MARIJUANA & how it affects the body
MARIJUANA & how it affects the body
MARIJUANA & how it affects the body
Craig and Kim Literacy saint louis chicago louisville los angeles 2012
craig and kim literacy an imprint of Craig and Kim Children’s Publishing Division 1000 North Grand Blvd. Saint Louis, Missouri 63106 Copyright Š 2012 by Craig Morris, Jr. All rights reserved, including the right or reproduction in whole or in part or in any form. craig and kim literacy is a trademark of Kim & Craig.
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Book design by Craig Morris, Jr.
For being a great father and husband, to Kimmika and I, and your wife. You will be truly missed. Love You!
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Morris, Jr., Craig
isbn: 0-440-31380-66 Printed in the United States of America October 2012 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 opm
Craig Morris, Sr.
Contents 1 What is Marijuana? 2 Marijuana’s Effects on The Body 3 - 4 Marijuana and The Brain 5–6 How Marijuna Works 7–8 Human Consumption 9 How Long do the Effects of Marijuna Last 10 Marijuna vs. Alcohol 11–14 10 Most Common Side Effects of Using Marijuna 15 International Statistics
Marijuana Effects on the Body Effects on the Brain
What is Marijuana? Marijuana—often called pot, grass, reefer, weed, herb, Mary Jane, or MJ—is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of Cannabis sativa—the hemp plant. Most users smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, among other names; some use pipes or water pipes called bongs. Marijuana cigars, or blunts, are also popular. To make blunts, users slice open cigars, remove some of the tobacco, and mix the remainder with marijuana. Marijuana also is used to brew tea and sometimes is mixed into foods.
Marijuana has effects on the brain. Marijuana contains an active ingredient, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC that acts on the cannabinoid receptors of the nerve cells and influences the activities of the cells, like pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory, time perception and coordinated movement. High doses of marijuana, when confused through food, can cause hallucinations, delusions, impaired memory and disorientation.
Effects on the Heart The heart beat increases rapidly and the blood pressure drops within minutes of smoking marijuana. A person’s heart beat can increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute. A smoker is three times more at risk of a heart attack.
Effects on the Lungs Burning and stinging of the mouth ad throat and heavy coughing are some effects that are caused by smoking marijuana, even infrequently. Marijuana causes respiratory problems in smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, increased risk of lung infections and obstructed airways. Marijuana smokers are three times more likely to develop head and neck cancer, as compared to non-smokers.
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Marijuana and the Brain THC is a very potent chemical compared to other psychoactive drugs. Once in bloodstream, THC typically reaches the brain within seconds after it is inhaled and begins to go to work.
HO
(CH 2) 3CH 4
H H3 C
O H H3 C
CH 3
The Molecular Structure of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrcannabinol)
Marijuana users often describe the experience of smoking marijuana as initially relaxing and mellow, creating a feeling of haziness and light headedness. The user’s eyes may dilate, causing colors to appear more intense, and other senses may be enhanced. Later, feelings of a paranoia and panic may be felt by the user. The interaction of the THC with the brain is what causes these feelings. To understand how marijuana effects the brain, you need to know about the parts of the brain that are affected by THC. Here are the basics. Neurons are the cells that process information in the brain. Chemicals called neurotransmitters allow neurons to communicate with each other. Neurotransmitters fill the gap, or synapse, between two neurons and bind to protein receptors, which enable various functions and allow the brain and body to be turned on and off.
Cerebral Cortex
Basal Ganglia
Plays a role in memory, thinking, perceptual awareness and consciousness
Governs motor skills and learning
Hypothalamus
Cerebellum
Governs metabolic process such as appetite
Governs coordination and muscle control
Amygdala
Brain Brain Stem Stem
Plays a role in emotions
Hippocampus Is key to memory storage and recall
Controls many basic functions Controls many basic functions including arousing, the vomiting reincluding arousing, the vomiting reflex, blood pressure, and heart rate. flex, blood pressure, and heart rate. Also plays a role in pain sensation, Also plays a role in pain sensation, muscle tone and movement. muscle tone and movement.
Some neurons have thousands of receptors that are specific to particular neurotransmitters. Foreign chemicals, like THC, can mimic or block actions of neurotransmitters and interfere with normal functions.
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How Marijuana Works
Reaches the Brain
3 Inhalation 1
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Marijuana smoke is inhaled. It travels down the trachea and into the lungs.
4 Into The Bloodstream
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The THC passes through the membrane of the lungs and enters the bloodstream. Excess blood may flow to the skin, giving the user a warm feeling. Tiny blood vessels can pop in the eyes, making them red.
