Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. It can also be called pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, hydro, ganga, hemp, or bang.
All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. In other words, they change how the brain works. They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana. They also contain more than 400 other chemicals. Marijuana´s effects on the user depend on the strength or potency of the THC it contains. THC potency of marijuana has increased since the 1970s but has been about the same since the mid-1980s.
SLS Web Magazine |
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Frequently Asked Questions About Marijuana BY: Robert DeLetis
What is marijuana?
Methods of Use?
Marijuana is usually smoked in a joint, blunt, or water pipe. It can also be eaten, or made into a punch.
How long does marijuana stay in the user´s body?
THC in marijuana is strongly absorbed by fatty tissues in various organs. Generally, traces of THC can be detected by standard urine testing methods several days after a smoking session. However, in heavy chronic users, traces can sometimes be detected for weeks and up to 30 days after they have stopped using marijuana.
What happens if you smoke marijuana?
The effects of the drug on each person depend on the user´s experience, as well as:
Some users can get bad effects from marijuana. They may suffer sudden feelings of anxiety and have paranoid thoughts. This is more likely to happen when a more potent variety of marijuana is used.
What are the mental or emotional effects of marijuana?
Marijuana produces a high feeling of euphoria and a state of relaxation. Reactions may be slower, short-term memory is affected, and at times people have experienced an altered sense of time and distance. When people smoke marijuana it causes psychological reactions such as confusion, anxiety, panic, paranoia, decreased cognitive functioning and hallucinations.
What are the short-term effects of marijuana use?
The short-term effects of marijuana include:
What are the long-term effects of marijuana use?
Findings so far show that regular use of marijuana or THC may play a role in some kinds of cancer and in problems with the respiratory and immune systems. Cancer It´s hard to know for sure whether regular marijuana use causes cancer. But it is known that marijuana contains some of the same and sometimes even more of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day. Lungs and airways People who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have: coughing and wheezing. They tend to have more chest colds than nonusers. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections like pneumonia. Immune system Animal studies have found that THC can damage the cells and tissues in the body that help protect people from disease. When the immune cells are weakened, you are more likely to get sick.
What does marijuana do to the brain?
Some studies show that when people have smoked large amounts of marijuana for years, the drug takes its toll on mental functions. Heavy or daily use of marijuana affects the parts of the brain that control memory, attention, and learning. A working short-term memory is needed to learn and perform tasks that call for more than one or two steps. Smoking marijuana causes some changes in the brain that are like those caused by cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Some researchers believe that these changes may put a person more at risk of becoming addicted to other drugs, such as cocaine or heroin. Scientists are still learning about the many ways that marijuana could affect the brain.
Can people become addicted to marijuana?
Yes. While not everyone who uses marijuana becomes addicted, when a user begins to seek out and take the drug compulsively, that person is said to be dependent or addicted to the drug. In 1995, 165,000 people entering drug treatment programs reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, showing they needed help to stop using the drug. According to one study, marijuana use by teenagers who have prior serious antisocial problems can quickly lead to dependence on the drug. Some frequent, heavy users of marijuana develop a tolerance for it. "Tolerance" means that the user needs larger doses of the drug to get the same desired results that he or she used to get from smaller amounts.
What if a person wants to quit using the drug?
Up until a few years ago, it was hard to find treatment programs specifically for marijuana users.
Now researchers are testing different ways to help marijuana users abstain from drug use. There are currently no medications for treating marijuana addiction. Treatment programs focus on counseling and group support systems. There are also a number of programs designed especially to help teenagers who are abusers. Family doctors are also a good source for information and help in dealing with adolescent marijuana problems.
References
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