Health Tips A to Z

What is Marijuana?
Marijuana is a product of the plant cannabis sativa. Also known as weed, pot, grass, reefer, ganja, hash or Mary J, it is the most commonly used illegal drug. A hallucinogen, marijuana tends to accelerate heart rate, suppress muscle coordination, and can induce hallucinogenic effects. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC for short, is the psychoactive component of the plant, and can be distilled into pill form, known as Marinol (prescribed for medicinal usage). While marijuana is most commonly smoked for recreational use, it can also be digested, typically through brownies and teas.

Why do people use?
People may use marijuana for a wide variety of reasons. Some people may use substances to relieve stress, feel good, experiment with something new, satisfy curiosity, “fit in,” lose inhibitions, lose themselves, change physical state (for example, become energized or relaxed), self-medicate (either knowingly or not), or for any number of other reasons. While recreational and, in most states, medical use is against the law, many substantive legal and philosophical debates continue in regard to the benefits and harms of marijuana usage and legalization.

How does Marijuana affect you?
You might ask what’s the big deal about using drugs? And do they really affect the brain? What’s important to know is that no matter how a drug is put in the body, it travels through the blood until it reaches the central nervous system. Psychoactive drugs affect the chemistry of the brain, especially that of neurotransmitters which transmit messages throughout the body. The drugs work by mimicking or modifying the effects of various pathways, such as dopamine, serotonin, etc. This is what causes most of the effects on the mind and body. In addition to these direct effects, phenomena such as tolerance, tissue dependence, withdrawal, and metabolism can determine a user’s reaction to psychoactive drugs.

Is Marijuana addictive?
While some professionals in the field disagree about the extent to which marijuana may produce a physical dependence, many will acknowledge that people can develop a strong psychological dependence that can cause great discomfort and difficulty when trying to stop or cut back. Marijuana in particular often has a social component to usage, and social pressures can exacerbate psychologically addictive feelings.

How can I learn more?
Marijuana Anonymous has information on its website about the range of effects that users have reported as well as strategies that may be helpful when trying to change one’s relationship with pot. The National Institute for Drug Abuse and Erowid’s websites cover a broad spectrum of information about marijuana and other drugs.