The joint is made with young leaves and flowers (buds) dry and crumbling of Cannabis sativa plant is known for centuries for its psychoactive and medicinal properties. For consumption, in addition to the cigarette, also common pipes or water pipes (hookahs) are used.
With inhaling the smoke reaches the lungs, where its components are absorbed quickly, pass into the blood and distributed throughout the body, including the central nervous system, where produce alterations in thinking and behavior changes generally attributed to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9), which is the most abundant and powerful psychoactive principle.
The effects of marijuana and magnitude of these relate to the variety of cannabis use, with the dose consumed with the way in which it is administered, as well as the previous user experience, expectations and surrounding environment.
The main reason that smoking marijuana is the desire to experience its euphoric effects, which can be achieved with relatively low doses (2.5-5.0 mg of delta-9). In addition to a feeling of extreme well-being (euphoria), pleasure and relaxation, uninhibitedly users share their thoughts and experiences. This sense of well-being can be accompanied (again depending on the dose and variety of cannabis) of some distortion in perceptions, so that the colors appear brighter, more vivid music and emotions more intense.
Under the influence of marijuana there is a shortage of mental and psychomotor processes; these effects share certain characteristics with those observed when alcohol is consumed or anxiety, the type of benzodiazepines are taken. Are affected negatively: alertness, judgment, learning, memory, the ability of abstraction and concentration; in turn, increases the time of response to stimuli and muscle coordination is reduced. Therefore, as with alcohol and sedatives, marijuana users are at increased risk of accidents (especially vehicle).
Chronic users tend to operate at a lower cognitive level, and this explains why they get lower grades in school and are at greater risk of dropping out of school than those who do not eat the grass. Among the negative effects of acute poisoning can also occur anxiety disorders, hallucinations, panic attacks and systemic level, increased heart rate and the arterial.1 pressure in some people, especially beginners, inhaling marijuana cause unpleasant reactions, which may explain the high number of people who report in surveys that have tried only “once in life”.
Persistent marijuana use is associated with the development of two known phenomena: tolerance, which forces them to periodically increase the dose; and dependence, both psychic and physical. Most people try drugs out of curiosity in order to experience, to know what it is; This often occurs during adolescence or early adulthood. For many the experience is unique or sporadic, recreational purposes and for a limited time. This is the case in most users. However, in other cases, for approximately 10% occasional consumption becomes frequent and people become dependent on their psychostimulant effects. They become addicted. As with other addictions, dependent on marijuana are characterized by compulsive drug seeking, loss of control and insistence by using (psychological dependence), although well aware of the problems associated with their consumption.