First of all, we need to define marijuana.
What is marijuana?
It is the word used to describe the dried flowers, seeds, and leaves of the Indica hemp plant. People know marijuana by many other names, such as hemp, churro, hashish, grass, monte, THC, and yerba.
How do people use marijuana?
The lovers of marijuana normally smoke it like a cigarette (joint), but you can also smoke it in a pipe. Less frequently, it is mixed with food and eaten or made as tea. Consumers sometimes open their cigarettes and remove the tobacco, replacing it with marijuana, calling it a short cigar. Joint and short cigarettes are sometimes mixed with other more potent drugs, such as crack or PCP (phencyclidine, a powerful hallucinogen). However, the most preferred products are in custom cigarette boxes and are called hemp or cannabis cigarettes. The immediate effects of smoking marijuana include rapid heartbeat, disorientation, lack of physical coordination, often followed by depression or drowsiness. Some users suffer from panic or anxiety attacks.
But the problem does not end here. According to scientific studies, the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, remains in the body for weeks or even longer. Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke. A major research study reported that one cannabis joint causes the same damage to the lungs as five cigarettes smoked one after the other. Lifelong joint smokers often suffer from bronchitis, an inflammation of the respiratory tract.
Physical Health
The drug can affect not only your physical health, as studies in Australia during 2008 have associated the frequent and prolonged use of marijuana with abnormalities in the brain. Previous research also supports the long-term effects of marijuana. It indicates that there are changes in the brain. And several studies have shown the connection between continued marijuana use and psychosis. The THC in cannabis affects nerve cells in the brain. It means that you can face memory issues. Marijuana changes the structure of sperm cells, deforming them. Additionally, small amounts of marijuana can cause temporary sterility in men. The use of marijuana can alter the menstruation cycle in women.
Studies show that the mental functions of people who have smoked a lot of marijuana tend to decline. In the past ten years, many children of marijuana addicts have been born with reduced initiative and diminished abilities to focus and dedicate themselves to achieving life goals. Studies also suggest that prenatal use of the drug can result in birth defects, mental abnormalities, and an increased risk of leukemia 1 (cancer of the bone marrow) in children.
Short Term Effects
Here are some short-term effects of marijuana on the human body:
- Sensory distortion
- Panic
- Anxiety
- Poor coordination of movements
- Slower reaction time
- After an initial “high”, the user feels sleepy or depressed
- Higher heart rate (and risk of heart attack)
Long Term Effects
Now, let us explore some long-term effects!
- Decreased resistance to common illnesses (colds, bronchitis, etc.)
- Suppression of the immune system
- Growth disorders
- Increase of abnormally structured cells in the body
- Reduction of male sex hormones
- Rapid destruction of lung fibers and injuries (wounds) to the brain that may be permanent
- Reduced sexual ability
- Study difficulties: the ability to learn and retain information is reduced.
- Apathy, numbness, lack of motivation
- Personality and mood changes
- Inability to understand things clearly
On the road to drug abuse
Because of tolerance, marijuana leads its users to take stronger drugs to achieve the same high. When the effects start to wear off, the person can switch to stronger drugs to free themselves from unwanted conditions that prompted them to take marijuana in the first place. Marijuana by itself does not lead to other drugs; the person takes drugs to eliminate unwanted situations or feelings. The drug (marijuana) masks the problem for a time (when the user is on the “trip”). When the “trip” fades, the problem, undesirable condition, or situation returns more intensely than before. The user can then opt for stronger drugs since marijuana no longer “works”. Marijuana is the most regularly involved illicit substance in the U.S. furthermore its utilization is developing. Maryjane use among all grown-up age gatherings, the two genders, and pregnant ladies goes up. Simultaneously, the impression of how unsafe cannabis use can be is declining. Progressively, youngsters today don’t consider Marijuana utilize a dangerous conduct. Yet, there are genuine dangers for individuals who use pot,
Of course, not everyone who smokes marijuana and hashish uses stronger drugs. Some never do, but others quit smoking marijuana altogether. But some turn to stronger drugs. According to a particular study, young people (12-17 years old) who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than those who do not smoke marijuana. Furthermore, 60% of boys who smoke marijuana before the age of 15, go on to consume cocaine.
Sometimes they combine marijuana with stronger drugs. Marijuana cigarettes are sometimes dipped in PCP, a powerful hallucinogen. PCP is a white powder that exists in a liquid form and is often used with cannabis. PCP is known to cause violent behavior and lead to serious physical reactions, such as seizures, coma, and even death.
Why do people go for taking drugs?
People use drugs because they want to change something in their life.
Here are some of the reasons that young people have expressed regarding drug use:
- To adapt
- get away or relax
- To dispel boredom
- look older
- To rebel
- Experiment
They think drugs are a solution. But over time, drugs become the problem.
As difficult as it may be for someone to cope with their problems, the consequences of drug use will always be worse than the problem they are trying to solve with them. The real answer is to know the facts and not use drugs in the first place. Packaging stores also provide services to print your product details on boxes to mention ingredients. Drugs are essentially poisoning. The amount consumed determines the effect. A small amount acts as a stimulant (speeds you up). A larger amount acts as a sedative (makes you lethargic). An even larger amount can poison and kill the person.
