Marijuana and the Biological Bases of Behavior Essay -- Research Paper

Marijuana and the Biological Bases of Behavior Marijuana is the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Like all plants, it's sensitive to the environment where it grows. Some of the names for it are Mary Jane, pot, weed, grass, herb, ganja or skunk. The brain has many responses to marijuana. Marijuana can cause people to lose focus on events around them. For some it makes them more aware of their physical sensations. For others, there are numerous other effects. All forms of marijuana are mind- altering. All of the changes are caused by chemicals that affect the brain. More than 400 chemicals are in the average marijuana plant. When smoked, heat produces even more chemicals. Different weather and soil conditions can change the amounts of the chemicals inside the plant. Marijuana grown in one place might be chemically stronger than grown in another. Marijuana's effects on the user depend on it's strength or potency, which is related to the amount of THC it contains. Marijuana causes some parts of the brain, such as those governing emotions, memory, and judgment, to lose balance and control. Marijuana can speed the heart rate up to 160 beats per minute. Dilated blood vessels make the whites of the eyes turn red. Panic feelings may be accompanied by sweating, dry mouth, or trouble breathing. Much like tobacco smokers, marijuana smokers may experience a daily cough and more frequent chest colds. Animal studies have found that THC can damage the cells and tissues in the body that help protect against disease. When the immune cells are weakened you are more likely to get sick. When someone uses marijuana, these chemicals travel through the bloodstream and quic... ...ology 8th ed. Australia, Canada, United States: Wadsworth Publishing Kouri, E.M., Pope, H,G., (2000, November). Abstinence Symptoms During Withdraw From Chromic Marijuana Use. Experimental and Clinical Psyhopharmocology,8(4),1- 13. Massi, P., Pavolaro, D., Rubino, T., & Vigano, D., (2001) The Psychoactive ingredient of Marijuana induces behavioural sensitization. European Journal of Neuroscience 14(5), 884-886. Nahas, G., (1977) biomedical aspects of Cannabis usage. Bulletin on Narcotics 29(2), 13-27. Martin, B. R., Neuropsychopharmacology: The Fifth Generation of Progress, Marijuana. Retrieved from the Internet March 3, 2005. http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000170.CH166.html Williams, J.S. (2004). Cognitive Deficits in Marijuana Smokers Persist After Use Stops. National Institute on Drug Abuse, 18(5), 1-4.