Marijuana

Marijuana is one of the most widely used street drugs in the United States. In 2002, nearly 3.1 million people at a time were using it on a daily or almost daily basis. It is also known as weed, pot, bud, dope, and Mary Jane. The active chemical is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).

Derived from the hemp plant Cannabis satra, marijuana can be smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe. Another way to use the drug is by smoking a blunt, which is a cigar filled with the drug after emptied of tobacco. Sometimes the dope is mixed into food or tea. A distinctive sweet and sour smell is given from the drug.

Pot can get into the hands of the average citizen in several ways. Some people grow their own, for personal use, or as a bigger operation to sell. Other supplies are smuggled in from Mexico or Canada. The West Coast does get some from Southeast Asia. Several Latin American countries also smuggle drugs into the United States.

Treatment for use and abuse varies. Cognitive behavioral therapy, both group and individual, is frequently used. This therapy teaches people to think about their actions and modify their behaviors. Individual counseling or going into drug rehab centers is also recommended.

Currently, there is no medication approved to help withdraw from marijuana. Withdrawal can produce irritability, sleeplessness, and anxiety. Increased aggression may also be a problem for a short period of time, usually up to a week or so after quitting.

Side Effects and Medical Consequences

THC can introduce many complications when used in the short and long term. Some short term effects include:

• Memory and learning problems
• Distorted perception
• Thinking and problem solving difficulties
• Increased heart rate
• Loss of coordination
• Decrease in muscle strength
• Red eyes
• Dry mouth
• Increased appetite (“munchies”)

Use of marijuana lowers inhibitions, allowing people to try other drugs. For this reason, it is often known as the “gateway” drug to other, more addicting and harmful drugs.

Dope also has effects than can become more serious after long-term use. These effects can create medical consequences that reach far into a user’s future. They include:

• Reducing oxygen carrying capacity of blood
• Impairing of the immune system
• Depression, anxiety, and other personality issues
• Psychological addiction
• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema
• Increased risk of cancer (head, neck, lungs)
• Sexual side effects (lowered sperm count in men; risk of infertility in women)

Additionally, women who use while pregnant pose serious risks to their children. Children born to women who used a form of THC often have out of the ordinary responses to visual stimuli. They have more behavioral problems and poor performance when compared to their peers.

Legalization of Marijuana

For years, there has been an argument to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. It is argued that it provides a way for people with glaucoma and other painful medical problems to ease their pain. However, there are more effective legal drugs available to treat these problems. In addition, it is hard to regulate the drug's dosage when smoked. The chemicals and carcinogens produced can even create problems in and of themselves.

A synthetic version of THC, called Marinol, has been available to the public since 1985. It is safe and effective and poses none of the harmful effects associated with smoking. It is used as treatment for AIDS weight loss and to treat nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients.

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