The Good and Bad Sides of Marijuana

The legalization of marijuana is a fast-growing clamor. While some countries like the United States may recognize the stuff, there are still some places in which the cultivation, marketing and use of marijuana is completely illegal and prohibited. A lot of debates have been going on and on about the various pros and cons of marijuana use. Depending on whom you can talk to and the country where you’re from, people claims both the good and bad effects of marijuana in our system.

Over the years, scientific study and researches has become a key point in proving and disproving something. In that same sense, various studies came out attempting to credit an discredit the use of marijuana. According to a recent study, one out of ten of cannabis users becomes clinically dependent on it. Most cannabis users stop from using the stuff in their mid-to-late twenties. Study after study has found out that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.

In fact, they even claimed that cigarettes have 90% addiction rate, marijuana has a less addictive rate than weed or coffee. Only about 1% to 5% of marijuana users end up developing psychosis as compared to other drugs. It was also shown that marijuana is significantly less dangerous than previously suspected proving no link between pot and violence, sex crimes or insanity.

It is impossible to die from pot overdose. Theoretically, it will take up to 800 joints to kill a person. That person dies of carbon monoxide poisoning an of THC overdose.

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There are many beliefs circulating from the fact that marijuana can be used to treat certain diseases. You may not believe it but there are various pros and cons to marijuana use. Recent researches from Spain suggests that THC, the psychoactive ingredient present in marijuana, kills brain cancer cells. THC was applied to the cancerous brain tissues. The cancer cells were killed while the healthy cells were not. “Pain is the main reason people ask or a prescription.” Doctor Bart Wilsey, a pain medicine specialist in the University of California Davis Medical Center says. It is also one of the reasons why medical marijuana is becoming a fad in some countries today. Various tests conducted also show that THC has analgesic effects and can be used for the treatment of pain. THC alters neurotransmitter release in our spinal cord and results to pain relief. The FDA has even approved THC as a treatment to nausea and as an appetite stimulant. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that indicates marijuana can cure certain types of pain.

Glaucoma is an eye disease that increases the pressure in the eyeball and eventually leads to blindness. A research was conducted and showed that marijuana helps decrease the pressure in the eyes. Smoking weed, as the study concluded, may help slow down the progression of glaucoma. Another study conducted in 2012 showed that marijuana might just help increase the capacity of our lungs while another study in 2003 demonstrated the effect of the drug in preventing epileptic seizures. It is concluded that this was due to the bind that THC produces in the brain cells that regulates relaxation and controls excitability. Smoking weed may just improve your mood and can even maintain your figure. Some studies found out that weed smokers are skinnier compared to average persons and their metabolism is healthier too. The reason for this? Sugar has a better reaction to pot smokers so they don’t put fat on.

More and more researches about the benefits of marijuana are popping up. Though the pros cannot be denied, we need to keep an open mind that too much of something is dangerous. Marijuana also has its dark side. About an hour of smoking marijuana, you will experience some short-term side effects. Dry mouth, fatigue, dizziness, and increased heart rate are some of the effects. It was also shown that marijuana triggers anxiousness because it affects a region of the brain responsible for fear. Some people gets panic attacks and bouts of anxiety after using the drug. Several studies also suggest that marijuana affects your cognitive functioning. The effect on the short-term memory is significant but it may affect long term memory as well. With the rising problem of drug addiction in various countries, the medical effects of marijuana yet remains to be seen. For some, the use of this drug can be a curse. For some it can be a cure. How you see and how you weigh the consequences is your choice. Is marijuana a curse or a cure? You be the judge.