Download Marijuana - Polk School District

What is Marijuana?
 Marijuana is the dried flowers, leaves and
stems of the Cannabis sativa plant.
THC
 The main active ingredient in marijuana
is THC (delta 9 tetrhydrocannabinol).
 Marijuana can range from 1% THC to
8%.
 THC is a fat soluble substance and can
remain in the lungs and brain tissue for
up to 3 weeks.
There are over 200
nicknames for
 There are over 200 nicknames for
marijuana including:
- pot
- herb
- mary jane
- chronic
Why do people use
marijuana?
 Smoking marijuana can relax a person and
elevate their mood.
 This can be followed by drowsiness and
sedation
 Other effects include heightened sensory
awareness, euphoria, altered perceptions and
feeling hungry ("the munchies").
 High concentrations of THC may produce a
more hallucinogenic response.
Short-term dangers of
smoking marijuana
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dry mouth
dry eyes
increased heart rate
visible signs of intoxication such as
bloodshot eyes and puffy eyelids
Other Problems Include
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Impaired memory and ability to learn
Difficulty thinking and problem solving
Anxiety attacks or feelings of paranoia
Impaired muscle coordination and judgment
Increased susceptibility to infections
Cardiac problems for people with heart disease
or high blood pressure, because marijuana
increases the heart rate
Recent Analysis Shows
that One in Six High
School Seniors Admitted
Driving While High
Today’s teens have gotten the
wrong message about
marijuana," said John P.
Walters,
 "Marijuana is harmful and can lead to
risky decisions, such as driving while
high or riding with drivers who are
impaired
The dangers of Driving
while high
 Dangerous impairment of driving skills.
Studies show that it impairs braking time,
attention to traffic signals and other
driving behaviors.
 Marijuana affects concentration, perception,
coordination and reaction time, many of the
skills required for safe driving. These effects
can last up to 24 hours after smoking
marijuana.
 An ongoing study of a large shock trauma unit
found that 19 percent of crash victims under
age 18 tested positive for marijuana.
 An estimated 38,000 high school seniors in
the U.S. reported in 2001 that they crashed
while driving under the influence of marijuana
and 46,000 reported that they crashed while
impaired by alcohol.
 Alcohol and marijuana are also frequently
used together, which results in a dramatic
decrease in driving performance and spike in
impairment levels.
Long Term Effects
 Respiratory problems
Someone who smokes marijuana
regularly can have many of the same
respiratory problems as cigarette
smokers.
 Persistent coughing, symptoms of
bronchitis and more frequent chest colds
are possible symptoms.
 There are over 400 chemicals that have
been found in marijuana smoke
 Benzyprene, a known human
carcinogen, is present in marijuana
smoke.
 Regardless of the THC content, the amount of
tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level
of carbon monoxide are 3 to 5 times higher
than in cigarette smoke.
 This is most likely due to inhaling marijuana
more deeply, holding the smoke in the lungs
and because marijuana smoke is unfiltered.
Unhealthy lung
Marijuana’s effect on
Memory and learning
 Recent research shows that regular
marijuana use compromises the ability to
learn and to remember information by
impairing the ability to focus, sustain, and
shift attention.
 One study also found that long-term use
reduces the ability to organize and
integrate complex information.
 In addition, marijuana impairs short-term
memory and decreases motivation to
accomplish tasks, even after the high is
over.
 Even small doses marijuana impaired
the ability to recall words from a list seen
20 minutes earlier.
 Research has been piling up demonstrating
clearly that marijuana limits the capacity to
absorb and retain information.
 heavy marijuana users find it very difficult to
focus, sustain attention, and organize data
persists for as long as 24 hours after their last
use of the drug.
 Earlier research, comparing cognitive
abilities of adult marijuana users with nonusing adults, found that users fall short on
memory as well as math and verbal
skills.
 Heavy marijuana use can cause irreversible
loss of intellectual capacity, animal studies
have shown marijuana-induced structural
damage to portions of the brain essential to
memory and learning.
 Some of marijuana's adverse health
effects may occur because THC impairs
the immune system’s ability to fight off
infectious diseases and cancer.
 Depression, anxiety, and personality
disturbances are all associated with
marijuana use. Research clearly
demonstrates that marijuana use has
potential to cause problems in daily life or
make a person’s existing problems worse.
 Students who smoke marijuana get lower
grades and are less likely to graduate
from high school, compared to their nonsmoking peers.
 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.
Marijuana’s Effect on
Reproductive Organs
 Decrease in testosterone levels in
men, including the slowing of sperm
motility and lower sperm counts.
 Increase in testosterone levels for
women, with an increased risk of
infertility.
 It also decreases estrogen production,
and causes menstrual or ovulatory
irregularities
 Marijuana crosses the placental barrier,
so use during pregnancy is not
recommended, and may have adverse
effects.
 Drug craving and withdrawal symptoms
can make it hard for long-term marijuana
smokers to stop using the drug. People
trying to quit report irritability,
sleeplessness, and anxiety.
 They also display increased aggression
on psychological tests, peaking
approximately one week after the last use
of the drug.
Marijuana is not always
what it seems
 Marijuana can be laced with other
dangerous drugs without your
knowledge. "Blunts"--hollowed-out cigars
filled with marijuana--sometimes have
substances such as crack cocaine, PCP,
or embalming fluid added.
Get the Facts!
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Marijuana affects your brain
Marijuana affects your self-control
Marijuana affects your lungs
Marijuana affects other aspects of
your health