marijuana

Name
Course
College
Date
Marijuana
Marijuana, also known as Cannabis, originates from the cannabis plant and it’s a psychoactive drug used for recreational or medical purposes. Its use started being common in the 1970s however its possession and use remains illegal in most countries. As stated by Lisdahl and Jenessa (679), marijuana is the most commonly used drug in the world today. Often, it is used for its physical effect; the heightened mood. The high feeling comes from a chemical known as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Bolla et al., 1337). Its effects are felt minutes after smoking but longer when eaten after cooking. These effects can be short term or long term but normally last between 2-6 hours. Short-term effects users experience include red eyes, dry mouth, feeling of paranoia and anxiety. Long-term side effects in return comprise of decreased mental ability, addiction among others.
As stipulated in Mallaret et al. (41), most effects happen when the chemical interacts with cannabinoid receptors found on brain cells. Being exposed to marijuana for a long time affect the mental, behavioral, physical and social health of a person. The most commonly affected parts of the human body include the liver, lungs and the heart. According to Mallaret et al. (43), some negative effects of smoking marijuana on the human body and brain include altering memory formation and causing respiratory health complications, increases risk of depression, intense anxiety and psycho…