Most of us would not consider smoking marijuana while we work, but recent research has shown that multitasking at work causes a drop in your IQ more than twice that found when smoking marijuana. The IQ drop when multitasking is also equivalent to losing an entire night’s sleep. So even though you feel like you are getting more done by checking email during your meeting, you might want to reconsider. Aside from slowing you down, multitasking can have a negative impact on your health, quality of work, and quality of relationships.

Lost Time – It is estimated that an employee who multitasks loses an average of two hours each day. In 2003, the Wall Street Journal reported that “multitasking makes you stupid”. The Journal of Experimental Psychology found that people who multitask are less efficient than those who focus on one project at a time, because managing two mental tasks at once reduces the brainpower available for either task. Multitasking at work has reached epidemic proportions. Experts estimate that employees of Fortune 1000 companies send and receive approximately 180 emails each day, and they are interrupted an average of three times per hour. The estimated cost of these interruptions to the American economy is $650 billion per year.

Health Issues – As if the impact on your time isn’t bad enough, multitasking can prove to be detrimental to your health as well. The stress associated with multitasking has been shown to cause headaches, digestion issues, short-term memory loss, and even a reduced ability to concentrate.

Reduced Quality of Work – NeuroImage, a science journal, has determined that managing two mental tasks at the same time significantly reduces the brain power available to concentrate on either one, ultimately damaging the quality of your final product.

Reduced Quality of Relationships – How many times have you gone into a restaurant and seen someone talking or texting on their cell phone during the middle of a meal while the others at their table await their return to the conversation? I feel this happens way too often and ultimately affects the quality of your relationships.

So, before you try to check email while talking to your co-worker during your conference call, think twice. Watch for future articles where we will provide strategies to reduce the amount of multitasking you do each day.

As you probably know, the use of marijuana for medical reasons has been approved by Arizona voters. This does not mean that you have free reign to possess the illegal drug, nor does it mean that the state’s laws against possession have become any more lenient.

Ever wonder what you should expect if you’re discovered to be in possession (not for sale) of marijuana by a member of Arizona’s law enforcement? Here’s a breakdown:

Amount –> Severity –> Incarceration –> Fine

• Less than 2 lbs. –> Misdemeanor or felony –> 6 months – 2 years –> $750 – $150,000
• 2 lbs. – 4 lbs. –> Felony –> Up to 2 years –> $750 – $150,000
• 4 lbs. or more –> Felony –> 1 year – 3.75 years –> $750 – $150,000
• Near school or bus –> Felony –> Additional 1 year –> $2,000 – $150,000

If you’re convicted of personal possession or use of marijuana, you are eligible for probation and the court is required to suspend the imposition or execution of the sentence. While on probation, you must participate in an appropriate drug treatment or education program and may be required to attend a more stringent treatment program and serve one year in jail for a second offense.

If convicted of a third or subsequent offense, you are not eligible for probation. You must also submit to urine drug tests as a condition of your probation. Of course, if you have a medical prescription, and a small amount of marijuana, you are exempt from the above.

If you’ve been charged with marijuana possession without a prescription, contact a criminal attorney who can answer your questions and tell you what to expect in court.

Marijuana or cannabis is a soft drug which has been used by humans since thousands of years. It is endemic to south and central Asia and evidences of its use by Aryans, Assyrians, and Hindus of Asia are aplenty. The UN estimates that around 4% of world population use cannabis annually and about 23 million of these smoke or use cannabis daily. In fact this is probably the most used illicit drug in the world.

Marijuana is produced from a plant called cannabis sativa or cannabis indica. This plant also goes by the name Indian hemp. Marijuana is the name given to those parts of this plant which is smoked. The inflorescence of the cannabis plant is usually smoked as it has the highest concentration of intoxicants. The resin which is produced from the flowers of this plant is called hashish or simply hash.

The main chemical agent in marijuana is a compound called tetra hydro cannabinol. However marijuana smoke contains over 400 different chemical including 66 other related cannabinoids.

The cannabinoids act on the central nervous system through two receptors named CB1 and CB2. These receptors are located throughout the central nervous system and their action activates the mediocorticolimbic pathways in the brain which is the drug reward centre. The major effects of cannabis include euphoria, disinhibition, altered sensory perceptions, increased heart rate, dilatation of pupils, red eyes, dry mouth, and anxiety. The minimum required dose for effects to begin is 10 micrograms per kg body weight.

