Marijuana has a been used throughout history and has a myriad of uses. Marijuana first showed up in the archaeological record around 37 million years ago in southwest Asia. The plant evolved to make use of the chemical THC as a defense mechanism against plant-eating animals due to it’s extremely unpleasant taste and psychoactive effects that all of it’s potential predators are susceptible to; humans started using the plant within the last 8000 years by initially using its’ seeds as a food source which are quite nutritious. It was later discovered that the plant can be used to make high-quality fibers due to being tough and rot-resistant. The fibers are made of cellulose and have been used to make durable items ranging from clothing and rope,
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THC works by mimicking the effects of pre-existing neurotransmitters in our brain known as cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are present in all mammals, fish and reptiles. They work by altering the activity of neurotransmitters within the brain which as a result cause the brain to function at a steady rate. THC causes specific regions of the brain that deal with thoughts, imagination, and perception to heighten to a point where whatever your senses pick up and/or you are thinking about will become more enjoyable and interesting but it also has the potential to cause anxiety in people not used to use of it. THC specifically mimics the effects of the naturally occurring cannabinoid and neurotransmitter anandamide. The body uses anandamide throughout the nervous system by functioning to regulate hunger, sleeping, and pain relief in high quantities. It is known to impair working memory as well as influenced signals that can result in epilepsy prevention. Anandamide is also involved in the immune system and has been shown to inhibit growth in breast cancer cells. Given that THC mimics this naturally occurring neurotransmitter the body behaves as if your system was having an increased amount of anandamide for the most part. Which is why the symptoms of marijuana use are directly related to the effects that anandamide has on people such as sleepiness, muscle relaxation, hunger, …show more content…
Cases of marijuana depency are extremely lower than alcohol dependency and cases involving heroin. About 9% of marijuana users claim to have developed a dependency on marijuana. In contrast to 15% of alcohol and 30% of heroin users who had developed dependencies on their respective substances. As a comparison, about 13% of coffee users have developed a dependency where without it, they became too sick to even go to work with that unlike like alcohol or heroin. With that unlike like alcohol or heroin there has never been a recorded case of someone overdosing on marijuana. In studies attempting to find the limit of THC consumption scientists gave rats over 40,000 times the dose needed to get them high and the rats only fell asleep for 3 days and woke up perfectly
THC works by mimicking the effects of pre-existing neurotransmitters in our brain known as cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are present in all mammals, fish and reptiles. They work by altering the activity of neurotransmitters within the brain which as a result cause the brain to function at a steady rate. THC causes specific regions of the brain that deal with thoughts, imagination, and perception to heighten to a point where whatever your senses pick up and/or you are thinking about will become more enjoyable and interesting but it also has the potential to cause anxiety in people not used to use of it. THC specifically mimics the effects of the naturally occurring cannabinoid and neurotransmitter anandamide. The body uses anandamide throughout the nervous system by functioning to regulate hunger, sleeping, and pain relief in high quantities. It is known to impair working memory as well as influenced signals that can result in epilepsy prevention. Anandamide is also involved in the immune system and has been shown to inhibit growth in breast cancer cells. Given that THC mimics this naturally occurring neurotransmitter the body behaves as if your system was having an increased amount of anandamide for the most part. Which is why the symptoms of marijuana use are directly related to the effects that anandamide has on people such as sleepiness, muscle relaxation, hunger, …show more content…
Cases of marijuana depency are extremely lower than alcohol dependency and cases involving heroin. About 9% of marijuana users claim to have developed a dependency on marijuana. In contrast to 15% of alcohol and 30% of heroin users who had developed dependencies on their respective substances. As a comparison, about 13% of coffee users have developed a dependency where without it, they became too sick to even go to work with that unlike like alcohol or heroin. With that unlike like alcohol or heroin there has never been a recorded case of someone overdosing on marijuana. In studies attempting to find the limit of THC consumption scientists gave rats over 40,000 times the dose needed to get them high and the rats only fell asleep for 3 days and woke up perfectly