People Smoking Weed: Marijuana, Herb, Weed, Grass

There are countless street terms for marijuana including pot, herb, weed, grass, etc. Marijuana or weed is the common name for a crude drug made from the plant Cannabis sativa.

The main mind-altering (psychoactive) ingredient in weed is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), but more than 400 other chemicals also are in the plant. Weed "joint" (cigarette) is made from the dried particles of the plant. The amount of THC in the weed determines how strong its effects will be.

The type of plant, the weather, the soil, the time of harvest, and other factors determine the strength of weed. The strength of today's weed is as much as ten times greater than the weed used in the early 1970s. This more potent weed increases physical and mental effects and the possibility of health problems for the user.

Taking the resin from the leaves and flowers of the weed plant and pressing it into cakes or slabs make hashish, or hash. Hash is usually stronger than crude marijuana and may contain five to ten times as much THC. Pure THC is almost never available, except for research. Substances sold as THC on the street often turn out to be something else, such as PCP.

Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain.

One study has indicated that an abuser's risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana7. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana's effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.

What about psychological dependence on weed? Long-term regular users of weed may become psychologically dependent. They may have a hard time limiting their use, they may need more of the drug to get the same effect, and they may develop problems with their jobs and personal relationships. The drug can become the most important aspect of their lives.

What are the dangers for young people? One major concern about weed is its possible effects on young people as they grow up. Research shows that the earlier people start using drugs, the more likely they are to go on to experiment with other drugs.

In addition, when young people start using marijuana regularly, they often lose interest and are not motivated to do their schoolwork. The effects of marijuana can interfere with learning by impairing thinking, reading comprehension, and verbal and mathematical skills. Research shows that students do not remember what they have learned when they are "high".

Although no medications are currently available for treating marijuana abuse, recent discoveries about the workings of the THC receptors have raised the possibility of eventually developing a medication that will block the intoxicating effects of THC. Such a medication might be used to prevent relapse to marijuana abuse by lessening or eliminating its appeal.