The Use and Perceptions of Marijuana - Research Paper Example

? Introduction Marijuana is a drug from the cannabis plant, which is used and consumed both medically and forleisure. As a recreational drug, it is used to bring mild euphoria and ease the straining of the brain and mind. This can be viewed into three segments; psycho-stimulation meant to temporary improve mental and/or physical functions. Depressant as clinically meant to reduce mental excitability and regulate arousal. As a psychoactive drug, marijuana can also be used as a hallucinogen to change perception, a feeling or a thought such that the user gets experiences that are qualitatively different from those of ordinary consciousness. Medically marijuana can be consumed due to its ability to ameliorate nausea and vomiting. It is also used to stimulate hunger to cancer patients during chemotherapy and general analgesic effects as a pain reliever (Iversen, p12-16). Consumption or use of Marijuana may take several different forms depending on the intention. For psychoactive purpose it may involve smoking or drinking associated with dried flowers, kief and hashish whereas for the medicinal purpose it is taken through ingestion of medically approved food products like hash oil, infused dairy butter and pipe resin. Despite the superficial analysis on the use and perceptions of marijuana, the drug use poses a lot of dangers both to the primary user and the secondary one. The effects on these dangers may vary depending with factors like how long has the drug been used by the individual, his/her age of debut, the level of addiction, social and cultural background and the biological and genetic organization of an individual. These dangers and the long term effects to an individual are witnessed irrespective of the time the drug is used. We shall analyze these dangers on the specific effects they have on the user. Health wise, marijuana is associated with development of several illnesses such as bipolar disorder which is a mental disease whereby the user experiences a frenzied maniac mood and mixed state of mental confusion and retention. These maniac mood swings and depressions are dangerous as they may cause one’s risk to others, involuntary commitments and suicidal ideation as a result of social stigma, stereotype and prejudice. Marijuana also averts someone’s concentration to an activity and low mood affecting someone’s feelings, behavior, wellbeing and thoughts. Depending with the length of time used and genetical structure of the user this can result to anxiety, guilt hopelessness and restlessness. These disorders affect the normal functioning of the body and daily activities of a person which in turn affects sleep patterns, eating habits, rejuvenation of the body and control. These hormonal and psychological imbalances affect productivity and health (Carter, p23-25). Marijuana is highly associated with cardio vascular or commonly known as heart diseases which are not only life threatening but economic burden to the user and society. They are of different types such as coronary heart diseases which affects the cardiac artery, cardiomyopathy which is the disease of the cardiac muscle, heart failure and other complications of the heart beat rhythm and blood circulation. Cardiovascular diseases are statistically the number one killer diseases in the world generally referred to as strokes and heart attacks. Marijuana is highly associated with the development of major cancer diseases of the human race. Its nicotine content is believed to accelerate the growth of carcinogens which are the causative agents. These cancers vary from throat, lung and other chest complications. Cancer is among the five global killer diseases posing a great danger of the human health and thus need to avoid use of marijuana to control and minimize the deaths caused by these diseases (Ra?tsch, p16). Although scientists argue that Marijuana taken in small quantities has no adverse effects on the pulmonary function of the body, there is significance association of the smokers with pulmonary infections, chest complications and the respiratory diseases. The argument is based on the anti- inflammatory effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, a compound found in the cannabis plant but statistically most of respiratory complications, thoracic cavity infections and other pulmonary diseases are associated with other compounds found in the cannabis plant ruling out the fact that marijuana does not lead to development of these complications. Studies have shown that long term use and dependence on cannabis, hard serious non reversible effects on the growth of human beings. Marijuana use before the full growth and development of a person, which is below the age of twenty five years, had a long term permanent neurological problems. These include harm on person’s intelligence, concentration and attention and memory loss. The prolonged use of cannabis before the age of eighteen year for a period of more than fifteen years reduces the white matter of the brain causing the neural-connectivity of the brain and other parts of the body. This leads to uncoordinated functioning of the body organs resulting to partial or permanent disabilities. Long term use of marijuana is also associated with a long term mental disorder called schizophrenia usually characterized by unsound judgments, tempers and delusions. The condition is associated with paranoia, disorganized speech, auditory hallucinations and impaired thoughts. This results to social dysfunction and deviation from the normal expected social interactions. Marijuana has internal biological effects within the body which affect the normal functioning of the body. Physically long term use of marijuana is associated with anxiety, dizziness, red eyes, dry lips and the general skin effects. These are the external factor witnessed with the smokers which are a product of internal deterioration and/or permanent damage of body organs and their functions. Some of these effects may bring forth other complications like exposure to other environmental infections and abnormalities pose a great danger to the user’s association with the nonsmokers. Psychologically, marijuana is believed to cause complications which affect the mental health such as schizophrenia, depressions, bipolar disorder and other mental disorders. These disorders are associated with mood swings, guilt, impaired judgments, paranoia and delusions which poses a great danger to both the user and the society. For the user we have seen characteristics of suicidal ideation and to the society they pose a danger of anti- social activities like deaths, rapes and kidnappings. Socially, marijuana use is associated with anti- social behaviors like stereotyping, maniac disorders that make individuals to behave erratically and impulsively and make poor decisions due to unrealistic ideas about the future and distorted beliefs about the world pose a great danger in their socialization with the society members. Social stigma and prejudice tends to be associated with people perceived to have lost the social values of the society making the segregated in the society. For instance schizophrenia associated with maniac episodes which creates pressured speech, euphoria, disorganized speech, hallucinations and delusions will make it difficult for the users to socialize with other members affecting his/her social growth and the overall social development (Pacula, p47). Addiction is a factor of social effect as the user will always associate with the users and the desperation incase the user lacks it for a moment will lead personal separation from the society members. In the overall assessment of the social law and order marijuana poses a threat to the society due to crime in terms of its trade and use by the members in the society. Mentally, marijuana has been associated with diseases that affect the neurological activities which carry a significant role of someone’s mental uprightness. As discussed most of the complications associated with the psychological switch from the normal behavior is a product of mental infection due to long term use of marijuana. Mental effects include lack of attention, low intelligence levels and memory loss. This will affect the productivity of a person especially in school and work place. The fact that long term marijuana use eliminates the white matter of the brain, this affects the decision making, recollection, remembrance and overall neuro-connectivity and coordination of the body organs by the brain (Sugiura, p33) This poses a growth danger to the user due to partial and/or permanent disabilities. Conclusion Despite the positive aspect of the medical use of marijuana, its long term effects of use have adverse effects to the users and society at large. Studies and findings have proved that marijuana use will not only affect productivity in school or work place but also the overall growth and development of an individual. These calls for effective measures like public awareness to curb its use as its dangers have proved to be a threat to survival of human kind. Works Cited Pacula, Rosalie Lytton. Cannabis use and dependence : public health and public policy. Cambridge, UK New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. Ra?tsch, Christian. Marijuana medicine : A world tour of the healing and visionary powers of cannabis. Rochester, Vietnam : Healing Arts Press, 2009. Print. Iversen, Leslie Kennedy. The science of marijuana. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. Carter, Gregory Thomas. Marijuana medical handbook : practical guide to the therapeutic uses of marijuana. Oakland, Calif: Quick American, 2008. Print. Takayuki Sugiura. Endocannabinoids : the brain and body's marijuana and beyond. Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis, 2006. Print. Read More