Cannabis, or marijuana as it is more commonly called, is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). In 2008, 25.8 million people aged 12 and older used marijuana at least...
Marijuana contains a mind-altering chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC. Heavy use of marijuana, according to a 2003 study by Harrison Pope, published in the journal "Drug and Alcohol Dependence," can impair a young person's ability...
Though cannabis is less dangerous than other types of heavy drugs, it has a variety of side effects that users and parents of users should be aware of. While some effects are short term, there is some evidence that regular marijuana use may have...
The use of marijuana, or cannabis, is widespread in the United States. At least 40 percent of Americans have tried it. Marijuana use among adolescents and teens is high, with 20 percent of all 12th graders describing themselves as current users,...
Marijuana contains over 400 different chemicals with the primary active ingredient being delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. The National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates that marijuana is psychologically addictive: Addicted users feel...
Controversy continues over the use of marijuana as medicine. Advocates state that marijuana works effectively to aid conditions where pain relief and appetite stimulation prove necessary, and also helps chemotherapy patients and those with AIDS....
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, pot (marijuana) is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. The active ingredient in pot is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). When you smoke pot, THC travels from the lungs...
Marijuana, also referred to as weed, pot and grass, is an illegal substance made from the Cannabis sativa plant. Tetrahydrocannibol (THC) is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that provides a high or euphoric feeling. The amount of THC...
Pot, or marijuana, is the most commonly abused drug in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Pot contains a chemical called THC, which, when smoked, gets into the lungs, blood stream and brain. Long-term use of the...
Marijuana has a variety of effects on the body, from the euphoria of intoxication to significant health problems from chronic use. Although marijuana is primarily smoked, it is also ingested in food and drink. However, the health complications...
Marijuana is the name of a drug derived from the natural plant Cannabis sativa. It is usually formed into a cigarette or joint, using the stems, leaves, flowers and seeds, but may be ingested in many different ways. The main chemical in marijuana...
Drugs such as narcotics and pharmaceutical or prescribed medications can be abused by people and result in severe effects on the brain. Abuse can cause short-term memory impairment, damage cognitive abilities of the brain and cause...
The phrase "drug abuse" conjures images of desperate addicts living on the margins of society. In truth, addiction has many faces, many of which bear no resemblance to the gaunt visage of the street junkie. The consequences of drug abuse can...
In the 1960s, marijuana became a popular recreational drug of choice. Now, the members of that generation and marijuana have both come of age. Research on the drug over the years has discovered more information about marijuana, including both...
It is possible for long-term users of marijuana to become addicted, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The addiction may reveal itself when the marijuana smoker loses control of urges to smoke and seeks the drug regardless...
Despite its illegal status, cannabis remains the most popular recreational drug in the world, as well as the single largest cash crop in the U.S., according to a report released in 2006 by Jon Gettman, leader of a group that advocates...
Drug testing has become part of the application process for some jobs and hair follicle testing has become more popular as a method of drug testing. Hair growth is nourished by the bloodstream, so some drugs can be detected in hair samples....
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and cocaine are the most commonly abused substances during pregnancy. Prenatal exposure to any of these four drugs may lead to mental and physical developmental...
The debate continues among researchers as to whether marijuana is physically addictive or a psychological habit. Chronic marijuana users may build up a tolerance to the drug's effects. They often need larger and larger amounts of marijuana to...
Grass, also known as marijuana, is a popular mind-altering drug. Though illegal, as of 2010, some states have legalized its medicinal use. When the leaves, flowers and stalks of the cannabis plant are crushed, they can be rolled into a "joint," or...
Marijuana use is commonplace in Western society, with over 3 million people reporting daily use of the drug in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which was conducted in 2003. Though it doesn’t have some of the severe repercussions...
Adolescence is a time of experimentation and risk taking. Teens naturally test the boundaries laid down by their parents and society as they strive to establish their independence and dabble in adult experiences. Unfortunately, their natural...
Adolescent drug experimentation and use in the United States is common, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Signs of adolescent drug abuse include loss of interest in hobbies and activities; abandoning old friends...
Marijuana, or "pot," is a mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, according to Drugs.com. It is usually smoked, but some users cook it into foods. The main active chemical in...
Cigarette smokers may feel that their tobacco addiction is far less harmful than smoking an illegal drug such as marijuana. Marijuana smokers who abstain from tobacco sometimes boast that their drug of choice is safer than cigarettes. The truth is...
According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health --- abbreviated NSDUH by the U.S. government --- more than 15 percent of pregnant women admit to using drugs or alcohol at some point during their pregnancies. Topping the list of drugs...
Marijuana is the common name for an annual herb known botanically as "cannabis sativa." The same species of plant is also known as hemp. Although this species of plant has several commercial uses, it is best known as a psychoactive (mind altering)...
Cannabis is an illegal drug in the U.S. and most places around the world, but some medical doctors promote the legal use of the drug, known as medical marijuana, to help patients suffering the intense pain of incurable diseases, such as AIDS,...
Marijuana is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs in the United States. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 94 million Americans older than age 12 have tried marijuana at least once in their lifetime. Drug use...
