PRESENTATION OUTLINE
INTOXICATION EFFECTS
- Slowed thinking ability
- Difficulty paying attention
- Loss of short-term memory
- Loss of balance and coordination
- Increased appetite
HOW IT IS TAKEN
- Smoked or mixed in food and eaten
HEALTH CONSEQUENCES
- Frequent respiratory infection
- Impaired learning and memory
- Panic attack
EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN
- Hypothalamus
- Basal ganglia
- Brain stem and spinal cord
- Cerebellum
- Neocortex
It effects the brain because it's active ingredient, THC, travels throughout the body, including the brain, to produce it's many effects. THC attaches to sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells in the brain, affecting the way those cells work.
-Dependence of marijuana
People who use marijuana regularly build up a tolerance to the drug, so they need more and more to get high. This can lead to dependence on marijuana. After the effects of marijuana wear off, some users feel tired, unmotivated, and depressed. Once a marijuana user becomes dependent, he or she will experience the effects of withdrawal each time the drug wears off.
Marijuana and driving
Because marijuana makes it difficult to pay attention and makes it harder to judge time and distance, marijuana use is dangerous when driving. People high on marijuana can show the same lack of coordination on standard drunk-driver tests as people who are drunk. The danger of driving under the influence of marijuana is increased when marijuana is combined with alcohol.
Short-term effects of marijuana
Loss of coordination and distortions in the sense of time, vision and hearing, sleepiness, reddening of the eyes, increased appetite and relaxed muscles. Heart rate can speed up. In fact, in the first hour of smoking marijuana, a users risk of a heart attack could increase fivefold. School performance is reduced through impaired memory and lessened ability to solve problems.
Long-term effects of marijuana
Long-term use can cause psychotic symptoms. It can also damage the lungs and the heart, worsen the symptoms of bronchitis and cause coughing and wheezing. It may reduce the body's ability to fight lung infections and illness.
