1. Uncovering Cannabis Derek McNamara COM 100

2. Fun Fact Marijuana has never caused a single death from overdosing – it’s simply not possible!

3. Background Marijuana (cannabis sativa or cannabis indica) is a drug that stimulates the mind and creates a sense of brief euphoria. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC) is the active ingredient that creates the high. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug.

4. Facts/Myths about Cannabis Is marijuana harmful to your body? Is marijuana really a “gateway” drug? Are there medical benefits to marijuana use? Does marijuana destroy brain activity?

5. Cannabis and mental effects Marijuana has temporary effects on the mind, however these are just temporary changes and last the duration of intoxication. Marijuana is considered to not be addictive in most cases, unlike cocaine or heroine; an uncontrollable dependence is hard to find in marijuana.

6. Mental effects cont. Marijuana does not create a loss of brain cells or brain damage. Some studies found marijuana to create problems with the brain, but these were not backed with evidence.

7. Cannabis and social effects Marijuana has been tried, at least once, by 70 million people around the world. Marijuana decreases aggression and is found not to relate directly to crime (e.g., people on cannabis are more relaxed). Marijuana is NOT a gateway drug and less than 1% of Americans who smoke it do not do it daily or close to daily.

8. Cannabis and Medicinal Uses The brain produces its own cannabinoid- like substances, thus giving it a purpose in medicinal use. Marijuana has been studied to help nausea in cancer chemotherapy and is significantly cheaper than the alternatives (ondansetron).

9. Medicinal Uses cont. Marijuana has also been linked to help people who have epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma. Marijuana in many cases works better than conventional medicines.

10. Conclusion Marijuana is widely used across the world for recreational purposes and most users only use it like how wine drinkers have a glass of wine at night – for relaxing purposes. Marijuana has shown to help in some medicinal cases and leaves a minute or no trace of toxins after use.

11. Conclusion cont. As of now marijuana does not link to brain damage in studies. Like all drugs, marijuana is harmful but is not as harmful as alcohol (100,000 – 150,000 lives per year) and tobacco (425,000 lives per year). Why are these killer drugs more widely accepted?

12. References http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/facts myths/http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/facts myths/ http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/m aryj.htmlhttp://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/m aryj.html http://www.changetheclimate.org/facts/