Effect On Pot Essay Research Paper e

Effect On Pot Essay, Research Paper

e Health Effects of Marijuana on Humans Tim Murphy Introduction Marijuana has been used as a drug since the beginning of time, yet

there are still many mysteries about its health effects on humans. Marijuana, or cannabis sativa, is a preparation of the crushed flowers

and buds of female hemp plant. The existence of the plant has been reported as early as 1500-1200 BC. in China, and cannabis has been

described as an analgesic as early as 200 AD . Since then, an overwhelming number of studies have attempted to explain the physical and

psychological effects of cannabis on humans. Physical Effects Physically, cannabis is relatively harmless. Studies have observed interesting

results, including that it causes structural changes in the brain, depresses male sperm counts, causes chromosome damage, lowers

testosterone levels, and damages the lungs. Most of these claims, however, have been unreplicated in humans or have been contradicted

by other work. This section will address each of these reported negative side-effects. Various studies have claimed that cannabis destroys

brain cells. However, several other studies found no structural or neurochemical atrophy in the brain at all. Furthermore, it should be

noted that Heath’s work was sharply criticized for avoiding safeguards of bias and reporting “changes” that occur normally in the

mammalian brain. Wu et al. found a correlation between cannabis use and low sperm counts in human males. This is misleading because a

decrease in sperm count has not been shown to have a negative effect on fertility and because the sperm count returns to normal after

cannabis use has stopped.. Another claim made was that cannabis causes chromosome breakage. The primary source for this are studies

that were conducted by Dr. Gabriel Nahas in the early 1980s. Nahas observed abnormalities in somatic (not sex) cells of rhesus

monkeys in vitro (i.e., in test tubes and petri dishes) and then made the unjustified conclusion that these changes would occur in human

bodies in vivo (in the body). Nahas’ work was criticized by his colleagues and, in 1983, he backed away from his own conclusions. A

widely held claim has also been that cannabis lowers male testosterone levels. This theory has been challenged by several studies that

found no correlation at all. Marijuana and Health, also, after reviewing literature at that time, concluded that “Due to conflicting and

incomplete evidence, it is not possible to conclude at the present time whether marijuana smoking has a significant effect upon

gonadotropic and testosterone concentrations in humans.” The most serious physical danger of using cannabis is in smoking it. Inhaling

any sort of burnt plant matter is not very good for the lungs. Tashkin et al. reports decreased gas exchange capacity and the existence of

particle residue in the lungs of marijuana smokers several times greater than for tobacco smokers. Wu noted that marijuana is several

times more carcinogenic than tobacco. These findings, though, must be interpreted with caution. In both studies, smoked marijuana was

not filtered, while smoked tobacco was. Tashkin notes that, “these differences could largely account for more than twofold greater tar

yield from marijuana than tobacco that was measured using syringe-simulated puffs of similar volume and duration.” Smoking cannabis

through a water-pipe will filter out water soluble carcinogens and will also greatly cool down the smoke. Furthermore, cannabis need not

be smoked: In Middle Eastern countries, it has been consumed through teas and food for centuries, avoiding the carcinogenicity of smoke

altogether. Despite cannabis’ known negative effects to lung function, it has never been reported to cause a single instance of lung cancer.

Tobacco, though, is expected to kill 400,000 people this year. If cannabis is so much more dangerous to a user’s lungs than tobacco and

is so much more carcinogenic, why aren’t there stacks of reports of cannabis-induced lung cancer. One interesting theory is that it’s

because tobacco tars are significantly radioactive, while marijuana tars aren’t at all. Winters found that a pack-and-a-half-a-day smoker

of tobacco is exposed to 8000 mrem of radiation a year, equal to the dose of 300 chest x-rays. A more recent study indicates that a

pack-and-a-half-a-day smoker receives 16000 mrem of radiation more than a non-smoker, annually. It could also be noted that the mere

contents of carcinogenic chemicals doesn’t necessarily indicate an extreme health hazard. For example, roasted coffee contains 800

volatile chemicals, of which only 21 have been tested on rodents, and of those, 16 were carcinogenic. Coffee has never been considered

a great cancer-causing substance, though. Cannabis has also been known for its many therapeutic uses, including the treatment of open

angle glaucoma, asthma, and the nausea associated with chemotherapy. It has also been described as a tumor retardant, an antibiotic, a

sleep-inducer, and a muscle relaxant. Psychological Effects The psychological effects of cannabis use have

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