Q: What is marijuana?
A: Marijuana is a drug that has many street names: grass, weed, dope, pot, Mary Jane, and many others. Marijuana comes from the same plant as hashish and hashish oil. The scientific name for this plant is Cannabis sativa, which is why marijuana and hashish are both called cannabis.
Q: Is marijuana legal in Canada?
A: No. All forms of cannabis are illegal in Canada, except for some people who are allowed to use it for medical reasons. If you are caught with cannabis, you could be charged with possession and you could go to jail.
Q: How do people use marijuana and hashish?
A: Marijuana and hashish are usually smoked in cigarettes called joints or reefers. It can also be smoked in pipes, or in water pipes called bongs. Hash oil is added to marijuana or tobacco cigarettes. Cannabis can also be cooked in foods such as brownies.
Q: What does marijuana or hashish do to the body?
A: Marijuana and hashish contain a chemical called THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) that affects the brain and the heart. It affects moods and body functions controlled by the brain. It causes the heart to beat faster and causes changes in blood pressure. If it is smoked, the effects of marijuana and hashish are felt quickly.
Q: What are some of the other effects of marijuana and hashish?
A: Like all drugs, cannabis has a different effect on each person. The effects of cannabis depend on a lot of things:
- how strong the cannabis is (how much THC it has)
- how the cannabis is taken
- how much and how often you’ve used it in the past
- what you expect to happen
- what’s happening around you at the time
- whether you are drinking alcohol or using other drugs
Cannabis can affect the way you sense the world around you. Colours may seem brighter, sounds and smells more distinct. Some users feel happy and start talking a lot; others get quiet and withdrawn. Minutes can seem like hours, and ordinary objects seem to have special meaning. Cannabis can also make you feel thirsty and very hungry, an effect called “the munchies.”
Because it affects the brain, marijuana and hashish can mess up your ability to think straight. While high on cannabis, you may have trouble remembering and concentrating on things. It can also interfere with your reaction time, co-ordination and ability to make judgments. Using cannabis can affect your performance at school, sports and other activities.
For some people, using cannabis causes sudden feelings of anxiety, paranoid thoughts or temporary psychosis. These effects usually disappear within a few hours.
Q: How long do these effects last?
A: If you smoke cannabis, you will probably feel the high quickly, and it will last two to four hours. If you eat cannabis, the high happens later and you feel it for a longer time.
Q: What happens when people use marijuana and hashish over a long period of time?
A: Regular cannabis users can develop tolerance, which means they need more of the drug to feel the same effects. Some people can come to depend on the drug, and may not be able to stop using it on their own.
Some people who stop after using cannabis heavily have withdrawal symptoms like sweating, shaking, upset stomach, loss of appetite and trouble sleeping.
This is still being studied, but we do know that marijuana and hashish smoke are similar to tobacco smoke in some ways. Smoking marijuana or hashish can damage the lungs. It can also play a part in leaving the body vulnerable to diseases that interfere with breathing, such as bronchitis.
Heavy use of marijuana and hashish may also lead to difficulty remembering things and concentrating.
Q: Is it OK to drive while high on marijuana?
A: No. Driving while high on cannabis is impaired driving! While high on cannabis, you may have delayed reactions to sights and sounds that drivers need to notice. Even smoking a small amount of cannabis can slow your reactions enough to make driving dangerous.
Q: Is it a problem if pregnant women use marijuana?
A: Yes. Marijuana can cause mothers to give birth before their babies are fully developed. Children whose mothers smoke marijuana while pregnant may also develop learning problems as they get older.
Q: How many people use marijuana?
A: Marijuana is the most often used illegal drug in Canada and Alberta. In a 2004 survey, 15.5% of Albertans over 15 years old said they had used marijuana in the previous year.
