Cannabis and Cognitive Functioning The debate surrounding the recreational and medical use of cannabis has historically been incredibly controversial, and its popularity is on the rise. Many argue that there are no disadvantages to its use, often falling back on the argument "alcohol is worse", while those who oppose its use say the opposite. In 2013, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) surveyed 70,000 Americans ages 12 and older and found that 7.3 percent of Americans regularly used marijuana in 2012, showing an increase in use in recent years. While cannabis is still considered an illegal substance in most of the country, several states are starting to change their views, allowing medical marijuana use in some and even full legal recreational use in others, like Colorado. The main question driving this debate is: how does cannabis affect the mind? Legalization depends a lot on people's health and safety concerns, so in this article I discuss cannabis and its effects on both short- and long-term cognitive function. Cannabis is the substance from the plant Cannabis sativa, which can be found in regions all over the world (Solowij, 13). The plant itself contains more than 60 cannabinoid compounds, but the primary psychoactive compound is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Gaoni & Mechoulam, 1964). Howlett and colleagues found that cannabinoids inhibit the enzyme that synthesizes cyclic AMP in cultured nerve cells. Since many receptors transmit their signals within the cell by modifying cellular cyclic AMP, this evidence suggests that cannabinoids did not simply dissolve nonspecifically in membranes, but rather acted through their own receptors (Howlett et al., ... middle of paper ......d during acute cannabis intoxication and over years of recreational cannabis use While all of this may be true and support the proposition that marijuana should remain illegal, the debate will continue, especially as it appears that the country and other parts of the world are beginning to lean more and more towards its legalization. References Solowij et al (2002), 1123-1131. Wadsworth, EJ, Moss, S., Simpson, S., & Smith, A. (2006). Cannabis, N. (1998). : Cambridge University Press.*All other citations can be found in the reference above*