Free Essays on Reefer Maddness

, heavy u... Free Essays on Reefer Maddness Free Essays on Reefer Maddness The Webster’s Online Dictionary defines marijuana as the dried leaves and flowering tops of the pistillate hemp plant that yield THC and are smoked in cigarettes for their intoxicating effect. The heated debate over whether or not reaching this intoxicated state is illegal has been heating up recently. If you read any government funded articles, marijuana is painted in such a bad light that it seems to be a work of the devil. Turn on the TV and this ‘evil drug’ makes you hit little girls in drive-thru’s and shoot your best friend with your Dad’s gun, all because you couldn’t help getting high. If you read the propaganda published by those unapologetic stoners, the information isn’t biased, but takes a more rounded approach to looking at the debated drug. Interestingly enough, both sides use some of the same study findings to support their opposing views. A look at all sides still doesn’t provide the answers to the legalization issues. Marijuana’s effect starts immediately after being inhaled. The user’s heart rate increases, the delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is absorbed through the lungs and taken to the brain where it meets cannabinoid receptors located in various regions of the brain. One of the areas with the greatest number of receptors is the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain associated with memory. This explains the short and long-term memory loss experienced by users. The cannabinoid receptors also release the chemical dopamine, which is a pleasure causing neurotransmitter. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999) Regular use of marijuana also exerts a negative effect on short-term memory, learning, and attention span (AAP, 1999). The negative effect marijuana has on memory is also supported by evidence in a study cited by the New Scientist magazine although when it came to remembering a list of words, heavy u...