Marijuana

1. Marijuana

2. History of Cannabis • As early as 2737 B.C., the mystical Emperor Shen Neng of China was prescribing marijuana tea for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, malaria and, oddly enough, poor memory. The drug's popularity as a medicine spread throughout Asia, the Middle East and down the eastern coast of Africa, and certain Hindu sects in India used marijuana for religious purposes and stress relief. Ancient physicians prescribed marijuana for everything from pain relief to earache to childbirth. Doctors also warned against overuse of marijuana, believing that too much consumption caused impotence, blindness and "seeing devils."

3. History of Marijuana It wasn't until 1914 that drug use was defined as a crime, under the Harrison Act. To get around states' rights issues, the act used a tax to regulate opium- and coca-derived drugs: it levied a tax on nonmedical uses of the drugs that was much higher than the cost of the drugs themselves, and punished anyone using the drugs without paying the tax. By 1937, 23 states had outlawed marijuana: some to stop former morphine addicts from taking up a new drug, and some as a backlash against newly arrived Mexican immigrants, some of whom brought the drug with them. Also in 1937, the Federal Government passed the Marihuana Tax Act, which made nonmedical use of marijuana illegal. • To prevent more of the country from being washed over with a morphine-induced golden relief, the government introduced the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, creating the Food and Drug Administration. While it didn't apply to marijuana and merely brought the distribution of opium and morphine under doctors' control, the regulation of chemical substances was a major shift in American drug policy.

4. What is it? • It's a plant, so it's natural, and natural is always good-right? Think again, because both natural and synthetic versions of marijuana can cause a long-lasting, negative impact on your developing brain.

5. Short term effects • Problems with memory and learning; • Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch) • Trouble with thinking and problem-solving; • Loss of coordination; • Increased heart rate, anxiety.

6. Long term effects of marijuana • It’s hard to know for sure whether marijuana use alone causes cancer, because many people who smoke marijuana also smoke cigarettes and use other drugs. But it is known that marijuana smoke contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per day may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day (15) . • Lungs and airways: People who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have: coughing and wheezing. They tend to have more chest colds than nonusers. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections like pneumonia. • Immune system: Our immune system protects the body from many agents that cause disease. It is not certain whether marijuana damages the immune system of people, but both animal and human studies have shown that marijuana impairs the ability of T-cells in the lungs' immune system to fight off some infections.

7. Physical effects • rapid heart rate increased blood pressure increased rate of breathing • red eyes • dry mouth • increased appetite, or "the munchies "slowed reaction time • These effects are reduced after three or four hours. However, marijuana hangs around in your system for as long as 24 hours after smoking. The lingering effects mean you're impaired for several hours after the high wears off.

8. Psychological effects • distorted sense of time • Paranoia or "random" thinking • short-term memory loss • anxiety and depression • These psychological signs of using pot also generally ease after a few hours. But residual effects can last through the next day.

9. Major Risks • INTELLECTUAL DYSFUNCTION • COGNITIVE DISTURBANCES • IMPAIRED PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE • ADDICTION • Although many marijuana users do not display obvious signs of addiction, the drug may produce psychological addiction and interfere with the mental process to cause antisocial behavior

10. Additional risks • The risks of smoking marijuana go up with heavy use. Although the link has never been proven, many experts believe heavy pot smokers are at increased risk for lung cancer. Heavy marijuana use lowers men's testosterone levels and sperm count and quality. Pot could decrease libido and fertility in some heavy-smoking men. Contrary to what many pot smokers may tell you, marijuana is addictive, at least psychologically. Even among occasional users, one in 12 can feel withdrawal symptoms if they can't get high when they want to. Among heavy pot smokers, the rates of dependence are higher.

11. Withdrawal • Emotional and behavioral difficulties, appetite change, weight loss and physical discomfort. Irritability, restlessness, insomnia, exhaustion, depressed moods, anger, aggression and unusual dreams are some of the mental withdrawal symptoms, according to Health Services at Columbia University. Physical symptoms may include shakiness, sweating, nausea and stomach pain. Recovering marijuana users don't usually need medical treatment, but often get counseling that focuses on behavioral therapy and motivation. Marijuana may not be as addictive as other drugs that can have more serious physical effects, but the increased need and difficulty giving it up for some users shows that it can become an addiction

12. Truth behind Marijuana http://www.drugfreeworld.org/real-life-stories/marijuana.htmlSent from my iPad