Summary: Marijuana Causes Brain Damage

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Marijuana Causes Brain Damage

Marijuana is a substance that many people use to get health benefits, ranging from healthy lungs, to more focus when studying. One thing that people fail to see is that marijuana is still a drug, and it can have negative effects on the body, particularly damaging the brain. One of the main benefits that people get from smoking marijuana is relaxation. People with anxiety, and chronic diseases such as cancer smoke the herb to be able to eat and relax. But what happens is that each time that smoke the drug, it takes a toll on the person's brain. So the more that people smoke the substance, and more risk they have for brain damage due to prolonged use. There have been many studies made on the effects of marijuana
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In the article “Smoking High-Strength Cannabis May Damage Nerve Fibres In Brain” Ian Sample discusses how high levels or very potent marijuana can cause damage to the white matter of the brain used for communication between the brain's two hemispheres. In the article it states, “High-strength cannabis may damage nerve fibres that handle the flow of messages across the two halves of the brain, scientists claim. Brain scans of people who regularly smoked strong skunk-like cannabis revealed subtle differences in the white matter that connects the left and right hemispheres and carries signals from one side of the brain to the other.” (Sample, pg 1). Having damage to the white matter of the brain causes a lack in communication between the two sides of the brain. This also causes the communication motor skill to become damaged as well, resulting in the inability to communicate effectively with others. In the article it states, “The study is thought to be the first to look at the effects of cannabis potency on brain structure, and suggests that greater use of skunk may cause more damage to the corpus callosum, making communications across the brain’s hemispheres less efficient.” (Sample, pg 1). In the article the lead researcher found that the higher levels of THC in …show more content…
In doing so they have made the drug more dangerous for human consumption. Potent marijuana, or skunk as it has been called more recently, has high levels of THC which has been known to damage the brain severely. In the article “Does High Potency Marijuana Do More Damage to the Brain” Alice Walton states, “What is clear is that high-potency marijuana is more readily available than it was. A study earlier this year, analyzing recreational and medical marijuana, showed that the THC content in pot can reach up to almost 30%, whereas a few decades ago it was just about 10%. Meanwhile, the other active compound cannabidiol (CBD), which is thought to have therapeutic value, has fallen steadily.” (Walton, pg 1). Marijuana seems to be having a revival, and one that is not innocent. The high potency marijuana looks like low potency, but has more of a damaging effect. With no regulation, it seems that high potency marijuana could have a damaging affect on society as a whole. In the article it states, “There doesn’t seem to be much regulation in any kind of marijuana these days, and it’s unclear how and whether this will change moving forward. While researchers are still figuring out what kind of brain effects are associated with pot, if you’re a user, try to use in moderation, and definitely stay away from the high-potency stuff. And even more, stay far away from synthetic pot, as

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