Drug report:

Cannabis

Cannabis is obtained by treating the leaves,flowers and stem of the

marihuana(plant).
Cannabis belongs to the depressant drugs which slow down the processes by
lowering the neuro transmission levels between the brain and the body.It takes
different effects on people.
The most common methods to absorb the drug is through ingestion or inhalation but
sublingual and topical absorption is also practiced.
the first cultivated cannabis is thought to be practiced in east asia as one of the first
domesticated crops in the whole world. It is thought that it served multiple purposes
in the ancient times but there have been traces discovered of substances of
properties similar to drugs but not with the efficiency that we have in the modern day.
Right now, cannabis is one of the “safest” drugs that can be consumed as its effects
are not as intense or addictive as other depressant drugs, or synthetic cannabinoids
that have major psychoactive properties.

Cannabis, or more specifically, THC, messes with the endocannabinoid system; it

has many functions like controlling mood,pain,stress,relief,pleasure,metabolism and
its highly associated with this kinds of sensations as well as the psychology and
emotional stability of the brain. as the name states, this system works with
endogenous cannabinoids like anandamide which act as neuro transmitter that
attaches to cannabinoid 1 receptors.the special condicion of this system is that it
travels backwards so the endocannabinoids are released from the post synaptic
neuron to the presynaptic neuron where the receptors are present.This means that
these neurotransmitters are made when needed and have the capacity to control the
presynaptic neuron if needed.these receptors are used to control the flow and stop of
neurotransmitters and when THC invades the endocannabinoid system, the
presynaptic neuron understands this as the message from the post synaptic neuron
to stop the flow of neurotransmitters and with a lot of this signals reaching receptors
over and over again, the normal communication of the system with
endocannabinoids is interrupted and it can cause the presynaptic neuron to stop
transmitting action potentials in or to do it in a very unstable and non effective way.
this interruption causes a relaxing and good feeling but it also negatively affects
things like memory, reaction time, and reasonable judgment.

THC has been demonstrated to have long term effects that can negatively impact
cognitive function and an important neuron decrease in certain regions of the
brain.”Among nearly 4,000 young adults in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in
Young Adults study tracked over a 25-year period until mid-adulthood, cumulative
lifetime exposure to marijuana was associated with lower scores on a test of verbal
memory but did not affect other cognitive abilities such as processing speed or
executive function. “(NIDA,2021)
while its difficult to draw conclusions due to the lack of data caused by the
investigation boundaries on humans, its clear that memory has been affected bu this
substance and depending on the time that one person has used it, it can cause
serious problems regarding the memory and the slow decrease of neuronal activity
on certain parts of the brain like the hippocampus.”Memory impairment from
marijuana use occurs because THC alters how the hippocampus, a brain area
responsible for memory formation, processes information. Most of the evidence
supporting this assertion comes from animal studies. For example, rats exposed to
THC in utero, soon after birth, or during adolescence, show notable problems with
specific learning/memory tasks later in life. Moreover, cognitive impairment in adult
rats is associated with structural and functional changes in the hippocampus from
THC exposure during adolescence.”(NIDA,2021)
This could mean that activity regarding the hippocampus(like memory and learning
capacity) can be limited and even decreased by the continued use of cannabis and
while it might bring you short term satisfaction, it could cause a lot of problems when
you are older.

if you are persistently using this drug since adolescence you may also be functioning
at a very low cognitive level all the time, making social and academic development
harder for you and even decreasing the chance of graduation. Altho this is highly
discussed, you might even develop a dependency to this drug then needing it to
mantain you in a satisfied state and some research even link it to greater chances of
suicide.
however the relation between this consequences and marijuana is just a casual one
and more research is needed to have a conclusion supported by data.

Science has done this drug actually more potent and concentrated which is no good
for the people. Since the cannabis that you could find about 30 years ago could have
little over 10% THC if you were lucky,nowadays cannabis can be found with some
number near to 30%. This means that the effects of this drugs on your brain have
actually grown stronger over the years and every new “version” of cannabis is more
likely for you to develop a psychoactive dependency on cannabis and maybe get you
into trying other drugs as well. Science has made this possible by refining the
methods in which the cannabis is produced and even alterations of the plants itself
allowing hybrids on variants of marijuana with higher THC concentration in the
leaves and stem. Science has refined the drug to such point that it was the pathway
into creating even worse synthetic cannabinoids like K2 or JWH-018 which cause
way more problems to our system than the normal cannabis. No medicine has been
approved to counter the long or short term effects on cannabinoids but there is
always active research to attempt and reverse the serious effects or disorders
caused by cannabinoids.
“Medications that have shown promise in early studies or small clinical trials include
the sleep aid zolpidem (Ambien®), an anti-anxiety/anti-stress medication called
buspirone (BuSpar®), and an anti-epileptic drug called gabapentin (Horizant®,
Neurontin®) that may improve sleep and, possibly, executive function. Other agents
being studied include the nutritional supplement N-acetylcysteine and chemicals
called FAAH inhibitors, which may reduce withdrawal by inhibiting the breakdown of
the body’s own cannabinoids. Future directions include the study of substances
called allosteric modulators that interact with cannabinoid receptors to inhibit THC’s
rewarding effects.”(NIDA, 2021)
Cannabis has also a rising popularity as medicine and although it isn’t legal yet,
multiple studies have shown its effectiveness to treat light symptoms and various
other diseases. “Medications that have shown promise in early studies or small
clinical trials include the sleep aid zolpidem (Ambien®), an anti-anxiety/anti-stress
medication called buspirone (BuSpar®), and an anti-epileptic drug called gabapentin
(Horizant®, Neurontin®) that may improve sleep and, possibly, executive function.
Other agents being studied include the nutritional supplement N-acetylcysteine and
chemicals called FAAH inhibitors, which may reduce withdrawal by inhibiting the
breakdown of the body’s own cannabinoids. Future directions include the study of
substances called allosteric modulators that interact with cannabinoid receptors to
inhibit THC’s rewarding effects.”(NIDA,2021)

