Marijuana and Your Health

What is Marijuana
Marijuana is the most common illicit drug used in
the U.S. It is a mixture of the dried and shredded
leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the
cannabis sativa plant.

Marijuana is used because it contains a chemical
called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabino, better known
as THC. THC is not the only chemical that
marijuana contains. There are about 400 other
chemicals found in marijuana, many of which
affect your health.









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Fun Fact


The U.S Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) reports that
more the 85,000 annual U.S. deaths are
attributed to alcohol use alone. On the
other hand, the CDC does not even
have a category for deaths caused by
the use of marijuana.

How THC Effect the Brain
After inhaling, or eating THC, the chemical
makes its way through the bloodstream and
only takes a few seconds to reach the brain,
where it passes itself off as a neurotransmitter -
the chemicals which carry messages between
neurons in the brain. THC is shaped much like a
neurotransmitter called anandamide, which
means it can sneak itself into the brains
anandamide receptor proteins and start to
cause mischief. With THCs spanner in the
works, some of the brains normal functions
really begin to waver.

The receptor proteins are located primarily in
three areas of the brain: the hippocampus,
responsible for short term memory; the
cerebellum, an area controlling coordination;
and the basal ganglia, which manages
unconscious muscle movement. These are the
functions that are altered by THCs presence,
which is why a marijuana user will typically
experience impaired coordination, memory
lapses, paranoia and altered perception, as well
as feeling their heart quicken.








More About Marijuana



Health Benefits
Marijuana does not just have risks, but it can
also help out people with certain health
problems. Some of the common uses of
medicinal cannabis are the following:

Cancer
Nausea/Vomiting
Seizures
Loss of Appetite
Muscle Tension/Spasm
Insomnia
Migraines
PMS
Glaucoma
Pain

Health Risks
Occasional marijuana use is rarely seriously
harmful, but it still has health risk associated with
it that you should know about. Some immediate
effects of consuming marijuana include.
Rapid Heart Beat
Disorientation
Lack of Coordination
Depression/Sleepiness

The long term effects of marijuana have been
subject of ongoing debate. Long term exposure
to marijuana poses a risk of irreversible cognitive
impairment. Many argue that it is very addicting
and can also be a gateway drug.

Since marijuana use is illegal in most States, that
alone is the biggest risk if youre going to use
marijuana.