Marijuana:

The Facts

What is it?

• Hallucinogen

• Addictive

What does it look like?

• To the right, is a dried brick of Marijuana.

Nasty isn’t it??

• This is a Marijuana Plant

What are its nicknames?And how do you use it?

• There are over 200 nicknames for Marijuana, such as: Pit, herb, grass, weed, Mary Jane, reefer, Aunt Mary, skunk, boom, gangster, kif, ganja.

• Marijuana is smoked, in cigarette form, called a joint, or inhaled from a “bong” which is a pipe.

Percentage of 8th-Graders Who Have Used MarijuanaNationwide

11.2

16.7

19.9

23.122.6 22.2 22

6.27.2

9.2

15.8

18.317.7

16.9 16.5

7.8

9.1

11.310.2

9.7 9.710.2

12.6 13

5.1

3.73.2

0

5

10

15

20

25

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Year

Per

cent

age

Ever Used

Used in Past Year

Used in Past Month

What does it do?

• Marijuana, at first makes you high like other drugs. It gives the user a feeling of pleasure or happiness. Then, after that high, everything is fine right? Wrong.

Negative Effects

• After the high, the user feels confused, panicked, anxiety attacks, fear, a sense of helplessness, and loss of self-control. It also, like alcohol impairs judgment, comprehension, memory, speech, problem-solving ability, reaction time, and driving skills.

• Chronic users may get amotivational syndrome, decreased motivation.

Medical Marijuana

• Some people are allowed to smoke marijuana for medical reasons. This is only allowed in a handful of states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. In order for the people to legally smoke it, they must have permission by there doctor.

• So, when/if you are asked to smoke marijuana, say “no.” Some people say, “its only marijuana, what can it do?” It can kill. Marijuana is a gateway drug to many other bigger drugs like Cocaine, or Heroin.

Brian Strickrodt

B Period Science