Everything you need to know about marijuana (cannabis)

Last updated Thu 7 September 2017 By Kathleen Davis FNP Reviewed by Alan Carter, PharmD

What is marijuana? Effects Risks Addiction Medical use

Globally, marijuana (cannabis) is the most commonly used illicit drug. Classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, marijuana is a mood-altering (psychoactive) drug that affects almost every organ in the body.

Surveys show that 34.9 percent of 12th graders in the United States use marijuana and that close to 6 percent of 12th graders report using the drug daily.

According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 19.8 million adults in the U.S. used marijuana in the month prior to being surveyed, and 81 percent of current illicit drug users had used marijuana.

There is some evidence that Marijuana is useful for relieving severe pain, nausea, and other chronic conditions. However, there are also numerous health concerns.

Marijuana contains over 400 chemicals; THC (delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol) is the key psychoactive substance. The possible effects of marijuana include mood changes, suicidal thinking, and disruption to normal learning abilities. It may also produce dependency, psychosis, and addiction.

increased appetite, and reduced blood pressure.

What is marijuana?

Marijuana plant leaf.

Marijuana comes from the Cannabis sativa plant.

Marijuana is derived from the dried flowering tops, leaves, stems, and seeds of the Cannabis sativa (hemp) plant.

Cannabis has been used for hundreds of years by humans for fiber (hemp), seed oils, seed, medical treatment, and recreationally.

THC acts on specific brain cell receptors called cannabinoids.http://legalweedsonlinedispensary.com/product-category/cbd-products/

Tests have shown THC has mild-to-moderate pain-killing (analgesic) effects, and can be used for the treatment of pain. THC alters neurotransmitter release in the spinal cord, resulting in pain relief.

The compound is also known to stimulate appetite (informally known as "the munchies") and induce a relaxed state, as well as other effects on sense of smell, hearing, and eyesight. THC can also cause fatigue. In some people, THC may reduce aggression.

Some studies have demonstrated that THC shows some promise for the treatment of nausea and vomiting - it may have antiemetic qualities that make it helpful for people undergoing chemotherapy or other treatment where nausea can be a side effect.

Medical marijuana is used to treat chronic pain, muscle spasticity, anorexia, nausea, and sleep disturbances. Medical marijuana is not subject to governmental standardization, making its ingredients and potency unknown.

Marijuana can be smoked, inhaled through vapor, brewed as a tea, applied as a balm, or eaten in products such as brownies or chocolate bars.