For those who don't know, describe marijuana. 

Marijuana is any dried part of the Cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica). THC, along with related chemicals, can be found in the plant. The cannabis plant is also used to create extracts (see "Marijuana Extracts"). 

After nicotine and alcohol, marijuana is the most widely used addictive substance. 

1 Teenagers utilize it at an alarming rate. More than 11.8 million American teenagers and young adults consumed marijuana in 2018. 1 While the percentage of middle and high school students who reported using marijuana in the last year has stayed relatively stable, the percentage of eighth and tenth graders who report using cannabis oil dementia daily has climbed, as reported by the Monitoring the Future poll. THC (the psychoactive component of marijuana) is being vaporized at an alarming rate, with nearly 4% of 12th graders reporting regular use of a vaping device and THC. Further, there is a declining percentage of young people who think it's a bad idea to consume marijuana regularly. 2 

These opinions may change as a rising number of states legalize marijuana for medical or adult recreational use. DrugFacts has further information on medical marijuana use. 

Can you describe how marijuana users often consume it? 

Marijuana is smoked in a variety of devices, including hand-rolled cigarettes (joints), pipes, and water pipes (bongs). Another popular method of consumption is the blunt, an empty cigar that has been partially or entirely refilled with marijuana. Some people are turning to vaporizers as an alternative to smoking cigarettes. These units extract cannabinoids from the plant, including THC, and collect the vapor for later use. The vapor is then inhaled instead of smoke. Marijuana extract liquid is used in several vaporizers. 

When smoked, what happens in the brain of a pot user? 

Effects of marijuana on the brain can be both temporary and permanent. 

Results in the Short Term 

When a person smokes marijuana, the THC immediately enters the bloodstream through the lungs. The substance is distributed to the brain and the rest of the body via the circulatory system. Taking THC orally slows down the rate at which it is absorbed by the body. After 30 minutes to an hour, patients start to feel the effects. 

THC affects the brain by binding to receptors that normally respond to endogenous cannabinoids. These naturally occurring substances are important for proper brain growth and development. 

Cannabis has a heightened effect on the regions of the brain that have the most of these receptors. To put it another way, this is what makes people feel euphoric. Additional results include: 

senses distorted (for example, seeing brighter colors) 

lack of time awareness changed disposition decreased physical mobility 

problems with reasoning and problem solving, memory loss, and hallucinate (when taken in high doses) 

delusions (when taken at high quantities) (when taken in high doses) 

psychosis (risk is greater with regular use of high potency marijuana) (risk is highest with regular use of high potency marijuana) 

Results Over Time 

The use of marijuana also has negative effects on a person's cognitive maturation. The development of the brain's neural pathways for thinking, remembering, and learning may be hampered by regular marijuana use in adolescence. How long the effects of marijuana remain and whether or not they are permanent are still open questions for science. 

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