Some people believe smoking sf 420 delivery carries no risks. But scientific research shows that there are risks, especially for teens. Marijuana affects a person’s judgment and can impair his or her ability to drive. For those who use it regularly, it can lead to poor academic performance, or even addiction.
So how does marijuana have such a big impact on a person’s ability to function?
Scientists have asked themselves that question for a long time. And after several decades of research they not only figured out how marijuana works, but scientists also discovered an important communications system in the brain and the body, which they called the endocannabinoid system after the cannabis plant from which marijuana comes.
“Endo”—what?
Understanding the science of marijuana began in the mid-1960s with the identification of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) as marijuana’s main active ingredient. Twenty years later, scientists identified the sites in the brain and body where marijuana acts and called them cannabinoid (CB) receptors.
People often use the words “cannabis” and “marijuana” interchangeably, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing.
- The word “cannabis” refers to all products derived from the plant Cannabis sativa.
- The cannabis plant contains about 540 chemical substances.
- The word “marijuana” refers to parts of or products from the plant Cannabis sativa that contain substantial amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the substance that’s primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person’s mental state. Some cannabis plants contain very little THC. Under U.S. law, these plants are considered “industrial hemp” rather than marijuana.
Throughout the rest of this fact sheet, we use the term “cannabis” to refer to the plant Cannabis sativa.
Marijuana is a shredded, green-brown mix of dried flowers, stems, and leaves from the plant Cannabis sativa. A stronger form of marijuana, called hashish (hash), looks like brown or black cakes or balls. The amount of THC (the active ingredient) in marijuana and marijuana products has increased greatly over the years.
Marijuana is usually rolled and smoked like a cigarette (joints or doobies), or put in hollowed-out cigars (blunts), pipes (bowls), or water pipes (bongs). Recently, it has become increasingly popular for people to inhale marijuana or stronger marijuana extracts using a vaporizer (called “vaping” or “dabbing”). Some people mix it into food or brew it as a tea.
There is also “synthetic marijuana” — manmade drugs that are chemically similar to THC — that can be dangerously strong. Names for these drugs include “K2,” “Spice,” and “Herbal Incense.” They can be so potent that overdose deaths have happened.