A drug is a substance that changes the bodily function of a body when consumed, there are several definitions of the word drug but it is believed that the most important function of a drug is to change the bodily function. There are many recreational drugs that damage the body and one of them is Marijuana. Marijuana is also known as Ganja in many parts of the world, it is a very dangerous drug which causes a lot of damage to the body of the person who consumes it. The most common consumption method of the drug is smoking. The drug weakens the immune system and makes the body of a person more vulnerable to infection and damage. Smoking of the drug can prove devastating especially for those who already have a weak immune system. This paper will throw light upon how marijuana is a drug and how people turn towards it in the time of depression. It will provide a comprehensive analysis of how a person who consumes the drug reacts to depression.
Marijuana is believed to be the most common and the most easily available drug and it is very commonly used by people in the US. The drug is a mixture of flowers, stem and a host of other things. THC is the most important component of marijuana; this is the main active element of the drug. This drug is smoked in cigarettes and in pipes as joints, the tobacco in the cigarette is removed and marijuana is replaced with it and then smoked. THC acts very quickly upon specific areas in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, triggering off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately result in the “high” that users experience when they smoke this harmful drug. The brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have very few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors can be found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement Nicotine and other harmful components cause a lot of damage to people who smoke this drug. This drug directly affects the brain and decreases its ability gradually to act. Distorted perception is the most common side effect caused by this drug, it is also capable of causing many other harmful
The Use of Marijuana
“Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report being released today.” (Depression, Marijuana dangerous mix for teens, 26 April 2009)
The consuming Marijuana may lead to mental illness and this is a proven fact, the teens who consume the drug react abnormally when in depression when compared to the teens who don’t consume it. The consumption of the drug has reduced when compared with the 2001 statistics. “The main respiratory consequences of smoking marijuana regularly (one joint a day) are pulmonary infections and respiratory cancer, whose connection to marijuana use has been strongly suggested but not conclusively proven. The effects also include chronic bronchitis, impairment in the function of the smaller air passages, inflammation of the lung, the development of potentially pre-cancerous abnormalities in the bronchial lining and lungs, and, as discussed, a reduction in the capabilities of many defensive mechanisms within the lungs.” (Respiratory Illnesses, 26 April 2009).
The drug is worse than tobacco when smoked because of the fact that it is not a filtered drug considering the same it damages the respiratory system of the body. In addition to this, when an individual is in depression, the consumption of the drug gives an illusion that all is fine but the reality is far more different than that. “There is much debate as to whether marijuana might actually help depression. Participants in a 1997 pilot study reported that one of the reasons they continued to smoke marijuana was that they felt it relieved their symptoms of depression and anxiety. Another study found that marijuana did not seem to exacerbate depression, but rather was another symptom of the condition.” (Is it bad to use Marijuana to relieve depression? 26 April 2009).
Conclusion
There are several pieces of evidence in this paper that prove marijuana is a very deadly drug that directly affects the brain cells. It is mostly used by young people when they find it difficult to cope with the pressure in life. Some use it for the sake of pleasure failing to realize the ill effects of this harmful drug. This concludes that marijuana is not only a drug but a deadly drug.
References
Addict Behavior. 1996;21(2):211-6 Relationship of depression with measures of social functioning in adult drug abusers. Donohue B, Acierno R, Kogan E.
Depression, Marijuana dangerous mix for teens. In BNET. Web.
Respiratory Illnesses. In Health Concerns. Web.
Subst Use Misuse 1997 Feb;32(3):249-64 Very long-term users of marijuana in the United States: a pilot study. Gruber AJ, Pope HG Jr, Oliva P.