Marijuana Addiction
Posted by Official Intervention Help | Filed under Official Intervention
Marijuana, probably the world’s oldest psychoactive plant known to humanity, is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves derived from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. It contains a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. This is the one responsible for the “high” feeling when taking marijuana. The “bud” of the plant contains the higher levels of THC.
Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette. It could also be smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco leaf used to wrap the cigar. With this, marijuana’s active ingredients combine with nicotine and other harmful chemicals. Marijuana can also be mixed in food. When marijuana is snorted, it goes rapidly into the blood through the lungs and then to the brain. The “high” feeling is felt within a few minutes and could last up to five hours. When marijuana is chomped, it is absorbed gradually because it has to the pass the stomach and intestine for digestion. The varying feeling could take up an hour but would last longer, for about twelve hours.
In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and thereby influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have numerous cannabinoid receptors; others have a small number of or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are located in the parts of the brain that control enjoyment, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. Cannabinoid receptors are mostly concentrated in the hypothalamus, amygdale, spinal cord, brain stem, central gray, and nucleus of the solitary tract. These areas in the brain are most likely affected with THC, thus causing a dysfunction in behaviors related to these areas. THC activates the reward system of the brain which causes the release of dopamine, which in turn is responsible for the “high” feeling.
With repeated use of marijuana, the body becomes tolerant to the substance. Just like any other abused substances, marijuana could cause withdrawal symptoms when usage is ended. When the body tolerates the substance, higher doses is required, and in turn, causing more damage in the person’s life. The person wouldn’t stop taking in the drug in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms. This behavior, then, results to marijuana addiction. Marijuana is considered to be both mentally and emotionally addictive. Addicts believe that they need to take marijuana to live normally and to have fun.
Marijuana could change anyone for the duration of the use. It can affect one’s state socially, emotionally, physically, and even psychologically. One would lack the interest in doing any mundane activities. The addict would then keep away from their friends who do not use marijuana and gravitate to those who use the substance. It is planted in their minds that they could not do things without being stoned of smoking marijuana first. They believe that smoking marijuana could explain all their problems. Moreover, as indicated by how the brain is affected with marijuana, memory and cognition is very much affected. Studies have revealed that heavy users have difficulty sustaining attention, shifting attention to meet the demands of the changes in the surroundings, and in registering, processing, and using information. It has been suggested that the greater harm among heavy users is likely due to an change of brain activity produced by marijuana. Furthermore, smoking marijuana could lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue and other respiratory problems.
Marijuana can either be addictive or not. For people with dependency tendency, then yes, marijuana could be addictive. However, there are those who squabble that they can take or leave it and have stop for a long duration. Well, probably, in their case, the answer is no.
Like any other drugs, marijuana may have something positive to give to humanity, however, when humans tend to abuse it, it becomes the evil hand that stirs your mind into something you couldn’t imagine.
