Marijuana Effects

Marijuana has numerous effects on the user. It's effects are produced by a chemical called THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). This chemical in marijuana is what creates the users "high". THC is found in the marijuana plant and has a higher potency level when it is located in the flowers or buds of the plant. The effects of the THC in the marijuana plant when it is smoked quickly travel through the blood into the lungs and then to the brain. When the THC reaches the brain it creates marijuana's effect of being "high".

Intensity of the effects of marijuana differ person to person. The variables include: how much taken, how strong (potent) the marijuana is, how the marijuana is taken (joint, bong, food), size, weight, health, mood, individual experience with marijuana, if marijuana is taken with other drugs, and whether alone or with other people, at home or at a party.

Here is a typical breakdown of the timeframe of marijuana effects:
Onset 0-10 minutes
Coming Up 5-10 minutes
Plateau 15-30 minutes
Coming Down 45-60 minutes
After Effects 30-60 minutes

Short-term effects of using marijuana include:

  • Sleepiness
  • Difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory
  • Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car
  • Increased heart rate
  • Potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart disease
  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Dry mouth and throat
  • Decreased social inhibitions
  • Paranoia, hallucinations
  • Impaired or reduced short-term memory
  • Impaired or reduced comprehension
  • Altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult
  • Paranoia
  • Psychological dependence
  • Impairments in learning, memory, perception, and judgment - difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts
  • Intense anxiety or panic attacks


San Diego Hazy About Medical Marijuana Rules
September 7, 2009 SAN DIEGO — Some San Diego city council members think the city’s rules about medical marijuana are hazy. On Tuesday the council will consider creating a task force to clear things up. The city of San Diego was waiting to see whether the U.S. Supreme Court would hear an appeal of California’s Medical Marijuana law brought by San Diego County. The court declined to consider the case. Now the city’s moving forward. Councilwoman Marti Emerald says a task force will help solidify the city’s policy on how to regulate dispensaries
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Atascadero council weighs marijuana dispensary ban
After several calls expressing interest in opening a medical marijuana dispensary in Atascadero, the City Council on Tuesday could move to ban them temporarily before any potential proprietors file permits. That would reverse a 2006 city ordinance that would allow a dispensary in Atascadero. City staff is recommending that an urgency ordinance be adopted by the council to place a temporary 45-day moratorium. Current law allows just one dispensary and bars it from being within 1,000 feet of a school, church or park.
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Decriminalize marijuana for medical use
Iowa’s lawmakers must do the compassionate thing and legalize marijuana for medical use. This drug is no cure-all, but there has been enough tested research detailing its benefits to convince us that it has positive health benefits and a legitimate place in a patient’s spectrum of care. What ultimately sold us was the testimony of those who spoke Wednesday at the medical marijuana hearing sponsored by the Iowa Pharmacy Board.
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Budding industry: Medical marijuana grows in ski country
ASPEN — In a tiny, windowless room outfitted with a combination keypad lock on the door, a patient mulls the potency of marijuana strains with names like Sour Diesel, Northern Light and AK-47. Sealed jars of the pungent, green buds line the sole shelf inside a locked, glass display case, along with cannabis-infused cooking oils, tinctures and granola bars. The sale of medical marijuana in Aspen is under way. A new industry has exploded across Colorado, and dispensaries are popping up in mountain towns like ski racks in November. The Roaring Fork Valley has four already, including two in Aspen, and more are expected.
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