Reefer Maddness

4 Pages 1122 Words

The Webster’s Online Dictionary defines marijuana as
the dried leaves and flowering tops of the pistillate hemp
plant that yield THC and are smoked in cigarettes for their
intoxicating effect. The heated debate over whether or not
reaching this intoxicated state is illegal has been heating
up recently. If you read any government funded articles,
marijuana is painted in such a bad light that it seems to be
a work of the devil. Turn on the TV and this ‘evil drug’
makes you hit little girls in drive-thru’s and shoot your best
friend with your Dad’s gun, all because you couldn’t help
getting high. If you read the propaganda published by
those unapologetic stoners, the information isn’t biased,
but takes a more rounded approach to looking at the
debated drug. Interestingly enough, both sides use some of
the same study findings to support their opposing views. A
look at all sides still doesn’t provide the answers to the
legalization issues.

Marijuana’s effect starts immediately after being
inhaled. The user’s heart rate increases, the delta-9-
tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is absorbed through the lungs
and taken to the brain where it meets cannabinoid
receptors located in various regions of the brain. One of the
areas with the greatest number of receptors is the
hippocampus, which is the part of the brain associated with
memory. This explains the short and long-term memory
loss experienced by users. The cannabinoid receptors also
release the chemical dopamine, which is a pleasure
causing neurotransmitter. (American Academy of
Pediatrics, 1999)
Regular use of marijuana also exerts a negative effect
on short-term memory,
learning, and attention span (AAP, 1999). The negative
effect marijuana has on memory is also supported by
evidence in a study cited by the New Scientist magazine
although when it came to remembering a list of words,
heavy u...