The Benefits And Effects Of Using Marijuana

Introduction

Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is a psychoactive drug that is extracted from a cannabis plant and used for recreational and sometimes medical use. Its medical use has increased in the modern world, but before that, it was considered a dangerous drug (Kotwani et al., 2018). The foremost psychoactive segment of marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is one of the 400 components in this plant, including 65 other cannabinoids. Marijuana is used in the form of smoking, vaporizing, as an extract, or in food.

Cannabis is mostly used for entertainment purposes or as a medical drug, and sometimes used for religious benefits. According to a survey conducted in 2013, almost 230 million people used marijuana, which includes 5% of the population between the ages of 15 and 25 (Kotwani et al., 2018). Then, in 2015, 43% of the American population used marijuana, which increased to 51% in 2016. From the recent surveys, 12% of people have used marijuana in the last year, and almost 7.3% have used it in the past month. Marijuana is considered the most dangerous and commonly used illegal drug in the US and around the world (Kotwani et al., 2018). However, marijuana has its medical benefits, and a lot of countries have legalized it for medical treatments. But, in a number of US cities, it has been formally legalized to smoke the same as cigarettes.

This paper will discuss the benefits and effects of using marijuana and how it has emerged in the world’s population. It will also include the legalization of marijuana in some parts of the USA and the factors leading to its legalization.

History of Marijuana

Marijuana (Cannabis) originated from Central and South Asia and was used for rope and fabric dates in the Neolithic age in Japan and China (Kotwani et al., 2018). When the emergence of Cannabis first gained interest from scholars, it was believed that in the Indian religious books, Soma (another illegal drug) was actually marijuana, but this theory is of great dispute among the believers. Cannabis was also introduced to the Assyrians, who explored its properties from the Aryans (Kotwani et al., 2018). They also used it in their religious ceremonies and called it qunubu, which means “the way to produce smoke,” which is now the modern word cannabis or marijuana. Later on, marijuana was introduced to different civilizations, which burned cannabis plants to the ground (Kotwani et al., 2018). Marijuana has an ancient history of ritual usage, and it was found in a lot of pharmacological experiments.

Benefits of Using Marijuana

Marijuana has more medical benefits than recreational benefits. It is widely used nowadays in medicine field because of its properties, which help the patients get better in time. The benefits of marijuana are listed below:

• One of the benefits of marijuana is that it treats chronic pain in patients effectively. Referring to its medical benefits, marijuana has the unique properties of treating patients with chronic pain, which has positive results. A report generated by the National Academies of Sciences declared that marijuana is the best cure for chronic pain, and that’s why it is the most demanding and common reason for request by the people (Loria, n.d.).
• Marijuana also helps in treating muscle spasms. There has been strong medical evidence about the treatment of muscle spams with marijuana, as it treats multiple areas of sclerosis in patients (Loria, n.d.). It also treats a lot of other muscle spasm problems, like a diaphragm, which is untreatable by any other medicines.
• Using marijuana does not harm lung capacity, but it might improve it. There is a lot of evidence that marijuana does not affect the lungs unless a person is smoking tobacco. A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association concluded that marijuana not only impairs lung functionality but might increase lung capacity (Loria, n.d.). Researchers, also looking into the risk elements of heart diseases, tested the lungs of more than 5000 adults in 20 years of time and showed that tobacco users lost lung function in a large capacity, as compared to marijuana users (Loria, n.d.). It is most definite that the increased lung ability might be due to taking deep breaths while inhaling the smoke and not from the chemical property of the drug. The National Academies Association said that there are practical studies depicting that marijuana smokers might not have cancer associated with the usage of marijuana (Loria, n.d.).
• A chemical formulation that is found in marijuana can stop cancer from spreading in the human body, and it is possible to stop the cell structures of it. Researchers from California Pacific Medical Center reported that cannabis can help prevent the spreading of cancer and is most likely to treat it in a natural way (Loria, n.d.). It can also shrink or reduce tumors with an accurate dose, which has gained more importance in research. A study done in 2014 showed that marijuana can also reduce the growth of brain tumors by 80%, which is the highest percentage compared to other medicines (Loria, n.d.). Still, medical practitioners are finding ways to gather data to resolve it to the fullest.
• Marijuana can also reduce anxiety if taken in low doses. In recent years, researchers have identified that people use marijuana to relax themselves from any external stress (Loria, n.d.). But, the issue is that people consume a large amount of cannabis, which can lead to high levels of anxiety and tension. To resolve this, medical researchers have had discussions about using the right amount of marijuana, which can help relax a person. Emma Childs, a professor at the University of Illinois, said, “We have gathered results which say that THC should be used at a low amount which will reduce stress among people, while higher usage can lead to the opposite effect” (Loria, n.d.). A practical survey in Chicago identified that a few puffs of marijuana helped the subject to relax, while more puffs resulted in increased tension and bad behavior (Loria, n.d.).

