Marijuana

Cannabis  is commonly known as Weed, Pot, Dope, Herb, Tree, and Marijuana. It is a preparation of the Cannabis plant and it is classified as a psychoactive drug, while recognized as a medicine. The immediate effect of cannabis when consumed include relaxation, mild euphoria (that's what gives the "high" feeling). Alongside these effects, there are side effects that occur immediately as well, these include short term memory issues, dry mouth, red eyes, and impaired motor skills. Contrary to popular belief, there are long-term alterations made to the body as a result of smoking cannabis. These include short term memory loss, and a lack of blood flowing to the frontal lobe of the brain.

The "Gateway drug Hypothesis"

The United States of America policy is one that dictates that while there is an increase in consumption, so too is there an increase in the probability of the consumer trying "harder" drugs. This hypothesis has been debated hotly since it's creation. It is countered however with the arguments that as cannabis is a predominantly illegal drug, the users are more likely to be in contact with other, more serious drugs.

The picture below represents the cannabis molecule.

media type="custom" key="25002698"

There has not  been a reported  fatal overdose  of cannabis since 2010, THC, the principal psychoactive of cannabis is very low in toxicity. Recent research has demonstrated that cannabis is well-tolerated by the body and in one class of patients useful.

THC from cannabis plants can be refined, compressed, and treated to produce


 * Keif - can be consumed in powder form, or compressed into hashish. It is rich in trichomes.
 * Hashish - a concentrated resin ball or cake can be eaten or smoked
 * Infusions - plant material is mixed with a solvent and then filtered. Through infusions cannabis can be used in baking.

Methods of consumption

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Marijuana can be rolled into a "joint", which is similar to a cigarette, a "blunt", which uses an unwrapped cigar which is then filled with ground cannabis, smoked out of a bong, or vaporizer.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">In this BBC documentary, Nikki Taylor consumes cannabis over an extended period of time to assess the effects it has on her mind and body.

media type="custom" key="24925024"

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">References

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Thc.pdb.gif http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Keif http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hashish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QnovXWTjCI