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Health tips to replace marijuana abuse

If someone abuses marijuana, the effects can be devastating if left unchecked. Marijuana contains a chemical known as THC which disrupts the optimal functioning of the nerve cells in the body.  

When you abuse marijuana, you are likely to experience some short-term effects like drowsiness, bloodshot eyes, paranoia, impaired memory, increased heart rate, etc.

While some of the long-term effects may include respiratory problems, mental health effects, heart-related problems, psychological dependence, etc.

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To stop marijuana abuse, it is expedient to go for treatment, and also apply some of these health tips that will be mentioned below.

Hang out with sober friends

One of the reasons why you may be struggling with marijuana abuse is that your friends might be taking it too. Sometimes, it can be challenging to be the odd one out when your friends engage in unhealthy activities.

You can help yourself by consciously creating a distance between you and your friends who take marijuana and focusing on finding sober friends.

Be physically active

According to studies, being physically active or exercising can be a healthy substitute for addiction. This means that if you are struggling with marijuana abuse, you can consider working out. When you exercise, the reward pathway in your brain is rewarded.

During this period, feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin are released. Also, when you exercise, you will be able to manage stress and anxiety which are common causes of developing addictive habits.

Find support systems

If you abuse marijuana frequently, and you need a way out, you can look for support systems. The essence of support systems is to encourage you to give up unhealthy habits.

You will also be accountable to your support system because you want them to be there for you. Your support system could be a counselor or therapist, your family member, friends, a colleague at work, etc.

Engage in volunteering activities

Another way to keep marijuana abuse at bay is to give back to the community or society. You can sign up as a volunteer and focus on helping people. You will feel more fulfilled helping people as you share your stories or struggles with drug abuse.

Effects of marijuana on the body

Marijuana comes from the cannabis plant. It can either be injected, inhaled, drank, or eaten with food Many people use marijuana because they either want to derive pleasure or they want to undergo some recreational activities.

In addition, marijuana comes with some powerful mind-altering substances that impact the body and brain. For some people, it can be addictive, and for others, it can negatively impair their health.  

Here’s how marijuana affects the body

  • Respiratory system

Marijuana smoke contains some toxic chemicals that can affect the lungs. Someone who smokes regularly is likely to come up with a cough, regular sneezing, and intermittent production of phlegm. In addition, if you have a present respiratory illness, marijuana can aggravate the condition.

  • Circulatory system

The THC in marijuana moves from the lungs directly into your bloodstream and circulates all through your body. Within a short time, your heart rate increases drastically. This increase in heart rate can be sustained for more than 3 hours.

Also, this condition calls for additional oxygen on your heart. Therefore, people with heart disease are at a chance of coming down with an attack. When someone is addicted to marijuana, one of the noticeable signs is bloodshot eyes.

The reason why the eyes are red is that marijuana makes the blood vessels expand and hence, accommodate more blood. Surprisingly, THC which is present in marijuana can reduce the pressure in the eyes which is a great advantage for people who have glaucoma.

  • Central Nervous System

Marijuana also adversely affects the central nervous system by inducing some conditions. First off, it makes the brain release dopamine in large amounts. Dopamine is the chemical that makes you feel good. And when there is a withdrawal, some symptoms like insomnia, irritability, appetite loss, occur.

In addition, marijuana affects the hippocampus which affects how we process information, which also impairs judgment. So, someone who is high will be able to create new memories.

Signs of marijuana addiction

One of the most widely used drugs in the world is marijuana. When it is used excessively, it creates a dependency, develops into abuse before becoming a full-blown addiction. When someone is addicted to marijuana, it means that they cannot stop using it irrespective of the effects that come with it.

Unlike other drugs that cause death when an overdose is taken, marijuana doesn’t. However, there are some grave consequences that come with marijuana addiction.

These signs below portend that you are addicted to marijuana:

  • Loss of interest in activities

When you are addicted to marijuana, you will lack the resolve to do things you would have readily been interested in. People who are close to you will notice that you no longer cherish some activities you used to enjoy.

Similarly, if you set goals and you have an issue achieving them, it is likely that you are already addicted to marijuana.

