Medical marijuana and its impact on the mind, body and society - Term Paper Example

Batalla et al. (2013) and Greenwell (2012), however, asserted the negative effects of cannabis on both adolescent and adult brains. This paper is not concerned of marijuana legalization, as it assumes that the main context is that it is used in states where medical marijuana consumption is allowed. The emphasis is on cannabis’ potential effects on users and society. Medical marijuana can help some people deal with chronic pain, but it should not be widely used because it can have negative effects on the brain, which can lead to mental, academic, and social problems.

Technical Overview Marijuana, also called cannabis, pertains to preparing plants that are members of the family Cannabaceae, the genus Cannabis, and the species Cannabis sativa that produce psychoactive effects (Greenwell, 2012, p.68). Marijuana has around 70 psychoactive compounds or “cannabinoids,” which include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that creates many of marijuana’s psychological and physical effects, and its content is usually connected to the potency of marijuana (Batalla et al., 2013, p.2).

The part of the plants used are the flowering tops, leaves, and stalks of mature female plans, although the resinous extracts (hash) of marijuana are also used as medicine (Greenwell, 2012, p.68). . At present, medical marijuana is used to treat chronic pain for patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, and nerve pain, as well as depression, nausea, and vomiting (Greenwell, 2012, p.68; Martin-Sanchez, Furukawa, Taylor, & Martin, 2009, p.1353). Impacts of Medical Marijuana on Mind, Body, and Society Though some patients attested the importance of marijuana to treating symptoms or their illnesses, most studies agreed that the impact of marijuana on the human brain is under-researched enough for doctors and patients to be cautious of its widespread applications (Batalla et al.

, 2013; Blakemore, 2013; Block, 1996). Batalla et al. (2013) and Blakemore (2013) are highly concerned of how marijuana affects adolescent brains, especially when they are in their development stages, while Batalla et al. (2013), Block (1996), and Rapp (2013) are alarmed of the effects of long-term cannabis use on adult brains and behaviors. Batalla et al. (2013) conducted a systematic review on 43 structural and functional imaging studies on adolescent and adult chronic cannabis users, wherein these studies have matched control groups included.

They defined chronic marijuana users as those who use cannabis a number of times a week and have done so for at a minimum of two years (p.2). Their findings showed that for the few studies that focused on adolescents, imaging showed structural and functional changes in their brains, where gender may have a role in these changes (Batalla et al., 2013, p.13). They stressed that adolescent female cannabis users may be at higher risk for cannabis-stimulated morphological impacts (Batalla et al., 2013, p.13). Blakemore (2013) also reviewed a study on cannabis use for adolescent brains