Marijuana Paper Guide
What to put in each section, how to handle marijuana’s tricky classification, which neurotransmitters to cover, and the exact addiction angle the rubric is looking for — all without the fluff.
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You need to pick one drug — you chose marijuana — and explain it through five specific lenses: what it is and how it’s classified, what it does to the brain at the neurotransmitter level, how it affects sensation and perception in the short and long term, and what physical and psychological addiction looks like. The rubric weights each section equally at 26 points, so no section is optional padding. Each one needs real substance.
The biggest trap students fall into is writing a general “marijuana is bad/good” essay. The rubric doesn’t care about your opinion on legalization, medical use, or cultural attitudes. It’s testing whether you can explain the neuroscience accurately. Every paragraph should be answering one of these questions: what is it, what does it do to the brain, what does that feel like, and what happens when someone can’t stop.
The paper uses the GCU APA template. That means five sections with bold APA-style headings, no direct quotes (paraphrase everything), third-person pronouns only, and a references page with at least the textbook and one additional source. The OpenStax Psychology 2e textbook is your primary source — chapter 4 on states of consciousness covers most of what you need. NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) is the standard secondary source for this type of assignment.
Five Required Sections
Drug Description, Effects on the Brain, Effects on Sensation/Perception/Consciousness, Aspects of Addiction, and Conclusion. Each needs real paragraphs with citations.
No Direct Quotes
The assignment template explicitly says to paraphrase and cite. Using direct quotes, even short ones, goes against the assignment instructions regardless of citation format.
Third Person Only
Use “users,” “individuals,” “people who use marijuana” — not “you” or “we.” This is a consistent marker the rubric checks under mechanics.
Scholarly Sources
The textbook counts as one source. Add NIDA, a peer-reviewed journal article, or another textbook chapter. Avoid Wikipedia, WebMD, or news articles for citations.
Check Your Rubric Before You Start Writing
The rubric has five content criteria and three writing criteria (thesis, development, evidence, mechanics, format). “Target” level on each content criterion requires going beyond surface-level description — not just what something is, but why it works that way and what the implications are. Read the “Target” column for each criterion before you write that section.
Drug Description: Marijuana’s Classification (This Is Where Most Students Get It Wrong)
The rubric asks you to classify marijuana as a stimulant, depressant, opioid, or hallucinogen. Here’s the catch: marijuana doesn’t fit cleanly into one box, and good papers acknowledge that.
At standard doses, marijuana acts primarily as a depressant — it slows central nervous system activity, reduces reaction time, lowers inhibition, and produces relaxation and sedation. At higher doses, it crosses into hallucinogen territory — producing distorted time perception, altered sensory experiences, and in some cases mild visual or auditory changes. For this assignment, classify it as a depressant with hallucinogenic properties and explain both. Picking only one and ignoring the other is the surface-level answer.
The active compound is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). That’s the molecule doing most of the work. Marijuana also contains CBD (cannabidiol) and over 100 other cannabinoids, but THC is primarily responsible for the psychoactive effects you’re describing in this paper. Don’t just write “marijuana contains THC” — explain what THC is and why it matters at a chemical level.
What to Include in Drug Description
Content that moves you from “Approaching” to “Target” on the rubric
- Dual classification: depressant + hallucinogen with explanation of why
- Active compound (THC) and its chemical nature
- How marijuana is consumed (smoked, vaped, ingested) and why that affects onset
- Common street names vs. scientific name (Cannabis sativa/indica)
- Legal classification: Schedule I controlled substance under federal law
- The endocannabinoid system — this is the system THC hijacks
- Potency differences in modern marijuana vs. historical samples
- Distinction between THC (psychoactive) and CBD (non-psychoactive)
One Classification Debate You Should Address
Some sources classify marijuana under a separate “cannabinoid” category rather than lumping it with traditional depressants or hallucinogens. Acknowledging this shows you’ve gone beyond surface knowledge. You can note that while marijuana has properties of both depressants and hallucinogens, its unique mechanism through the endocannabinoid system has led some researchers to classify it as its own category. The Spielman et al. (2024) textbook is a good source for this nuance.
Effects on the Brain: Neurotransmitters and Mechanisms
This section needs to go beyond “it affects dopamine.” The rubric checks whether you explain not just which neurotransmitters are involved but how they’re affected. That means explaining the direction of the effect (increase, decrease, mimicry, inhibition) and what the consequence is for the person.
