Marijuana/Cannabinoids Drugs

Peer Pressure and Stress §Sometimes all the stress and demands of high school may lead some people to try drugs to temporarily dull the pressure. But what they may not realize is that drugs can lead to significant mental and emotional health conditions which make it harder to deal with problems.

Marijuana §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.

Marijuana §Dried leaves, stems, and flowers from the hemp plant §Proper name is of the Hemp plant: Cannabis Sativa §Mostly widely used illegal drug in this country §Active ingredient is THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)

What drugs are made from the Hemp plant? §Marijuana (dried) §Hashish §Hashish oil

What’s the harm? §With the drinking age at 21, many teens turn to marijuana as a way to get high.

Effects of Marijuana §The effects caused by marijuana depend on several factors: l How much THC is in the cannabis l The type of cannabis l Way the drug is taken l Setting where it is used

Effects of Using Marijuana §Lose of coordination §Slower reactions §Paranoid §Anxiety §Psychotic symptoms §Increased blood pressure §Red eyes §Loss of appetite §Impaired memory §Increased sense of Smell, taste, hearing §Fragmented thoughts §Cancer §Strong emotions §Dry mouth

Let’s Take a Closer Look §Did you know that there’s new research which shows that adolescents who are heavy pot smokers have visual changes on their brain scans--showing diminished development in key areas, which are important for higher level thinking.

Did you know? §Weekly marijuana use can double the risk of depression later in life? §This risk is even higher for girls; female marijuana users are five times more likely to be depressed at 21 than non- users. §Teens age 12 to 17 who smoke marijuana weekly are three times more likely than non-users to have thoughts about committing suicide. §Marijuana use is also linked to an increase in past year anxiety and panic attacks.

Did you know? §Marijuana use during adolescence can increase the chance of schizophrenia. §The risk of developing schizophrenia is greater with users who begin at an early age. §The earlier teens start using marijuana, the more likely they are to become dependant later in life. § Today, more teens enter treatment for marijuana dependency than for all other illicit drugs combined.

Long Term Affects §Cancer It’s hard to know for sure whether regular marijuana use causes cancer. But it is known that marijuana contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per day may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day

More Long Term Affects §Lungs and airways People who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have: coughing and wheezing. They tend to have more chest colds than nonusers. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections like pneumonia.

Continued Affects §Immune system Animal studies have found that THC can damage the cells and tissues in the body that help protect against disease. When the immune cells are weakened you are more likely to get sick.

Athletics and Other Activities §Athletes could find their performance is off; timing, movements, and coordination are all affected by THC. §Also, since marijuana can affect judgment and decision making, its use can lead to risky sexual behavior, resulting in exposure to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Withdrawal Symptoms §Insomnia §Hyperactivity §Decreased appetite

Driving and Marijuana §Marijuana does affect driving ability l You put others at risk §DUI §Sometimes these effects can last up to 24 hours §Sale and possession of Marijuana are Illegal in the US

Medical Use §GELATIN CAPSULES!!!! §Medical research and testing of nausea treatment related to chemotherapy, epilepsy, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis,and spinal cord injury

Any questions????

HELP!!!!!! §If you or someone you know needs further information please contact… §Ms. Freeman §Officer Cleary §Ms. Mastrella