Benefits of Marijuana Addiction
Over the past 15 years, the social trend of destigmatizing marijuana use has only gradually increased in the Western Hemisphere. Many people have become open users, and a whole culture has emerged. All this provides relevance for discussing the benefits and harmful effects of having this addiction. For example, a young adult named Laura began to experience increased menstrual cramps around the age of 21 due to the psychological stress of academic work. She began using cannabis to cope with monthly episodes of pain better, which later developed into an addiction. Now she does not suffer and almost does not feel physical discomfort during periods. She also stopped worrying about her academic performance and learning process. According to Keyhani et al. (2018), the use and abuse of this processed herbal product contribute to pain minimization, alleviation of neurological symptoms and diseases, and a decrease in perceived levels of stress-related disorders. The study was conducted properly and has a diverse sample, which removes doubts about its generalizability; however, its reliability raises questions due to its online nature.
Negative Sides of Marijuana Addiction
However, after about three years of addiction, Laura decided to turn to a psychologist. The reasons were her concerns about her deteriorating ability to memorize, constant brain fog, and emotional instability. She wants to get rid of the addiction but is afraid that it will be a psychologically arduous healing process and that the price for quitting will be the return of constant stress and intense period pains. Zehra et al. (2018) state that cannabis addiction leads to such harmful neurobiological changes as negative emotionality and dysregulation of hormonal and brain processes. The generalizability of their work is substantial due to the high quantity and quality of data used by academics. Its reliability is questionable because the article is a meta-analysis. The psychologist examining Laura should develop an anti-addiction treatment for her. According to the American Psychological Association (2017), leaving her with her addiction would be considered an act of harm. Untreated, marijuana will continue to damage her brain functions and processes.
References
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychological Association. Web.
Keyhani, S., Steigerwald, S., Ishida, J., Vali, M., Cerdá, M., Hasin, D., Dollinger, C., Yoo, S. R., & Cohen, B. E. (2018). Risks and benefits of marijuana use: A national survey of US adults. Annals of Internal Medicine, 169(5), 282-290.
Zehra, A., Burns, J., Liu, C. K., Manza, P., Wiers, C. E., Volkow, N. D., & Wang, G. J. (2018). Cannabis addiction and the brain: A review. Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, 13(4), 438-452.