The Endocannabinoid System — Start Here
THC works by binding to CB1 (cannabinoid type 1) receptors, which are part of the body’s endocannabinoid system. This system normally uses its own cannabinoids (like anandamide) to regulate mood, memory, appetite, and pain. THC mimics these natural compounds but binds more strongly and lasts longer, effectively flooding a system designed for subtle, precise signaling with an exaggerated version of its own signals. That’s the mechanism behind everything else in this section.
| Neurotransmitter | How THC Affects It | What That Produces in the User |
|---|---|---|
| Dopamine | THC indirectly increases dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (the brain’s reward center) by suppressing inhibitory neurons | The characteristic “high” — euphoria, pleasure, motivation to use again (basis of addiction) |
| GABA | THC suppresses GABA release in certain brain regions, reducing the natural inhibitory “brake” on neural activity | Relaxation, reduced anxiety at lower doses; increased anxiety or paranoia when GABA suppression is excessive |
| Glutamate | THC reduces glutamate activity in the hippocampus, suppressing the excitatory signals needed for memory formation | Short-term memory impairment — the classic difficulty remembering recent events during intoxication |
| Serotonin | THC modestly increases serotonin activity at lower doses | Mood elevation, relaxation; but chronic use is associated with serotonin dysregulation and depressive symptoms |
| Acetylcholine | THC inhibits acetylcholine release in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex | Further impairment of memory and attention; contributes to the “foggy” cognitive state |
| Norepinephrine | THC can trigger norepinephrine release in high doses | Increased heart rate, heightened alertness or anxiety, the “racing heart” some users experience |
Don’t Just List Neurotransmitters — Explain the Chain of Effects
A common mistake is writing: “Marijuana affects dopamine, GABA, glutamate, and serotonin.” That’s a list, not an explanation. The rubric at Target level wants you to show you understand the mechanism. For each neurotransmitter, write what direction the effect goes (increases/decreases/modulates), in which brain region, and what behavioral or psychological effect that produces. At minimum cover dopamine (reward/addiction), glutamate (memory), and GABA (relaxation/anxiety). Then add one or two more for depth.
Brain Regions to Mention
Connecting neurotransmitter effects to specific brain structures shows genuine understanding. The textbook won’t give you all of this — you’ll need NIDA or a secondary source for some of it, which is exactly what the evidence criterion is looking for.
Hippocampus
CB1 receptors are densely concentrated here. THC impairs glutamate and acetylcholine function in this region, directly causing the short-term memory deficits associated with marijuana use.
Nucleus Accumbens
The brain’s reward hub. THC-driven dopamine release here is the central mechanism of marijuana’s rewarding properties and is directly linked to dependency development.
Cerebellum & Basal Ganglia
High CB1 density here explains the motor coordination impairment — reduced balance, slowed reaction time, impaired fine motor skills — that makes driving under the influence dangerous.
Amygdala
THC activity in the amygdala explains the bidirectional anxiety effects — low doses reduce anxiety, higher doses amplify it. This region also links to paranoia at high THC concentrations.
THC doesn’t create a new system in the brain — it commandeers one that already exists. The endocannabinoid system is a real, functional regulatory network. THC just arrives with a much louder signal than the one it’s replacing.
— Adapted from NIDA, Drugs and the Brain (2022)Sensation, Perception, and Consciousness: Short-Term and Long-Term
This section has three distinct sub-topics packed into one: the five senses, perception, and consciousness. The rubric checks all three, so don’t write only about how marijuana makes colors look different and call it done. And crucially, it asks for both short-term and long-term effects — two different time frames with meaningfully different content.
Short-Term Effects
Sensation (the Five Senses) — Short-Term
Effects that appear during or shortly after intoxication
- Vision: colors appear more vivid and saturated; edges seem sharper; visual patterns may seem more dynamic
- Hearing: music perception is altered — tempo feels slower, notes seem more distinct; heightened auditory sensitivity
- Taste and smell: both significantly enhanced (“the munchies” partly results from heightened taste sensitivity combined with appetite-stimulating effects on the hypothalamus)
- Touch: skin sensitivity increases; pain threshold is altered (THC modulates pain signaling at the spinal cord level)
- Proprioception: sense of where the body is in space becomes distorted, contributing to motor impairment
Perception and Consciousness — Short-Term
Higher-order alterations in how the brain interprets experience
- Time perception: time passes more slowly than actual clock time — a few minutes can feel like an hour
- Spatial perception: depth and distance judgments become unreliable
- Altered sense of self: ego boundaries can feel more permeable, especially at high doses
- Altered state of consciousness: attention narrows, the stream of thought becomes more associative and less linear
- Mild dissociation is possible at higher doses — feeling detached from one’s body or surroundings
- Impaired working memory: difficulty tracking a conversation or completing a multi-step task
Long-Term Effects (Chronic Use)
This is the part most students write too little about. The rubric won’t award Target level if you only cover the immediate high. Long-term effects from chronic use represent the brain adapting to persistent THC exposure — and the adaptations are the opposite of what happens acutely.