  • Your relationships could suffer

Since you are not putting much effort into your relationships because of marijuana addiction, they could suffer. You will discover that you are distancing yourself from people who will likely not approve of your drug use.

  • You could develop withdrawal symptoms

When you are addicted to marijuana and you stop using it for sometime, you can face some withdrawal symptoms like

  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Depressed mood
  • Physical problems like chills, tremors, sweating, etc.

Here are some of the general signs of marijuana addiction:

  • Having bloodshot eyes that is visible to everyone
  • Increased appetite for food and drinks
  • Lack of energy, resolve, and motivation
  • Excessive weight gain or loss
  • Reduced reaction time
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Euphoric feeling
  • Mood swings
  • When it comes to the long-term side effects of marijuana addiction, they are not as serious as other drugs. However, these side effects are peculiar to marijuana, and they are more common in adults than children.
  • Here are some of these long-term side effects
  • Panic attacks
  • Loss of memory
  • Infections in the lungs
  • Impaired ability to learn
  • Mood swings

WHAT CAUSES MARIJUANA ABUSE

Marijuana abuse is a concept that emerges from various standpoints. This is a form of abuse whereby an individual takes marijuana without any form of discretion. There are various reasons for this and they will be discussed shortly;

  • Peer Pressure: This is one of the major reasons why young people begin to smoke marijuana. And even for older adults, it still applies. Young people who hang out together are prone to abusing marijuana. This stage of transition is a vulnerable one where they can be easily influenced by the environment. So, there is a likely chance to experiment with marijuana.

This does not imply that teens use marijuana, it just means that there is a possibility that they would be influenced by their friends. Within their clique, marijuana abuse could be a normal thing. The pop culture and social media is another factor that could influence marijuana abuse, and teens are susceptible to this.

  • Harmless state: In addition, some people believe that marijuana is not harmful. People who attest to this, substantiate their claims with few research work that advocates for the use of marijuana, portraying its faux harmless state. This makes it more appealing to them than other illegal drugs like tobacco and the likes.

The long-term marijuana abuse increases the heart rate of an individual and this increases their chances of coming down with lung infections which reduces the potency of their immune system. Also, there is a tendency for paranoia and hallucination to set in.

For the short run, people who use marijuana have a tendency to experience memory loss, anxiety poor coordination, anxiety, depression and a host of others.

  • Opportunity and Availability: These are key factors that influence marijuana abuse. These days, marijuana becomes easy to access and as more countries declare its legality for recreational and medicinal purposes, it becomes effortless to use and access. And since there is always an opportunity to abuse marijuana where the level of privacy and supervision is less.

ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA

Marijuana is derived from cannabis plant. The process of usage is not really a complicated one. Primarily, it begins from a process of drying completely, then grinding it into small bits.

Then users will then decide either to use a pipe or cigarette. Some people also take marijuana as edible foods which are known to have THC also known as Tetrahydrocannabinol.

THC is the major ingredient in marijuana which is responsible for the high effect. Marijuana is not legal in all countries and one of the reasons for this is its addictive qualities.

The major reason why people take marijuana is because of the accompanying high effects that comes with it. It has been medically proven that marijuana helps in relieving pain and stress. But just like opiates, it has been abused to a great extent.

People who abuse or are addicted to marijuana are often less productive than usual. They find it difficult to focus on work even if it is theirs or not. So, with time, they are forced to resign because they are not meeting up to expectations.

Moreso, marijuana has been found to disrupt the normal functioning of the brain especially when it is abuse or there is an addiction in motion.

The brain would be modified to operate in a different way because the normal wiring has been tampered with. However, if the individual stops taking marijuana, the brain would return to normal in due time.

Another effect of marijuana is impaired health. The individual would develop other medical complications. The reason for this is, marijuana lessens the effectiveness of the immune system, so the individual becomes more susceptible to diseases than before.

In addition, there is a tendency for aggressiveness to set in. The individual would react to any little issue in a hostile manner that is beyond usual.

It would also be difficult for the person to learn new things, and recollecting would also be herculean. All these and more are likely to be experienced if marijuana is used on a regular basis.

