SCIENCE JOURNAL 2018

S moking M arijuana - I s it H armless ? Mohnish Chand

Marijuana, also known as weed, pot and other slang names, is a greenish-grey mixture of the dried flowers/leaves of Cannabis sativa (Na- tional Institute on Drug Abuse for Teachers, 2018) that is usually smoked. Cannabis sativa, seen in Image 1, is a plant found in tropical and temperate areas meaning that it can be grown almost anywhere. To understand the danger of marijuana, we must understand how the human brain functions. The brain consists of millions of nerve cells (neurons) which send electrical messages from the brain and deliver information and/or stimulate parts of the body to perform certain actions. Neurons are distanced from each other, so chemicals called neurotransmitters help transmit these messages between each neuron (synapse). However, drugs such as marijuana alter the way the brain works. Getting ‘High’ Smoking marijuana is harmful mainly due to the way it is predominantly used. Marijuana is used by people to get ‘high’. Getting ‘high’ relies on a cannabinoid, known as delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabinoids are chemical compounds which keep our neurons firing (Pinola, 2016). When consumed, THC enters the lungs and into the bloodstream which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs (American College of Pediatricians, 2017). When reaching the brain, THC triggers a specific chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine is a rarely produced neurotransmitter chemical usually created by certain neurons located in a part of the brain called the ventral tegmental area (VTA). These VTA dopamine neurons become activated upon doing something good like exercise, achieving a goal or learning (Newton, 2009). The brain releases dopamine which creates a good sensation about these actions encouraging these actions to continue. When smoking marijuana, the THC releases dopamine unnaturally creating a fake sense of pride and over-activeness feeling. The

Abstract This document explains that smoking marijuana is harmful to Australian society. The reasons for this include marijuana causing users to become elevated and feel invincible, magnify thoughts and cause hyperfocus on these thoughts, lead to an increase in mental disorders as well as the negative social and economic factors on Australian society. Although there are some benefits from medicinal marijuana, these are fairly limited Therefore, smoking marijuana is harmful to Australian society. Introduction Marijuana, a substance originating from a seemingly harmless plant is one of the top ten most dangerous drugs to society (Lopez, 2015). Parents are constantly telling their children to eat vegetables Although children view this as unfair, it is for an important reason. Vegetables originate from plants which provide nutrients, reduce risk of disease and are essential to the body. So, how can a presumably healthy plant cause so much danger to Australian society? What is Marijuana?

Image 1: Cannabis Sativa (MedicineNet.com, 2018)

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Somerset College Journal of Scientific Issues

Year 10