Marijuana: Cannabis Essay

Submitted By jorge210695
Words: 1251
Pages: 6
Open Document
Contemporary uses of cannabis are as a recreational drug, as religious or spiritual rites, or as medicine; the earliest recorded uses date from the 3rd millennium BC.[9] In 2004, the United Nations estimated that global consumption of cannabis indicated that approximately 4% of the adult world population (162 million people) used cannabis annually, and that approximately 0.6% (22.5 million) of people used cannabis daily.[10] In the United States, cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug; 5.1% of Americans said they used marijuana in the past 30 days. In 1977, 38% of 12th graders reported using cannabis in the past month; in 2011, 23% of the same age group reported using cannabis in the same time span.[11] Since the early 20th century cannabis has been subject to legal restrictions with the possession, use, and sale of cannabis preparations containing psychoactive cannabinoids currently illegal in most countries of the world; the United Nations has said that cannabis is the most-used illicit drug in the world.[12][13]
Effects
Main article: Effects of cannabis

Main short-term physical effects of cannabis
Cannabis has psychoactive and physiological effects when consumed. Some alternative media sources report that minimum amount of THC required to have a perceptible psychoactive effect is about 10 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.[14][medical citation needed] Aside from a subjective change in perception and, most notably, mood, the most common short-term physical and neurological effects include increased heart rate, increased appetite and consumption of food[medical citation needed],[15] lowered blood pressure, impairment of short-term and working memory,[16] psychomotor coordination, and concentration. Long-term effects are less clear.[17][18] In humans, relatively few adverse clinical health effects have been documented from chronic cannabis use.[medical citation needed][19]
Psychoactive classification
Main article: Psychoactive effects
While many psychoactive drugs clearly fall into the category of either stimulant, depressant, or hallucinogen, cannabis exhibits a mix of all properties, perhaps leaning the most towards hallucinogenic or psychedelic properties, though with other effects quite pronounced as well. THC is typically considered the primary active component of the cannabis plant; various scientific studies have suggested that certain other cannabinoids like CBD may also play a significant role in its psychoactive effects.[20][21][22]
Safety
| The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (January 2013) |

Cannabis is ranked one of the least harmful drugs by a study published in the UK medical journal, The Lancet.[23]
Cannabis research is challenging since the plant is illegal in most countries.[24][25][26][27][28] There is not enough evidence to reach a conclusion, either way, on the effect of cannabis on overall risk of death or lifespan due to the low number of studies.[29][30] Cannabis is considered to never have led to overdose death[31] though there are medical reports of occasional infarction, stroke and other cardiovascular side effects.[32] Marijuana's cardiovascular effects are not associated with serious health problems for most young, healthy users.[32] According to a 2006 United Kingdom government report, using cannabis is much less dangerous than tobacco, prescription drugs, and alcohol in social harms, physical harm, and addiction.[33]
Dr. Stephen Ross, a professor of child psychiatry and addiction at New York University's Tish Hospital explains reports of cannabis-related deaths: "deaths associated with the drug are the result of activities undertaken while on the drug, such as driving under the influence".[34] The US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration stated in its July 2001 report from the Drug Abuse Warning Network Mortality Data: "Marijuana is rarely the only drug involved in a drug
Show More

Related Documents: Marijuana: Cannabis Essay

Cannabis and Marijuana Essay

Research Paper Revision The first law in America regarding marijuana, which actually required famers to grow the plant for use in making clothes, rope, sails, and paper, was enacted in 1619 (Booth & Martin, 2003). Its uses were widely known to American farmers and settlers for generations and they capitalized upon them for economic and medical gains. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act (Controlled Substances Act, 1970) was put into place, which effectively illegalized a once widespread plant…

Words 2144 - Pages 9

Cannabis and Marijuana Essay

Marijuana Courtney Furman Western Michigan University Abstract Marijuana. Also known as weed, pot, kush, mary jane ect. This drug was first used as an agent for feeling euphoria since ancient times. The first direct reference to a cannabis Plant dates back to 2737 BC. It was used as a medication for rheumatism, gout, malaria, absent-mindedness. In India it was used for recreational purposes. The Muslims also used it recreationally. It was the Muslims who introduced hashish, which is…

Words 1062 - Pages 5

Marijuana: Cannabis and Marijuana Cause Essay

Marijuana Marijuana is the most widely used illegal substance in Australia, specifically by young people. Marijuana is a product of the cannabis sativa and is described as a brown, green or grey combination of dried up, shredded leaves, flowers, stems and seeds. Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette called a joint and has appeared in cigar wrappers called blunts, when it is often mixed with a different drug. As stated by a survey lead by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 35% of the…

Words 472 - Pages 2

Marijuana: Cannabis and Term Effects Cannabis Essay

Smoking Marijuana This campaign directly applies to young people as there is a youth as the main focus in the picture. This picture shows that “All those years of training can soon be wiped out by the lifestyle associated with marijuana smoking.” By this, the campaign is stating that teenagers that participate in sports (such as netball, swimming, athletics, soccer, rugby etc) will quickly lose fitness, speed, skill and reaction time, as well as lack of interest for sport in general. This campaign…

Words 1391 - Pages 6

Legalize: Cannabis and Marijuana Essay

ENGL 101-049 14 May 2013 Your Opinion on Marijuana Reimagined What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word marijuana? For most people that thought is more than likely; “Those potheads are always getting high” or “Marijuana is an illegal drug and no one should partake in such an activity.” Well, what happens when the citizens living in the United States are challenged to think more abstractly about the topic of marijuana? To not let the terribly misinformed opinions…

Words 1770 - Pages 8

Weed: Cannabis and Marijuana Essay

Consumption of Marijuana For years people have been arguing why marijuana “hemp” should be legal, and how it’s not as bad as alcohol which leaves you lose normal judgment, loss of balance, and in severe cases alcohol poisoning. Well the time for debate has come to an end because hemp has been legalized in the states of Colorado and Washington for recreational use. Not only that but this broud move has brought up the same debate in Oregon, new Hampshire, and California for the legalization of marijuana. This…

Words 1037 - Pages 5

Essay on Twilight: Cannabis and Marijuana

Legalizing Marijuana 08/04/2012 SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility (ADO1229A) Instructor: Erin Schouten Marijuana is a never ending conflict in the United States today. Some people agree that marijuana can be used for medicinal purpooses while others see it as a drug with harmful affects. Not only is this a controversial debate, it is an expensive conflict we are having. One benefit of legalizing marijuana would be that we as a nation…

Words 1287 - Pages 6

Marijuana: Cannabis and Marijuana Offenders Essay example

Legalization of Marijuana Definitions The dried leaves and, females flowers of the hemp plant. Used in cigarette form as a narcotic or hallucinogen. Also called Indian hemp, marijuana. a tall, coarse plant, Cannabis sativa, that is native to Asia but naturalized or cultivated in many parts of the world and is the source of a valuable fiber as well as drugs such as marijuana and hashish. Compare cannabis. Introduction The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 started the prohibition of marijuana in America…

Words 995 - Pages 4

Marijuana: Cannabis and 20 th Century Cannabis Essay

Background Cannabis, also known as marijuana is a preparation of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine. The principle compound involved is thc. Cannabis has psychoactive and physiological effects when consumed. sources report that minimum amount of THC required to have a perceptible psychoactive effect is about 10 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. Use Contemporary uses of cannabis are as a recreational drug, as religious or spiritual rites, or as…

Words 811 - Pages 4

Essay about Marijuana: Cannabis and Medical Marijuana

English 10 22 April 2014 Medical Marijuana There is a plant that for thousands of years has had a history for medicinal use within many cultures. What is that plant people might ask? The Cannabis plant. Cannabis is a plant used as a medicine and a psychoactive drug, more commonly known as marijuana. Although it can be used as a medicine, it is mostly seen as just another bad drug that kills brain cells. The sale, distribution, possession, and use of marijuana have been illegal since the early…

Words 447 - Pages 2