MARIJUANA
By: Becky Castaneda
Main Ideas
• Definition: A grey or green mixture of dried
and shredded flowers and leaves of the
hemp plant Cannabis sativa.
• It is the most widely used illegal drug in
America
• The active part of the marijuana is THC
• The effect on the user depends on the
potency of the THC
Names
• Pot
• Herb
• Weed
• Boom
• Mary Jane
• Gangster
• Chronic
Short Term Effects
• Intoxication
• Dry Mouth
• Rapid heartbeat
• Loss of coordination and balance
• Slower reaction time
• Red eye
• After 2 or 3 hours, user may feel sleepy
Long Term
• Deterioration of learned behaviors
• A change in learning, memory, and the
way that emotions integrate with the
senses
• May experience same respiratory
problems as regular tobacco smokers
• The amount of tar and carbon monoxide
inhaled is 3-5 times greater than that of a
tobacco smoker
Medical Uses
• Since 1970, marijuana has been
considered to be a Schedule I substance,
and that means that it has no commonly
accepted medical use
• Taken in pill form, the drug may help with
the nausea and vomiting that come with
some cancer treatment, but the negatives
are outweighing the positives in this
particular situation
What Should Parents Watch For?
• Signs of drugs and drug paraphernalia
• Odors that are suspicious on clothes or in
the bedroom
• Use of incense or other deodorizers
• The use of eye drops
• Clothing, posters, or jewelry promoting the
use of drugs
Treatment
• There are currently no medications
available
• Treatments that are tailored to the patient
are available, this helps them to lead
normal productive lives
• Narcotics Anonymous is also an option
Work Cited
• http://health.yahoo.com/topic/addiction/oth
er/article/pt/Psychology_Today_articles_pt
o_term_marijuana
• http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h
ttp://www.marijuanaaddictiontreatment.co
m