Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in America today. However it is the least understood. Not until about the 1960's did many people know about marijuana and the harm it causes. Marijuana is a green, brown and gray mixture of dry shredded leaves from the hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa). Marijuana contains more than 400 chemicals, but the main chemical responsible for the "high" that you receive is THC. THC expands your blood vessels in the brain and the lungs allowing more oxygen to flow through your the body. This causes your heart to speed up and lowers your blood pressure. Having lower blood pressure means that there is going to be less blood flowing to the brain causing the "high" that you get, because it alters the mind by slowing down the thinking process. Marijuana increases the heart rate up to 150 beats per minute.
             There are different forms of marijuana sold. Hash, which is where resin, is pressed out of the plants and formed into cubes. The smoke is then inhaled as the cube burn. Distilled resin is called hash oil, this is the strongest form or marijuana, and it is used in food, drinks and hash brownies. The most common is a mix of leaves, stems and seeds. The stems and seeds are removed, and then the leaves themselves are rolled into cigarette paper which is called a joint. A joint may also be where a user has a cigar or cigarette, then they slice open the paper emptying out the tobacco and refilling it with marijuana. Smoking 1 joint is as harmful to your lungs as smoking a pack of cigarettes. Marijuana usually stays in the body of the user several days after its use. Fatty tissues in various organs absorb the chemicals from the weed. Some users, especially new ones may get acute anxiety and have paranoid thoughts due to high amounts of THC. Marijuana kills brain cells causing memory problems.
             Frequent users become very lazy and cannot concentrate on much of anything. In some rare cases users that take in to ...