reports by researchers funded through agencies -pharmaceutical,textile,government- intent on keeping a rapid growing medicinal,industrial plant from reaching those who could make good use of it.
Ask yourself, would you feel safe riding a bus, flying in a plane, or being on the road with an operator who is on prescription synthetic drugs that drastically alter their brain chemistry and have a list of side effects longer than the bell parkway, or one, of the known the known thirty-million Americans, who chooses to use one of the oldest natural medicines and recreational intoxicants known to man?
Think about it.
Peace,
The Good Doctor
The Truth, that’s interesting since I’ve been to Holland, Amsterdam, and many other places where marijuana is legal, and I see people living life as they have to…Marijuana in those countries is like Cigarettes in america, It cost’s alot of money and is a bad habit, but its what they do, so why try to put them down for doing what they do? Almost everytime I’ve smoked it was in a car where the driver smoked aswell, but I dont smoke anymore I’m done with it, it did cost to much money and was to much of a scare, always having to look out for people, cops, parents, adults, everything was scarier.
The Truth, huh? Have you ever smoked? What kind of “research” are you talking about? Listening to someone else’s stories. I’ll go ahead and tell you, I smoke. I am a 36 year old, mother and educated professional. I have no desire to do another type of drug, so I guess the gateway drug theory is out. I hold a Information Systems related job so my memory seems to be working just fine. I think, Truth, that you fail to realize one of the reasons so many kids try pot is because it’s illegal. It’s a rebellious thing to do. How is it that drinking is legal and marijuana not?? I’ve yet to see an out of control, angry pot smoker. I would much rather be around a “pot head” than an alcoholic. I was married to an alcoholic and am much happier with pot-head hubby. Amazingly, for my husband, marijuana acts as a stimulant. I relate it to an ADD medication for him. It helps him focus and stay on track. He actually gets more work done high then any other time. And why is so much money wasted sending people to jail for a bit of marijuana. I understand it’s illegal. Why not legalize it? Why is alcohol better? Legalize it, tax it…need a way for the goverment to make money, there you go…
If pot is legalized we will have a society of slackers and losers . Think about it while we are at it lets legalize prostitution to lower our rates of rape. I do not know about the rest of you but to legalize pot will allow easier access to it by the adolescent crowd. hopefully we can all agree that pot is harmful to the growing brain of a adolescent right. Just like they can get beer so they will be able to get marijuana far easier with less fear since while it is legal now mom and dad smoke it right. Dumbarse
The only thing that I really see marijuana doing to people is momentarily changing ones perception, in affect allows people to talk at the same level. In other words, we can have a uniform and intelligent conversation “under” the influence. It benefits people for a variety of health related reasons. It has less side affects than taking bottles of synthesized prescription drugs, if you ask me the only reason that there is so much propaganda and lies in and around the subject of marijuana is that the majority of medication is trying to mimic some effect of marijuana. Lets face it has been around being used for medical and recreational reasons for over 5000 years and here we are today fighting over weather one should or shouldn’t use but I have and idea lets ask them. I think that they can make that decision for themselves. Nothing hurts people on both sides more than the taxes and fines that we have to pay out in order to keep people in jail that could be working and providing for their families.
Marijuana isn’t a gateway drug it’s just the most available and its ur fault if u move onto bigger things it isn’t bad i’ve been smoking since i was about 14 i’m now about 18. I’ve been offered coke many many times and i always say no it’s about self control (which smoking marijuana doesn’t impair) and it actually helps me concentrate. It leads 2 no brain damage there has also been no evidence of if killing brain cells read this article it’ll set everyone straight http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths
and by the way smoking it mellows u out so don’t b afraid 2 hit the joint
I am so glad I’m in Canada! BC Bud babe.
If you want to be discrete and preserve your lungs longer, I highly recommend vaporizing.
I use pot. I don’t always trust my decisions. But currently I am deciding to limit myself to pot use once every second day. But my extremely goody goody younger brother with a calm mind, probably very high EQ, decent IQ, and just a basic ability to be very successful tells me he uses pot. Dude, if my bro, the poster child of rational thinking, uses pot, it’s probably ok.
Not convincing I know. So let’s talk about me. I am smarter in some aspects of functioning on pot. I get insights that are like wtf, why didn’t I think of that when I was sober. For example, I went to the gym in my condo somewhat high, and I wanted to do leg push out exercises which relieve my achy SI joint (Women problems). I needed a stretchy band but there wasn’t one in our grossly neglected condo gym. My mechanical sense was honed and I tried a strap with those triangle metal attachments and held the strap together, and i worked my outer thigh. So my idea worked! My sober mind might of said “as if that will work” and not even try.
I also get insights in regards to why people who are close to me are the way they are. I also get new recipe ideas. I get creative in writing. I could go on and on.
If God created marijuana (it grows naturally outdoors in India, Mexico, etc.), I’m sure he/she was saying “please use in moderation, so that you will realize your potential and be merry.”
As for a gateway drug, perhaps it was. I’ve tried coke, which I stay away from, because it’s not natural, and it makes people fake. Coke is so overrated. I’ve done E/MDMA which is freakin awesome but it’s also scary in it’s unnaturalness.
