Drug abuse

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Unpleasant effects that may occur include depersonalization (inability to distinguish oneself from others), changed body image, disorientation, and acute panic reactions or severe paranoia.

Some cases of severe delirium, hallucinations, and violence have also been reported. Such cases should raise suspicion that the marijuana may have been laced with another agent, such as PCP.

Marijuana has specific effects that may decrease one's ability to perform tasks requiring a great deal of coordination (such as driving a car). Visual tracking is impaired, and the sense of time is typically prolonged.

Learning may be greatly affected because the drug reduces one's ability to concentrate and pay attention. Studies have shown that learning may become "state-dependent," meaning that information acquired or learned while under the influence of marijuana is best recalled in the same state of drug influence.

Other marijuana effects may include:

• Blood-shot eyes
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Bronchodilatation (widening of the airways)
• In some users, bronchial (airway) irritation leading to bronchoconstriction (narrowing of the airways) or bronchospasm (airway spasms, leading to narrowing of the airways)
• Pharyngitis , sinusitis , bronchitis , and asthma in heavy users
• Possible serious effects on the immune system

Regular users, upon stopping marijuana use, may experience withdrawal effects. These may include agitation, insomnia, irritability, and anxiety. Because the metabolite (the substance formed when the body breaks down the drug) of marijuana may be stored in the body's fat tissue, evidence of marijuana may be found in heavy users through urine testing up to 1 month after discontinuing the drug.

The active component in cannabis is believed to have medical properties. Many people maintain that it is effective in the treatment of nausea caused by chemotherapy in cancer patients.

Others claim that cannabis stimulates appetite in patients with AIDS, or is useful in the treatment of glaucoma. While the active ingredient in marijuana has been approved as a synthetic medication by the Food and Drug Administration (dronabinol) for these purposes, use of whole marijuana remains hugely controversial. Currently, cannabis is illegal even for medical use under federal law.