Isabella Panelo

BS Biology/3rd Year

1. What classification of drug is Marijuana? How are its effects different from alcohol? How are
they different from narcotics? From stimulants? Which of the classifications of drugs is the most
addictive?

Marijuana is a mixture of properties such as stimulant, depressant or hallucinogen but

most likely to have a hallucinogenic or psychedelic properties. Marijuana, like alcohol, served for
“recreational” purposes but have different physical and harmful effects. Studies have shown
that Marijuana uptake “can lead to the "amotivational syndrome", in which the person becomes
apathetic, loses the ability to set realistic goals, lacks drive and ambition.” Also, when it is
smoked, there will be an increase risk of respiratory problems and anxiety in prone individuals.

Since marijuana is said to be a combination of a stimulant, depressant and hallucinogen,

drugs like heroin (narcotics) and caffeine (stimulants) portray the same effect with Marijuana
with regards to its effect on the feeling of euphoria, relaxation and increase sensations of sight,
hearing and taste. However, marijuana wouldn’t cause the gross hallucinations produced by
hallucinogen, nor the adrenaline rush of stimulants, nor the complete reduction of pain in
depressants nor the respiratory failure leading to coma or even death in narcotics.

The graph on the left shows the variations

of “addictiveness” and harmfulness of
certain drugs. This data is gathered from
The Lancet medical journal that shows
heroin (diacetylmorphine) which belongs to
the classification of narcotics to be the most
addictive and most harmful of twenty
popular recreational drugs. Ranking this at
number 1 is basically because of Heroin’s
major withdrawal symptoms and the fact
that too much of it can be very fatal to your
body. 

2. W h a t m a k e s a d r u
addictive is marijuana?

Drugs becomes addictive because all of them contains several compounds, like
tetrahydrocannabinol in Marijuana, that stimulates the user’s brain to produce large quantities
of neurotransmitters like dopamine, endorphins and serotonin in a faster rate than normal
which is unnatural to the body’s system. Because of this, the first-time user will have the feeling
of ‘high’. The longer a person takes drugs, the more likely that the brain will no longer produce
endorphins naturally and become immune to the drug uptake, thus, causing drug addiction.

Major symptoms of drug addiction include: the user had built drug tolerance, he takes
drugs continuously to avoid or relieve withdrawal syndrome, his life revolves around drug use,
ha had abandoned hobbies and sports he used to enjoy and he continues to use drugs despite
it’s alarming effects to the body and to his relationships with others. Drug addiction is rooted in
our dependence on the drugs to the extent of neglecting our social and moral responsibilities.
Another major symptom is the use of drugs in dangerous conditions or taking risks while in
Isabella Panelo
BS Biology/3rd Year

‘high’ state such as driving, using dirty needles and having unprotected sex. You are addicted to
drugs when you become engaged into legal trouble such as murder, rape, driving under the
influence of drugs or even stealing just to support drug habit. Lastly, when one eventually falls
into drugs, this will affect relationships to family that may lead to separations, divorce due to
internal conflicts or one may even lose his/her friends.

Marijuana can only become addictive because of large and prolonged uptake.  The
reason that marijuana is addictive is because people use it to medicate their feelings. This
means that they will turn to their drug in order to avoid having to feel uncomfortable. And so
the addict learns how to medicate their feelings and finds this new way to deal with their life.
They can simply get high and feel how they want to feel, when they want it. Anyone who falls
into a pattern of using marijuana in this way is arguably addicted to it. Even though they could
technically stop at any time, and doing so would not be physically dangerous, they are still
hooked on using marijuana as a crutch every day. They have become dependent on the drug in
order to deal with their life.

3. How common is marijuana use compared with alcohol use? Why do you suppose alcohol is
socially accepted whereas marijuana is largely not?

According to the American Scientist magazine, “Alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs,
and using just 10 times what one would use to get the desired effect can lead to death.
Marijuana is one of – if not the – least toxic drugs, requiring thousands of times the dose one
would use to get the desired effect to lead to death.   This “thousands of times” is actually
theoretical, since there has never been a recorded case of marijuana overdose.” It was also
found out that, “Alcohol use contributes to the likelihood of domestic violence and sexual
assault and marijuana use does not.” Of the psychoactive substances examined, among
individuals who are drug addicts, the use of alcohol and cocaine was associated with significant
increases in the daily likelihood of male-to-female physical aggression; cannabis and opiates
were not significantly associated with an increased likelihood of male partner violence.

