Of the many controversial issues affecting public health and science policy, the legal standing of recreational and medical marijuana remains among the most contentious of all. This ongoing debate has become grossly politicized, and misinformation continues to circulate through both sides of the spectrum.
Instead, I write this column from a scientific perspective to argue my case: we need to promptly and effectively legalize the use of recreational and medical marijuana nationwide.
Psychological theory states that we are more likely to have an aversion to something that we perceive as novel or different. So it is reasonable to infer that the stigma around marijuana stems from society’s misunderstanding of the drug.
Yet in order to truly grasp the physiological impact of marijuana, it is important to understand what drugs are and how they work. Bear with me as I give a crash course on the mechanics of drugs and how they affect the brain.
The entire process begins with nerve cells (neurons), which “talk” to each other by exchanging chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.
These are basically drugs that the body naturally produces, such as endorphins. Neurotransmitters go into effect when they bind to structures called receptors, which is analogous to how a key fits a lock: neurotransmitters are like keys and receptors are like locks.
The main purpose of drugs is to either block or mimic neurotransmitters.
Drugs that imitate the effects of neurotransmitters are called agonists, for example, cocaine mimics dopamine, creating feelings of pleasure and euphoria. Drugs that block the effects of neurotransmitters are called antagonists, for example, antipsychotic drugs limit the release of dopamine in schizophrenics.
Hopefully you are with me so far. Let’s narrow in on the three major classes of psychoactive drugs, which are substances that alter conscious experience. They are comprised of stimulants, hallucinogens and of course marijuana.
For the purpose of this piece, I will focus on marijuana, which delivers over 400 chemicals into the bloodstream and brain. The active ingredient is THC, a type of cannabinoid. When smoked, it travels through the bloodstream before being absorbed into tissues and organs.
Like endorphins, endocannabinoids are great examples of drugs that the body naturally produces. Take note of the root word “cannabis” — the brain essentially produces its own form of the drug.
Receptors in the brain regulate the effects of THC. Anandamide is the substance that binds to these cannabinoid receptors, producing the characteristic high upon smoking a joint: a pleasant meditative state, distorted perceptions and a case of the “munchies” are among some of the effects produced.
Though frequently labeled an opiate because of its pain-relieving properties — for instance, it is known to ease nausea in cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy — marijuana can also be considered a hallucinogen. For example, we all know people who claim to “see” sounds or “taste” colors when they’re stoned.
Marijuana also slows down communication between neurons — this accounts for the distracted and unfocused state that many users find themselves in. It also explains why virtually every thought you have when you’re high seems profound.
More puzzling is the fact that even though marijuana is generally associated with relaxation, it can instead act as a stimulant and cause paranoia in some users, temporarily inducing tachycardia (very rapid heartbeat).
Upon learning the somewhat contradictory properties of the drug, it is easy to see why people are so misinformed about it. Pot has a slew of benefits and, of course, some drawbacks — as we will soon explore. But before making judgments about the drug, and especially before using it, people need to know the facts.
“Clearly,
there are many benefits to smoking marijuana, and they vastly outnumber
the potentially harmful effects. The bottom line here is to enjoy
everything in moderation.”
Casual use of the drug, though, is completely harmless among those age 25 and older. This is because the brain is fully developed by this age — specifically, the cerebral cortex, which is the outer layer covering the two hemispheres of the brain. This layer is composed largely of gray matter, in other words, your smarts. The large volume of gray matter in our brains is what makes humans the most advanced among animals.
It is also the reason why frequently smoking marijuana is inadvisable to those who are not yet 25. Heavy use is linked with decreased amounts of gray matter in the brains of adolescents and young adults, which results in cognitive decline. In simple terms, constantly getting high while your brain is still developing eventually makes you dumber.
However, research has yielded inconclusive results regarding marijuana and any association with lung cancer. As a matter of fact, many studies have repeatedly tried and failed to find a direct link between long-term marijuana use and any adverse pulmonary conditions — especially compared to those that result from smoking tobacco.
Speaking of tobacco, this brings me to another point worth making. Far from having any health benefits, cigarettes and other tobacco products are known carcinogens. They also have a number of detrimental effects on the body, such as hypertension and reduced function of the circulatory system. Furthermore, tobacco products contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive stimulant.
Yet, anyone over the age of 18 can walk into a drugstore and legally buy a pack of cigarettes. It is ironic that the government heavily regulates supposedly illicit substances like marijuana — which is neither toxic nor addictive, with no documented cases of overdose — so much so that it is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
This means that it is held to the same caliber as truly dangerous and readily abused substances such as heroin. It is held to an even higher caliber than cocaine, an addictive stimulant that can cause strokes, psychosis and severe mood disturbances. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) justifies this Schedule I classification under the claim that marijuana is a highly addictive substance with no accepted medical uses.
On the contrary, research has shown that marijuana may be used to treat a number of psychiatric issues such as depression, anxiety and mood disorders. This is because cannabinoids play a major role in regulating emotions and stress.
Marijuana can also treat physiological conditions: THC is an anti-inflammatory, making it a useful treatment for joint pain and swelling. Because cannabinoids play a role in controlling movement, the drug may also treat disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s chorea.
As I mentioned earlier, marijuana helps to relieve the nausea that accompanies chemotherapy.
It thereby increases appetite; for this reason, it may also be useful in treating the severe weight loss suffered by AIDS patients.
Clearly, there are many benefits to smoking marijuana, and they vastly outnumber the potentially harmful effects. The bottom line here is to enjoy everything in moderation.
Take alcohol, for example — just because you can go to the store and buy a case of beer doesn’t mean you should drink the entire thing in one night. That said, it is also true that having a drink on occasion won’t hurt you; the same goes for smoking a joint every now and then.
Once again, you can’t be for or against something without first understanding it. Further, a bureaucracy has no business meddling in the sciences; Washington should put politics aside and let scientists do their jobs. Researchers need more opportunities for grand-scale investigation that will allow them to glean more conclusive and generalizable findings; only then will we truly understand the drug and its full potential.
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