MARIJUANA
Marijuana is a green, brown or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the hemp plant. Before the 1960s, many Americans had never heard of Marijuana, but today it is the most often used illegal drug in the United States.
Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, but the main active chemical is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The intensity of the "high" feeling depends on the amount of THC in the drug. Since the 1970s, the potency of this drug has increased and continues to rise.
There are many slang terms for Marijuana that differ depending on location. Often these terms are pot, herb, grass, weed, Mary Jane and reefer. You might also hear the names like loud, mid, mild, skunk, boom, gangster, kif or ganja. There are also street names for different "brands" of marijuana like Texas tea, Maui wowie and chronic.
People can become addicted to marijuana, and they can also develop a tolerance for the drug. Tolerance means that the person needs and increasingly larger amount of something to get the same desired effect.
Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, but the main active chemical is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The intensity of the "high" feeling depends on the amount of THC in the drug. Since the 1970s, the potency of this drug has increased and continues to rise.
There are many slang terms for Marijuana that differ depending on location. Often these terms are pot, herb, grass, weed, Mary Jane and reefer. You might also hear the names like loud, mid, mild, skunk, boom, gangster, kif or ganja. There are also street names for different "brands" of marijuana like Texas tea, Maui wowie and chronic.
People can become addicted to marijuana, and they can also develop a tolerance for the drug. Tolerance means that the person needs and increasingly larger amount of something to get the same desired effect.
How it's used
Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette, called a joint or nail, or smoke it in a pipe or water pipe, sometimes referred to as a bong. It can be mixed into food or brewed into teas.
Another method is to slice open a cigar and replace the tobacco with marijuana, making what's called a blunt. When the blunt is smoked with a 40-oz. bottle of malt liquor, it is called a B-40.
Other drugs can also be mixed into blunts or joints like crack cocaine. Sometimes they are dipped in PCP and called happy sticks, wicky sticks, love boat, dust, wets or tical.
Another method is to slice open a cigar and replace the tobacco with marijuana, making what's called a blunt. When the blunt is smoked with a 40-oz. bottle of malt liquor, it is called a B-40.
Other drugs can also be mixed into blunts or joints like crack cocaine. Sometimes they are dipped in PCP and called happy sticks, wicky sticks, love boat, dust, wets or tical.
How does marijuana affect the brain?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body.
THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the "high" that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentrating, sensory and time perception and coordinated movement. In teens, this translates into impaired short-term memory, perception, judgement and motor skills.
Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problem solving and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that, in chronic users, marijuana's negative effect on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a lower intellectual level all of the time.
Research into the effects of long-term marijuana use on the structure of the brain has yielded inconsistent results. It may be that the effects are too subtle for reliable detection by current techniques. A similar challenge arises in studies of the effects of chronic marijuana use on brain function. Brain imaging studies in chronic users tend to show some consistent alterations, but their connection to impaired cognitive functioning is far from clear. This uncertainty may stem from confounding factors such as other drug use, residual drug effects, or withdrawal symptoms in long-term chronic users.
THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the "high" that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentrating, sensory and time perception and coordinated movement. In teens, this translates into impaired short-term memory, perception, judgement and motor skills.
Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problem solving and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that, in chronic users, marijuana's negative effect on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a lower intellectual level all of the time.
Research into the effects of long-term marijuana use on the structure of the brain has yielded inconsistent results. It may be that the effects are too subtle for reliable detection by current techniques. A similar challenge arises in studies of the effects of chronic marijuana use on brain function. Brain imaging studies in chronic users tend to show some consistent alterations, but their connection to impaired cognitive functioning is far from clear. This uncertainty may stem from confounding factors such as other drug use, residual drug effects, or withdrawal symptoms in long-term chronic users.
HOW MANY USE IT
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2009, 16.7 million Americans aged 12 or older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed, an increase over the rates reported in all years between 2002 and 2008. There was also a significant increase among youth aged 12-17, with current use up from 6.7 percent in 2008, to 7.3 percent in 2009, although this rate is lower than what was reported in 2002 (8.2 percent). Past-month use also increased among those 18-25, from 16.5 percent in 2008 to 18.1 percent in 2009.
Results from the 2009 Monitoring the Future survey show, as in the past few years, a stall in the decline of marijuana use that began in the late 1990s among our Nation's youth. In 2009, 11.8 percent of 8th-graders, 26.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 32.8 percent of 12th-graders reported past-year use. In addition, perceived risk of marijuana use declined among 8th- and 10th-graders, and disapproval of marijuana use declined among 10th-graders. This is a concern because changes in attitudes and beliefs often drive changes in drug use.
Results from the 2009 Monitoring the Future survey show, as in the past few years, a stall in the decline of marijuana use that began in the late 1990s among our Nation's youth. In 2009, 11.8 percent of 8th-graders, 26.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 32.8 percent of 12th-graders reported past-year use. In addition, perceived risk of marijuana use declined among 8th- and 10th-graders, and disapproval of marijuana use declined among 10th-graders. This is a concern because changes in attitudes and beliefs often drive changes in drug use.
How can I tell if my child is using it?
Parents should be aware of their child's behavior. Look for signs of withdrawal, depression, fatigue, carelessness with grooming, hostility and deteriorating relationships with family and friends.
If someone is high on marijuana he or she might:
If someone is high on marijuana he or she might:
- Seem dizzy and have trouble walking
- Seem silly and giggly for no reason
- Have very red, bloodshot eyes
- Have a hard time remembering things that just happened
- Feel very sleepy after the early effects fade
WHY DO YOUNG PEOPLE USE MARIJUANA?
Often teens are curious about marijuana, or they desire to fit into a social group who is using it. Other times the young person might already be smoking or using alcohol, which puts them at a higher risk for marijuana use.
All aspects of a child's environment help determine whether the child will try drugs. Some research shows that parents or other family members who use alcohol or other drugs in the home plays a strong role in whether or not children will start using drugs. Other children have a network of friends who use drugs and urge them to do the same. Researchers have found that children and teens who are physically or sexually abused have a higher risk of abusing marijuana and other drugs.
Those who become heavily involved with marijuana can become dependent, making it difficult for them to quit. Others use it as a coping mechanism.
All aspects of a child's environment help determine whether the child will try drugs. Some research shows that parents or other family members who use alcohol or other drugs in the home plays a strong role in whether or not children will start using drugs. Other children have a network of friends who use drugs and urge them to do the same. Researchers have found that children and teens who are physically or sexually abused have a higher risk of abusing marijuana and other drugs.
Those who become heavily involved with marijuana can become dependent, making it difficult for them to quit. Others use it as a coping mechanism.
How can I prevent my child from getting involved with marijuana?
Parents can influence children's decisions by talking to them about drugs and alcohol, including marijuana. Parents are also encouraged to stay involved in the lives of their children and monitor their teens and preteens when they are not at school. For more on talking to your teen or preteen about drugs and alcohol click here.
