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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
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What is Marijuana???? • A mixture of the dried and shreddedleaves, stems, andflowers 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 (moresmoke 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%