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Marijuana

Marijuana is the common way to refer to a class of drugs called cannabinols. The cannabinols include marijuana (grass, pot, weed, joint, reefer, dube), hashish, Charas, Bhang, ganja, and sinsemilla. The active ingredient is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hashish and Charas have a THC content of 7% to 14%; ganja and sinsemilla, 4% to 7%; and bhang and marijuana, 2% to 5%. However, modern growing techniques have increased the THC content of marijuana sold illicitly. For simplicity, the various forms of cannabinols will be referred to as marijuana.

The earliest references to the drug date back to 2700 Be. In the 1700s, the hemp plant (cannabis sativa) was grown in the colonies for its fiber, which was used in rope. Beginning in 1926, states began to outlaw the use of marijuana since it was claimed to cause criminal behavior and violence. Marijuana use became popular with mainstream young people in the 1960s. Some states have basically decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana, although according to the federal government, it remains a Schedule I drug, meaning that marijuana has no approved medical uses and has a high abuse potential.

Prevalence

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug. The result of the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that nearly 97.8 million Americans reported using marijuana sometime in their life, 25 million had used marijuana in the past year, and more than 14.8 million had used this drug in the past month. The number of past-month users is nearly 7 times the number of past-month users of cocaine, the next most widely used illegal drug and more than double the number of past-month nonmedical users of prescription drugs. Among young people, ages 12 to 17, 6.7% reported using marijuana in the past month, and 16% of young adults ages 18 to 25 used marijuana in the past month. Over 2 million people used marijuana for the first time in 2006.

Major Effects

Acute Physical and Psychological Effects

Marijuana is usually smoked in cigarette form or in pipes. It can also be ingested, normally by baking it in brownies or cookies. Marijuana users experience euphoria; enhancement of taste, touch, and smell; relaxation; increased appetite; altered time sense; and impaired immediate recall. An enhanced perception of the humor of situations or events may occur. The physiological effects of marijuana include increase in pulse rate and blood pressure, dilation of blood vessels in the cornea (which produces bloodshot eyes), and dry mouth. Motor skills and reaction time are slowed.

Marijuana intoxication has an adverse effect on attention span, short-term memory, and psychomotor performance. Anxiety and panic attacks can occur, primarily in new users who are not familiar with marijuana's effects. At very high doses, some people experience delusions and hallucinations. There are no cases of fatal marijuana poisoning, and humans are unlikely to be able to ingest a fatal dose. The effect of marijuana intoxication impairs motor and cognitive abilities necessary to safely drive a car or operate machinery. The extent to which marijuana is involved in auto accidents is unclear. Many motorists intoxicated with marijuana drive more slowly and carefully and take fewer risks. However, there is an increased risk of accidents after using marijuana, but marijuana alone does not appear to contribute a great deal to accidents. Marijuana in combination with alcohol does.

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