Marijuana

Introduction:

Marijuana is one of the most controversial drugs in American society. Many believe it to be a menace to society, while others assert that it is no more harmful than an occasional drink of alcohol. Still others view marijuana as something in between. Marijuana is the powerful drug made from cannabis sativa -- commonly known as the hemp plant -- that is smoked for its intoxicating effects. The primary active ingredient in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and it is this complex chemical that produces most of the psychoactive (mind-altering) reactions experienced by marijuana users. The level of THC determines the potency of the drug. This level can range from 0.01 to 10 percent, the latter being 1,000 times more potent than the former. Most often, marijuana is prepared using the dried flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. Other related drugs made from the hemp plant are hashish, made from the plant resin, and hash oil, which is made from an oily extract of either hashish or marijuana. These drugs usually are smoked in cigarettes ("joints") or pipes, or they are baked into brownies or cookies. Common slang terms for marijuana include "grass," "weed," "pot," and "dope."

Marijuana:

The third largest agricultural good in the nation and a ten billion-dollar industry has nothing to do with the agriculture we are use to. This good is Marijuana, an illegal drug. It is "the most widely used illicit drug in America" (Gold v). In Florida alone, marijuana sales are greater than all businesses except tourism (Gold v). What is marijuana? Marijuana, a plant, known as Cannabis Sativa, labeled that by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753 (Grinspoon 1), is "one of nature's hardiest specimens" (Abel ix). It can survive in any climatic condition possible, and flourishes like weeds do. Marijuana acts like a weed, stealing all the sunlight and nutrients around it. The soil needed for growing marijuana for its intoxicant, is dry thin soil, along with horse...