Although marijuana has been in use since millennia, the effects of chronic marijuana use are not well known. Smoking marijuana is one of the most harmful ways of cannabis consumption as the smoke contains many carcinogens and tar. Vaporisers are quite effective in cutting out these harmful chemicals.

Many studies have been done to establish the effects of chronic marijuana use. These have yielded conflicting results. Like for example while one study which examined 79 patients with lung cancer concluded that cannabis smokers have a 5.7 times risk of cancer, another study with over 2000 participants failed to draw any association between cancer and marijuana. Some studies have actually claimed beneficial effects of marijuana in cancer prevention and treatment, which may be true due to the anti cancer properties of many cannabinoids.

Cannabis has also been associated with psychiatric disorders namely psychosis and schizophrenia. However causal relationship is clearly lacking.

Therefore further research is required to study the effects of cannabis on the human body.

Many people who start on the path to quitting marijuana experience strange and vivid dreams. Some say they are just very weird and nonsensical and other describe them as nightmares but the common element that many who experience such dreaming soon after they have stopped smoking pot is the clarity and vividity of such dreams which has surprised and often scared them.

I was thinking on this and wondering if it has to do with marijuana and it’s effect on memory. Many studies have shown that excessive usage of marijuana can lead tom short term memory loss and over a longer period long term memory loss as well as absent mindedness and a general lack of clarity.

How this links to memory is that I was reading up on how they believe that dreams are a way for the mind to sort out your memories when you are asleep leading to better cognitive functions and better clarity of memory.

It seems to me that the chemical processes in your body and mind that are going on when you smoke marijuana inhibit the functioning of memory and often problem solving abilities too. When we give up smoking marijuana and the body starts to clean out the THC and other impurities then our brain starts improving its memory and functions again which leads to the vivid dreams as the mind furiously works to repair the damage the pot has done and perhaps they might seem all the more real and clear because it has been so long since an ex addict has had such dreams.

On the other hand many people believe in the symbolism of dreams and how they have meaning if you can interpret them and with marijuana being primarily a psychological addiction there must be many pent up emotions and problems just waiting to come to the fore when a marijuana addict becomes clean of the drug and with themselves.

Perhaps it is a mix of both with marijuana addiction inhibiting memory and brain function and the reasons for being addicted inhibiting people from exploring the psychological issues that they face? In any case I believe that having such drams should not be something to be scared or frightened of but instead to be embraced when quitting marijuana as it is obviously a sign that something is changing and if you are committed you know that giving up weed is a change for the better and so are your dreams!

Introduction:
Cannabis is not only the most abused illicit drug in the United States (Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004; NIDA, 2010) it is in fact the most abused illegal drug worldwide (UNODC, 2010). In the United States it is a schedule-I substance which means that it is legally considered as having no medical use and it is highly addictive (US DEA, 2010). Doweiko (2009) explains that not all cannabis has abuse potential. He therefore suggests using the common terminology marijuana when referring to cannabis with abuse potential. For the sake of clarity this terminology is used in this paper as well.

Today, marijuana is at the forefront of international controversy debating the appropriateness of its widespread illegal status. In many Union states it has become legalized for medical purposes. This trend is known as "medical marijuana" and is strongly applauded by advocates while simultaneously loathed harshly by opponents (Dubner, 2007; Nakay, 2007; Van Tuyl, 2007). It is in this context that it was decided to choose the topic of the physical and pharmacological effects of marijuana for the basis of this research article.

What is marijuana?
Marijuana is a plant more correctly called cannabis sativa. As mentioned, some cannabis sativa plants do not have abuse potential and are called hemp. Hemp is widely used for various fiber products including newspaper and artist's canvas. Cannabis sativa with abuse potential is what we call marijuana (Doweiko, 2009). It is interesting to note that although widely studies for many years, there is a lot that researchers still do not know about marijuana. Neuroscientists and biologists know what the effects of marijuana are but they still do not fully understand why (Hazelden, 2005).