Long-Term Sensory and Perceptual Effects
From chronic use — particularly relevant when use begins in adolescence
- Chronic users report diminished sensory sensitivity over time — the initial sensory enhancement reverses as the brain downregulates CB1 receptors
- Olfactory impairment: long-term smokers show reduced smell sensitivity unrelated to smoking itself
- Visual processing deficits: studies document slowed visual processing speed and reduced contrast sensitivity in heavy users
- Persistent memory deficits: verbal memory, learning, and recall remain impaired even after a month of abstinence in heavy users
- Amotivational syndrome: blunted emotional response, reduced pleasure from non-drug activities (related to dopamine system changes)
- Adolescent-onset use shows significantly worse cognitive outcomes — the developing brain is more vulnerable to CB1 disruption
- Altered consciousness baseline: heavy users report anhedonia, depersonalization, and reduced sense of presence when not using
How to Structure This Section for Maximum Rubric Credit
Don’t separate “sensation” from “perception” from “consciousness” into three labeled sub-sections — that’s clunky and unnecessary. Instead, write two substantive paragraphs: one on short-term effects (covering all three areas), and one on long-term effects (covering all three areas). Each paragraph needs a clear topic sentence and should be at least 4-5 sentences with in-text citations. This structure reads well and hits all the rubric checkpoints naturally.
Physical and Psychological Addiction: How to Address the Debate
Here’s where this assignment gets interesting. For decades, marijuana was described as “not physically addictive” — and some students still write that because it’s in older sources. Current science is more nuanced, and the rubric rewards nuance.
The accurate answer: Marijuana produces both psychological dependence and, with heavy chronic use, a measurable physical withdrawal syndrome. The debate is over intensity and prevalence, not existence. Approximately 9% of people who use marijuana develop dependence (that rises to about 17% for those who start in adolescence). The DSM-5 recognizes Cannabis Use Disorder as a formal diagnosis.
Psychological Aspects
The psychological addiction mechanism is the dopamine system. Regular THC-driven dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens trains the brain to expect and seek that reward. Over time, natural pleasures become less rewarding by comparison (reward tolerance). Cravings, preoccupation with obtaining marijuana, continued use despite negative consequences, and using more than intended are all psychological hallmarks the rubric is looking for.
There’s also a learned behavior component: environmental cues (certain people, places, smells, stress triggers) become conditioned to trigger cravings through classical conditioning of the dopamine system. This is why relapse rates remain high even after physical symptoms resolve.
Physical Aspects
The physical withdrawal syndrome from marijuana is real but milder than opioids or alcohol. It typically begins 1-2 days after stopping and peaks around day 3-4. Key symptoms include:
Cannabis Withdrawal Syndrome (Physical Symptoms)
Recognized by DSM-5 and documented in research literature
- Irritability, anger, and mood disturbances (most consistent finding)
- Sleep disturbances — insomnia, vivid or strange dreams
- Decreased appetite and weight loss
- Restlessness and physical tension
- Depressed mood
- Sweating, chills, and mild fever (less common)
- Headaches and stomach discomfort
- Symptoms typically resolve within 1-2 weeks in most users
Avoid the “Marijuana Isn’t Addictive” Claim
Some sources still carry this claim, especially older textbooks and advocacy websites. The DSM-5 (2013) formally recognized Cannabis Use Disorder, and research since then has consistently documented withdrawal symptoms in heavy users. Using outdated sources on this point will cost you on both the content criteria and the evidence criterion. Stick to NIDA, DSM-5 referenced literature, or recent peer-reviewed sources published after 2013.
Paper Structure, Thesis, and Writing Mechanics
The APA template gives you the exact sections. Here’s how to execute each one well without wasting words.
Introduction with a Real Thesis
Start with a factual statement about marijuana prevalence or its growing legal status — something grounded and citable. Then introduce the purpose of the paper in a sentence or two. End with a thesis that names the four things the paper will cover: classification, brain effects, sensory/perceptual/consciousness effects, and addiction. The thesis isn’t “This paper will discuss marijuana” — that’s not a thesis, it’s a table of contents. A real thesis makes a claim: “Marijuana’s classification as both a depressant and hallucinogen reflects its dual mechanism — sedating the central nervous system while simultaneously altering sensory perception and consciousness through the endocannabinoid system, with dependency risks that are often underestimated.”
