Marijuana Use

Paper Summary:

The paper explains how marijuana affects the physical brain itself and influences cognition and attention. The paper relates that marijuana may also lead the user into a general state of psychosis and encourage
delinquency, school failure, physical and psychological problems and the selling of illegal drugs. The paper stresses that these experiences can have long-term detrimental effects on individuals as well as on society and therefore calls for the teaching of abstinence in schools.

From the Paper:

"Mankind has used marijuana since prehistory for its psychoactive affect on the brain. The ancient Indians and Tibetans would use it in Hindu religious ceremonies, the affect on the brain would often lead the priests into a trance like state that could be mistaken for a religious experience. Since then marijuana has been increasing in popularity, until the modern 20th century when the drug has been illegalized in most countries.
"In order to fully understand the effects of marijuana use on cognition and/or attention one has to look at how marijuana affects the physical brain itself. The brain is the center of the nervous system, and thus is the center of all thought and cognition. Since a variety of studies have shown that the use of marijuana changes the way the brain works, then smoking marijuana also changes the way thought and cognition works."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Budney, A.; Kamon, J.; Stanger, C.; (2005) A contingency management intervention for adolescent marijuana abuse and conduct problems, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 44, No. 6, pp. 513 - 521
• DeLuca, A.; (2004) Addiction, pain and public health website, http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/BrainsOwnMJ-SA04.htm, accessed September 1, 2008
• Dennis ML, Godley SH, Titus JC (1999), Co-occurring psychiatric problems among adolescents: variations by treatment, level of care, and gender. TIE Communique 5-8; http://www.treatment.org/communique/CHIPtreatment.pdf , September 1, 2008
• Dennis, M.L.; Godley, S.H.; Diamond, G.; (2004) The Cannabis Youth Treatment (CYT) study: main findings from two randomized trials, Journal of Substance Abuse and Treatment, Vol. 27, pp. 197 - 213
• Earlywine, M., (2006) Cannabis users and schizotypy, Human Psychopharmacology, Vol. 21, No. 7, pp. 455 - 461

More papers on Marijuana Use:

• Essay # 87270 : " Marijuana Use"
• Persuasive Essay # 116737 : "Marijuana Use"
• Analytical Essay # 134737 : "Marijuana Use"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: