The effects of marijuana on physical psychological & physiological Essay

The effects of hemp on physical psychological & physiological functioning - Essay Example research also shows that the earlier people s marinert using doses, the more likely it is for them to experiment with other drugs. Impact on physical functioning According to the field of study Institute of Drug Abuse (2010), marihuana use undersurface lead to some immediate physical consequences like increase in heart tell by as much as 50 percent, depending on the amount of THC. The increased heartbeat and pulse rate can cause chest throe and heart failure especially if the individual is taking other legal or illegal drugs. The white of the eye changes to somewhat pink in polish because of dilation of the vessels in the conjunctiva of the eye giving it a blood-shot appearance. Other physical effects include drop of the pressure in the eyeball, sense of cold or hot hands and feet, relaxation of the muscles and dry mouth and throat. These effects are temporary and mostly disappear after a couple of hours. The unfiltered smoke inhaled into the lungs can cause cellular changes called metaplasia, which are considered precancerous. Continual smoking of marijuana can cause tissue damage resulting in abnormal functioning of the lungs since the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers is nearly three to five times more than that inhaled by tobacco smokers. In laboratory test, the tars from marijuana smoke have produced tumors when utilise to animal skin (Venable, P.C., 2004). These studies show that it is likely that marijuana use can cause cancer if used for a prolonged period of time. In men, marijuana use has been found to decrease testosterone, cause breast enlargement and lead to sterility particularly if the drug use began during puberty. In women, marijuana leads to irregular catamenial cycles, depression, an increased testosterone level and the possibility for having children with moderate to severe physical and mental deficiencies ranging from learning disabil ities to babies born with weak central nervous systems. Some research studies suggest that the use of marijuana during pregnancy may result in premature babies and in low birth weights (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2010). Impact on psychological functioning Marijuana has been found to be psychologically addictive and users have been found to have a hard time limiting their use. Although many deal that marijuana is not addictive, users who have stopped smoking it report irritability, inability to sleep, uncontrollable crying, mood swings and feelings of sickness during withdrawal. Long-term marijuana users crave for higher doses of the drug to get the same high. Although marijuana causes the users to feel elated and happy within minutes of using the drug, they often feel paranoid. One of the adverse reactions to marijuana is acute panic anxiety. People who have used marijuana describe this reaction as an extreme fear of losing control which causes panic causing them to often lo ok out the windows, pace the floors or chew their fingernails (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2010). These symptoms usually disappear in a few hours. Impact