Marijuana
Addiction Solution
Facts
What is Marijuana
 Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves,
stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Before
the 1960s, many Americans had never heard of marijuana, but today it is
the most often used illegal drug in the United States.
Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other drugs made from
the same plant. Strong forms of cannabis include sinsemilla (sin-seh-me-yah),
hashish (“hash” for short), and hash oil. All forms of cannabis are
mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs; they all contain THC
(delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana.
They also contain more than 400 other chemicals.
Marijuana’s effect on the user depends on the strength or potency of the
THC it contains. THC potency has increased since the 1970s and continues
to increase still. The strength of the drug is measured by the average
amount of THC in test samples confiscated by law enforcement agencies.
For the year 2006, most ordinary marijuana contained, on average, 7
percent THC.1
The most commonly used illicit drug is marijuana according to the United
Nations report "Youth and Drugs" A Global Overview. Marijuana is the
most widely abused drug with about 2.5 percent annual use by the global
population.
The short-term effects of marijuana use include: problems with memory
and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and
problem-solving; loss of coordination; increased heart rate; and anxiety
and panic attacks. Smoking five joints a week is equivalent to smoking a
whole pack of cigarettes a day which leads to lung and respiratory
problems, wheezing, chest colds and a bad cough.
Long-term use can increase the chances of tissue damage and lung cancer
and also causes changes in the brain similar to those caused by heroin
and cocaine.
Several studies have linked marijuana with poor school performance. It
is harder to concentrate and retain information when a person has been
smoking marijuana. Sixty percent of teenagers in drug treatment programs
are there because of marijuana.
According to a National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, kids who
frequently use marijuana are almost four times more likely to commit a
violent act against either people or property than those who don't. They
are five times more likely to steal than those who don't use marijuana.
Marijuana in some areas is reportedly more potent today than it used to
be. Growing techniques and selective use of seeds have apparently
produced a more potent form of marijuana. Correspondingly, there has
been a sharp increase in the number of marijuana-related emergency room
visits by young pot smokers.
Marijuana can lead to the consumption of other stronger drugs. When the
effects of marijuana start to wear off, the person may turn to stronger
drugs to rid himself of the unwanted conditions that prompted him to
take the drug in the first place. Marijuana itself does not lead the
person to taking the other drugs: people take drugs to get rid of
unwanted situations or feelings. The drug (marijuana) masks the problem
for a time (while they are high). When the "high" fades, the problem,
unwanted condition or situation returns, more intense. The user may then
look to stronger drugs to mask the problem.
 In a booklet released by Narconon International called
10 Things Your
Friends May Not Know About Drugs, the section on cannibis states that
there are 400 chemicals in marijuana smoke and 60 of these have been
proven to cause cancer. These chemicals can stay in the body for months
or even years. Also, marijuana contains THC, a "neurotoxin" (a poison
that damages nerves). Of all the chemicals in marijuana, THC affects the
mind the most.
When someone smokes pot, it makes two things happen: 1) There's an
almost immediate burn-up of vitamins and minerals in the body. 2) The
nervous system changes and the nerves in the body go numb. Each time
soneone gets "high," they don't feel quite as "high" as they did before,
and each time they feel a little worse afterwards. Eventually, pot
smokers don't want the drug -- they NEED the drug to get rid of the
unwanted conditions the drugs created in their bodies. Their bodies
can't take in enough vitamins to make up for what the drugs destory.2
 The Alcohol and Drug Information Clearinghouse, an online information
resource for Nebraska substance abuse prevention lists a number of facts
pertaining to marijuana's effects:
Marijuana Affects Brain Cells - Cannabinoids remain in the fat cells of
the bodies of marijuana users. Since one-third of the brain is fat,
cannabinoids are stored in the brain. Marijuana can hinder learning by
impairing thinking, reading comprehension, and verbal and math skills.
It can impair or reduce short-term memory, alter sense of time, and
reduce concentration. Breakdown products from THC have been detected in
fat tissues for up to one month.
Marijuana Weakens Your Immune System - Marijuana use reduces white cell
production, which lowers the body's ability to fight infection and
disease. Heavy cannabis users have higher rates of illness such as flu,
colds, and infections.
Marijuana Accumulates in Your Body - THC can remain in the tissues of
the body for days or weeks. Frequent users may never be rid of the drug,
and the long-term health effects of this accumulation are unknown.
Marijuana Harms Your Heart and Lungs - Marijuana smoke contains more
cancer-causing agents than tobacco smoke. Researchers report that
marijuana cigarettes release five times as much carbon monoxide into the
bloodstream and three times as much tar into the lungs of smokers as
tobacco cigarettes. Marijuana speeds up the user's heart rate as much as
50%. It causes chest pains in people who have a poor blood supply to the
heart.
Marijuana Affects Reproduction - In females, changes in brain signals
caused by THC may affect ovulation and decrease fertility. In males,
even one marijuana cigarette can cause a temporary drop in male hormone
production. Human and animal studies show that marijuana smoking can
cause incomplete genetic information to be transmitted to offspring. The
chemicals in marijuana can be toxic to an unborn baby, affecting its
development and growth.
(Other adverse side effects): low energy, lack of ambition, lack of
interest in school activities, short-term memory -kids may be labeled
"slow learners," when in fact their memory is affected by the drug, low
achievement -frequent users tend to have lower grades than nonusers.3
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