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Marijuana
What is it?
Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried,
shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It can be eaten in certain foods or smoked. It is an illegal drug.
What does it do?
The effects vary from person to person
depending on how strong the marijuana is, how it's taken and whether other drugs or alcohol are involved. At first, pot can make people feel relaxed, in a good mood and even silly. Users will likely
experience dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, some loss of coordination and poor sense of balance, and slower reaction times, along with intoxication. Blood vessels in the eye will expand causing the red-eye
effect. NIDA
Smoking marijuana may impair short-term memory while people are using the drug. This happens because all forms of marijuana contain THC
(delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana, which alters the way the brain works. After a few minutes, paranoia or anxiousness may set in, then intense hunger (a.k.a. the
munchies). Finally, sleepiness. NCADI
For some people, marijuana raises blood pressure slightly and can double the normal heart rate. This effect can be greater when
other drugs are mixed with marijuana.
Who uses it?
Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in the United States. Fewer than one in four high school seniors say they are current users. And fewer
than one in five eight-graders report using the drug in the past year. Monitoring the Future, 1975-1999
So what's the big deal?
Smoking pot is linked to many behaviors that can screw up your plans. Marijuana
affects memory, judgment and perception even in the short-term, as was found in a study conducted by Pope and Yurgelun-Todd published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It can mess you
up in school, in sports or clubs, or with your friends. If you're high on marijuana, you are more likely to make stupid mistakes that could embarrass or even hurt you. If you smoke a lot, you could start
to lose interest in how you look and how you're getting along at school or work. NCADI
Athletes could find their performance is off; timing,
movements, and coordination are all affected by THC. Also, according to a study conducted by Reitbrock and Harder, using pot can affect thinking and judgment, which can mean users may do things they
wouldn't do with a clear head. This can mean unsafe sex or other risky behaviors. NCADI
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