What is Marijuana and what effects could it have on me?

Contributed by: Hopefull

Also spelled marihuana, the Indian hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (cannabis), or the crude drug composed of its leaves and flowers. It is usually dried and crushed and put into pipes or formed into cigarettes (joints) for smoking. The drug—known by a variety of other names, including pot, tea, grass, and weed—can also be added to foods and beverages. Marijuana varies in potency, depending on where and how it is grown, prepared for use, or stored.

The active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is present in all parts of both the male and female plants but is most concentrated in the resin (cannabin) in the flowering tops of the female. Hashish, a more powerful form of the drug, is made by collecting and drying this resin and is about eight times as strong as the marijuana typically smoked in the United States.

Mentioned in a Chinese herbal dating from 2700 BC, marijuana long has been considered valuable as an analgesic, an anaesthetic, an antidepressant, an antibiotic, and a sedative. Although it was usually used externally (e.g., as a balm or smoked), in the 19th century its tips were sometimes administered internally to treat gonorrhoea and angina pectoris.

The effect that cannabis has depends on the strength, how often it's smoked, how recently it was smoked and how the body naturally reacts to the drug.

POSITIVE:

Mood lift

Relaxation, stress reduction

Creative, philosophical or deep thinking...ideas flow more easily

Increased appreciation of music.

Increased awareness of senses(eating, drinking, smell)

Change in experience of muscle fatigue. Pleasent body feel.Increase in body/mind connection.

Pain relief (headaches, cramps)

reduced nausea (used medically for this)

NEUTRAL:

Increased appetite, snacky-ness

General change in consciousness (as with many psychoactives)

Tiredness

Blood shot eyes (more common with certain varieties of cannabis and inexperienced users)

Mouth dryness

Interrupts linear memory.

Difficulty following a train of thought.

Cheek, jaw, facial tension (less commonly reported)

NEGATIVE:

Nausea

Coughing, asthma, upper respiratory problems

Difficulty with short-term memory during effects and during periods of frequent use.

Slowness and delayed reactions, especially dangerous when driving or operating machinery.

Racing heart, agitation, and tenseness.

Mild to severe anxiety

Panic attacks at very high doses (usually oral) or in sensitive users

Headaches

Dizziness, confusion

Paranoid & anxious thoughts more frequent

Possible psychological dependence on cannabis

"Mild" withdrawal symptoms occur after daily use in some users. These may last for 1-6 weeks after cessation of use and can include anxiety, anhedonia (reduced experience of pleasure), headaches, general unease/discomfort,difficulty sleeping, and a desire to smoke pot.

In many countries the use and possession of marijuana is illegal. Don't EVER cross a border while in possession of ANY illegal drug.