Education: Marijuana

Disclaimer: This is strictly for educational purposes. This in not to influence peoples decisions to either try or not try marijuana.

What is marijuana?

Marijuana is now legal for medical use in thirty three states and legal for recreational use in ten. Although the amount of people who consume cannabis is exponentially growing every day, many people still have no idea what weed actually is and why so many people love it.

What is in weed that actually gives you the high?

What makes weed so special to people? Isn't it just a plain old smelly plant? THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the chemical compound found in weed. This is what gives people the relaxing sensation of being "baked". THC is what the people crave for and some people will pay very large amount of money to get their hands on it.

How does THC affect the human body?

THC affects the cannabinoid receptors throughout the body. The cannabinoid receptors are part of the endocannabinoid system and are responsible for controlling things like mood, appetite, memory, and pain receptors. The THC binds itself to the cannabinoid receptors in your brain causing the listed traits above to be altered or distorted. For example, this is why people tend to get hungry or "the munchies" while they're in the clouds.

How dangerous is THC in short term use?

For adults over the age of 25, THC in short term use is not a very dangerous chemical. Your body will return to normal only hours after you consume it (changing depending on what way you choose to intake the cannabis).

How dangerous is THC in long term use?

Although short term marijuana use can be practically harmless, the long term affects can be quite scary. One of  the main things that long term cannabis use can affect is memory. The hippocampus is the leader for short term memory in the human brain. After extended use of cannabis, the hippocampus can be affected by the THC and can make it difficult to remember things in the short term.
Another problem that long term cannabis users could be affected by is the smoke itself. Just because weed smoke doesn't have as many of the toxic chemicals that are found in Tabaco smoke does not mean that is isn't dangerous. Toxins such as ammonia and hydrogen cyanide are being ingested with every inhale of the flowers smoke. All of these chemicals can seriously damage the bronchial passages and the lungs and could lead to health complications in the future.
THC can also be very dangerous for people who have heart conditions. Once it is consumed it is then transferred into the blood stream. When THC is in the blood stream it can cause an increase of heart rate up to 50 beats per minute. This can greatly increase the chances of a heart attack for someone with heart issues.

If smoking weed is so dangerous then why do people do it?

 Just because marijuana isn't the healthiest substance for your body, doesn't mean that everything about it is bad. The hippocampus controls mood and feelings, in turn controlling things such as stress and anxiety. Since the THC binds to the cannabinoid receptors and alters the way your brain receives emotions, it can be a very relieving and relaxing substance for keeping stress and anxiety levels down. People who suffer from insomnia (someone who can not sleep) sometimes use cannabis in order to help them get the rest they need for basic human functions.

Conclusion

Although there are a plethora of cons to smoking marijuana, there are circumstances where
 pot can be a medication to improve someone's quality of life, or even save it. In conclusion the answer to the ongoing question of should I try smoking weed is a choice that only you can make by weighing out the pros and cons.