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How strong
is marijuana today?
The
regulation of both medical and recreational marijuana is the reason why there is
such a wide variety of THC levels in products. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) found that high CBD content in marijuana can in fact be effective in
treating nausea, vomiting and wasting diseases. A wasting disease can be
defined as a constant debilitating disease that deteriorates body and muscle
mass. Unfortunately, selective breeding and hybridization can cause different
potencies in the plant which can make it hard to predict how strong marijuana
is nation-wide. With lower THC content, the less psychoactive the drug will be.
Is it true
that marijuana is a gateway drug?
Ever since
I was little, I have been told that marijuana is in fact the gateway drug. This
cannot be true because the population that uses marijuana usually uses it for
different effects than more illicit drugs.
Medical marijuana contains properties unlike most drugs with natural
components versus synthetic chemicals. Actually, there is evidence suggesting
that medical marijuana can function as an "exit drug" helping people
reduce or eliminate use of more harmful drugs, like cocaine, heroin and LSD, by
easing the symptoms of withdrawal.
Does
marijuana impair driving?
Marijuana
has properties in which it could cause impairment to driving. These properties
affect the perception and psychomotor performance while under the influence.
However, these effects do not interfere with the actual handling of a car
behind the wheel. The main property of concern is the side effect of
drowsiness. Like sleep medications, there could be a risk of falling asleep at
the wheel and should be taken as a precaution.
Does marijuana
have long-term cognitive effects?
Like most
drugs, medical marijuana has short-term side effects including cognitive
changes in immediate or temporary thoughts, perceptions and information
processing. This is described to only last the duration of the “high”. There is
no causational evidence linking medical marijuana to defective cognitive
thought. Actually, there is no evidence in any cases that have been documented
stating the cause of death to be induced by medical marijuana.
Does
marijuana affect mental health?
There is no
proven association of marijuana as an effector of onset to mental health
issues. However, there is evidence suggesting that the stimulation of the
endocannabinoid system (ECS) releases chemicals that reduce the risks of
depression and other psychological disorders. Cannabidiol, combined with
minimal quantities of THC, serves as an anti-psychotic. With all evidence
given, it is understood that marijuana serves as a medicinal treatment for
mental health issues.
Resources:
This post is great. You definitely answered all my questions regarding marijuana. However, I'm still not seeing the link between medical marijuana use and how it effects specific mental illnesses. You said it could help with depression and work as a anti-psychotic but for what diseases exactly? Maybe for the next post look at one article discussing medical marijuana and a specific disease such as anorexia or schizophrenia.
ReplyDeleteNice post. It answered some questions I hadn't thought about like it not being a gateway drug, and the impaired driving question. I didn't think people would want to drive while "high," but I guess that people still have places to go. These FAQs do answer some basic questions, but I agree with Melina in that I'm not really seeing the actual diseases that medical marijuana helps, it seems to help with only psychological disorders.
ReplyDeleteInformative post! I like how you answered more current questions about medical marijuana or marijuana itself. I've never seen marijuana as an "exit drug" before, so that part was quite interesting; I think talking and elaborating on this on a different post would be really interesting.
ReplyDelete