Marijuana

• Introduction

Growing up on the Caribbean islands, culture and norms dictate that marijuana is part of the socially accepted norms. Upon moving to Texas I realized that it was a big difference in society about this topic. Here the use of this drug is prohibited and strict penalties exist for you are caught using it.

Today I am going to inform you about marijuana, what it is, its history and its three main uses which are Medical, Religious, and recreation.

• What is marijuana

Marijuana - often called pot, ganja, grass, reefer, weed, herb, Mary Jane, - is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of Cannabis sativa, the hemp plant.

National Institute on Drug Abuse

The major active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes mind-altering and intoxicating effects. The amount of THC determines the potency and, therefore, the strength of the marijuana.

Marijuana grows in predominantly tropical to temperate climates. In the United States of America the National Drug Intelligence Agency of the Department of Justice reports in February 2007 over 5.2millon of the nearly 6million marijuana plants eradicated in the U. S came from California, Kentucky, Washington, Tennessee, West Virginia, Oregon & Hawaii.

While the early origin of marijuana remains difficult to be determined, there are signs to indicate that the hemp plant from which marijuana is derived was used as early as 6000 BC by the Chinese’s. The Encyclopedia Britannica notes the spread of the Hemp plant throughout others parts of Asia such as India and Persia by the end of 5000BC

During its long history the marijuana plant has several diverse methods of consumption. Most users smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, among other names; some use pipes or water pipes called bongs. Marijuana cigars called blunts have also become popular. To make blunts, users slice open cigars and replace the tobacco with marijuana, often combined with another drug, such as crack cocaine. Marijuana also is used to brew tea and is sometimes mixed into foods such as the Caribbean desert “Ganja fudge”

• Use

Marijuana is the Nation's most commonly used illicit drug. More than 94 million Americans (40 percent) age 12 and older have tried marijuana at least once, according to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

The different uses of Marijuana have been the center of much debate concerning