Deweiko (2009), Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs (2004) point out that of approximately four hundred known chemicals found in the cannabis plants, researchers know of over sixty that are thought to have psychoactive effects on the human brain. The most well known and potent of these is ∠† -9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Like Hazelden (2005), Deweiko states that while we know many of the neurophysical effects of THC, the reasons THC produces these effects are unclear.

Neurobiology:
As a psychoactive substance, THC directly affects the central nervous system (CNS). It affects a massive range of neurotransmitters and catalyzes other biochemical and enzymatic activity as well. The CNS is stimulated when the THC activates specific neuroreceptors in the brain causing the various physical and emotional reactions that will be expounded on more specifically further on. The only substances that can activate neurotransmitters are substances that mimic chemicals that the brain produces naturally. The fact that THC stimulates brain function teaches scientists that the brain has natural cannabinoid receptors. It is still unclear why humans have natural cannabinoid receptors and how they work (Hazelden, 2005; Martin, 2004). What we do know is that marijuana will stimulate cannabinoid receptors up to twenty times more actively than any of the body's natural neurotransmitters ever could (Doweiko, 2009).

Perhaps the biggest mystery of all is the relationship between THC and the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin receptors are among the most stimulated by all psychoactive drugs, but most special alcohol and nicotine. Independent of marijuana's relationship with the chemical, serotonin is already a little understood neurochemical and its supposed neuroscientific roles of functioning and purpose are still mostly hypothetical (Schuckit & Tapert, 2004). What neuroscientists have found definitively is that marijuana smokers have very high levels of serotonin activity (Hazelden, 2005). I would hypothesize that it may be this relationship between THC and serotonin that explains the "marijuana maintenance program" of achieving abstinence from alcohol and allows marijuana smokers to avoid painful withdrawal symptoms and avoid cravings from alcohol. The efficacy of "marijuana maintenance" for aiding alcohol abstinence is not scientific but is a phenomenon I have personally witnessed with numerous clients.

Interestingly, marijuana mimics so many neurological reactions of other drugs that it is extremely difficult to classify in a specific class. Researchers will place it in any of these categories: psychedelic; hallucinogen; or serotonin inhibitor. It has properties that mimic similar chemical responses as opioids. Other chemical responses mimic stimulants (Ashton, 2001; Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004). Hazelden (2005) classifies marijuana in its own special class – cannabinoids. The reason for this confusion is the complexity of the numerous psychoactive properties found within marijuana, both known and unknown. One recent client I saw could not recover from the visual distortions he suffered as a result of pervasive psychedelic use as long as he was still smoking marijuana. This seemed to be as a result of the psychedelic properties found within active cannabis (Ashton, 2001). Although not strong enough to produce these visual distortions on its own, marijuana was strong enough to prevent the brain from healing and recovering.

Emotions:
Cannibinoid receptors are located throughout the brain thus affecting a wide variety of functioning. The most important on the emotional level is the stimulation of the brain's nucleus accumbens perverting the brain's natural reward centers. Another is that of the amygdala which controls one's emotions and fears (Adolphs, Trane, Damasio, & Damaslio, 1995; Van Tuyl, 2007).

I have observed that the heavy marijuana smokers who I work with personally seem to share a commonality of using the drug to manage their anger. This observation has evidenced based consequences and is the basis of much scientific research. Research has in fact found that the relationship between marijuana and managing anger is clinically significant (Eftekhari, Turner, & Larimer, 2004). Anger is a defense mechanism used to guard against emotional consequences of adversity fueled by fear (Cramer, 1998). As stated, fear is a primary function controlled by the amygdala which is heavily stimulated by marijuana use (Adolphs, Trane, Damasio, & Damaslio, 1995; Van Tuyl, 2007).

Neurophysical Effects of THC:
Neurological messages between transmitters and receptors not only control emotions and psychological functioning. It is also how the body controls both volitional and nonvolitional functioning. The cerebellum and the basal ganglia control all bodily movement and coordination. These are two of the most abundantly stimulated areas of the brain that are triggered by marijuana. This explains marijuana's physiological effect causing altered blood pressure (Van Tuyl, 2007), and a weakening of the muscles (Doweiko, 2009). THC ultimately affects all neuromotor activity to some degree (Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004).

