Pot smoking has been highly debated for years, and the debate regarding casual recreational use of the drug and its applications in the treatment of pain continues.

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Does driving under the influence of marijuana have the same effect as driving while intoxicated by alcohol? Legislators in Colorado think it does.

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The age old debate is ongoing today as to whether marijuana is addictive or not. According to Psychology Today, the question has been raised for decades.

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Recently, the House of Representatives passed a medical marijuana bill with a 236-96 vote in their favor. They still face an uphill battle in the Senate, however in order to defeat the promised veto from Governor John Lynch.

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Those who use marijuana often insist it is harmless, and some believe that it is useful as a relief for chronic pain. There are, however, many psychological and physiological adverse effects associated with the drug, and many who use the drug become addicted to it.

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Addiction describes a biological process whereby a substance is introduced into a person’s body regularly until the person feels dependent upon that substance. Marijuana is a drug which most people use initially in what they describe as a recreational manner. In other words, many people begin using marijuana to unwind at the end of the day or to help them relax when they are facing stressful situations.

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On July 8th, Australia placed a ban on all substances that are like Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, including eight that were synthetic-based types.

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Researchers have officially confirmed that when people use marijuana, certain malfunctions occur within the cannabinoid brain receptors – resulting in a clearer picture of how to treat people with marijuana addictions. They also collected evidence that the damage to brain receptors may be reversible if the marijuana use is ended.

The research, conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health together with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, shows how a person’s ability to experience pleasure, to focus on a task, to understand the passage of time and to remember or have coordinated movements is affected by marijuana. The active chemical found in marijuana, THC, adheres to cannabinoid receptors at the brain level and impairs these functions, in addition to cannabinoid receptors found elsewhere in the systems related to digestion, breathing and cardiovascular health.

During the study, researchers looked at biological processes of 30 marijuana users for a month, using PET scanning and injections that allowed a view of how the marijuana was affecting their bodies.

When the half of the participants stopped using marijuana, they were examined again, according to a recent study report. Results showed that the receptor activity in the brain had jumped significantly without the marijuana usage, in comparison with receptor activity when the research started. Researchers summarized that marijuana causes reduced activity of certain receptors responsible for body processes and functions, but that with a cessation of marijuana use, this activity can return.

Further implications from the study include the importance of using PET imaging for studying several types of human illness.