ADDICTIVE NATURE OF MARIJUANA

ADDICTIVE NATURE OF MARIJUANA

            Marijuana is known to be a drug that anyone can be addicted to. There have been claims that the drug has no effect and cannot cause addiction to anyone who takes it but reverse is the case. Research has shown that people can develop a dependence on Marijuana because it is a psychoactive drug that alters the will power of the mind and the ability to make decisions and be sensitive. The drug contains a chemical substance called tetrahydrocannabinol (T.H.C) which is what causes the drug to have a powerful effect on anyone who takes it.

EFFECT OF MARIJUANA

            The influence of marijuana on people varies and it depends on the extent to which is consumed. Marijuana can be taken in different ways which includes smoking, taking orally or combining with a food substance in other to reduce the effect. Also, the effect of the drug may be temporary or may last long depending on the concentrated amount of T.H.C. While there are several effects of the drug, the most common are:

  • Simulated and inauthentic feelings of happiness which is ephemeral
  • Presence of slight hallucinations and fantasies
  • Intense feeling of hunger and an increased craving for food
  • Over confidence and a reduced nervousness when performing a task or activity.

Getting intoxicated with Marijuana can cause anyone to land in the hospital requiring medical attention. People get hospitalized on cases of overdose on Marijuana and may require rehab services at extreme cases.

ADDICTION TO MARIJUANA

Getting addicted to marijuana has an effect like any other substances. It affects the brain of the addict by altering the ability of the brain to work naturally and depend on marijuana to get to a state of normalcy. It gets to a stage it would be difficult to quit especially when there is over dependence on the drug to perform normal mental functions. In addition, the risk of getting addicted also includes affecting the addict’s personal life and this can lead to several complications.

Marijuana is known to be a drug that can grant access to the use of other drugs. The tendency to try out other drugs after using marijuana is high because it makes one crave for more. It can eventually lead to taking harder drugs like cocaine. As abuse of marijuana continues of the high, it is important to know that there is a risk of getting addicted to it or something more powerful. As a result, there might be negative consequences. b����J

Pro Marijuana Legalization

pro marijuanaMarijuana acceptance is a very recent, burgeoning trend, and it is certainly not welcomed by everyone. A great many negative opinions still exist on the subject of marijuana and a number of people want it to remain a banned substance. However, the educated demographic of people opposed to marijuana legalization still understand that it is proving to have many potential uses. In fact, one would have to carry a bias to deny that marijuana is without benefits.

The science of medical marijuana is a very new field which we can expect to grow immensely in the years to come. The effect that marijuana has on cell regeneration is a growing area of study. Marijuana is a very mysterious herb in that it has been observed to destroy some types of cells and replenish others. It is possible that marijuana is capable of regrowing some types of cells that have been killed by disease, substance abuse and age, like the type of cell found in bodily tissues and even brain matter.

Marijuana is also being found to act as powerful relief for a number of mental problems. Marijuana seems to be the most helpful for mental problems that involve some kind of trauma, such as anxiety, depression and PTSD. This is in part accredited to its ability to reroute the neural network and make the brain temporarily forget or reorganize information. There is still a great deal of testing that needs to be done in this area, but a number of people swear that marijuana has therapeutic effects far beyond what science has identified thus far.

Apart from these recent discoveries in marijuana, it has long been known to help people in a variety of ways. Marijuana has the ability to stimulate hunger and ease the unpleasant physical symptoms of a number of diseases and maladies, including multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, cancer, spinal injuries and AIDS. It helps people with nausea eat, it helps people living with chronic pain to relax and it can play an important part in physical therapy.

No to Marijuana Legalization

mariujana legalization consMarijuana is being discovered to have many benefits, however, even intelligent pro marijuana advocates acknowledge that there is good reason to exercise caution with marijuana and to not use it haphazardly. Marijuana is a controversial matter in North America. An illegal substance for decades, marijuana is only recently gaining some acceptance as a medicinal plant and a relatively safe recreational substance.

