Essay About Marijuana Smoke And Membranes Of Certain Nerve Cells

Marijuana
Marijuana
Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States.
A dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the
hemp plant Cannabis sativa, it usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in
a pipe (bong). It also is smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been
emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in combination with
another drug. It might also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. As a more
concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish and, as a sticky black liquid, hash
oil. Marijuana smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour
odor. There are countless street terms for marijuana including pot, herb, weed,
grass, widow, ganja, and hash, as well as terms derived from trademarked
varieties of cannabis, such as Bubble Gum, Northern Lights, Fruity Juice, Afghani
#1, and a number of Skunk varieties.
The main active chemical in marijuana is THC
(delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain
contain protein receptors that bind to THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off
a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience
when they smoke marijuana
Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to
produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes
from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs
throughout the body, including the brain.
In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors
on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have
many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid
receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory,
thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated
movement.
The short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory
and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving;
loss of coordination; and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term
marijuana abuse indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after
long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid (THC or
synthetic forms of THC) withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an
increase in the activation of the stress-response system and changes in the
activity of nerve cells containing dopamine. Dopamine neurons are involved in
the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected
by all drugs of abuse.
A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana
frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more
days of work than nonsmokers. Many of the extra sick days among the
marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.
Even infrequent abuse can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and
throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana
regularly may have many of the same respiratory