NCJ Number
179018
Date Published
November 1998
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Using a question-and-answer format, this booklet provides information to teens on the characteristics of marijuana, its effects, how it is used, and how to quit using it.
Abstract
The booklet notes that all forms of marijuana are mind-altering, due to the presence of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) as the main active chemical in the marijuana plant. Its effects on the user depend on the strength or potency of the THC it contains. Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe or bong. Recently, it has appeared in cigars called blunts. Most young people smoke marijuana because their friends or siblings use it and pressure them to try it. Reactions to marijuana vary according to its strength, how it is taken, what the user expects to happen, where it is used, and whether the user is drinking alcohol or using other drugs. Potent varieties of marijuana can produce sudden feelings of anxiety and paranoid thoughts. Marijuana diminishes memory, judgment, and perception. It is dangerous to be under its influence while driving. Research shows that regular use of marijuana may play a role in some kinds of cancer and in problems with the respiratory, immune, and reproductive systems. Also discussed in this booklet are symptoms of marijuana use, its effect on pregnant women, its addictive properties, and ways to quit using the drug.