Marijuana is one of the oldest and most widely used psychoactive substances. The controversy surrounding this substance is vast and the research very complex.
Marijuana use is most common in tmhe late teens to early twenties and does not vary based on sex or ethnicity of the user. Marijuana is at the center of a great debate that is no stranger to public scrutiny. The efficacy of therapeutic use is at the center of this debacle. Are the reports of effective marijuana use enough to outweigh the stigma and side effects that the drug brings with it?
The main active ingredient in Marijuana is Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC). Marijuana affects both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. In the central nervous system there is some euphoria, relaxation, distortion of time, impaired memory, and altered motor function. Peripheral effects include tachycardia and orthostatic hypotension reported with high doses. The concern with this drug is the potential for long-term effects on cognition and the potential for dependence and tolerance especially in adolescents. …show more content…
Due to the sensory, cognitive, and motor effects of the substance, marijuana can cause great impairment in tasks such as driving. There have been reports of marijuana implications in auto accidents and impaired field sobriety tests but results remain controversial (3/4). The same effects found in these studies are not evident the day after administration of marijuana.
There is a general lack of agreement on the effects of THC on learning and memory. So far the results in many studies have been inconsistent. Marijuana appears not to produce severe impairment but rather subtle cognitive deficits (7) including slower motor function, memory deficits, and poorer perception. THC holds the greatest effect on short-term memory but studies show almost no effect on retrieval of learned material already learned
Marijuana use is most common in tmhe late teens to early twenties and does not vary based on sex or ethnicity of the user. Marijuana is at the center of a great debate that is no stranger to public scrutiny. The efficacy of therapeutic use is at the center of this debacle. Are the reports of effective marijuana use enough to outweigh the stigma and side effects that the drug brings with it?
The main active ingredient in Marijuana is Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC). Marijuana affects both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. In the central nervous system there is some euphoria, relaxation, distortion of time, impaired memory, and altered motor function. Peripheral effects include tachycardia and orthostatic hypotension reported with high doses. The concern with this drug is the potential for long-term effects on cognition and the potential for dependence and tolerance especially in adolescents. …show more content…
Due to the sensory, cognitive, and motor effects of the substance, marijuana can cause great impairment in tasks such as driving. There have been reports of marijuana implications in auto accidents and impaired field sobriety tests but results remain controversial (3/4). The same effects found in these studies are not evident the day after administration of marijuana.
There is a general lack of agreement on the effects of THC on learning and memory. So far the results in many studies have been inconsistent. Marijuana appears not to produce severe impairment but rather subtle cognitive deficits (7) including slower motor function, memory deficits, and poorer perception. THC holds the greatest effect on short-term memory but studies show almost no effect on retrieval of learned material already learned