Marijuana does not have a specific drug class, but by law it is considered a Schedule 1 Narcotic by the DEA. This means it is defined as having a high potential for abuse and not an accepted medical use. Multiple states (15 now including Arizona as the last) disagree and have laws on the books legalizing marijuana for medicinal use.

Marijuana Fast Facts

Low-grade marijuana contains 1 to 3 percent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is usually sold recreationally. THC is widely known as the most active psychoactive compound in marijuana. High-quality marijuana, known as sinsemilla, contains 7 to 8 percent THC and hash between 7 and 20 percent. The most concentrated form of marijuana is hash oil which can contain up to 70% THC!

Common terms for marijuana include: reefer, pot, herb, ganja, grass, old man, blanche, weed, sinsemilla, bhang, hash, tar, hash, hash oil, chronic, and dagga.

How one feels: People’s experience of smoking marijuana will vary greatly from person to person. Usually one experiences relaxation and mood elevation within minutes and sedation and drowsiness about half an hour later. Periods of contemplative silence are often interspersed with hilarity.

Eating marijuana, whether high-quality or hashish, takes much longer for the effects to kick in. There is a greater tendency for a hallucinogenic reaction.

The learning and memory function can be affected for a longer period of time, even after the other effects have disappeared. It takes quite a while for the brain to eliminate marijuana (and its metabolites), so cognitive function can be affected for more than a day after smoking or taking one dose.

The Facts About Recreational Marijuana

Fatal marijuana overdose has not been reported. A heavy dose can cause a person to feel anxious or anxious. Although no overdose has been observed, it affects judgment and complex coordination. Hence, the biggest concern with marijuana is driving skills, i.e. accidents and/or dangerous errors of judgment.

Marijuana increases the heart rate and puts a greater load on the heart. So there could be interactions with heart or blood pressure medications, but a lot of research needs to be done to clarify the details. There has been one study showing that marijuana combined with cocaine can lead to fatal heart problems.

The cannabis plant is responsible for all the psychoactive properties of marijuana. Tetra-hydro-cannabinol (THC) has reportedly been found in internal organs of an Egyptian mummy dating from 950 BC. By the 1840s, marijuana was commonly used to boost creativity by artists and intellectuals in France.

The original European explorers brought hemp to America for the production of rope and cloth. It was not until the early 20th century that marijuana began to directly affect American society.