Marijuana

Meagan Randall

Relevant Dates

1611-1762 Settlers bring marijuana to North America. 1840s Marijuana is used in mainstream medicine. 1936 Bureau of Narcotics urges federal action to control Marijuana. 1970 Controlled Substance Act classifies Marijuana as having no accepted medical use. 1990 Scientists discover cannabinoid receptors. 1996 California becomes the first state to legalize medical marijuana. 2013 Illinois becomes the twentieth state to legalize medical marijuana. ("procon.org," 2013)

Active Chemical Compounds

Tetrahydrocannabiol

THC

Cannabidiol

CBD
(Untitled picture of THC, 2013)

Effects on the Body

Cannabinoid

Receptors

CB1 & CB2

(Brody, 2013)

Meet the Cannabinoid Receptors http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=hpV6licCOMw

Effects on the Brain

(Chen, 2004)

Effects on the Body

Common

side effects

Impairs short-term memory Impairs attention, judgment, and other cognitive functions Increases heart rate Possible psychotic episodes Increased appetite Dilated blood vessels in eyes

(Volkow, 2012)

Statistics of Adolescent Use

Prevalence of Marijuana
Use & Abuse
Statistics

Marijuana makes up 76% of all illegal drug use 4.5 million Americans claim dependence Marijuana addiction is claimed to be psychological Withdrawal includes: insomnia, anxiety, irritability... (Volkow, 2012)

Addiction

Treatment for Abuse

Behavioral treatments
Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) Group or individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) Contingency management (CM), Family-based treatments and support

There are currently no medications available to treat marijuana abuse.

(Volkow, 2012)

Medicinal Use
Schedule

1 Drug classification prevents funding for proper testing. Potentially relieves neuropathic pain, nausea, appetite loss, and other symptoms associated with chronic illness. (Armentano, 2012)

Public Opinion
58% 38%

of public supports legalization of public is against legalization

(Wollner, 2013)

References

Wilson, R., & Nicoll, R. (2002). Endocannabinoid signaling in the brain. Science , 296, 678-682. Retrieved from http://www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~pineda/COGS260/marijuana/ endocannabinoid signaling.pdf Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. (n.d.). Trends in the prevalence of marijuana, cocaine, and other illegal drug use national yrbs: 19912011 . Retrieved from cdc.gov website: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/pdf/us_drug_trend_ yrbs.pdf ProCon.org. (2013, August 13). Historical Timeline History of Marijuana as Medicine - 2900 BC to Present. Retrieved from http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.timeline.php?tim elineID=000026

Volkow, N. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2012).Marijuana abuse. Retrieved from National Institute on Drug Abuse website: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-abuse/how-doesmarijuana-use-affect-your-brain-body Newitz, A. (2011, April 20). What cannabis actually does to your brain. Retrieved from http://io9.com/5794209/what-cannabis-actually-doesto-your-brain Clark, P. The ethics of medical marijuana: Government restrictions vs. medical necessity. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3343473?seq=3 [Untitled picture of the effects of THC on the brain]. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from: http://blog.canacad.ac.jp/bio/BiologyIBHL2/5044.html Chen, A. (Artist). (2004). Marijuana's Effects on the Brain [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://gypsysmoke420.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/brain21.jpgtml

[Untitled picture of THC]. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from:http://www.thcmag.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/05/THC-skeletal.png National Institute on Drug Abuse (n.d.). Retrieved from website: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuanaabuse/marijuana-addictive Armentano, P. (2012, April 10). Emerging clinical applications for cannabis and cannabinoids: A review of the recent scientific literature . Retrieved from http://norml.org/pdf_files/NORML_Clinical_Applications_for_Cann abis_and_Cannabinoids.pdf Wollner, A. (2013, October 22). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/10/22/239847084/pub lic-support-for-marijuana-legalization-hits-record-high Brody, J. (2013, November 04). Tapping medical marijuanas potential. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/04/tapping-medicalmarijuanas-potential/?_r=1