Introduction

Marijuana (weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, mary jane) is the dried part of the plant ‘Cannabis Sativa’ especially the flowering tops, leaves, stem of the plant. The main constituent of the marijuana which causes a person to become ‘high’ is Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is consumed in many forms such as inedible forms (hash cake or cookies), smoke using chillum, joints, and bong, blunts, and inhaled using an e-cigarette (vaping). According to the report of the World Health Organization (WHO), about 147 million people, 2.5% of the world population, consume cannabis in an annual review (WHO, 2020). Most of the users start consuming marijuana in their teens (12 or above) during which the development of the brain takes place. Due to consumption, the cognitive ability of an individual is affected which is a serious issue. The rate of consumption from the year 2019 is 15.90% (12 years), 34.80% (18-25 years), 13.30% (26 years-above) is increasing significantly (NIDA, 2020). Most teens and adults start for recreation purposes and gradually they become addicted. Finally, when they decide to restrict themselves from consuming they experience cannabis withdrawal syndrome which makes them psychologically weak and they re-consume to overcome the withdrawal which leads to substance abuse. This whole scenario leads a person towards psychological disorder in their body.

Metabolism of Marijuana in our Body

The metabolism of marijuana in our body depends upon the quality, quantity, and mode of consumption. Inhaling and smoking act faster than eating hash edibles. After consuming it through inhaling or smoking, it passes through the lungs and goes directly to the liver, where it is divided into metabolites i.e. THC, which is transferred to the whole body by the bloodstreams and finally reaches the brain where it enacts. The brain cells contain 2 natural occurring molecules which bind cannabinoid receptor and mimic the action of THC producing dopamine (neuro-transmitter) which is responsible for an individual to become ‘high’. THC is fat-soluble, it remains in the fatty tissues for a longer period, so its detection can be done for up to 30 days (Hall et al., 2001). After the interaction of THC with the brain cells, every individual’s body experiences different types of psychological effects that depend upon the mindset of an individual. Certain individuals experience a “good trip” (mania) and some experience a “bad trip” due to psychological issues which results in a panic, distress situation.

Adverse Effect of Marijuana Use

An individual experience psychological issues due to their panic or distress mindset else psychosis is not caused due to the dosage of marijuana rather the consumption of marijuana increase the probability of psychosis if it is genetically inherited. There is very little evident study that heavy dosage of marijuana causes psychotic disorder but users are more prone to have cognitive dysfunction with prolonged consumption. In the case of females, they experience less energetic, more emotional issues and psychological problems in comparison to males (Feeney et al., 2016). Psychological issues can be in the form of Cognitive (unable to process brain completely), psychosocial (an individual behavior towards societal factors) and psychomotor (related to the consciousness of an individual). Natural cannabis product affects differently from synthetic cannabis. Synthetic cannabis users are found to have significant impairment in long-term memory, working memory, inhibition compared to natural cannabis users, and non-cannabis users.

• Acute Psychological Effect: These effects are seen when a person consumes marijuana for a short period. An individual may experience impaired motor function, panic, anxiety, paranoia, breathlessness, euphoria (Akram et al., 2019). Some people may also face unpleasant effects like anxiety, panic reaction, and depression. Psychotic symptoms like delusion (something appears which is not present), hallucination (auditory, visual) with an increase in dose. Psychomotor effects (a problem in concentrating especially in case of driving) the user is generally aware of the psychomotor impairment (Hall et al., 2001).

• Chronic Psychological Effect: These effects are seen when a person is indulged in consuming marijuana for a prolonged time. Specially observed in teens and adults those who started consuming at an early age.