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Introduction:

Cannabis is not only the most commonly abused illegal substance in the United States (Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004; NIDA, 2010), it is also the most commonly abused illegal substance globally (UNODC, 2010). It is classified as a schedule I substance in the United States, meaning it has no accepted medical use and is highly addictive (US DEA, 2010). According to Doweiko (2009), not all cannabis has abuse potential. Therefore, he suggests using the common term marijuana when referring to potentially addictive cannabis. This paper also employs this terminology for the sake of clarity.

Today, marijuana is at the forefront of a global controversy concerning the legitimacy of its widespread illegality. Many states in the Union have legalized medical marijuana. This trend is known as "medical marijuana," and proponents are ardently in favor of it while opponents are vehemently opposed to it (Dubner, 2007; Nakay, 2007; Van Tuyl, 2007). In this context, the topic of the physical and pharmacological effects of marijuana was selected as the basis for this research article.

What is marijuana?
Marijuana is a plant with the scientific name cannabis sativa. As previously stated, 100 thc cartridge some cannabis sativa plants have no abuse potential and are known as hemp. Hemp is widely utilized for a variety of fiber products, such as newspaper and artist's canvas. Cannabis sativa with potential for abuse is known as marijuana (Doweiko, 2009). It is interesting to note that despite decades of research, there is still much that scientists do not know about marijuana. Neuroscientists and biologists are aware of marijuana's effects, but they do not fully comprehend why (Hazelden, 2005).

According to Deweiko (2009), Gold, Frost-Pineda, and Jacobs (2004), of the roughly four hundred known chemicals found in cannabis plants, over sixty are believed to have psychoactive effects on the human brain. THC, or a-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the most well-known and potent of these. Similar to Hazelden (2005), Deweiko asserts that while many of the neurophysical effects of THC are known, the reasons why THC produces these effects are unknown.

Neurobiology:
As a psychoactive substance, THC influences the central nervous system in a direct manner (CNS). It influences a vast array of neurotransmitters and also catalyzes other biochemical Legit websites to buy thc carts and enzymatic processes. The CNS is stimulated when THC activates specific neuroreceptors in the brain, resulting in a variety of physical and psychological effects that will be discussed in greater detail later on. Neurotransmitters can only be activated by substances that mimic chemicals that the brain produces naturally. Scientists learn that the brain has natural cannabinoid receptors from the fact that THC stimulates brain function. It is still unknown why and how humans have natural cannabinoid receptors (Hazelden, 2005; Martin, 2004). We do know that marijuana stimulates cannabinoid receptors twenty times more than the body's natural neurotransmitters (Doweiko, 2009).

The connection between THC and the neurotransmitter serotonin is possibly the biggest mystery of all. Alcohol and nicotine, in particular, stimulate serotonin receptors more than any other psychoactive substance. Independent of marijuana's relationship with the chemical, serotonin is a poorly understood neurochemical whose neuroscientific roles and functions are still largely speculative (Schuckit & Tapert, 2004). Neuroscientists have conclusively determined that marijuana smokers have exceptionally high serotonin activity (Hazelden, 2005). This relationship between THC and serotonin may explain the "marijuana maintenance program" for achieving alcohol abstinence, allowing marijuana smokers to avoid painful withdrawal symptoms and alcohol cravings. The effectiveness of "marijuana maintenance" in aiding alcohol abstinence is not supported by scientific evidence, but it is a phenomenon I have observed with a large number of clients.

Intriguingly, marijuana mimics so many neurological effects of other substances that it is exceedingly difficult to categorize. Researchers will classify it as either psychedelic, hallucinogen, THC Vape Discreet Shipping or serotonin inhibitor. It possesses properties that mimic the chemical effects of opioids. Other chemical reactions imitate stimulants (Ashton, 2001; Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004). Hazelden (2005) places cannabis in its own category, cannabinoids. This confusion is caused by the complexity of marijuana's numerous psychoactive properties, both known and unknown. As long as he continued to smoke marijuana, a client I recently saw could not recover from the visual distortions he experienced as a result of extensive psychedelic use. This appeared to be the result of the psychoactive properties of active cannabis (Ashton, 2001). Although marijuana was insufficient to cause these visual distortions on its own, it was potent enough to prevent the brain from healing and recovering.