Research Paper on Marijuana

Vic’Torrie Turner
ENGL101
Research Topic

The Effects of Marijuana Marijuana has become one of the most widely used drug in America and some other countries. Marijuana is the dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant. Marijuana grows only in certain temperate regions, particularly dry and hot lands, but with good light, good circulation and good soil, you can grow it just about anywhere. The effect of using the plant varies according to the user and how it is used. It could have a physical effect, psychological effect, medicinal effect, or even all three at the same time.
“There is so much myth and legend about the dangers of marijuana that it is sometimes difficult for the concerned users to know what to believe.”(Gieringer, Rosenthal and Carter 109) Myths I am familiar with is that it causes brain damage, serves as a gateway to more hardcore drug use, and that it can cause violence. But myths don’t matter, facts tells it all when it comes down to the nitty gritty. There are effects that can be positive but there are some that can be negative.
“Both retrospective and experimental studies in human beings have failed to yield evidence that marijuana use leads to increased aggression. Most of these studies suggest quite the contrary effect. Marijuana appears to have a sedative effect, and it may reduce somewhat the intensity of angry feelings and probability of interpersonal aggressive behavior” (124). As I have used it before I know the effects of smoking the plant first hand. Different kinds of strands can have different kinds of effects and some could have the same. From my experience with it I never saw any aggressive behavior in myself or peers that I smoked with. Instead, we all were calm and having a good time enjoying ourselves. It can help make any situation more exciting
“Heavy marijuana use does cause measurably lower performance in certain cognitive tasks, such as those involving memory and concentration, verbal fluency, learning ability and recall. These effects can persist for days after last use among heavy users, but eventually subside.” (120) The effects of smoking marijuana does not last forever, only for a short amount time. It can be easy to lose concentration on a project and it’s possible you could forget something you did a week ago but eventually it will all come back. “As expected, acute marijuana use impaired performance on selective and divided attention, time estimation, and cognitive flexibility”, (“Sex, drugs, and cognition”).
“Marijuana increases heart rate by 20-100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. Nonetheless, marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections.”(www.drugabuse.gov) Smoking marijuana does not harm you heart in any way, shape, or form. The only way you could get lung infections is by using a cigarillo to roll the plant in because of the toxins that’s in it. Coughing is common when smoking but it does not cause any real problems when it comes to your health. Overall, marijuana does not bring any serious or temporary harm to your heart and lungs.
“At recreational doses, effects include relaxation, euphoria, relaxed inhibitions, sense of well-being, disorientation, altered time and space perception, lack of concentration, impaired learning and memory, alterations in thought formation and expression, drowsiness, sedation, mood changes such as panic reactions and paranoia, and a more vivid sense of taste, sight, smell, and hearing.”(www.nhtsa.gov)
Marijuana can cause problems in someone’s daily life or make ones existing problems worsen. “In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement, including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.”(www.drugabuse.gov) Smoking marijuana can lead to absences to events, accidents, and even loss of motivation. On the bright side it makes you see the beauty and simplicity of everyday things, make activities fun, makes you laugh and depending on whom you are it can relieve you from depression and anxiety. Many people use marijuana to escape from reality and use it as a resort to deal with stress to keep calm and relaxed. Also for the fact of pure boredom and there is nothing else to do. So instead of escaping from reality by fun and excitement, they will rely on marijuana to medicate themselves. Living with marijuana can also have an effect on your relationships. If a problem arises with another individual you would avoid that person or find other people to get high with to avoid the issue. So it possibly could stop communication and ruin a relationship. Marijuana could cause one to avoid an issue and fall back on the drug instead of work out their problems.
Different people will get different results, and different types of the plant can cause different effects. Marijuana isn’t a harmful drug, it has its few bad sides, but it serves more as a cure than a drug. In conclusion, marijuana serves many purposes, bad and good, but overall its good affects over power the bad.

Works Cited
Gieringer, Dale, Rosenthal, Ed, and T.Carter, Gregory. Marijuana Medical Handbook: Practical guide to therapeutic uses of marijuana. Oakland, California: Quick American, 2008. Print.

National Institute of Health. Drug Facts: Marijuana. National Institute on Drug Abuse. N.p. November 2010. Web. 1 Dec 2012

Anderson, B., Block, R. O’Leary, Daniel. Pearlson, Godfrey. Rizzo, Matthew. “Sex, drugs, and cognition: effects of marijuana”. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 42.2 (2010). 413-423. 1 Dec 2012.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cannabis/Marijuana. Drugs and Human Performance Fact Sheets. N.p. Nov 2010. Web. 1 Dec 2012.

Cited: Gieringer, Dale, Rosenthal, Ed, and T.Carter, Gregory. Marijuana Medical Handbook: Practical guide to therapeutic uses of marijuana. Oakland, California: Quick American, 2008. Print. National Institute of Health. Drug Facts: Marijuana. National Institute on Drug Abuse. N.p. November 2010. Web. 1 Dec 2012 Anderson, B., Block, R. O’Leary, Daniel. Pearlson, Godfrey. Rizzo, Matthew. “Sex, drugs, and cognition: effects of marijuana”. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 42.2 (2010). 413-423. 1 Dec 2012. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cannabis/Marijuana. Drugs and Human Performance Fact Sheets. N.p. Nov 2010. Web. 1 Dec 2012.