Marijuana

The most commonly used drug in the United States.

What is Marijuana?

Marijuana comes from the plant Cannabis Sativa. The key ingredient in marijuana is Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), when smoked or ingested THC causes a powerful high. Marijuana is commonly referred to as pakalolo, pot, weed, grass, maui-wowie, blunt, J, ganja, mary Jane, doobie, herbs, buds etc.

How Does it Affect the Body?

distorted perceptions
impaired coordination
difficulty in thinking and problem solving
problems with learning and memory
risk of lung disease
Increased risk of asthma, bronchitis and emphysema
colds, flu and/or allergies to worsen
affect your ability to have kids someday (in males). Marijuana has been found to decrease sperm count in men, as well as decrease sexual desire and increase the risk of health problems in adolescents
high doses can cause panic and psychosis
depression
Interferes with brain function: impairs perception, judgement of speed and time, motor function and short-term/long-term memory capacity.

How Weed Works

Did You Know?

There are over 421 chemicals in Marijuana. When smoked, it increases to over 2,000 chemicals that the body is taking in.
Marijuana smoke deposits 4x more tar in the lungs and has 50%-70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke.
THC causes the high effect in marijuana. The higher the THC content, the stronger and longer the high, and the longer it will remain in the body.
After smoking only one joint, ten to twenty percent of THC attaches to the body tissue for up to 30 days.
Traces of THC can be found up to four and a half months after stopping habitual use of the drug.
There is a synthetic, or man-made, drug that is similar to marijuana, called spice.
Spice is illegal and known to cause seizures, hallucinations, paranoia and aggression.