Health Benefits of Marajuana?
Although some countries and states are becoming aware of the benefits of marajuana, many parts of the world still view it as destructive and dangerous drug. Canada and ten states have legalized this drug but I think it should be celebrated worldwide!
Ever since marajuana has been recognized by the world, there have been no deaths from overdose. Over 70% of Americans who have used marajuana, even as little as once, argue for its legalization because they know of the positive effects that it can have.
Marajuana was first discovered long before anyone reading this was born. In approximately 500 BC marajuana started being grown for use in natural remedies and even for making textiles. It wasn’t until early in the 1900’s that marajuana started to become demonized. The cannabis plant was already being used in many medicines in the United States but they weren’t familiar with the term marajuana. When there was an increase in Mexican immigrants, coming to America, marajuana became looked down upon. The Mexican people were bringing their culture with them to this new land that they were inhabiting. A large part of their culture included included marajuana which was used in Mexico for medicinal purposes and as a calment. Since Americans weren’t familiar with the word marajuana and had only referred to the plant as cannabis, an association with getting high and the Mexican immigrants started. Americans viewed weed as this foreign drug that was a burden to society when in reality wasn’t foreign at all! Racial tensions are essentially what gave marajuana the bad reputation that it still has to this day. The Mexican people used it because they knew of it’s benefits and how much of a non-invasive drug it is. This is because, marajuana contains almost identical molecules to those we already have in our brain. They are called cannabinoids. THC, which is found in weed resembles Anandamide which essentially makes your neurons overactive so that thoughts can’t flow as easily. This is one of the reasons many people have epiphanies while high; it’s because they become fixated on a thought or realization. Unlike alcohol which has molecules that are completely foreign to our body, weed resembles molecules that our body is familiar with so it is not as startling to the system. Weed has a much slower release than alcohol, which is safer, especially in social settings when one must be safe and coherent.
There have been no deaths ever recorded because of marajuana, although preconceived thoughts lead people to relating weed to drugs that are much more invasive and “hard”. Deaths caused by opioids are because one’s blood pressure plummets and their body temperature decreases dramatically. Deaths caused by alcohol are because the alcohol is unable to leave the liver fast enough which causes it to make its way to one’s brain which affects the same transmitters that opioids do. Weed doesn’t affect this area of the brain making it pretty much harmless. Marajuana also does not typically lead people to be as calamitous as they are when drunk because of the drugs’ familiarity to the brain. Because of the similarity between molecules in marajuana and in our brain, when ingested it doesn’t feel foreign like alcohol does so it takes effect much slower. This causes people to not be more coherent than when drinking and typically leads to better decision making.
Another reason why marajuana is beneficial to society is because of its ability to enhance concentration and productivity. Michael, a student in California was deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. He said when he returned to his life back in California he has crippling anxiety and wasn’t able to focus on anything. He states, ‘When I take a gentle puff of a fine sativa, my anxiety vanishes and I’m able to concentrate. I can do research, write a creative paper or just communicate clearly with my girlfriend.” This is because of the properties in which marajuana has that makes the mind think more clearly, freely and without judgmental or intrusive thoughts. Similarly, in an interview with Snoop Dogg, he claims, “The more medicated, the more dedicated”. Many rappers and artists enjoy getting high before going into the studio to create a new hit! I was first introduced to this while watching the Steve Aoiki documentary on netflix. They showed a clip of Wiz Khalifa recording a song with Snoop while smoking weed. That is when I realized how often artists use it for it’s creative thinking benefits. As Snoop Dogg implies, it is easier to hone in on ideas and elaborate on them when high. Weed creates what is now dubbed as “divergent thinking” in a users brain. Drugabuse.gov states that it heavily increases, “the ability to brainstorm, think flexibly, and come up with original solutions to problems”.
Marajuana has immense benefits from helping with dealing from chronic pain, anxiety and even productivity. The demonization of weed should stop and it should be celebrated as a miracle drug that is non-invasive, nor harmful and even beneficial!
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