An interesting phenomena I have witnessed in almost all clients who identify marijuana as their drug of choice is the use of marijuana smoking before eating. This is explained by effects of marijuana on the "CB-1" receptor. The CB-1 receptors in the brain are found heavily in the limbic system, or the nucleolus accumbens, which controls the reward pathways (Martin, 2004). These reward pathways are what affect the appetite and eating habits as part of the body's natural survival instinct, causing us to crave eating food and rewarding us with dopamine when we finally do (Hazeldon, 2005). Martin (2004) makes this connection, pointing out that unique to marijuana users is the stimulation of the CB-1 receptor directly triggering the appetite.

What is high grade and low grade?
A current client of mine explains how he originally smoked up to fifteen joints of "low grade" marijuana daily but eventually switched to "high grade" when the low grade was starting to prove ineffective. In the end, fifteen joints of high grade marijuana were becoming ineffective for him as well. He often failed to get his "high" from that either. This entire process occurred within five years of the client's first ever experience with marijuana. What is high and low grade marijuana, and why would marijuana begin to lose its effects after a while?

The potency of marijuana is measured by the THC content within. As the market on the street becomes more competitive, the potency on the street becomes more pure. This has caused a trend in ever rising potency that responds to demand. One average joint of marijuana smoked today has the equivalent THC potency as ten average joints of marijuana smoked during the 1960's (Hazelden, 2005).

THC levels will depend mainly on what part of the cannabis leaf is being used for production. For instance cannabis buds can be between two to nine times more potent than fully developed leaves. Hash oil, a form of marijuana developed by distilling cannabis resin, can yield higher levels of THC than even high grade buds (Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004).

Tolerance:
The need to raise the amount of marijuana one smokes, or the need to intensify from low grade to high grade is known clinically as tolerance. The brain is efficient. As it recognizes that neuroreceptors are being stimulated without the neurotransmitters emitting those chemical signals, the brain resourcefully lowers its chemical output so the total levels are back to normal. The smoker will not feel the high anymore as his brain is now "tolerating" the higher levels of chemicals and he or she is back to feeling normal. The smoker now raises the dose to get the old high back and the cycle continues. The smoker may find switching up in grades effective for a while. Eventually the brain can cease to produce the chemical altogether, entirely relying on the synthetic version being ingested (Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004; Hazelden, 2005).

Why isn't there any withdrawal?
The flip side of the tolerance process is known as "dependence." As the body stops producing its own natural chemicals, it now needs the marijuana user to continue smoking in order to continue the functioning of chemicals without interruption. The body is now ordering the ingestion of the THC making it extremely difficult to quit. In fact, studies show that marijuana dependency is even more powerful than seemingly harder drugs like cocaine (Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004).

With quitting other drugs like stimulants, opioids, or alcohol the body reacts in negative and sometimes severely dangerous ways. This is due to the sudden lack of chemical input tied together with the fact that the brain has stopped its own natural neurotransmission of those chemicals long ago. This is the phenomenon of withdrawal (Haney, 2004; Hazelden, 2005; Jaffe & Jaffe, 2004; Tabakoff & Hoffman, 2004).

While research has shown comparable withdrawal reactions is marijuana users as in alcohol or other drugs (Ashton, 2001), what I have witnessed many times in my personal interaction with clients is the apparent lack of withdrawal experienced by most marijuana users. Of course they experience cravings, but they don't report having the same neurophysical withdrawal reaction that the other drug users have. Some marijuana smokers use this as their final proof that marijuana "is not a drug" and they should therefore not be subjugated to the same treatment and pursuit of recovery efforts as other drug or alcohol abusers.

The reality is that the seemingly lack of acute withdrawal is a product of the uniqueness of how the body stores THC. While alcohol and other drugs are out of a persons system within a one to five days (Schuckit & Tapert, 2004), THC can take up to thirty days until it is fully expelled from the body (Doweiko, 2009). When THC is ingested by the smoker, it is initially distributed very rapidly through the heart, lungs, and brain (Ashton, 2001). THC however, is eventually converted into protein and becomes stored is body fat and muscle. This second process of storage in body fat reserve is a far slower process. When the user begins abstinence, fat stored THC begins its slow release back into the blood stream. While the rate of reentry into the body's system is too slow to produce any psychoactive effects, it will aid in easing the former smoker through the withdrawal process in a more manageable and pain free manner. The more one smokes the more one stores. The more body mass the smoker has, the more THC can be stored up as well (Doweiko, 2009). Thus, in very large clients I have seen it take up to thirty days before urine screens show a cleared THC level.

