Cannabis Guide app

[dagger89]

Its illigal in the USA because its a category 2 control substance. Cocaine is a category one. And yes they are bouth use for medicinal porpeses.

Exactly. Meaning that you have lessened control over your body, similar to being drunk, and can cause harm to others. When this happens, brain cells DIE in the process... And last time I checked, brain cells don't grow back as quick as regular cells.... Right.... Junkheads

FFS... its like arguing with a bunch of ****ing three year olds here.... Ya know what, go live ur life ****ing wasted all the time, see how ****ing far that gets you. Half you ****tards prolly dropped out of HS and work at McDonalds/Gas Station/ unemployed and living with parents. You are going to ****ing argue with a MEDICAL TEXTBOOK. People with a ****ing PH.D? Right. Genius.


And while your at it, continue working on Sora Adventure, oh right, u stole KON's code... That's right, my bad

[Kramer]

potheads pwn LOL , plus it is legal....u just have to an perscription

Or head of too Amsterdam.

Exactly. Meaning that you have lessened control over your body, similar to being drunk, and can cause harm to others. When this happens, brain cells DIE in the process... And last time I checked, brain cells don't grow back as quick as regular cells.... Right.... Junkheads

Why is alcohol not illegal then.
Ive never gone out of control when stoned or met anyone who has but alcohol on the other hand.

[ACID]

Really, that's COMPLETELY contradictory to what it says in my MEDICAL TEXTBOOKS FOR COLLEGE.... Right cuz they feed us bull$#@! to beome doctors....

Actually the thing that makes a doctor a doctor is a good nurse.

[NoQuarter]

It is not like being drunk nor does it kill braincells.YOU ARE WRONG! Why don't you explain the chemical reaction from cannibis that kills brain cells then?

It's well documented with alchohol!

THC is not even remotely chemically similar to alchohol,nor are it's effects.

[dagger89]

You know what, you guys are about as smart as rocks, honestly.... DCemu - Home of the retard potheads.

Enjoy your life you fucking potheads

- OUT

[NoQuarter]

Obviously you have no facts to base your statements on!Why else would you resort to insults.
Scared of an intelligent conversation?

Oh, and your EGO must be HUGE to have said some of the things you have!

[Kramer]

Yeah leaves because he know his wrong CYA later dude.

Here have a bud for the road.

[NoQuarter]

LMAO,I'm sure he'd rather have a pill.
Later doctor.

blame Harry Anslinger

[dagger89]

No, its called fucking mob mentality, who'd win? A group of a 100 ignorant jackasses, or 1 intelligent person... Look at it this way, who won their way when crucifying Jesus? A group of 1000s of angry people, or a select few fighting for the right thing... there we go

[ACID]

Ok i will be the party pooper now heres all the info needed.

Overview
Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other drugs made from the same plant. Other forms of cannabis include sinsemilla, hashish, and hash oil. All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs.

The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety.

Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint) or in a pipe or bong. Marijuana has also appeared in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with another drug, such as crack. It can also be mixed into foods or used to brew a tea.1


Extent of Use

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. According to the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 97.5 million Americans aged 12 or older tried marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, representing 40.1% of the U.S. population in that age group. The number of past year marijuana users in 2005 was approximately 25.4 million (10.4% of the population aged 12 or older) and the number of past month marijuana users was 14.6 million (6.0%).2

Among 12-17 year olds surveyed as part of the 2005 NSDUH, 6.8% reported past month marijuana use. Additional NSDUH results indicate that 16.6% of 18-25 year olds and 4.1% of those aged 26 or older reported past month use of marijuana.3

The 2005 NSDUH results also indicate that there were 2.1 million persons aged 12 or older who had used marijuana for the first time within the past 12 months.4

A 2002 SAMHSA report, Initiation of Marijuana Use: Trends, Patterns and Implications, concludes that the younger children are when they first use marijuana, the more likely they are to use cocaine and heroin and become dependent on drugs as adults. The report found that 62 percent of adults age 26 or older who initiated marijuana before they were 15 years old reported that they had used cocaine in their lifetime. More than 9 percent reported they had used heroin and 53.9 percent reported non-medical use of psychotherapeutics. This compares to a 0.6 percent rate of lifetime use of cocaine, a 0.1 percent rate of lifetime use of heroin and a 5.1 percent rate of lifetime non-medical use of psychotherapeutics for those who never used marijuana. Increases in the likelihood of cocaine and heroin use and drug dependence are also apparent for those who initiate use of marijuana at any later age.5

