Marijuana
Overview
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. The survey shows that 76.3 million people--about one in four--have tried marijuana at least once.
Marijuana is a preparation of various parts (leaves, stems, flowers and seeds) of the hemp plant named Cannabis sativa. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana (psychoactive means that it works on the nervous system).
Commonly known as pot, weed, reefer, herb or grass, the plant also contains more than 400 other chemicals like tar, carbon monoxide and cyanide. The drug is usually smoked or ingested orally. The potency of the marijuana's effects are determined by the amount of THC found in that particular dosage.
Effects
Marijuana does not have immediate or dramatic effects on health, such as increased risk of oral cancer, but it does have long-lasting effects on the brain that can dramatically alter quality of life.
Short-term effects of marijuana:
• Dry mouth and throat
• Increased heart rate
• Bloodshot eyes
• Impaired learning, memory, judgment and complex motor skills
• Difficulty speaking, listening, thinking, and problem solving
• Anxiety or panic attacks
• Paranoia
• Distorted perception (sight, sound, time, touch)
Long-term effects of marijuana:
• Psychological dependence
• Asthma
• Cancer of the lungs
• Lowered sperm production
Member Comments
by williams123 on September 16, 2008 at 4:48 PM
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by A12345 on October 7, 2008 at 5:12 AM
I
by A12345 on October 7, 2008 at 5:12 AM
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by marijlana123 on March 24, 2009 at 7:59 AM
o m g!!!
didnt you learn anything from the article?
by rationalitate on January 2, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Not only does marijuana not raise your risk of developing lung cancer, but it actually destroys cancerous tumor cells in the lungs under some conditions. For the sake of intellectual honesty, you really ought to remove that from the list of long-term effects of marijuana use.
by marijlana123 on March 24, 2009 at 7:55 AM
i think that this article is VERY
by marijlana123 on March 24, 2009 at 7:57 AM
i think that this article is VERY educational..
and that it teaches you A LOT!!..
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-marijulana123
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by Zbest09 on September 10, 2009 at 6:42 PM
this entire article is bullshit
marijuana has no link to cancer of any kind
in its natural state it has no chemicals other than THC. IDK where you got 400 chemicals and tar from, but that is a false statement.
marijuana dose not cause asthma. In fact the cause of asthma is completely unknown!
you need to educate youself before you try to write articles that are meant to educate!
by strongcock on November 19, 2009 at 9:41 PM
Oh boy, this is damn nearly government propoganda... everybody knows weed is not bad...Everyone also knows it's unfair to arrest non violent weed users. I asked a state police narcotics agent (cousin) what makes weed so bad... and the response was a very unclear "Well...it's illegal" you know , against the law, so thats what makes it so bad.... that my people, is the pathetic truth. What if we found out smoking green beans make people relax, and get a little buzz, would our government / law makers make green beans illegal too?