By Hiba Abid and Schnelle Alvares Marijuana By Hiba Abid and Schnelle Alvares

What is marijuana? Cannabis is known as marijuana in its herbal form. Marijuana is used to describe the dried leaves, flowers, seeds and stem of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It is also referred to as pot, weed, grass, Mary Jane Texas tea. People smoke marijuana in hand rolled joints, pipes, vaporizers or water pipes. It can also be smoked in blunts (emptied cigars that are partially or completely refilled with marijuana). It can also be mixed in with food such as brownies, cookies, candy or brew it as a tea.

Types of marijuana Indicas: indica strains are popular to people suffering from pain, anxiety or insomnia. They are known for their relaxing body high. The buds tend to be darker and denser; they also contain higher levels of CBD. Sativas: tend to have higher levels of cannabinoid, THC or the primary psychoactive component in cannabis. This results in a uplifting, more energetic high, however it can cause problems for people who undergo marijuana induced paranoia or anxiety.

Short term effects Marijuana over activates parts of the brain. This causes the "high" that users feel. Other effects include: altered senses (for example, seeing brighter colors) altered sense of time changes in mood impaired body movement difficulty with thinking and problem-solving impaired memory

Long term effects The drug may reduce thinking, memory and learning functions and affect how the brain builds connections for the areas necessary for these functions. These effects can last a long time or can be permanent.

Physical effects Breathing problems: smoke irritates the lungs and could cause problems like daily cough, more frequent lung illness, and higher risk of lung infections. Increased heart rate: could cause heart related problems like earth attacks. Problems with child development during and after pregnancy; increases risk of brain and behavioral problems with babies.

Mental effects Temporary hallucinations: sensations and images that seem real though they are not Temporary paranoia: extreme and unreasonable distrust of others Worsening symptoms in patients with schizophrenia (a severe mental disorder with symptoms such as hallucinations, paranoia, and disorganized thinking) Depression Anxiety Suicidal thoughts

Is Marijuana medicine? USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine because they feel that “the risks do not outweigh the benefits of the drug.

What is THC? THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is marijuana’s main mind-altering ingredient. It acts much like the cannabinoid chemicals made naturally by the body. The body also produces its own cannabinoid chemicals that play a role in pleasure, memory, coordination, awareness of time, appetite, pain, and the senses. The chemical THC attaches to these receptors and activates them affecting the persons movements, memory concentration and time perception.

What is CBD? A marijuana chemical cannabidiol (CBD) treats certain conditions such as childhood epilepsy, a disorder that causes a child to have violent seizures. Thus, scientists have been specially breeding marijuana plants and making CBD in oil form for treatment purposes. These drugs are not intoxicating and CBD is a cannabinoid that does not affect the mind or behaviour. It may be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and possibly even treating mental illness.

Is marijuana a cure for cancer? Animal studies have shown that marijuana extracts may help kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others. Evidence from one cell culture study suggests that purified extracts from whole-plant marijuana can slow the growth of cancer cells from one of the most serious types of brain tumours.