One particular problem observed in marijuana users are the mental problems they create or exacerbate in some people. Marijuana is known for its mild, gentle effects that provide relaxation to its users. But the fact remains that like any drug, it does not effect everyone in the same way. Some sedatives cause energy and anxiety in certain brain types, some sleep aids cause an allergic reaction in certain users and so on. One of the reasons that marijuana is being studied so heavily right now is because it has not been categorized for what type of effect it has on the brain. It would seem to effect different people in different ways, some positive and some negative. It is of particular concern to medical and mental health professionals that marijuana causes fear, paranoia, anxiety and even psychosis in some cases.

Another drawback to smoking marijuana is that smoking any plant matter results in some carcinogens that are hard on the lungs, and marijuana is no exception. The process of inhaling carcinogens and burning plant matter creates build up on the lungs over time that can cause cancer and other lung conditions. It is true, however, that burning through a cigarette is far more toxic than burning through a bud of marijuana because cigarettes contain tar and chemicals that cause cancer and other lung problems.

If there is any one true sentiment about marijuana use it is that there is simply too much we do not know about it yet and it should be approached with respect. It was prohibited for so many decades and studies were simply not done on it. There is a great deal of research to catch up on before we have a clear idea of how marijuana works and how widely embraced it can be.

Marijuana Abuse

marijuana habitSome people like to argue that it is impossible to abuse marijuana, however, anyone who has spent considerable time with a real pothead knows this is not the case. Your pothead friend probably spends most of the time you are with them spaced out and disengaged from conversation. They only time they chime in with any kind of attention span is when the conversation is about marijuana. They constantly offer you weed, despite you having already told them no, and would rather eat and play video games or watch movies than do just about anything else.

This behavior can grow tiring to friends and family, and leave them with no doubt in their minds that marijuana can, in fact, be abused. A closer inspection of the ways marijuana is used confirms this. It is entirely possible to use marijuana responsibly and moderate it to a respectable level. This is achieved by carefully constructing a suitable dosage for each individual based on the way that marijuana effects them. However, there are a number of things that can misinform a person about how much marijuana they need to ingest in order to achieve this harmonic balance.

First of all, marijuana has hardly been studied in medical science because of how incriminated it has been for so many years. The incorrect dosages of marijuana that people ingest are partly due to medical opinions on it being absent altogether. Secondly, being objective about the effects marijuana is having on you personally is extremely difficult. While a person is under the influence of marijuana, they are hardly thinking clearly. A person can go years without understanding how marijuana is effecting them on an immediate and on a broad level. And lastly, even when a person is becoming aware that they need to cut back on their marijuana use, their love affair with it may make them incapable of cutting back.

Habit Forming vs Addictive

addictive or habitualOne of the most controversial debates that arises over cannabis is whether it is addictive or merely habit forming. This controversy is more complex than either side of the argument would have people believe. There are those who are in opposition to marijuana use who argue that it is entirely addictive because they have seen their kids or loved ones fall into its clutches and never be the same again. There are those who are in defense of marijuana use who cite medical studies that claim marijuana is the most beneficial drug we can put into our bodies, and that it does not have addictive properties. So which side is correct?

It is true that marijuana can be addictive to some people. Addiction is defined as anything that a person places at an unproportionate level of importance. That makes addiction psychological even when it is not chemical. Therefore, anything that gives pleasure can become addictive to certain people. Addiction is as much in the mind as it is in the chemistry. The underlying cause of addiction comes from inhibited dopamine production. Dopamine is the chemical the brain releases when it is experiencing pleasure. Those who are unable to create it often turn to substances or activities that create it for them. The overarching reason that people use substances and activities excessively is due to their own brain function and is less about the addictive properties of the substance or activity.

Having said that, it is also true that marijuana is not addictive in the same way heroine or alcohol are. Substances like heroine and alcohol have addictive properties that make their users chemically dependent on them. A person who uses substances like this will become chemically tolerant of them and will have to increase their dosage in order to continue feeling their effects. However, taking in large amounts of alcohol or heroine will alter a person’s bodily chemistry to the point of making them physically dependent. Quitting them cold turkey can be extremely dangerous and will result in devastating symptoms. Marijuana has no such effect.