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Marijuana, a so-called gateway drug, is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States and tends to be the first illegal drug teens use.
Marijuana Photo Gallery
Photos of marijuana growing indoors and after it is processed for distribution.
The Health Effects of Marijuana
Although legalization activists and many marijuana users believe smoking pot has no negative effects, scientific research indicates that marijuana use can cause many health problems.
Basic Facts About Marijuana
Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. There are over 200 slang terms for marijuana.
Heavy Marijuana Use Affects Learning, Social Skills
A vast amount of scientific research has shown that heavy marijuana use negatively effects smokers' learning abilities and social skills, causing problems in their daily lives and compounding their existing problems.
Smokers Underestimate Marijuana's Harm
Results of a study suggest that people who abstain from smoking marijuana appear to have a better quality of life and higher levels of educational achievement than marijuana users.
Long-Term Marijuana Use Affects Memory
Long-term marijuana use causes memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive abilities get worse over time, but cognititive abilities are also affected in short-term pot smokers who use marijuana frequently.
Smoking Pot Doubles Risk of Fatal Accident
Driving after smoking even a small amount of marijuana almost doubles the risk of a fatal highway accident, according to an extensive study of 10,748 drivers involved in fatal crashes between 2001 and 2003.
Marijuana
The membranes of certain nerve cells contain protein receptors that bind THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana.
Marijuana - FAQs for Teens
These questions compiled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse are the most asked by teens concerning marijuana.
Marijuana - FAQs for Parents
These questions compiled by the NIDA are the most asked by parents about marijuana.
Marijuana - Quick Facts
Drug Profile: Commercial and street names, method of use, intoxication effects and potential health consequences for marijuana.
Hashish - Quick Facts
Drug Profile: Commercial and street names, method of use, intoxication effects and potential health consequences for hashish.
Heavy Marijuana Use Linked to Gum Disease
It is well documented that tobacco smoke contributes to gum disease, but now a new study has found a link between heavy marijuana use and periodontal disease.
Marijuana Withdrawal as Tough as Cigarettes
For heavy marijuana smokers -- those who smoke 25 days or more per month -- withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit smoking can be similar to those experienced by people who quit smoking cigarettes.
Wife Influences Husband's Marijuana Use
While it's the husband among newlywed couples who has more influence on whether the couple engages in heavy drinking, it's the wife who appears to be in the driver's seat when it comes to determining her husband's marijuana use.
Marijuana Causes Many Deaths Reported as 'Accidents'
Marijuana use is much more dangerous that believed and hundreds of young people die each year in "accidents" caused by their prolonged use of the drug, according to Britain's most senior coroner.
Teens in Treatment Report Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms
A new study shows that teens that use marijuana frequently also may face the same withdrawal symptoms that have been found to challenge adult marijuana users trying to quit.
Marijuana: The Myths Are Killing Us
Karen Tandy, the administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, examines the harm done to the youth of America by myths surrounding marijuana use and its alleged medicinal benefits.
Marijuana Abuse Treatment Increases Sharply
Admission rates for treatment for marijuana as a primary substance of abuse increased 162 percent nationally between 1992 and 2002, according to a trend report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Marijuana May Impair Male Fertility
Men who smoke marijuana frequently have significantly less seminal fluid, a lower total sperm count and their sperm behave abnormally, all of which may affect fertility adversely.
Information for Parents
The younger someone starts to use alcohol and drugs, the more likely he or she is to develop problems associated with such use.
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