This is a mix of dried flowers, seeds, stems and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis Sativa, is most commonly smoked in the form of a cigarette called a joint. A kind of water pipe called a bong is also used as well as blunts which are hollowed out cigars filled with marijuana. Most people are familiar with the drug's distinctive and pungent, sour-sweet odor which is often purposely disguised with the fragrance of heavy incense.

Marijuana has probably been consumed in more ways than any other street drug. It is not only smoked but sometimes baked into food like cookies or brownies and brewed in tea. Many people swear by its medicinal use as an effective painkiller for those suffering from painful chronic diseases.

Known by street names like: pot, grass, weed, ganja and herb this drug attracts over 2 million new users every year.

The active ingredient in marijuana is called THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). This chemical is circulated throughout the whole body but the high that is associated with the drug comes from the action of THC on certain cannabinoid receptor sites in parts of the brain associated with key functions like the capacity for pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception and co-coordinated movement.

It is through these connections that it is potentially most destructive. Short-term marijuana usage may result in memory and learning problems, distorted perceptions and difficulty thinking and problem solving. Long-term effects can be even more serious. Apart from the above, long term effects include the possible impairment of the all-important immune system. Brain function may also suffer. The psychological effects of marijuana include depression, anxiety and personality disturbance.
 

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