Alcohol

Alcohol is by far the most consumed drug that has ever existed.It is absorbed by oral
consumption and it can be traced to china 4000 BC.It is legal so its up to the
consumer to be responsible with the amount of alcohol they consume, since it can
cause serious issues not only physical but also psychological and social. While a
small dose of alcohol can be processed by the liver, this organ has a maximum
capacity and abusing of alcohol might cause liver failure or severe
deterioration.Alcohol can also cause problems in your renal system and to some
extent, kidney damage. Persistent alcohol consumption will cause dependency and
addiction because the brain will try to reach the over excitated state again archived
by decompensation. Alcohol is also related to brain damage in the cerebellum and
cerebral cortex areas. Alcohol has a high risk of developing mental disorders like
depression and greatly amplify anxiety. alcohol will take you to an intoxicated state
that will affect your coordination, judgment,concentration and distorted perceptions.in
the excitated part of alcohol exposure you can become aggressive and have
unwanted reactions that could harm anyone around you without coherent thinking
being there to stop it. impulsive behaviour will control you and affect your
relationships saying or doing dangerous or malicious things due to alcohol.
Alcohol abuse is serious and will bring ruination if you aren't careful.
According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)” an
estimated 14.4 million Americans ages 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder
(AUD) in the past year”
Alcohol works by attaching to the GABA receptors,inhibiting the action potential
between neurons.this means that alcohol works as a depressant drug and it
enhances the inhibitory effects of different neurotransmitters like adenosine and
GABA. It also reduces the efficiency of main excitatory neurotransmitters like the
glutamate and aspartate.If alcohol keeps acting upon the neurons, the brain will try
to restore balance and it will increase excitatory neurotransmitters and decrease
inhibitory ones trying to compensate for the increasing amount of inhibitory signals
send by alcohol.When alcohol influence is gone from the brain, one experiences an
over excitated state since the brain still has the excitatory neurotransmitters elevated
so it could fight alcohol by compensation.This might bring the person to experience
delirium, hallucinations,anxiety and even seizures.(F.valenzuela,1997)

Alcohol hasn't been influenced much by science lately since its one of the most
studied drugs ever and so there is little that we don't know about alcohol and its
effects. One of the biggest effects alcohol has suffered in its long long history is
refination. this has actually made alcohol safer but also more addictive. since ancient
time alcohol making was done by fermentation which wasn't exactly the safest
process ever. some people could get intoxicated by bacteria or unexpected results of
fermentation other than alcohol which could make digesting this beverages very
difficult. of course nowadays, alcohol production and fermentation is nearly
perfectioned even to mass production. of course refination also means that the
product had a bigger concentration of alcohol in a certain beverage with the
exactitude needed to accomplish the expectations of the alcohol regulation norms
internationally.

Pagliaccio D, Barch DM, Bogdan R, et al. Shared predisposition in the association

between cannabis use and subcortical brain structure. JAMA Psychiatry.
2015;72(10):994-1001. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.1054

NIDA. 2021, April 13. How does marijuana produce its effects?. Retrieved from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/how-does-mariju
ana-produce-its-effects on 2021, September 9

Fergusson DM, Boden JM. Cannabis use and later life outcomes. Addict Abingdon
Engl. 2008;103(6):969-976; discussion 977-978.
doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02221.x
NIDA. 2021, April 13. What are marijuana's long-term effects on the brain?.
Retrieved from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-are-mariju
anas-long-term-effects-brain on 2021, September 9

NIDA. 2021, April 13. How does marijuana use affect school, work, and social life?.
Retrieved from
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/how-does-mariju
ana-use-affect-school-work-social-life on 2021, September 9

Auer R, Vittinghoff E, Yaffe K, et al. Association between lifetime marijuana use and
cognitive function in middle age: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young
Adults (CARDIA) Study. JAMA Intern Med. February 2016.
doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.7841

Scholastic. (2011). The science of the endocannabinoid system: How THC affects
the brain and the body. Scholastic. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from
http://headsup.scholastic.com/students/endocannabinoid.

Borodovsky, J. T., & Budney, A. J. (2018). Cannabis regulatory science: risk-benefit

considerations for mental disorders. International review of psychiatry (Abingdon,
England), 30(3), 183–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2018.1454406

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2017).

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
(US), N. I. (1970, January 01). Information about Alcohol. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20360/

Valenzuela, F. (1997). Alcohol and Neurotransmitter Interactions. Retrieved October

9, 2021, from https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh21-2/144.pdf.

Alcohol.org (2021)Effects of Alcoholism on Families & Close Relationships.

Retrieved from https://www.alcohol.org/faq/problems-associated-with-alcoholism/

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). (2018). Comorbidity:

Substance Use Disorders and Other Mental Illnesses.