MARIJUANAJordan Adjei

Drug Classification - The behavioral effects is unique, preventing classification of the drug as a stimulant, sedative, tranquilizer, depressant or hallucinogen. However it is a Schedule I controlled substance.

Official Name – Cannabis

Synonyms: Marijuana, pot, reefer, buds, grass, weed, dope, ganja, herb, boom, gangster, Mary Jane, joint, hash, blow, blunt, green.

Appearance - Normally has an odd number of leaflets per stem, such as five, seven, or nine, and can grow up to 20 feet high. Usually green or brownish but can also appear yellow, orange or purple.

Affects On The Brain – Long Term: Impairs memory and learning skills. Chronic THC exposure may hasten age-related loss of hippocampal neurons.

Short Term: As THC enters the brain, it causes the user to feel euphoric—or high—by acting on the brain's reward system. It stimulates brain cells to release the chemical dopamine. THC also disrupts coordination and balance by binding to receptors in the cerebellum and basal ganglia—parts of the brain that regulate balance, posture, coordination, and reaction time.

Affect On Rest Of The Body –Long Term: Someone who smokes marijuana regularly have a greater risk of lung infections. In addition, marijuana has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens.

Short Term: Within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke, an individual's heart rate speeds up, blood vessels in the eyes expand, and coordination and balance are impaired.

Medical Uses – Reduces nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy and

people with AIDS Treats pain and muscle spasticity Serves as appetite stimulants

Differences In Affects By Gender And Age – For students who smoke marijuana tend to get lower grades and are more likely to drop out of high school. Older adults who use marijuana have an increased risk for heart attack.

Affects On The Fetus – Smoking marijuana during pregnancy may cause lasting behavioral and mental defects in the child. It may also affect your baby's growth and the development of his nervous system. Other studies even found that young children whose mothers smoked marijuana during pregnancy had a higher risk of leukemia.

Physical Symptoms – Rapid heart rateIncreased blood pressureIncreased rate of breathingRed eyesDry mouth

Behavioral Symptoms – Increased appetiteSlowed reaction timeDistorted sense of timeParanoiaMagical or "random" thinkingShort-term memory lossAnxiety and depression

Total Number Of Users –According to Gallup Politics 38% of the US population have tried marijuana. Also CBS News reported Daily or almost daily marijuana use increased from 5.1 million Americans in 2007 to 7.6 million in 2012.

Demographics –According to a recent Gallup poll, 30% of American women have tried marijuana, compared to 47% of men. 38% of those to try marijuana were white. 36% of those graduated college. In fall 2013 a Gallup poll reported nationwide support for legalizing marijuana at 58 percent. According to recent government studies, as many as 30% of today's teenagers are smoking marijuana.

Addiction Data –Contrary to what many pot smokers may tell you, marijuana is addictive, at least psychologically. Many experts also believe that marijuana is physically addictive. Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction. Those addicted have difficulty controlling their drug use and cannot stop even though it interferes with many aspects of their lives. It is estimated that 9 percent of people who use marijuana will become dependent on it. There are currently 684,000 people dependent on marijuana out of the 7.6 million Americans who use marijuana.

Reason For Use – Many marijuana users feel the drug is healthier than alcohol. It has also been known to cure migraines, relax your body, make food taste better, increase appetite and better your mood. It has also been used spiritually as many Rastafarians use the drug to “talk to god.”

Withdrawal – One in 12 can feel withdrawal symptoms if they can't get high when they want to. Among heavy pot smokers, the rates of dependence are higher. Symptoms of withdrawal from pot might include:

Aggression Anxiety Depressed mood Decreased appetite

Treatment – Behavioral treatments, such as motivational enhancement therapy (MET), group or individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and contingency management (CM), as well as family-based treatments have shown to reduce marijuana use. Even with the most effective treatment only about 50 percent of enrollees achieve an initial 2-week period of abstinence, and among those who do, approximately half will resume use within a year.

Organizations Related To The Substance – NORML is a nonprofit lobbying organization working to legalize

marijuana.

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the largest organization working solely on marijuana policy reform in the United States.

Marijuana Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share our experience, strength, and hope with each other that we may solve our common problem and help others to recover from marijuana addiction.

The Marijuana Addiction Support Group is a community of patients, family members and friends dedicated to dealing with Marijuana Addiction.

Affects on the workplace - Several studies have linked workers' marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation claims, and job turnover. A study among postal workers found that employees who tested positive for marijuana on a pre-employment urine drug test had 55 percent more industrial accidents.

Resources

Resources Resources

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/marijuana-use-and-its-effects http://ewwty.com/2013/02/05/reason-smoke-weed/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-us-drug-survey-marijuana-and-

heroin-increasing/ http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana/the-harmful-

effects.html http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-abuse/how-does-

marijuana-use-affect-your-brain-body http://www.truthonpot.com/2013/05/09/marijuana-and-pregnancy-facts-

and-findings/ http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/04/marijuana-drug-

use-survey/2760061/ http://www.gallup.com/poll/150149/record-high-americans-favor-

legalizing-marijuana.aspx http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2797098/ http://learnaboutmarijuanawa.org/factsheets/workplace.htm