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An analysis of research studies with long-term, recreational users of marijuana has failed to reveal a substantial, systematic effect on the neuron cognitive functioning of users. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug.

Basically Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe or a bong. Marijuana is strongly absorbed by fatty tissues in various organs.

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug used by teens. The use of marijuana by teens can affect school, sports, and other activities; marijuana also affects memory, judgment, and perception. They may suffer sudden feelings of anxiety and have paranoid thoughts.

The use of marijuana can produce adverse physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral changes, and contrary to popular belief, it can be addictive. Marijuana smoke, like cigarette smoke, can harm the lungs. The use of marijuana can impair short-term memory verbal skills and judgment and distort perception. It also may weaken the immune system.

Teens who smoke marijuana on a regular basis start to lose interest in their appearance and how they are doing in school, at work, and at home. There are many reasons why some children and young teens start using marijuana. Most young people use marijuana because they have friends or brothers and sisters who use marijuana and pressure them to try it. Some young people use it because they see older people in the family using it.

Other users may think it's cool to use marijuana because they hear about it in music and see it used in TV and movies.

Short-term effects of marijuana:

Problems with memory and learning

Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch)

Trouble with thinking and problem-solving

Loss of coordination

Increased heart rate, anxiety, panics attacks.

If you use marijuana a lot, you could start to lose energy and lose interest in how you look. In addition, there is a strong link between drug use and unsafe sex and the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Regular use of marijuana may play a role in some kinds of cancer and in problems with the respiratory, immune, and reproductive systems.

Long Term Effects:

Cancer - It's hard to know for sure whether regular marijuana use causes cancer. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the cancer causing chemicals as tobacco smoke.

Lungs and airways - People who smoke marijuana often tend to develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have. They suffer frequent coughing, phlegm production, and wheezing, and they tend to have more chest colds than non-users.

Immune system - Animal studies have found that Marijuana can damage the cells and tissues that help protect people from disease.

Reproductive system - Heavy use of marijuana can affect both male and female hormones. Young men could have delayed puberty because of Marijuana effects.

Marijuana has serious harmful effects on the skills needed for driving a car. Timing, coordination, alertness, and performance are all affected. For instance, the marijuana user may have trouble judging distances and may have delayed reactions to sights and sounds that drivers need to notice. There are data showing that marijuana has played a role in crashes.

There are currently no medications for treating marijuana dependence. Treatment programs focus on counseling and group support systems. There are also a number of programs designed especially to help teenagers who are abusers. Family doctors are also a good source for information and help in dealing with adolescent marijuana problems. Basically you need a expert.