Marijuana
Marijuana is a brown, green or brownish red mixture of dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Marijuana has many street names such as pot, weed, and chronic. Hashish (hash), and hash oil are stronger forms of marijuana. All forms of cannibus are mind altering. Marijuana users will usually smoke marijuana rolled in a cigarette paper (called a “joint” or “nail”), cigar wrappers (called a “blunt”), or in pipes or bongs, but it can also be boiled into a tea or cooked in food.
Some of the short-term effects of marijuana abuse include: problems with learning and memory; distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch); problems with thinking and problem solving; lack of coordination; and increased heart rate. Sometimes the effects of marijuana can be unpredictable, depending on the strength of the marijuana, or other drugs may be mixed with marijuana. Some of the long term physical effects of substance abuse with marijuana or THC are similar to those from smoking tobacco, and have recently been linked to some kinds of cancer, and problems with the respiratory and immune systems.
Signs and symptoms of marijuana abuse include: Red eyes; manic behavior (giggly, silly); increased appetite; lack of coordination; problems concentrating; slow reaction time; poor memory; increased blood pressure and heart rate; paranoid thinking. Some users of marijuana may feel nothing at all when they use the drug. Others may feel relaxed or “high”. Sometimes marijuana makes users feel thirsty and very hungry—an effect called “the munchies.” Other users may suffer bad reactions from abusing marijuana, such as sudden feelings of anxiety and/or have paranoid thoughts.
