Among all illicit drugs marijuana is the most commonly used drug by teenagers. Its effects give the user a “lifted” feeling. The long-term effects of marijuana are ten times worse than tobacco. Marijuana is the most highly illegal used drug by teenagers because of its feel good effects and how easy it is to obtain.
Most teens use marijuana out of curiosity. They hear about it in school and wonder how it will make them feel. Peer pressure, the influence of other family members, and disagreements with parents is some other major reasons teens use it. The influence of peers and family members is a major reason why teens decide to smoke marijuana. When pressure is put on most teens, they have a major desire to become accepted, or fill some type space where they think they need to be at, and they really don’t need to.
Some teens will do anything to fill that space, and they will fall into drugs, sex, crime, etc. Other influences include anxiety, anger, depression, boredom, and a number of other things. The rate of marijuana use does not differentiate among race; the use percentage among all races is about the same. (Marijuana)
Marijuana is used in many different ways. The most popular and longest used method is the joint. A joint is a hand rolled cigarette with marijuana inside. Blunts are also becoming more popular. A blunt is a cigar in which the tobacco is replaced with marijuana. Other methods include using glass tubes, also known as bongs, pipes, and eating. An example is mixing marijuana with brownie mix and baking it. Other bizarre ways to use marijuana include using an apple as pipe, and using other objects such as milk cartons, or soda bottles. Marijuana is also used in many combinations with other drugs. Joints are sometimes dipped into PCP and smoked. Mixing marijuana with other drugs may increase the intoxicating effects, depending on the type of drug it is mixed with and the type of marijuana it is.
Obtaining marijuana is very easy. Most teenagers obtain marijuana for free by being share it with their friends. Females are more likely to share than males. Most males buy their marijuana. Marijuana is easily purchased at school or in local neighborhoods. It can be obtained from friends or from the “neighborhood dope man”. It can also be grown. In most schools across the United States there is at least one drug dealer. It’s very easy to obtain and buy.(method)
A number of different things can happen to marijuana users. They become may overly interested in ordinary, everyday things. They forget about other important things and focus on silly things. For example, the user might find his/ her shoe very interesting to look at. They may focus on it for long periods of time. Also, time seems to pass very slowly. To someone that is high, minutes feel like hours. This makes the effects of marijuana feel even longer than the three or four hours they really last. The user feels relaxed and his/her blood pressure drops below normal. This happens because marijuana makes the blood vessels expand. Along with these effects there is a loss of balance and disorientation. The user becomes very sleepy and feels loose, causing a tired feeling while under the influence of marijuana. The user might become very hungry and has a sudden urge to eat a lot of food. This effect is called having the “munchies”. While using marijuana, the user’s mouth may also become very dry. This effect is called having “cottonmouth”. Depending on what type of marijuana there may be hallucinations. (Neuroscience)
The effects of marijuana are determined by several different things. The first is what type of marijuana that is taken. A type of marijuana called chronic causes you to have different types of hallucinations. Second, what other drugs marijuana is mixed with. Third is the way it is taken. The effects of smoking come quicker but last shorter when it is smoked. When it is eaten the effects come slower and last much longer. The fourth thing is the user’s anticipation. This means what the user thinks is going to happen. Finally the effects are determined by where the drug is taken. (Marijuana)
Is marijuana addictive? It’s definitely not as addicting as alcohol or cocaine. But, marijuana does show addictive properties. Humans do show signs of withdrawal when away from regular use of a drug. In spite of this statement the drug is still very controllable. Because of the ability to control use of the drug is another reason why teens choose to turn to marijuana. Some teens may be chronic users and truly are addicted to the drug. The addiction part is much more mental than it is physical. The person thinks that they have to have the drug. They think that they have to get it. But really, it’s just because they like the effects of it and they desire more of it. (Marijuana What)
Marijuana goes by many different names. In fact there are over 1000 different aliases for this one drug. The most popular include, “pot,” “weed,” “Mary Jane,” “refer,” and “bud”. Others include “boom,” “grass,” “green,” “stank,” “dat stuff,” “skunk,” “kush,” and “dank.” Marijuana can also be named after the dealer that gives it to you.
Other influences to use marijuana come from mass media. For example, in music, Three 6 Mafia has a song called “Bin Laden”. In the first verse DJ Paul, a member of the rap group, says, “I swear sometimes I got to get high to hang around my h–, Sometimes I feel I got to get high to hang round n—– I know…” (Three 6 Mafia) Three 6 Mafia is a rap group known for their catchy beats and hard lyrics. They are role models and people, especially teens, look up to them. If they talk about smoking marijuana in their songs then that’s what their listeners are going to be influenced to do. Another way from the media is through movies. The movie “Friday” is about two friends, Smokey (Chris Tucker) and Craig (Ice Cube), which live in the hood in Los Angeles, CA. Smokey gets some weed from the neighborhood dope dealer Big Worm (Faizon Love) and volunteers to sell it for him. Instead Smokey lives up to his name and smokes up all the weed, and he gets Craig started on it too. But Big Worm says he needs his money by ten o’clock that night, so they go through a number of tasks to try to get the money.(Friday) I’ve seen the movie, it’s hilarious, and when you make smoking marijuana funny it tells teens that if they smoke marijuana they will be funny also. Others include television shows, jewelry, and clothing.
As you can see, there are many different reasons why marijuana is turned to. These influences are just going to keep growing. The more teens are influenced the more they are going to influence. That’s with everything, not just marijuana. But because of the influences listed above, marijuana is the most illegally used drug by teens.