Similar to THC's slow taper like cleansing is the slow rate of initial onset of psychoactive response. Clients report that they do not get high smoking marijuana right away – it takes them time for their bodied to get used to it before they feel the high. This is explained by the slow absorption of THC into fatty tissue reaching peak concentrations in 4-5 days. As the THC begins to release slowly into the blood stream, the physiological response will become heightened rapidly with every new smoking of marijuana resulting in another high. As the user repeats this process and high levels of THC accumulate in the body and continue to reach the brain, the THC is finally distributed to the neocortical, limbic, sensory, and motor areas that were detailed earlier (Ashton, 2001).

Physiology:
The neurology and neurophysiology of marijuana has been described thus far. There are many physical components of marijuana smoking as well. National Institute on Drug Abuse (2010) reports that marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers including daily cough, phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections. They quote research showing evidence that chronic marijuana smokers, who do not smoke tobacco, have more health problems than non smokers because of respiratory illnesses.

The definitive research documenting the significant negative biophysical health effects of marijuana is not conclusive. We do know that marijuana smoke contains fifty to seventy percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke does (Ashton, 2001; Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004; NIDA, 2010). While some research shows that marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue which can lead to cancer, other studies have shown no positive associations at all between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers (NIDA, 2010 ). Perhaps the most eye opening fact of all is that all experts agree that historically there has yet to be a single documented death reported purely as a result of marijuana smoking (Doweiko, 2009; Gold, Frost-Pineda, & Jacobs, 2004; Nakaya, 2007; Van Tuyl, 2007).

Pharmacology – "Medical Marijuana":
This last fact regarding the seemingly less harmful effects of marijuana smoking even in comparison with legal drugs like alcohol and nicotine is most often the very first quoted by proponents of legalizing marijuana for its positive medical advantages (Dubner, 2007; Nakaya, 2007; Van Tuyl , 2007). Nakaya (2007) points to the seemingly positive effects of marijuana on alzheimers, cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, and AIDS. While not scientific, personal experiences of the positive relief of sufferers from chronic illness is quoted as benefits that are claimed to outweigh the negative effects.

Van Tuyl (2007) states "almost all drugs – including those that are legal – pose greater threats to individual health and / or society than does marijuana." She agrees that legalizing the smoking of marijuana would not justify the positive effects but posits still that the risks associated with smoking can be "mitigated by alternate routes of administration, such as vaporization" (pg. 22-23). The arguments point to clinically riskier drugs like opioids, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines that are administered by prescription on a daily basis. These drugs, like Vicodine, Xanex, or Ritalin, are internationally acceptable when deemed "medically necessary."

Conclusion / Reflection:
While I am not comfortable weighing in on the controversy of the legalization of marijuana, in conclusion of this research paper there are clear implications for me as a practitioner. Alcohol too is quite legal, as is nicotine, but for the addiction counselor it is important to continue keeping a directive on the biopsychosocial considerations regarding the misuse of any substance. Because of the large lack of empirical knowledge regarding the neurobiological properties associated with exact brain functioning, a crucial focus moving forward will prove to be keeping tabs on breakthrough discoveries in the neuroscience of THC and other cannabanoids. The discoveries of particular importance for current practice are the pathology of marijuana's relationship with emotional self-medication, tolerance, and most of all the withdrawal process. I have already begun to utilize the knowledge of the physical and pharmacological effects of marijuana expressed heretofore with personal success and look forward to continue utilizing farther research to do the same.

