MARIJUANA

T H E FA C T S

www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/the-truth-about-drugs.html
MARIJUANA
• Marijuana is one of the most abused drugs in the world. There is an ever-growing gap between
the latest science about marijuana and the myths surrounding it.
• Some people think that since it is legal in some places, it must be safe. But your body doesn’t know
a legal drug from an illegal drug. It only knows the effect the drug creates once you have taken it.
• Marijuana comes from the Indian hemp plant, and the part that contains the “drug” is found
primarily in the flowers (commonly called the “buds”) and much less in the seeds, leaves, and stems
of the plant.
• Marijuana, when sold, is a mixture of dried out leaves, stems, flowers and seeds of the hemp plant.
It is usually green, brown or gray in color.
• Hashish is tan, brown or black resin that is dried and pressed into bars, sticks or balls. When
smoked, both marijuana and hashish give off a distinctive, sweet odor.
• There are over 400 chemicals in marijuana and hashish. The chemical that causes intoxication or the
“high” in users is called THC (short for tetrahydrocannabinol).
– THC creates the mind-altering effects that classifies marijuana as a “drug.”
MARIJUANA
PLANT BUDS
MARIJUANA
• THC is the protective mechanism of the marijuana plant.
– Natural poisons or toxins that, when eaten, make animals sick or alter their mental capacity
• You may have heard someone say that because marijuana is a plant, it’s “natural” and so
it’s harmless. But it’s not.
• As for the medical uses of marijuana, it contains another chemical called CBD (short for
cannibidiol).
– This is the substance most often associated with creating medical benefits.
• Unlike THC, CBD does not cause a high.
• Its medical benefits are still being studied, as are methods to breed marijuana plants with
high CBD and low THC for medical use.
CANNABIS USE DISORDER –
C A U S E S , S Y M P T O M S , D I A G N OS I S , T R E A T M E N T , P A T H O L O GY

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRga0jg_yMs&list=PLxUVlgGHaqzZsefSO44zLiJ4fm2mxVVeQ&
index=5
MARIJUANA – HOW IT’S USED
• Marijuana can be smoked as a cigarette “joint”, but may also be smoked in a dry pipe or
a water pipe known as a “bong.”
• Sometimes users open up cigars and remove the tobacco, replacing it with pot—called a
“blunt.”
• It can also be mixed with food and eaten or brewed as tea. These are called “edibles”.
• When a person inhales the smoke from a joint or a pipe, he usually feels its effect within
minutes.
– The immediate sensations—increased heart rate, lessened coordination and balance, and a
“dreamy,” unreal state of mind—peak within the first 30 minutes.
•  These short term effects usually wear off in two to three hours, but they could last longer,
depending on how much the user takes, the potency of THC and the presence of other drugs
added into the mix.
MARIJUANA – HOW IT’S USED
• Aside from the discomfort that goes with sore throats and chest colds, it has been found that
smoking one joint gives as much exposure to cancer-producing chemicals as smoking four
to five cigarettes.
• Recent studies on young adults that smoke marijuana, found abnormalities in the brain related
to emotion, motivation and decision-making.
• When a person eats or drinks marijuana mixed food or drinks, it may take 30 to 45 minutes to
digest, so the length of time for the drug to become activated is longer.
– In other words, the person doesn’t feel the effects immediately.
– Because of this, people often eat more. When the effects finally hit, the chances of becoming
extremely intoxicated and even having a psychotic episode are greatly increased.
• The amount of marijuana in edibles can vary widely, and the amount of THC can be so great,
people have reported extreme paranoia and anxiety bordering on psychotic behavior as a result.
MARIJUANA
VAPING
• Vaping marijuana is done by placing raw cannabis or THC oil in a vaporizer or e-cigarette.
• While there are claims that this is a “healthier” way to consume marijuana, the effects of
vaporizers and e-cigarettes have not been fully researched in large-scale studies.

STREET NAMES:
•Pot •Astro Yurf •Roach
•Herb •Bhang •Puff
•Weed •Dagga •Texas Tea
•Buds •Dope
•Blaze •Hemp HASHISH
•Grass •Home Grown •Chocolate
•White Widow •J •Hash
•Ganja •Mary Jane
•Dry High •Reefer
MARIJUANA
HOW MARIJUANA HAS CHANGED OVER TIME

• The Indian hemp plant (from which cannabis drugs like marijuana and hashish are made) was
grown for use as a hallucinogen more than 2,000 years ago.
• The amount of THC in the hemp plant determines the strength of the drug. The amount of
THC found in marijuana is not consistent, and the level of THC has increased steadily.
• By using modern techniques, hemp growers have developed types of cannabis that have much
higher levels of THC than in the past. The average strength of the marijuana plant in the U.S.
today is around 15–20%. The highest level found in the plant is around 32%.
For comparison:
• The pot smoked at Woodstock in 1969 and through the late 1970s contained roughly 1% THC.
• In 1980, it was about 1%. By 1997, the average THC content was close to 5.1%; in 2008,
10.2%.
MARIJUANA
IS MARIJUANA MEDICINE?
• Components of the marijuana plant may have medicinal properties. That is not the same as “medicine.”
• Medicine is made when a laboratory extracts the medicinal compound, standardizes it (meaning
that it will do the same thing every time), and doses it (a standardized amount the doctor prescribes).
• The term “medical marijuana” is often applied to the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its crude
extracts, which are not recognized or approved as medicine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
for any illness.
• Because marijuana is sometimes marketed as a medicine, perception of the drug has changed. But the
basic facts about marijuana haven’t changed just because it’s marketed as a “medicine.”
– while the debate over legalization presses on, legal does not equal safe.
• Many of the chemicals extracted from Marijuana are used to treat SYMPTOMS of certain illnesses
(glaucoma, cancers, epilepsy, etc.) Marijuana is not used to cure any illness nor does it effects help any
better than other medications on the market.