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The heart pumps the THC throughout the body. Within seconds of inhalation, it has already reached the brain
THC controls Brain THC seizes control of receptors in the brain, affecting the flow of information. It also controls receptor in the hypothamalus, often making the user feel hungry. The hippocampus is also very susceptible to THC. This part of the brain controls short term memory and coordination.
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Human Consumption Knifing
Smoking This is one of the most common usage methods. There are several methods of smoking Cannabis and the most popular include the joint or blunt. To create a joint or blunt, cannabis (marijuana) is rolled into a cigarette form, using joint paper or cigar wrappers.
Vaporization Cannabis can be heated to a temperature of about 185 degrees Celsius. On this temperature, all the active ingredients are released into gaseous form.
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Knifing is a process in which the tips of two knives are heated to a very high temperature, and then the marijuana is pressed between the heated knife– tips, rapidly combusting it. A consumer then uses plastic bottle top, empty pen, or hollow tube or funnel to inhale the vapors.
Oral Consumption Cannabis sativa may be consumed orally by blending it with ethanol or lipids. What are the “benefits� of this way of consumption? It takes longer for the effects to start but they last longer and may be perceived as more physical then mental.
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How Long do The Effects of Marijuana Last When marijuana is smoked, its ingredients reach their peak levels in the body within minutes and the effects can last up to an hour and a half.
When marijuana is eaten the ingredients may take several hours to reach their peak levels in your body and their effects last for hours.
Marijuana vs. Alcohol Is smoking a joint the same as drinking alcohol? Alcohol consists of one substance only, ethanol. Marijuana contains more than 400 known chemicals, including the same cancer-causing substances found in tobacco smoke. Alcohol is eliminated from the body in a few hours, but THC stays in the body for weeks, possibly months. THC damages the immune system. Alcohol does not. both can be very harmful to your body.
When used as a pill or an oral capsule (Marinol), it takes effect in about 30 minutes, and can continue to stimulate appetite for more then a day.
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2. Depression The symptom is a vicious cycle as the person soon finds him or herself using the drug to get rid of the depression that has been caused by the drug in the first place.
10 Most Common Health Side Effects of Using Marijuana Wheather the human body is exposed to this plant in small or large quantities , side effects are a sure fall out. Side effects of using marijuana vary from the simple increase of appetite to much graver threats like lung cancer. Let us explore what marijuana is capable of doing to the human body.
1. Effects on the Regulatory System of The Brain
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3. Withdrawal and Obsessiveness Marijuana users also suffer from severe withdraw symptoms when the drug is not accessible to them. They often have cravings that are uncontrollable and these can lead to results that are damaging.
The drug effects the chemical balance in the regulatory system and the pleasure centre of the brain. This imbalance in turn makes adaptation to changes slower and starts affecting things like memory and learning ability.
4. Physical Problems Constant use of the drug increase the breathing, heart and blood rate thus leading to taxing of the body. This in turn leads to the speeding up of the aging and hence increases the risks of cancer of the lungs, strokes, and heart attacks.
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5. Effects on Male Hormonal System In mean it increase the level of testosterone. This could sometimes lead to the enlarging of breast.
6. Effects on the Female Hormonal System Marijuana has the opposite effect on the female hormonal system. If it decreases the testosterone levels in the men then it increases it in women. This leads to irregular menstrual cycles.
7. Reproduction in Men and Marijuana Abuse Marijuana also has an adverse affect on the sperm in a man. Usage of this drug can lead to a low sperm count and increase in the number of immature and abnormal sperm that is produced. Today marijuana is one of the main cause of infertility in males.
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8. Reproduction in Women and Marijuana Abuse Marijuana can also play havoc with the female reproductive system. Besides irregular menstrual cycles it also hinders ovulation.
9. Effect of Marijuana on Pregnancy When pregnant women use marijuana they are at risk of having unhealthy babies.
10. Other Common Side Effects Amongst other side effects that are commonly, experienced due to marijuana abuse are anxiety , irritability, anger, violent outburst, insomnia, red eyes, dry mouth and even outburst that are violent.
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International Statistics Over 94 million people in the US have admitted using it at least once.
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Of adults 26 or older who used marijuana before age 15, 62 % went on to use cocaine at some point in their lives; 9% went on to use heroin at least once; and 54% made some nonmedical use of mind-altering prescription drugs.
In 2005, 242, 200 emergency room visits in the United States involved marijuana.
According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, a large percentage of those arrested for crimes test positive for marijuna. Nationwide, 40% of adult males tested positive at the time of their arrest.
Colophon This book was produced in Adobe InDesign CS5.5. Illustrations were created with Adobe Illustrator CS5.5. Body copy is set in 9 pt. Corbel and 15 pt. Century Gothic.
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