Among students surveyed as part of the 2005 Monitoring the Future study, 16.5% of eighth graders, 34.1% of tenth graders, and 44.8% of twelfth graders reported lifetime use of marijuana. In 2004, these percentages were 16.3%, 35.1%, and 45.7%, respectively.6

Percent of Students Reporting Marijuana Use, 2004–2005

8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade
2004 2005 2004 2005 2004 2005
Past month 6.4% 6.6% 15.9% 15.2% 19.9% 19.8%
Past year 11.8 12.2 27.5 26.6 34.3 33.6
Lifetime 16.3 16.5 35.1 34.1 45.7 44.8

Approximately 74% of eighth graders, 65.5% of tenth graders, and 58% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2005 reported that smoking marijuana regularly was a "great risk."7

Percent of Students Reporting Risk of Using Marijuana, 2005

Say "great risk" to: 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade
Try marijuana once/twice 31.4% 22.3% 16.1%
Smoke marijuana occasionally 48.9 36.6 25.8
Smoke marijuana regularly 73.9 65.5 58.0

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveys high school students on several risk factors including drug and alcohol use. Results of the 2005 survey indicate that 38.4% of high school students reported using marijuana at some point in their lifetimes. Additional YRBS results indicate that 20.2% of students surveyed in 2005 reported current (past month) use of marijuana.8

Percent of Students Reporting Marijuana Use, 2001–2005

2001 2003 2005
Current use 23.9% 22.4% 20.2%
Lifetime use 42.4 40.2 38.4

During 2004, 49.1% of college students and 57.4% of young adults (ages 19–28) reported lifetime use of marijuana.9

Percent of College Students/Young Adults Using Marijuana, 2003–2004

College Students Young Adults
2003 2004 2003 2004
Past month 19.3% 18.9% 17.3% 16.5%
Past year 33.7 33.3 29.0 29.2
Lifetime 50.7 49.1 57.2 57.4

According to data from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program, a median of 44.1% of adult male arrestees and 31.6% of adult female arrestees tested positive for marijuana at the time of arrest in 2003. The adult male samples were compiled from 39 U.S. sites and the adult female samples were compiled from 25 sites.10

Marijuana Use by Arrestees, 2003

Past Marijuana Use by Arrestees Males Females
Used in past 7 days 39.3% 30.0%
Used in past 30 days 44.9 36.0
Used in past year 51.9 44.4
Avg. # of days used in past 30 days 10.5 days 9.1 days


Health Effects

Marijuana abuse is associated with many detrimental health effects. These effects can include frequent respiratory infections, impaired memory and learning, increased heart rate, anxiety, panic attacks and tolerance. Marijuana meets the criteria for an addictive drug and animal studies suggest marijuana causes physical dependence and some people report withdrawal symptoms.11

Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways. Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke. Marijuana has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because marijuana smoke contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke.12

Marijuana's damage to short-term memory seems to occur because THC alters the way in which information is processed by the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory formation. In one study, researchers compared marijuana smoking and nonsmoking 12th-graders' scores on standardized tests of verbal and mathematical skills. Although all of the students had scored equally well in 4th grade, those who were heavy marijuana smokers, i.e., those who used marijuana seven or more times per week, scored significantly lower in 12th grade than nonsmokers. Another study of 129 college students found that among heavy users of marijuana critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours.13

Of an estimated 106 million emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. during 2004, the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) estimates that 1,997,993 were drug-related. DAWN data indicate that marijuana was involved in 215,665 ED visits.14

DAWN also collects information on deaths involving drug abuse that were identified and submitted by 128 death investigation jurisdictions in 42 metropolitan areas across the United States. Cannabis ranked among the 10 most common drugs in 16 cities, including Detroit (74 deaths), Dallas (65), and Kansas City (63). Marijuana is very often reported in combination with other substances; in metropolitan areas that reported any marijuana in drug abuse deaths, an average of 79 percent of those deaths involved marijuana and at least one other substance.15

Treatment

From 1994 to 2004, the number of admissions to treatment in which marijuana was the primary drug of abuse increased from 142,906 in 1994 to 298,317 in 2004. The marijuana admissions represented 8.6% of the total drug/alcohol admissions to treatment during 1994 and 15.9% of the treatment admissions in 2004. The average age of those admitted to treatment for marijuana during 2004 was 24 years.16


Arrests & Sentencing

There were a total of 1,846,351 state and local arrests for drug abuse violations in the United States during 2005. Of the drug arrests, 4.9% were for marijuana sale/manufacturing and 37.7% were for marijuana possession.17