https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2019/basics-on-medical-marijuana.html
MARIJUANA
Does Marijuana use affect driving?
• The use of marijuana significantly impairs judgment, coordination and reaction time—all skills needed to drive
safely.
– Marijuana is the second most commonly psychoactive substance found among drivers after alcohol.
• Marijuana users are 3 to 7 times more likely to have a car crash.
• Driving under the influence of cannabis is associated with a 92% increased risk of vehicular crashes. Important
is the fact that such driving was associated with a 110% increase in fatal crashes.
• AAA reported that in the U.S. cannabis-involved fatalities increased from 8% in 2013
to 17% in 2014.
• In Colorado, marijuana use increased significantly starting in 2009, and a study found that the proportion of
drivers in fatal car crashes in Colorado testing positive for marijuana had risen from 5.9% in 2009 to 10% in
2011.
• In the state of Washington, fatal driving accidents have risen 122% between 2010 and 2014.
• In California, the percentage of drivers testing positive for marijuana that were involved in fatal car crashes
rose from 9% in 2005 to 16.5% in 2014.
MARIJUANA – HARMFUL EFFECTS
• The immediate effects of taking marijuana include rapid heart beat, disorientation, lack of physical
coordination, often followed by depression or sleepiness.
– Some users suffer panic attacks or anxiety.
• But the problem does not end there. According to scientific studies, the active ingredient in
cannabis, THC, remains in the body for weeks or even months.
• Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke .
•  One major research study reported that a single cannabis joint could cause as much damage to the
lungs as up to five regular cigarettes smoked one after another.
•  Long-time joint smokers often suffer from bronchitis, an inflammation of the respiratory tract.
• Studies in Australia in 2008 linked years of heavy marijuana use to brain abnormalities. This is
backed up by earlier research on the long-term effects of marijuana, which indicate changes in the
brain similar to those caused by long-term abuse of other major drugs.
• And a number of studies have shown a connection between continued marijuana use and psychosis.
MARIJUANA – HARMFUL EFFECTS
• Research clearly shows that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life.
– A study of 129 college students found that, among those who smoked the drug at least 27 of the 30
days before being surveyed, critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were seriously
diminished.
– A study of postal workers found that employees who tested positive for marijuana had 55% more
accidents, 85% more injuries and a 75% increase in being absent from work.
• In Australia, a study found that cannabis intoxication was responsible for 4.3% of driver
fatalities.
• It is almost impossible to grow up in America, or any country, and not be exposed to drugs.
Peer pressure to do drugs is high and honest information about the dangers of drugs is not
always available.
• Many people will tell you marijuana is not dangerous. Consider who is telling you that.
• Take responsibility for your decisions.
MARIJUANA
A GATEWAY DRUG??
• A recreational user takes marijuana for the effect it creates and the high or buzz they want to
get from it. Continued use builds up tolerance and can lead users to consume stronger drugs to
achieve the same high. 
• The vast majority of cocaine users (90%) began by first using a drug like marijuana, cigarettes
or alcohol. 
• Of course, not everyone who smokes marijuana and hashish goes on to use harder drugs. Some
never do.
• Others quit using marijuana altogether.
• One study found that youth (12 to 17 years old) who use marijuana are 85 times more likely to
use cocaine than kids who do not use weed, and that 60% of the kids who smoke weed before
the age of 15 move on to cocaine.
MARIJUANA: LEGALIZATION IN THE U.S.
• Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have passed laws broadly legalizing marijuana in
some form.
• The District of Columbia and 10 states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington -- have adopted the most expansive laws legalizing marijuana for
recreational use.
• Michigan voters approved a ballot measure permitting adults age 21 and over to purchase and possess
recreational-use marijuana.
• Vermont became the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use through the legislative process, rather
than via a ballot measure.
– Vermont's law allows for adults age 21 and over to grow and possess small amounts of cannabis. However, it does not
permit the sale of nonmedical cannabis.
• Some medical marijuana laws are broader than others, with types of medical conditions that allow for treatment
varying from state to state.
• Louisiana, West Virginia and a few other states allow only for cannabis-infused products, such as oils or pills.
Other states have passed narrow laws allowing residents to possess cannabis only if they suffer from select
medical illnesses.
Information is current as of Nov. 7, 2018.
MARIJUANA: LEGALIZATION IN THE U.S.
• Although Louisiana is considered to have legalized marijuana, it cannot be used in a form that can be
smoked -- only oils, topical applications and other types.
• Some states with no laws broadly legalizing medical marijuana provide limited access under certain rare
circumstances.
– States like Alabama and Mississippi, for instance, maintain laws permitting medical marijuana for severe
epileptic conditions.
• Other states, such as Virginia, enacted laws decades ago allowing for the possession of marijuana if
individuals received prescriptions from doctors.
Federal law, however, prohibits doctors from prescribing marijuana, rendering those laws invalid.
– Doctors can only write a recommendation for medical marijuana, which is different than a prescription.
• A number of states have also decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, but have not
legalized it.

Information is current as of Nov. 7, 2018.

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