Marijuana
Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. A dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, it usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong). It also is smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in combination with another drug. It might also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish and, as a sticky black liquid, hash oil. Marijuana smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor. There are countless street terms for marijuana including pot, herb, weed, grass, widow, ganja, and hash, as well as terms derived from trademarked varieties of cannabis, such as Bubble Gum, Northern Lights, Fruity Juice, Afghani #1, and a number of Skunk varieties.
The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain contain protein receptors that bind to THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana.
Side effects of marijuana use vary and include trouble remembering things, sleeplessness, anxiety, paranoia and an altered perception of time. Physical symptoms of marijuana use include:
- - Tremors (shaking)
- - Nausea
- - Headache
- - Worsening coordination
- - Breathing problems
- - Increased appetite
- - Reduced blood flow to the brain
- - Changes in the reproductive organs
In studies, marijuana has been linked to an increased risk in psychotic disorders. A PDF on the topic of Cannabis and Psychotic and Affective Mental Health is also available in our Current Research section.
More information on marijuana can be found at www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html.