Teens and Marijuana

Q: What is marijuana? Are there different kinds?

A: Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves
stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant
You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot
herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster
or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana




Q: How is marijuana used?

A: Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette (called a joint or a nail) or
smoke it in a pipe or water pipe, sometimes referred to as a bong
Some users mix marijuana into foods or use it to brew a tea
Another method is to slice open a cigar and replace the
tobacco with marijuana, making what's called a blunt. Marijuana
cigarettes or blunts sometimes contain other substances as well including crack cocaine




Q: How long does marijuana stay in the user's body?

A: THC in marijuana is rapidly absorbed by fatty tissues in various organs
Generally, traces (metabolites) of THC can be detected by standard
urine testing methods several days after a smoking session
In heavy users, however, traces can sometimes
be detected for weeks after they have stopped using marijuana





Q: What happens if you smoke marijuana?

A: The way the drug affects each person depends on many factors, including

* user's previous experience with the drug
* how strong the marijuana is
* what the user expects to happen
* where the drug is used
* how it is taken; and
* whether the user is drinking alcohol or using other drugs




Q: How can you tell if someone has been using marijuana?

A: If someone is high on marijuana, he or she might
* seem dizzy and have trouble walking
* seem silly and giggly for no reason
* have very red, bloodshot eyes; and
* have a hard time remembering things that just happened.
When the early effects fade, over a few hours
the user can become very sleepy





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Best Wishes
Marvy