Marijuana
Color photo of a field of
'Northern Lights' hybrids in Southern Spain.
Photo by The Spliff Smoker, © 2000 Erowid.
I.
Marijuana
A. What are the street
names/slang terms for it?
Aunt Mary, Boom, Chronic, Dope ganja, Gangster, Grass, Hash,
Herb, Kif, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Sinsemilla, Skunk, Weed
B. What is it?
1. Marijuana,
the most often used illegal drug in this country, is a product of
the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa.
2. The main
active chemical in marijuana, also present in other forms of
cannabis, is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).
3. Of the
roughly 400 chemicals found in the cannabis plant, THC affects
the brain the most.
C. What does it look
like?
Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers
and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).
D. How is it used?
Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette called a
"joint". It can be smoked in a water pipe, called a
"bong", or mixed into food or brewed as tea. It has
also appeared in cigars called "blunts".
E. What are its
short-term effects?
Short-term effects of marijuana include problems with memory and
learning, distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch),
trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor
coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety.
F. These effects
are even greater when other drugs are mixed with marijuana. A
user may also experience dry mouth and throat.
G. What are its
long-term effects?
1. Marijuana
smoke contains some of the same cancer-causing compounds as
tobacco, sometimes in higher concentrations.
2. 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.
H. What is its federal
classification?
1. Marijuana is
a Schedule I drug.
I. An
estimated 50 million Americans have used marijuana at least once.
Next to tobacco, and alcohol in some areas, marijuana is the most
popular substance chosen by young people for regular use.
J. The
source of marijuana is the hemp plant (cannabis sativa) and its
content of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and other cannaboids
found in the leaves and flowering shoots of the plant.
K. Hashish is a
resinous substance, taken from the tops of female plants, which
contains the highest concentration of THC.
1. The drug dose
delivered from any particular preparation of marijuana greatly
varies; the concentration of THC may vary as much as a hundred
fold, due to diluents or contaminants in the sample.
L. The effects
of marijuana may be noted within seconds to several minutes after
inhaling the smoke (from a joint or a pipe) or within 30 to 60
minutes after ingestion (eating foods containing marijuana such
as brownies).
M. Because the effects are
felt almost immediately by the smoker, further inhalation can be
stopped at any time and the effect therefore regulated.
N. In contrast, those
ingesting marijuana experience effects that are slower to
develop, cumulative, longer lasting, and more variable, making
unpleasant reactions more likely with this method of
administration.
II.
The primary effects of marijuana
A. Behavioral, because
the drug affects the central nervous system (CNS).
B. Popular use of
marijuana has arisen from its effects of euphoria, sense of
relaxation, increased visual, auditory, and taste perceptions
that may occur with low to moderate doses of the drug.
C. Unpleasant effects
that may occur include depersonalization, changed body image,
disorientation and acute panic reactions or severe paranoia.
D. Some cases of
severe delirium and hallucinations have also been reported. Such cases should raise
suspicion that the marijuana may have been laced with another
agent such as PCP.
E. Marijuana has
specific effects that may decrease one's ability to perform tasks
requiring a great deal of coordination (such as driving a car).
F. Visual
tracking is impaired and the sense of time is typically
prolonged.
G. Learning may be
greatly affected because the drug diminishes one's ability to
concentrate attention.
H. Studies have shown
that learning may become "state-dependent" meaning that
information acquired or learned while under the influence of
marijuana is best recalled in the same state of drug influence.
I. An
"amotivational syndrome" may be noted in regular users.
1. This is
characterized by a loss of energy, a lack of concentration, impaired memory (especially short term), decreased effectiveness and
performance at school and work, and a general lack of ambition
and drive to work towards long-term goals.
J. Other
marijuana effects may include injected (blood-shot) eyes;
increased heart rate and blood pressure; bronchodilatation, or in some users, bronchial
irritation leading to bronchoconstriction and/or bronchospasm; pharyngitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, and asthma in heavy users; reversible infertility due to decreased sperm motility and counts in male
users; and possible detrimental effects upon the immune system.
K. Regular users, upon
discontinuation of marijuana, may experience withdrawal effects.
1. These may
include agitation, insomnia, irritability, and anxiety.
2. Because the metabolite (the substance formed when the body breaks marijuana
down) of marijuana may be stored in the body's fat tissue,
evidence of marijuana may be demonstrated through urine assay
testing up to 1 month after discontinuing the drug.
References
NIDA - Facts about Marijuana. http://www.nida.nih.gov/MarijBroch/Marijintro.html.
2001. Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Drug Abuse. http://medlineplus.adam.com/ency/article/001945.htm. 2001. Medline Plus Health Information.