In brief, marijuana is Cannabis sativa, which should be more familiar to most people as the hemp plant. To be precise, marijuana consists of the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, which are shredded into a green-grey mixture before being smoked using either pipes or even hand-rolled cigarettes. However, it is interesting to note that other parts of the hemp plants can have similar effects as the dried leaves and flowers, meaning that it is not unknown for marijuana users to partake of the stems as well as processed forms such as oils, resins, and powders. With that said, an answer to the question of "What is marijuana?" is incomplete without bringing up the active ingredient, which is a psychoactive chemical called delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC). Said substance can be found in the bloodstream within minutes of someone starting the smoke the illegal drug, whereas ingestion of marijuana-based products can take a much longer period of time measured in the hours. Given marijuana's scientific name, it should come as no surprise to learn that THC influences the brain by stimulating the brain cell receptors called the cannabinoids.
What Are Marijuana's Side Effects?
Cannabis has been used for centuries and centuries by a wide range of cultures, making it no coincidence that so much is known about the side effects of cannabis. However, the new techniques and technologies that have come into existence in recent times have made it possible for us to learn more about the hemp plant than ever before, thus making it possible for us to come up with ever better assessments of its impact on its users.
For consideration, here are the side effects of cannabis:
* Some marijuana users use the illegal drug because of its power to relieve pain. In part, this is possible because THC can influence the neurotransmitters in the spinal cord, which in turn, influences how the user feels pain. This is the main reason that medical marijuana is used to treat chronic pain along with other medical conditions such as anorexia, sleeplessness, and muscle spasms, though the lack of standardization means that the effects of medical marijuana can be unpredictable. * In contrast, other marijuana users use marijuana because it stimulates cannabinoid receptors related to the release of dopamine, which has a direct connection to the feeling of pleasure. This is something that marijuana shares with a number of other drugs such as nicotine, heroin, cocaine, and amphetamine, which has led to theories that this is how marijuana can become addictive. Although such cases tend to be rare, it has been confirmed that marijuana can be addictive like other "harder" drugs, though fortunately for marijuana users, the symptoms of its withdrawal tend to be much more manageable.
* For some people, marijuana produces a pleasant feeling of elation called the "high." Furthermore it can influence their senses to make colors seem brighter, music seem more pleasing, and emotions seem more meaningful. Curiously, these effects are not reported by all marijuana users, meaning that there might be something here that deserves to be investigated by researchers. * With that said, the use of marijuana comes with a number of impairments. For example, it impairs concentration, coordination, and decision-making, which can be a serious problem if the marijuana user is expected to perform complex tasks. Something that is particularly problematic because marijuana is also known to have a negative impact on working memory as well as short-term memory. * Marijuana has other effects as well, ranging from inducing hunger, which can be beneficial for people who are suffering from certain illnesses, to faster breathing and faster heart-rates. Paradoxically, some marijuana users become more animated, while others become more relaxed. Similarly, some marijuana users can become nauseous while using the illegal drug, while others actually use it as a way of controlling nausea. In the end, there is still much waiting to be uncovered about marijuana's effects as well as why it affects some people differently from others. Furthermore, it seems probable that much about marijuana's effects on its users still remain unknown. After all, even though THC is the most notable of its active ingredients, it contains more than 60 cannabinoids, which can have a wide range on the brain cell receptors of the same name. As a result, there is still much waiting to be uncovered by the researchers interested in examining marijuana to the fullest extent.
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