It seems that every so many years a new drug comes out to enslave the masses.  It started out with the basics like cocaine, heroin, and weed.  Over time, new and more dangerous drugs entered the world.  Crack cocaine made its debut in the 1980s, while crystal meth appeared on the scene in the 1990s.  These drugs have the ability to cause users to become addicted quicker and die sooner.  So if these new drugs are more lethal, does that mean that the older drugs are safer to take?  No, these drugs are still just as harmful as the newer drugs on the market, only they take longer to have lethal effects on the human body.  Let’s look at one drug that has been around for years: weed.

Marijuana-plant

Weed is one of the oldest drugs around.  It is officially known as cannabis, or marijuana.  Weed is a unique drug in that it has had constant legal and political issues surrounding it.  In its early days, weed was known as hemp.  Hemp was considered a primary material to make rope out of.  Then someone got the bright idea to smoke it, and everything changed.  Weed has been used as a hallucinogen for centuries.  Many believe that the “religious epiphanies” of the day were attributed to smoking weed.  Today weed is primarily outlawed in many states, however certain states do allow for weed to be used for medicinal purposes.  People can possess a certain amount of weed if they have a doctor’s prescription for it.  Does that make it safe?  Like all prescription medicines, weed is safe to a point, but there are certain side effects.  Here is a list of some of the side effects of weed.

• Psychoactive effects:  When people talk about getting high off of weed, that is one of the short term side effects of weed.  This particular side effect of weed is different for every person who takes it.  It may cause some to get mellow, others to get violent, and others may experience nothing at all.
• Somatic effects:  Not many people talk about the physical effects of weed, but they do exist. They can include cottonmouth, increased heart rate, and blood shot eyes.  This short-term side effect of weed also produces a depression of motor activity and an increased appetite.
• Neurological effects:  These particular side effects of weed affect the brain.  The brain affects all of our motor functions, so in essence all side effects of weed are neurological.  Now since everyone is different, the short-term side effects of weed will be different in everyone.  Of course, the one side effect of weed that everyone wants to experience is the high, which occurs when the cannabinoid receptors in the nucleus accumbend are triggered.  Unfortunately, this also causes the other side effects of weed to occur.  Several other side effects of weed that can occur are decreased learning abilities, memory and stress control.  In other words, it will turn your mind to mush.

As you can see, the short term side effects of weed are not pretty.  These are the reasons why weed is outlawed in so many areas.  If you should decide to start taking weed, weigh the risks and rewards beforehand.  They may not match up to your expectations.

Smoking a joint...