Bibliography:

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Ashton, CH (2001). Pharmacology and Effects of Cannabis: a Brief Review. The British Journal of Psychiatry 178 (2) 101-106. Retrieved March 4, 2011

Cramer, P. (1998). Coping and Defense mechanisms: What's the Difference? Journal of Personality, 66 (6), 919-046. Retrieved March 4, 2011

Dubner, S. (2007). On the Legalization, or Not, of Marijuana. The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2011

Eftekhari, A., Turner, A., & Larimer, M. (2004). Anger Expression, Coping, and Substance Use in Adolescent Offenders. Addictive Behaviors 29 (5). Retrieved March 3, 2011. doi: 10.1016 / j.addbeh.2004.02.050

Gold, M., Frost-Pineda, K., & Jacobs, W. (2004). Cannabis as found in The American Psychiatric Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment (3rd Ed., Ch. 15). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

Haney, M. (2004). Neurobiology of Stimulants as found in The American Psychiatric Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment (3rd Ed., Ch. 3). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

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Hazelden (2005). The Matrix Model. Hazelden Publishing.

Hazelden (2005). The Neurobiology of Addiction (video). The Matrix Model. Hazelden Publishing.

Jaffe, J., & Jaffe, A. (2004). Neurobiology of Opioids as found in The American Psychiatric Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment (3rd Ed., Ch. 2). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

Martin, B. (2004). Neurobiology of Marijuana as found in The American Psychiatric Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment (3rd Ed., Ch. 5). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

Nakaya, A. (2007). Marijuana. Reference Point Press.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (2010). NIDA Info Facts: Marijuana. Retrieved March 6, 2011

Schuckit, M. & Tapert, S. (2004). Alcohol as found in The American Psychiatric Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment (3rd Ed., Ch. 14). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

Tabakoff, B., & Hoffman, P. (2004). Neurobiology of Alcohol as found in The American Psychiatric Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment (3rd Ed., Ch. 1). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

UNODC (2010) World Drug Report 2010. United Nations Publication.

US DEA (2010) Marijuana. United States Department of Justice, Retrieved March 2, 2011, from http://www.justice.gov/

Van Tuyl, C. (2007). Marijuana. Greenhaven Press.

Many people view drug addiction as a disease that needs healing. Many people suffering from substance abuse see their lives coming to a stall. Medical marijuana legalization, however, has seen to the use of medical marijuana to treat the untreatable. Research made proves that medical marijuana can be used to treat drug addiction. The study showed that cannabis did not direct to any physical dependency and hence superior to the other drugs. Some of the drug addictions people have include addiction to alcohol and opioid substances. The question, therefore, falls on how effective medical marijuana is in treating these drug addictions. Some of the reasons medical marijuana is considered active include;

Marijuana’s lack of dependency properties

Medical marijuana is scientifically known for its benefit in reducing chronic pains experienced by patients’ various conditions. Patients, therefore, use medical marijuana to treat their conditions as well as the opioid side effects such as nausea. Such patients reported that the use of medical cannabis reduced their opioid dose or substituted the drug entirely.

Pain is the core reason why patients seek pain-relieving alternatives. Opioid substances including heroin are usually readily available and prescribed to patients. These medicines consumption is intended for shorter time lengths as per the doctor’s prescription. However, some patients end up taking them without a physician’s prescription. Some also consume a larger quantity than prescribed. This overdosing, in turn, makes these patients have a tolerance to the pain-relieving effects generated by the opioids. Subsequently, the patients see a need to increasing the dosage and end up developing a dependency on the drug for pain relief.

Marijuana has been classified as a schedule-1 drug. Despite this, research does not identify marijuana to have any habit-forming properties. In fact, the long-term effects of marijuana on the human body are still unidentified.

Marijuana acts as a substitute for hard drugs and alcohol

Medical marijuana studies have shown that the recently legalized drug can serve as an alternative to other hard substances. Amanda Reiman conducts a case study on methamphetamine users seeking to practice harm reduction in San Francisco. Amanda is the author in the Harm Reduction Journal 2009 study cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs. In her case study, the methamphetamine users admitted that marijuana use gave them mindfulness. The users, therefore, would choose to stone and sleep as opposed to taking meth.

The use of medical cannabis also led to the reduction use of other drug substances such as tobacco, opioids as well as alcohol. For instance, patients who that were addicted to alcohol confessed that medical cannabis had manageable symptoms, unlike alcohol. Also, unlike tobacco and opioids, marijuana studies do not show signs of drug addiction and dependability by users.