Effects of Using Marijuana

Keeping the benefits in mind, marijuana has effects and disadvantages as well. For medical use, marijuana is beneficial, but it also has other effects related to its usage. These effects include:

• The foremost effect of marijuana is that it causes addiction to a person. At first, the person is taking marijuana just for entertainment. But, with the passage of time, it becomes a habit in a person and leads to addiction. It obviously affects health but also changes the living patterns of a person (“Advantages and Disadvantages of Marijuana,” 2017). A marijuana-addicted person might react to the situation in a rude manner and spend all his/her money on buying pots often.
• Using marijuana causes changes in habits in a large amount. A person might sleep less, interact with family and friends differently, and disconnect with their social life very less. Studies from psychology theorists found that a person high on marijuana tends to react 80% less to their family and friends and, when interacting, will be in a rude manner (“Advantages and Disadvantages of Marijuana,” 2017). As marijuana causes a person an urge to take a hit, it creates disruptive behavior in people when they do not take marijuana often.
• It causes mental illness in younger people. Nowadays, youngsters are more prone to using marijuana, which is mostly done for fun and to show off. But, the fact that they are using this drug has a lot of risks that they do not keep in mind. A younger person has an increased heartbeat rate increased up to 1-3 hours while they are using marijuana, which is 80% more than the normal heartbeat (“Advantages and Disadvantages of Marijuana,” 2017). It is the most fatal situation for youngsters, which can lead to a lot of disruptive situations.
• It increases the metabolism in the body. Studies have identified that weed stays in the body for at least 30 days, which is more than any other drug in the world. It directly affects the metabolism rate of a person, which can rise up to 20% more than normal (“Advantages and Disadvantages of Marijuana,” 2017).
• Smoking marijuana increases depression in a person. A study from the Netherlands found that people who use marijuana to overcome their depression problems were more depressed afterward (“Advantages and Disadvantages of Marijuana,” 2017). It is of simple logic that a person trying to overcome his/her depression by using marijuana will be more stressed afterward because of the limited time effect of the drug usage. After it is over, the person will feel the same as it was before.
• In recent times, marijuana has been legalized in a lot of states in the USA and other countries. It is beneficial for medical usage but not for the general public. Legalizing marijuana means a person can have a marijuana joint anywhere he/she wants and whenever he/she wants (“Advantages and Disadvantages of Marijuana,” 2017). It causes a great sense of bad image in society, where every person has access to buying weed and in as much quantity. Youngsters will be more influenced by it, which is the major issue of the topic.

Conclusion

Referring to the description listed above, it is obvious that marijuana has its reasons for being legalized, as it serves a lot of medical benefits. But, at the same time, it also has effects on people, which cannot be treated according to the trends set by the modern world. However, marijuana should be used only for medical treatments and restricted to only a specific amount of people to use because of its side effects.

References

Advantages and Disadvantages of Marijuana. (2017, February 3). Retrieved from http://www.drawbacky.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-marijuana/

Kotwani, P., Saxena, V., Dodge, J. L., Roberts, J., Yao, F., & Hameed, B. (2018). History of marijuana use does not affect outcomes on the liver transplant waitlist. Transplantation.

Loria, K. (n.d.). 23 health benefits of marijuana. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-medical-marijuana-2014-4