Drug Description — Lead with Classification, Follow with Mechanism
First paragraph: classification (depressant/hallucinogen) with rationale and the textbook’s definition of each type. Second paragraph: THC as active compound, the endocannabinoid system as target, how method of administration affects onset timing. The assignment says “specific characteristics of this classification” — that means explaining what makes depressants and hallucinogens distinct as drug classes, not just labeling marijuana as one of them.
Effects on the Brain — Structure by Neurotransmitter, Not Just by Effect
Cover at minimum: dopamine (reward/motivation), glutamate (memory), GABA (anxiety/relaxation). Add the endocannabinoid context upfront so the neurotransmitter effects are anchored to a mechanism rather than appearing as a random list. Each neurotransmitter paragraph should explain the direction of the effect, where in the brain, and what behavioral consequence follows. This section can be two or three solid paragraphs — don’t rush it.
Sensation, Perception & Consciousness — Split into Short-Term and Long-Term
Two paragraphs works well here: one covering the immediate intoxicated state across all five senses plus perception and consciousness, one covering what changes with chronic, long-term use. The assignment template bolds “short- and long-term effects” — make sure both are present and substantive. Students who only write about the acute high miss the long-term section entirely.
Aspects of Addiction — Address the Physical/Psychological Split Directly
The assignment says “five-eight sentences” — so this isn’t the shortest section, but it’s not a full-page analysis either. Divide it clearly: psychological addiction (craving, reward pathway, behavioral conditioning) and physical withdrawal (specific symptoms, timeline, population statistics). End with a sentence about treatment or the implications of dependency. Use NIDA as a source here alongside the textbook.
Conclusion — Three to Five Sentences That Synthesize, Not Repeat
The template says “three to five sentences.” Don’t use the conclusion to repeat everything you said. Use it to state the most important takeaway — something like: the full picture of marijuana’s impact on the brain reveals why characterizing it as simply “safe” or “harmless” misses the neuroscience. What should the reader walk away understanding? Write that. Cite nothing new in the conclusion.
Paraphrasing Without Accidentally Plagiarizing
The template gives you a specific writing tip: read the source, put it away, then write from memory. That’s actually the most reliable way to paraphrase correctly. If you’re reading the source and writing at the same time, you’ll end up with minimally-changed wording even without intending to copy. The criterion isn’t whether you cite correctly — it’s whether the words are genuinely yours. Same idea, completely different sentence structure and vocabulary, with a citation at the end.
Which Sources to Use (and Which to Skip)
The assignment template provides three sample references: a journal article (Joe et al., 2019), a NIDA web page (2022), and the OpenStax textbook (Spielman et al., 2024). Those last two are your starting point. The rubric’s evidence criterion specifically rewards “specific and appropriate evidence” that “considers other perspectives” — meaning one source isn’t enough for Target level.
Reliable Sources for This Paper
- Spielman et al. (2024) — Psychology 2e OpenStax — your primary textbook source
- NIDA (nida.nih.gov) — current, evidence-based, regularly updated
- DSM-5 referenced literature — for the addiction/Cannabis Use Disorder section
- Peer-reviewed journals: Journal of Psychopharmacology, Neuropsychopharmacology, Addiction
- American Psychological Association (APA) publications on substance use
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) — for prevalence statistics
Sources to Avoid
- Wikipedia — not peer-reviewed; doesn’t count as scholarly
- WebMD, Healthline, Verywell Mind — consumer health sites, not academic
- Marijuana advocacy or anti-marijuana websites — obvious bias, poor sourcing
- News articles (NYT, CNN, etc.) — current events, not scholarship
- Sources older than 2010 on addiction specifics — the field has changed substantially
- Drug rehab facility websites — conflict of interest, often exaggerated claims
One Verified External Source Worth Using
The National Institute on Drug Abuse publishes a detailed page titled “Marijuana DrugFacts” that covers classification, brain effects, and addiction in accessible language with citations to peer-reviewed literature. URL: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana. It’s updated regularly, cites primary research, and is specifically recommended in the assignment’s sample reference list. APA format: National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Marijuana DrugFacts. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana
APA Format Reminders for This Assignment
| Element | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| In-text citation | Author last name + year; for paraphrase only, no page number needed | (Spielman et al., 2024) |
| Multiple authors | 3+ authors: use “et al.” from first citation onward in APA 7th | (Spielman et al., 2024) |
| Organization as author | Spell out fully in first citation; abbreviate after if well-known | First: (National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], 2022); After: (NIDA, 2022) |
| Website reference | Author/org + year + title in italics + URL. No “Retrieved from” needed in APA 7th | National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Marijuana DrugFacts. https://nida.nih.gov/… |
| Textbook reference | Authors + year + title in italics + edition + publisher + URL if online | Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2024). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. |