An Addicting Side Effect

          Cannabis is a very effective drug, and can lose potency once overused. Knowing that cannabis is powerful, people should not abuse it. However, there are still those people who will benefit from it and there are those who don't that are consuming too much without recognizing that they are destroying themselves. These people tend to ignore the fact that cannabis behaves exactly like any other drug and has its own side effects too. 

            Many cannabis users lack the knowledge that cannabis side effects come from smoking or consuming the drug. They also don't recognize that the side effects of cannabis actually influence the mind and body of the user. For example, Cash (from my third blog) is still surviving this very second only because he consumed enough cannabis oil at that time to stimulate his brain, making him gain an appetite so that he can go through chemotherapy. The website called "Cannabis Effect," states that "cannabinoids produce psychoactive effects by binding with special receptors which are extraordinarily abundant all over the brain and body. Your brain makes its own cannabinoid - anandamide - which is thought to be involved in pain sensations, memory regulation and the immune system." Cash's brain was influenced by the active chemical ∆⁹-THC which eased the nerve terminal inside his little brain. Little did Cash or his parents realize that the more cannabis oil he consumed, the more at risk he is for side effects.

            Cannabis can make one become forgetful and groggy for hours, depending on how much one consumed per day. The side effects can also lead to toxic psychosis including hallucinations, delusions and a loss of self-identification. This in turn causes depression and will affect one's personal life in a way that the drug becomes an addiction. The website "Marijuana Side Effect," it states that:

            [t]he natural chemical balance of the brain is disrupted affecting the pleasure centers and   regulatory systems. The ability to learn, remember and adapt quickly to changes is impaired by marijuana use. Depression often occurs with marijuana usage, which feeds into the cycle of more drug use to treat the pain created by drug use. This cycle of addiction is very powerful and users soon find that they cannot stop using the drug even if they want to.

An addict feeling unloved and confused about life.
Once cannabis becomes an obsession, one will find it harder to stop using the drug. This addiction causes one to become uncontrollable over cravings for the drug. For example, while taking an exam, one will be thinking about the drug instead of one's exam. This behavior is viewed as a progressive disease, a disease that has taken control of the brain and needs to be treated.  

             Although cannabis is a godlike plant to users who benefit from it, the benefits of the plant will disappear if one consumes too much of it. Cannabis users should be alert and aware of the drug's side effects before using it. They should acknowledge and become educated on cannabis side effects. To do so, there should be more bulletin boards, ads, and campaigns to educate people about what this drug can do besides easing pains.

"Cannabis Effect." The Good Drugs Guide. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.           

     <http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/cannabis/effects.htm>.

"Marijuana Side Effects." Marijuana Addiction. 2005. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.

     <http://www.marijuana-addiction.net/marijuana-side-effects.htm>.