Download Marijuana

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Marijuana is a green, brown or gray mixture of
dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds and
flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa
Sinsemilla, hash/hashish (resinous form) and
hash oil (sticky black liquid) are stronger forms
of marijuana
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The main active chemical in marijuana is THC
(delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). It is a
psychoactive ingredient
When marijuana smoke is inhaled, THC
rapidly passes from the lungs into the
bloodstream and is carried to the brain and
other organs throughout the body
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THC from the marijuana acts on specific
receptors in the brain, called cannabinoid
receptors, starting off a chain of cellular
reactions that finally lead to the euphoria, or
"high" that users experience
Certain areas in the brain, such as the
hippocampus, the cerebellum, the basal ganglia
and the cerebral cortex, have a higher
concentration of cannabinoid receptors
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These areas influence memory, concentration,
pleasure, coordination and, sensory and time
perception.1 Therefore these functions are most
adversely affected by marijuana use.
Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette
(called a joint or a nail) or in a pipe or bong
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In recent years, it has appeared in blunts,
which are cigars that have been emptied of
tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in
combination with another drug, such as crack.
The “blunts” retain tobacco leaf used to wrap
the cigar and therefore it combines marijuana's
active ingredients with nicotine and other
harmful chemicals. Some users also mix
marijuana into food or use it to brew tea.
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rapid heart rate
increased blood pressure
increased rate of breathing
red eyes
dry mouth
increased appetite, or "the munchies"
slowed reaction time
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distorted sense of time
paranoia
magical or "random" thinking
short-term memory loss
anxiety and depression
These psychological signs of using pot also
generally ease after a few hours. But residual
effects can last through the next day
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Many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco
smokers have
Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be
promoted by marijuana smoke.
50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons
than tobacco smoke
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aggression
anxiety
depressed mood
decreased appetite
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Reaction time for motor skills, such as
driving is reduced by 41% after smoking
1 joint and is reduced 63% after smoking
2 joints.
average age of first trying marijuana is 14
years old!!!
The daily use of 1 to 3 marijuana joints
can produce the same lung damage and
potential cancer risk as smoking five times
as many cigarettes.