In FY 2003, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made 5,679 arrests related to cannabis, accounting for 20.9% of all DEA arrests during the year. This is an increase from FY 2002, when 5,576 cannabis-related arrests were made by the DEA, accounting for 18.5% of all DEA arrests.18

According to a 1997 Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) survey of Federal and state prisoners approximately 19% of Federal and 13% of state drug offenders were incarcerated for a marijuana-related offense. The survey also measured prior drug use by prison inmates. Approximately 65% of Federal prisoners had tried marijuana/hashish, 47% had used it regularly, 30% used it in the month before their offense, and 11% used it at the time of their offense. In 1997 77% of State prisoners had tried marijuana/ hashish, 58% had used it regularly, 39% had used it in the month before their offense, and 15% had used it at the time of their offense.19

Marijuana was involved in 40.4% and 43.1% of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations in FY 2001 and FY 2002, respectively, second only to cocaine. The proportion of OCDETF indictments in which marijuana was charged was 18.5% in FY 2001 and 16.3% in FY 2002, falling behind cocaine, crack, and methamphetamine.20

Between October 1, 2004 and January 11, 2005, there were 1,777 Federal offenders sentenced for marijuana-related charges in U.S. Courts. Approximately 94.9% of the cases involved marijuana trafficking. Between January 12, 2005 and September 30, 2005, there were 4,396 Federal offenders sentenced for marijuana-related charges in U.S. Courts. Approximately 95.8% of the cases involved trafficking.21

The Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program collects drug use data from booked arrestees in over 30 sites nationwide. A recent report focussing on youthful adult arrestees (18-20 years old) surveyed in ADAM sites has shown an increase in marijuana use among this population. Starting around 1991, most ADAM locations experienced a rapid increase in recent use among youthful adult arrestees, from an average low of 25 percent in 1991 to 57 percent in 1996, as detected by urinalysis. The report concludes that marijuana appears to be the drug of choice for arrestees born since 1970.22


Production & Trafficking

Marijuana production in Mexico, the principal source of foreign-produced marijuana to U.S. drug markets, Canada, and the United States appears to be increasing. Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP) data indicate that domestic cannabis eradication increased steadily from 2000 through 2003, decreased in 2004, and increased sharply to its highest recorded level in 2005 (preliminary data). Domestic eradication occurs primarily in California, Kentucky, Tennessee, Hawaii, and Washington, often on public lands including Forest Service lands.23

Arrival Zone seizure data indicate that most (96.7% in 2004) marijuana seized at or between U.S. points of entry is seized along the U.S.-Mexico border. Marijuana seizures along the U.S.-Canada border, while still much lower than seizures along the U.S.-Mexico border, have nearly tripled since 2001.24

U.S. Federal agencies seized more than 2.7 million pounds of marijuana in FY 2003. This is up from approximately 2.4 million pounds in FY 2002.25

According to the 2004 NSDUH, most users (55.1%) got the drug for free or shared someone else's marijuana. Approximately 40% of marijuana users bought it. More than half (52.7%) of users who bought their marijuana purchased it inside a home, apartment, or dorm.26


Legislation
Marijuana is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Schedule I drugs are classified as having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.27

In the case of United States v. Oakland Cannabis Club the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that marijuana has no medical value as determined by Congress. The opinion of the court stated that: "In the case of the Controlled Substances Act, the statute reflects a determination that marijuana has no medical benefits worthy of an exception outside the confines of a government-approved research project."28 The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court after the federal government sought an injunction in 1998 against the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative and five other marijuana distributors in California.29

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a ruling on May 24, 2002, upholding DEA's determination that marijuana must remain a schedule I controlled substance. The Court of Appeals rejected an appeal that contended that marijuana does not meet the legal criteria for classification in schedule I, the most restrictive schedule under the Controlled Substances Act.30


Street Terms
"Grass," "pot," and "weed" are common street terms for marijuana.31 Other terms include:

Marijuana Street Terms

Term Definition Term Definition
420 Marijuana use Homegrown Marijuana
BC bud High-grade marijuana from Canada Hydro Marijuana grown in water (hydroponic)
Bud Marijuana Indo Marijuana term from Northern CA
Chronic Marijuana Kind bud High quality marijuana
Dope Marijuana Mary Jane Marijuana
Ganja Marijuana; term from Jamaica Shake Marijuana
Herb Marijuana Sinsemilla Potent Marijuana