Studies indicate that an injection of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) assisted the user in eliminating dependency on the hard drug substances. The THC also enhanced mindfulness and put the patient in a position where they could evaluate their lives. Therefore, many drug addicts who embarked on cannabis as a treatment showed faster treatment. Many deaths caused by hard drug use like opioids also reduced subsequently in states that legalized marijuana. Thus medical cannabis is an effective substitute for the hard drugs and alcohol too.

Marijuana helps in withdrawal stages of the hard drugs

Did you know that chances of retrogressing to hard drug use during the withdrawal stage are minimal for medical marijuana users? Well, some of the withdrawal symptoms experienced by these hard drugs like heroin include nausea. The addicts may also experience trembling, lack of sleep and many other withdrawal conditions. Medical marijuana, on the other hand, is well-known to treat such conditions by inducing sleep and appetite. Therefore, medical cannabis is highly recommended for the treatment of drug addiction. It is typically a movement from one drug with harmful effects to one that does not have habit-forming properties.

Medical marijuana proves beneficial as it contains psychoactive properties. With a lack of relapse, drug addiction is reduced. The reason a majority of users fall back is due to the severe withdrawals. Withdrawals can be both painful and uncomfortable to the users. Medical cannabis thus proves useful in drug addiction treatment. Moreover, medical marijuana does not contain any withdrawal symptoms when used responsibly and conservatively.

Medical marijuana is currently legalized for the treatment of many diseases including cancer, anxiety and other chronic related diseases. However, with marijuana being classified as a schedule-1 drug, a barrier seems to have been created. This classification limits further research on the old drug’s full potential and capabilities. Despite this, people are fast appreciating the benefits that come with the use of medical cannabis. Moreover, people are looking forward to the implementation of recreational marijuana use. This application will see to the simplified accessibility of the amusing drug.

Legal Marijuana is a topic being discussed throughout the world and will actually be voted on by the UN in 2009. The rationalization is that regulation will allow control of the strength of the THC and the decimalization will have a positive social impact. Ten out of fifty states in the US have passed Medical Marijuana Laws and more states will be voting on similar laws in the coming months. These laws are only symbolic at this point because the federal government still has laws forbidding the use, possession and cultivation of Marijuana in the US. If the federal law changes these states are ready, at lest as far as the law is concerned to start distributing marijuana.

Legal Marijuana will impact Addiction Treatment in a number of ways. There will be experts that will insist that people cannot become addicted to Marijuana and that Drug Abuse will be a more appropriate label. Physical addiction to Marijuana will be denied and therefore third party payment for detox will be out of the question. Legalized Marijuana will increase the depth of denial in an addict with the argument that if it is legal it must not be a problem. The use of Marijuana impairs attention and judgment and will make the casual user more willing to try other drugs or partake in questionable behavior.

Marijuana use increases the risk of cancers in repertory system, is linked to leukemia in offspring and is the cause in a decline of cognitive skills especially with adolescents. Social impact and the rise in health costs associated with legalizing Marijuana seems to have been left out of the equation when deciding the benefits of a change in the legal status of this particular plant.

Marijuana is a gateway drug and will lead to using other drugs some of which are more addicting and physically debilitating. Society and the media for years has warned of the dangers of Pot and are now considering making it legal. What massage does that send to those that are just starting to experiment with intoxicating substances? Drug Rehab Centers should get ready for an influx of new patients.

So you live in a medical marijuana state and have been approved to use marijuana to treat your medical condition … what's next?

Now it's time to find a reliable source for high quality medical grade cannabis. Depending on your individual state laws, medical marijuana can be legally purchased at dispensaries, clinics or coops. While each place is setup different, here are some basic things to look for when making your choice of primary caregiver:

The first step in choosing where to purchase your medicinal marijuana is to identify all sources in close proximity to your location. The best tool for this task is Google maps. So go to Google Maps and do a simple search for something like "Colorado dispensaries" and the results will be overlayed as location markers on the interactive map.

Once you have a list of a few clinics or dispensaries in your area, you can then start researching more information about each by searching for specific names. If you don't know the name of a particular place, you can do a simple Google search for something like "Colorado dispensary reviews" or "the best Colorado dispensaries" and find great user written reviews. Use the information you find in this step to narrow down your selection to the top 3 places to buy medical marijuana.