For most people, low risk alcohol use will not cause a person to become impaired. There
is no way a person can use marijuana and not become impaired. Drinking alcohol is more
socially acceptable and doesn't have the same stigma attached to it as addiction to drugs. This
may be due to the consequences associated with illegal drug use or the negative stereotype of
an individual addicted to drugs. Alcohol also has a positive association with family gatherings,
food and celebrations. Levels of what is socially acceptable behavior with respect to drinking
differ depending on the age and ethnicity of the members of a community. 

4. What is your own opinion about whether marijuana should be legalized? Be sure to defend your
opinions with sound, research-based evidence and not the faulty arguments that were given by
the co-workers in the story.

I have three reasons why Marijuana should not be legalized: firstly, Marijuana served as
a ‘gateway’ to other more addictive drugs such as cocaine or heroin; second, the legalization of
marijuana would contribute to the increase of younger generations to fall into drugs and lastly,
simply it is morally wrong.
Isabella Panelo
BS Biology/3rd Year

Studies show that, “Legalization of marijuana could induce a chain effect of similarly
constructed arguments in favor of legalization for a variety of different potent drugs currently
illegal.” It is so inevitable for some people to experiment and try to take substances that is
though as “harmless” and if Marijuana will be legalized, the use of Marijuana will progress to the
use of other drugs.

The reason why cigarettes and alcohol are prohibited to minors because they don’t have
the same tolerance, problems, responsibilities and judgment as that of the adults. The bodies of
teenagers are not fully equipped for the intake of such powerful substances. Intake of marijuana
or even alcohol at a very young age will affect one’s psychological and physiological behaviors.
As they say, “Anytime you make something illegal, you increase the accessibility to children”.
This reason is also linked to the marijuana and crimes. According to statistical review, there
seems to be a connection; marijuana contributes to crime. A large percentage of those arrested
for crimes test positive for marijuana. Nationwide, 40 percent of adult males tested positive for
marijuana at the time of their arrest. In short, not only is the health of marijuana users of
concern, either for medicinal or recreational purposes, but public safety is of concern as well.

The use of Marijuana itself can lead to addiction. According to the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, Article 5, 2291, ““The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health
and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine
production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-
operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.” A
single illegal drug could destroy the human body. First, it starts from one cell, to tissues and
eventually to the whole organ systems of the body.  Psalm 139:14 simply says that God created
us in order and balance. Having this amazing body, God wants us, in return, to take care of it.
Illicit drug use is an extremely effective way to destroy your health, not just physically, but
mentally and emotionally as well. The Bible says your body is a temple for God who dwells in
you (1 Corinthians 6:19), and it is not your own. Jesus Christ paid the highest price imaginable so
you could live (1 Corinthians 6:20). Therefore you have to look after your body. Filling it with
drugs, tobacco, or alcohol is not looking after it.

5. What are the potential psychological impacts of marijuana and other illegal substances? What
are the potential psychological impacts of alcohol?

The physical and psychological consequences of drug use include: hallucinations and
delusions, a mental state that appears "really crazy." Many drug users experience fornication,
the sensation that their skin is crawling with bugs. Impaired judgment and feelings of
persecution are common. Users may over stimulate their heart muscles and cause sudden death
from a single heavy dose. . Users tend to say things like, “I could quit if I wanted to, but I just
don’t want to.” . Psychological addiction is an enslavement of the mind, often characterized by
obsessive tendencies and a lack of desire to quit.

The psychological impacts of alcohol include: depression (the more depressed a person
may get, the more they may drink to numb their feelings, underhandedly increasing the severity
of their depression), anxiety (Often the hangover effect caused by drinking alcohol can increase
feelings of anxiety as a person is agitated and generally not feeling well), brain malfunction
(alcohol has also been found to lower the cognitive functions of your brain such as ability to
Isabella Panelo
BS Biology/3rd Year

learn new information )and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS causes poor coordination,
muscle movement, confusion, an inability to learn and remember things and disorientation. ).