CANNABIS/MARIJUANA

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CANNABIS/MARIJUANA

• Salvador Montes

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History

• Marijuana is one of the oldest mind altering
  plants known to humans. (It was first mentioned
  in a Chinese text in 2737 b.c.)
• It was found in most parts of the world because
  of its ability to grow in many different
  climates.
• Marijuana had many uses before people started
  abusing it.

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Uses for Marijuana

• Rope
• Paper
• Cloth
• Medical reasons

• Most important source of rope until the
  development of synthetic fibers.
• Its first uses in Asia and the Middle East were
  medicinal purposes and it was believed to treat
  many diseases.

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Introduction into the WesternWorld

• Mid 19th Century, Marijuana is introduced into
  the Western World.
• Medical Literature of the time recommends it to
  treat various illnesses.
• Marijuana is legal and people use it as a pain
  killer. It is available in shops and in the
  streets.

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Introduction into the Western World(continued)

• Aspirin is introduced in late 19th Century.
• The new pill greatly reduces the consumption of
  Marijuana.
• 1937 Marijuana officially becomes illegal
  because of false propaganda such as Marijuana
  lurks Murder! Insanity! Death!

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Negative Side of Consumption

• THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the psychoactive
  ingredient that alters most of the body
  functions. It is also the most important
  ingredient.
• Alters the Central Nervous System (affects mood,
  coordination, and self-perception.
• Lowers sperm count and affects sexual
  performance.

• Affects the Respiratory System (Marijuana smoke
  contains three times more Tar and five times more
  carbon dioxide than Tobacco smoke.) People who
  smoke Marijuana develop coughing and wheezing and
  tend to get more chest colds.
• Tolerance and dependence becomes greater the more
  you consume.

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Negative Side of Consumption(Continued)

• Temporarily alters the immune system.
  In animals, it has been proven that
  THC damages cells and tissues that help fight off
  disease.
• Short-term memory damage occurs because THC
  alters the way information is being processed in
  the brain by the hippocampus.

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Positive Effects

• Reduces intraocular eye pressure which is the
  second leading cause for blindness.
• Relaxes muscles
• Contains a seizure-preventing property that can
  favor epileptics.
• Can treat some types of Depression (Currently
  used in Great Britain.)
• Can reduce migraine and chronic headache pain. In
  South Africa, women who give birth use it to ease
  the pain.
• Can provoke an appetite which can help people
  with HIV and some eating disorders.
• Marijuana is less addictive than nicotine,
  cocaine, heroine, alcohol, and caffeine.

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Reasons why PeopleConsume It

• Peer Pressure
• To fit in or everybody else is doing it
• Pain Relief
• Anti-Social Behavior
• Availability

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Social Concerns

• Anti-social sentiment caused by Marijuana causes
  people to go commit crimes against society.
• Gateway Drug causes the use of stronger drugs
  such as heroin or cocaine.
• Denied the use for medical purposes because of
  its high abuse rate.
• Availability Grows in different climates around
  the world.

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Social Concerns(continued)

• Dependency and tolerance The more you take, the
  more you need.
• Amount of People Using It 76 of all illicit
  drugs users use Marijuana. Marijuana is the most
  widely used illicit drug.
• .

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Conclusion

• Marijuana is one of the most controversial drugs
  both because of its negative effects and medical
  uses.
• Conclusively, none of the studies have proven
  anything either way and many scientist refuse to
  actually conduct further tests.

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Quiz Questions

• True or False
• Marijuana is hard to get, therefore it is a drug
  rarely used.
• THC is the active ingredient in Marijuana.
• Fill in the Blank
• Marijuana is the used illicit drug in the
  world.
• of all illicit drug users use Marijuana.
• Marijuana grows in . Climate.

• F
• T
• Most
• 76
• (Almost) Any