So now that you've done the proper research, it's time to actually visit the top marijuana dispensaries and clinics on your list. There is no better research than your own first hand experience so will you need to check these places out by yourself to really know which is the right source for you. One thing to keep in mind is that the medical marijuana industry is still so young that an industry standard for how these places operate does not really exist yet. What this means for you is every single dispensary or clinic that you visit will be a unique experience.

After visiting a few places, you will quickly see how the general atmosphere and layout of a cannabis clinic or dispensary can vary widely from place to place. Some places that you visit will feel like you're walking into a doctors office with their stark and clinical environment; while other places feel like your walking into a friend's comfy home. Whatever your preference, there is a medical marijuana source that is right for you!

Medical marijuana is legal in almost 14 states in the US and this is due to the fact that doctors believe that marijuana has healing properties. Under the federal law, growing marijuana, using it or having it in your possession is a criminal offense and for this reason, it is important that unless you have your physician's recommendation to use it, you don't even think about growing this substance at home.

For those who have obtained a license to grow marijuana legally, it is important that you learn the techniques of growing and cultivating marijuana. Given below is a short medical marijuana growing guide that can help you understand the process better.

1. Choosing a space to grow – some great places include basements, closets and attics. No matter which indoor location you choose, make sure that it has access to electrical outlets.

2. Containers – you will need to grow your plant in a pot or a container. Always make sure that you use large plastic pots.

3. Lighting – if you grow the plant indoors, then there are no chances for your plant to get sufficient sunlight. Since plants like marijuana need a lot of sunlight to grow well, you can use artificial lighting to give your plant all the light it needs to grow. Some great options include fluorescent lights, metal halide lights and high pressure sodium lights.

4. Consider the factors that will affect the rate of photosynthesis – apart from the amount of light reaching the plants, there are other factors that will affect the rate of photosynthesis. These include humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, water, etc.

5. Harvesting – the best time to harvest is when the plants have started flowering. Wait for the flowering process to complete. Cut the plants, remove the lower big leaves and place the plants in shoe boxes. Stir them around on a daily basis as this will help them dry quickly. Once the plants have dried completely, they are ready for use.

Medical marijuana has actually been around for eons but had been prohibited in most countries for many years. Lately, however, various nations have begun to recognize its worth in the healthcare arena. Therefore, legalization of the plant is taking hold globally as well as in the United States of America. New Jersey is the most recent state to vote "Yes" for its legalization.

It is derived from a plant called cannabis. It is often green or brown and consists of leaves, seeds and stems. While thought of over the last several decades as a strictly recreational drug, its therapeutic abilities have begun to be accepted by many.

New Jersey is the fourteenth place in the US to allow its legality with the passing of "New Jersey Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act." While the name sounds like a gentle law, it's actually the toughest American version of its kind. Some lawmakers in the east coast are worried that it will get out of hand with certain loopholes. The loopholes reportedly are there to expand its use if necessary, by allowing the list of "debilitating medical conditions" to be added to by health officials.

A former US attorney who is now the Governor-elect, Chris Christie, is especially unhappy with what he perceives as the looseness of its language. Christie claims that California is an example of a state who has become out-of-control regarding cannabis for medicinal purposes and doesn't want his place to follow suit.

The strictness of the New Jersey law lies in its requirement of purchasing the substance only via a state regulated "alternative treatment center". It is the only state to require this route of obtaining the drug; all other states allow home cultivation.

It has medicinal properties and has helped with the following health conditions:

– Cancer
– Glaucoma
– Positive HIV / AIDS diagnosis
– Seizure

The loophole-language contained in the "New Jersey Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana" states that this current list of health conditions can be added to at the discretion of the state health department. Other conditions that such marijuana is claimed to assist with by other countries and states include arthritis, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, nausea resulting from chemotherapy, epilepsy, asthma, and migraines.

If a person needs to seek out a prescription writing doctor, he or she should search the internet in order to find alternative treatment centers in their area. They should be prepared to bring health records and current prescriptions and to be examined by a physician in order to receive the okay to purchase marijuana for medicinal purposes.