And get this, I have also tried crack. I’ve tried opium powder that they mix in water and the other stuff called “Afeem” which is the more natural original of heroin.
Nothing compares to pot. I’m glad I tried other substances and I’m comfortable just staying with pot and not getting the harmful effects from “hard” drugs.
I can deal with a little bit of pot free radical damage, for the sake of creative insights and good times. Risk reward assessment baby.
ive been smoking for 4 years im 15 i was visiting my parents and my aunt got me high.i know the efects of cigurets and alcahol and potand to me pot is the least harmful it does have negative effects on some people but we are all different.my grade have droped from A,s to A,s and B,s but now im in high school so its harder work anyway. weed helps me focus and relaxe cigurets have no effect and just taste bad so i smoke them alcahal if i drink i dont know what im doing or what i did so i avoid for the most part. A study i read yesterday on the web said thc may actually kill cancer cells.also look at drug facts weed and alchol comined dont cause as many death per year as sigurets but you can legally get them at the youngest age..ps im stoned at schppl right now doing power point while righting this
sorry for the spelling mistakes my teacher walked my so i couldnt corec them
first off i’m 20 years old and i’ve been smoking marijuanna since i was 14. when i was 16 i got sick with a lung infection nonrelated to my very light smoking habit. However when the doctor diagnosed me with asthma people kept telling me that smoking weed was bad for my lungs and not to do it. the stress and pain from my breathing caused to smoke more consistently and lead to me smoking every day. eventually my lungs got better although i would have probably got better sooner if i wasnt smoking. in the long run im gunna do what i wanna do for i am not a prisoner of ignorance or of another man, like so many others out there. so waht im trying to say is Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and i respect that if you dont smoke i will not offer you any. every one is different not every one who smokes weed is interested in something stronger infact i know people who are totally against other drugs. when i was a teen i experimented with heavier drugs that i enjoyed but i have the disciplin and knoweldge of those drugs to stay away from them. now on the political side you have to many radicals. if weed was decriminalized and people were educated properly there would be more potheads and less “junkies” but by labeling marijuanna as a drug it does cause people act irrationally when they smoke it for the first time and realize the lies about weed and assume other drugs are not bad either so thank our corrupt democracy politicians and law officers who enforce this BS law. Screw all the people who believe everything they are told since birth with such ignorance that they will look down on someone because the smoke a little weed because you obviously dont understand at all what life is all about. only god can judge me so F U
im 33 years old, go to college, im on the dean’s list, and i smoke weed on a daily basis.i agree that marijuana is not as bad as people paint them. i use it to calm my stress and relax…. i have 2 kids and my duty as a parent is never questioned. you have to have a weak mind to jump from weed to some other hard drug…i have been smoking for YEARS and i have NEVER touched any drugs besides marijuana. i also disagree that weed makes you lazy and dumb, like i said i have my college grades to prove it….it’s also offensive for people to say that weed is just a gateway for the harder drugs when weed cant satisfy you.. its all BULLSHIT!
Interesting dialog. I was a pot smoker for 30 years. In my late 40s, I started counselling for midlife depression, and to consider becoming abstinate from pot. I am grateful to a kind counselor and 12 Step Groups to now be free of this addiction, which I NEVER thought I would say!
although there was pleasure from smokong with friends in making music, sex, drawing, even my trade as a house painter, I have had to combat a basically shy and perfectioistic nature, with tendencies towards procrastination, to function at adult levels in business and relationships…and I think doing so without being stoned takes levels of anxieies into realms that I must learn to conquer by more regulated small consistant steps towards goals.
Smoke a blunt and relax. Face it, weed is not bad. You just say its bad because its illegal. I live in So. Cal & i cant wait till they legalize this precious gift that God put on this earth!
Learning lifes lessons as we burn this herbal essence.
Ok, first of all marijuana is a great thing. It opens your eyes to reality and plus eating while being high is a great pleasure. I smoke marijuana regularly and i must say that it is not addicting. I can stop smoking at any time, for long periods of time without withdrawal or the urge to smoke again. I wish we could all just smoke a bowl and realize that there are worse things that people need to be concerned about than weed. So next time you smell that sweet aroma in the air, take a big whiff, and appreciate it.
Bud for life.
Where is your research from? Because it’s wrong.
I am 19 years old, yes younger than most educated responders, but that doesnt change a thing.
I have smoked pot since i was 12 years old, so 7 years. I have tried other drugs, but it was not because of marijuana. I tried them because i was depressed and wanted a different feeling. I wanted that near death experience.
When I stopped taking other drugs, and went back to marijuana, I was happier, calmer, and my life went back into working order. I am currently a full time college student, I graduated 13th in my high school class, I am on the deans list in my college, I am a mother of a 1 year old, and she takes up the majority of my time, happily, every one we come across mentions how happy of a baby she is, her pediatrition said I should teach a class on how to be a great mother, and I run a small, in-home business producing baby quilts I sell to help with teen drug addictions. Marijuana is not addictive, it does not cause harm to the brain, or short term memory, or anything else. It does not hinder motivation, and learning, and I will stop hear because I’ve made my point, and the previous posters did a well enough job for me.
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