Marijuana

What is marijuana?

Marijuana-often called pot, grass, reefer, weed, herb, mary jane, or mj- is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of cannabis sativa, the hemp plant.

 Most users smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, among other names; some use pipes or water pipes called bongs.

 How does marijuana affect the brain?

When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain. In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and thereby influences the activity of those cells.

 What are the acute effects of marijuana use?

When marijuana is smoked, its effects begin immediately after the drug enters the brain and last from 1 to 3 hours. If marijuana is consumed in food or drink, the short-term effect begin more slowly, usually in 1/2 to 1 hour, and last longer, for as long as 4 hours. Smoking marijuana deposits several times more THC into the blood than does eating or drinking the drug.

 How does marijuana use affect school, work, and social life?

Students who smoke marijuana get lower grades and are less likely to graduate from high school, compared with their non-smoking peers.

 Workers who smoke marijuana are more likely than their co-workers to have problems on the job. Sevveral studies have associated workers' marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation, claims, and job turnovers.

 Is marijuana use addictive?

Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction for some people; that is, they use the drug compulsively even though it often interferes with family, school, work, and recreational activities.

 What treatments are available for marijuana abusers?

Treatment programs directed solely at marijuana abuse are rare, partly because many who use marijuana do so in combination with other drugs, such as cocaine and alcohol.