TOW (what should be) 9

Muting Marijuana’s High: Pot Without the Impairment by Maia Szalavitz Time Magazine

Imagine a world where regular marijuana smokers live without the memory loss, reduced motivation, and craving of the drug. Researchers, in light of Colorado's legalization of marijuana, have conducted a study that has found a way to block the THC in marijuana. Maia Szalavitz is a neuroscience journalist and is described as TIME Magazine as obsessed with addiction, love, evidence-based living, empathy and pretty much everything related to brain and behavior. Szalavitz has been awarded the American Psychological Associations Division 50 Award for Contributions to the Addictions and the Media Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. She uses examples, facts, and information about the drug itself in order to show the positive possible aspects of marijuana use without the high. The article goes on to describe the study, which was published in Science, the researchers found that pregnenolone is part of a feedback loop that regulates the the brain’s cannabinoid receptors, which bind to marijuana’s main active ingredient, THC. Mice given high doses of THC produced more pregnenolone, and this ultimately blunted the response of the cannabinoid receptors, preventing them from producing a high. Because pregnenolone affects cannabinoid receptors indirectly, it did not block all of the effects of THC. But it may inhibit all of the known effects associated with misuse of the drug, like memory problems and craving for more. The target audience for this piece would be marijuana users and those who support the legalization of marijuana. Moreover, you could say the audience targeted are those interested in the legalization of marijuana in general, or those interested in the economy or politics. The legalization of marijuana has such a far reaching scope it touches nearly every aspect of American structure. From the hemp industry and taxation boost to the economy and controversy in politics the readers of this article could be endless as to the demographic.