Marijuana is a mixture of the dried and shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana has a chemical in it called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC, and about 400 other chemicals. How strong the marijuana is depends on how much THC it contains. The amount of THC that marijuana contains has been increasing since the 1970`s. Marijuana has many different names like mary jane, weed, pot, grass, kif etc. Marijuana is used for medical purposes, but also for personal use, it can have many short term effects on the human body,and some long term health effects.

The medicine field has used marijuana for medical purposes for a really long period of time. Many people that suffer certain diseases cannot find a medicine to make them feel better so medical marijuana is the only medicine that relieves their pain and suffering, or treats symptoms of their medical condition, without debilitating side effects. Marijuana has shown to alleviate the symptoms of AIDS, Cancer, and Glaucoma and it can also be an alternative to a pain killer. Other things that Marijuana can help the body with is with neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage) nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. According to Norml, Marijuana can also be a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia, and because marijuana is so helpful more than 60 US and International health organizations approve the use of medical marijuana for patients as long as they are under a physician's supervision.

Nowadays it is very common for teenagers to use , or have used marijuana in their life time. Many teens have tried marijuana maybe to feel cool, for fun, or peer pressure. A reason why teens might start the use of marijuana is because they make up the excuse of saying that “Everybody is using it”. That is false according to NIDA for teens a study was made and it showed that about 6.5% of 8th graders, 17.0% of 10th graders, and 22.9% of 12th graders had used marijuana. Its not a small number but its not “everybody” like teenagers say. Marijuana is consumed in many different ways. The most common way is by smoking loose marijuana rolled into a cigarette called a “joint” or “nail”, also is smoked through a water pipe called “bong”, and also some users brew it as tea or mix it with food.

Marijuana can have some short term effects in the human body like causing a rise on the heart beat, or making your vision impaired, and also it can make you feel weird sensations. Some long term effects that marijuana has on the body are brain damage , and can make a person develop an addiction. According to NIDA for Teens people who use marijuana over the long term report less life satisfaction, less education, and job achievement, and more interpersonal problems compared to people who do not use marijuana, and also early marijuana use may increase your risk of developing psychosis. Psychosis is severe mental disorder in which there is a loss of contact with reality, making a person believe something that is not real, such as hearing sounds and seeing things that are not there, and also People who abuse marijuana are at risk of injuring their lungs through exposure to respiratory irritants found in marijuana smoke. The smoke from marijuana contains some of the same chemicals found in tobacco smoke; plus, marijuana users tend to inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer, so more smoke enters the lungs.

In conclusion many teens that use or have used marijuana without knowing the harm they are causing to their body. Teens start using marijuana at a young age severely damaging their brain since its not fully developed. Smoking marijuana can damage the lungs and severely damage the brain. It can cause psychosis, lung cancer, but it also can have many good benefits if consumed properly and responsibly. Medical marijuana can help with pain, and other health problems, but if taken responsibly and with the supervision of a physician.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Does Marijuana Kill Brain Cells? Harmful Effects on the Brain - Drug-Free World." Does Marijuana Kill Brain Cells? Harmful Effects on the Brain - Drug-Free World. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.


"Marijuana." NIDA for Teens. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.


"Medical Marijuana." Access for Patients. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.


"NORML.org - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws." About Marijuana. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.