Kids & the "Herb"

It is fact that marijuana usage in teens is on the rise. According to teendrugabuse.us, "60 percent of teens who use drugs use only marijuana." Can you believe that? First off let me clarify what marijuana is. Marijuana -also referred to as pot, herb, weed, grass, Mary Jane, reefer, skunk, boom, gangster, kif, chronic, and ganga- is a mixture of leaves, seeds, stems, and flowers shredded together from the cannabis sativa plant. Yes, I know you're probably wondering why those components are said to be harmful to ones body, if they are all natural. Well guys, the cannabis sativa plant contains many harmful chemicals. The main chemical is tetrahydrocannabinol, which makes up most of the plant and is the most harmful. This chemical, also known as THC, is the main factor in the effects marijuana has on its users. THC acts upon the part of the brain known as the cannabinoid receptors. This part of the brain greatly impacts the one pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, sensory perception, and coordination. A marijuana intoxicant my experience an altered conscious perception, euphoria, relaxation, stress-reduction, enjoyment of music and the arts, anxiety, abstract or philosophical thinking, and paranoia. These side-effects are short-term, but marijuana usage can ensure long-term effects, even more severely for a developing young individual. A teen's limbic system, area that controls memories and emotions, in the brain is fully developed, wherein their prefontal cortex, area that controls judgement is not. The limbic system is greatly impacted by the THC chemical found in marijuana, this combination results to teens developing a severe dependence on marijuana. Studies have shown that marijuana usage in teens increases feelings of depression and anxiety, these teens are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts. Teen users in the long run may develop schizophrenia, a intense mental disorder known to ensure emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions, and hallucinations. If you weren't worried about America's future being in the hands of the next generations, you should be now. Make a difference in your community, and help build marijuana awareness; because it sure is dangerous!