WHAT IS MARIJUANA?
Over 300 scientific studies into the harmful effects of Marijuana have been published in scientific journals since 1975. These effects include personality damage, abnormal cell nuclei in both size and development, injury to sperm and ova, disorganized protein production, reduced oxygen and heightened carbon monoxide content in tissues, irregular cell division, cancer, and heart, lung, glandular, nerve and brain damage.

All Marijuana comes from a single plant: the cannabis sativa, commonly called "Indian hemp." "Cannabinoids" are the chemicals found only in this plant. To date, 61 have been isolated. They are very dangerous, as we have seen elsewhere on this sheet. These 61, plus 360 other chemicals, provide us with a total of 421 presently identified chemicals in the cannabis plant The most active of the cannabinoids is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

Hashish, prepared from cannabis in a different way, is much stronger than Marijuana. Marijuana is smoked in pipes or cigarettes. Hashish is taken orally or mixed with a food and eaten.

Both are illegal. You only need have either one in your possession in order to receive a stiff prison sentence. Fines and even heavier sentences are doled out for transporting cannabis or giving or selling it to another. For example: If a person over 18 sells Marijuana to a minor under 18, he is subject to a fine of up to $20,000 and/or 10 to 40 years in prison for the first offense, with no suspension of sentence probation or parole--Leave cannabis alone. A long way alone.

Marijuana chapter from "Hard Drugs"

Marijuana 'The Weed of Madness' 

Marijuana: The Gateway Drug

Some off site links to explore:

marijuana-research.com

http://www.drugwatch.org/index.html

Drug Watch International