MARIJUANA

What is Marijuana????

• A mixture of the dried and shredded leaves, stems, and flowers of the hemp plant.

• Marijuana has a chemical in it called tetrahydocannabinol (THC) which is the mind altering ingredient

• Marijuana is 20-25 times stronger than it was in the 1960’s ( 10 times more THC)

Marijuana contains about 400 chemicals

• Some of these chemicals may cause lung cancer

• Marijuana has some of the same cancer- causing substances as cigarettes

• Marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than cigarette smokers do (more smoke enters the lungs).

• Puff for puff, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer even more than smoking cigarettes does (also at risk for bronchitis)

• Smoking marijuana may increase the risk of a heart attack– Marijuana increases heart rate and blood

pressure

• The chemicals from marijuana can remain in the body for 45 days.

What are some common names of marijuana?

• Weed

• Pot

• Grass

• Maryjane

How is marijuana used?

• Smoked- joint or blunt

• Water Pipe or bong

• Eaten- mixed with food

How many teens use marijuana?

• As part of a 2002 NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) funded study, researchers asked teens if they had used marijuana in the past month– Of all the 8th graders surveyed, only 8.3% said

yes.

What are the common effects of smoking marijuana?

• Loss of coordination

• You could forget your best friends phone number

• Watch your grade point average drop

• Get into a car accident

• High doses of marijuana use can cause anxiety and panic attacks

Addiction

• For some people, smoking marijuana makes them feel good.

• Within minutes of inhaling, a user begins to feel “high.”

• THC triggers brain cells to release the chemical dopamine. Dopamine creates good feelings– for a short time.

Addiction

• Heres the thing: Once dopamine starts flowing, a user feels the urge to smoke marijuana again, and then again, and then AGAIN!

• Repeated use could lead to addiction.

• (searching for the high)

• Smoking 3-5 marijuana cigarettes a week can have the same effect on the lungs as smoking 16-18 “regular” cigarettes a day, 7 days a week.

• That is almost a pack a day- every day.

Short-Term Effects

• Increased Appetite• Altered sense of time• Bloodshot eyes• Dry mouth and throat• Increased heart rate• Loss of balance• Loss of short-term memory• Paranoia

Long-Term Effects• Weight Gain• Loss of short-term memory• Reduced immune system• Slower mental abilities• Increased risk of throat, mouth, head, and

neck cancers• Lung diseases (emphysema and bronchitis)• Psychological dependence

How much THC is in marijuana today?

• In 1960, an average marijuana joint contained 0.2% THC.

• Today the level of THC in an average joint is between 5% and 14%