| The amygdala has several functions, most of which | | | | marijuana may have serious medical worth. In a study |
| are involved with assigning emotional value. With | | | | conducted by Jerry Kennard at they found the |
| out this part of the brain we wouldn't be more than | | | | active ingredient in marijuana, delta |
| a droid. The amygdala is constantly monitoring our | | | | 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), to have anti-anxiety |
| experience. A large proportion of the marijuana | | | | qualities. Participants in the study took thc pills and |
| "high" is created by the impact of THC on the | | | | were exposed to a series of pictures. The pictures |
| amygdala. | | | | were meant to draw an emotion – either |
| Marijuana turns the boring into fascination. We start | | | | comforting, or threatening. The amygdale, a part of |
| seeing the things most people have learned to ignore, | | | | the brain that regulates emotions, was less affected |
| suddenly noticing all 73 clouds floating high above. | | | | by threatening images in the users of the thc pill than |
| Your senses are turned on.. taste buds erupt over | | | | those exposed to the placebo. |
| your routine tv dinner. Movies are seen for a 3rd | | | | This may lead to breakthroughs in anti-anxiety |
| time, as though never seen before. Tests of driving | | | | pharmaceuticals. It would be great to see a natural |
| skills reveal that people compensate by slowing down | | | | remedy for anxiety instead of the addictive |
| and being more careful. Very different from drunk | | | | pharmaceuticals on the market right now. Tobacco |
| drivers, who tend to overestimate their skill and | | | | and pharmacy lobbyists in Washington don’t |
| actually increase speeds. | | | | want hemp to be grown because they see it as a |
| Once upon a time, in a place called the United States | | | | threat to their profitability. We need to realize that |
| of America, the hemp plant was harvested and | | | | hemp makes the strongest rope, can be easily |
| turned into paper. In fact, the Declaration of | | | | turned into an alternative fuel, and has medicinal |
| Independence was signed on hemp paper. Now | | | | value. |
| thanks to medical research, we are just realizing that | | | | |