Introduction & Directions | Marijuana Fact 1 - Questions & Answers | Long Term Effects of Marijuana Use
How Can You Tell if Someone is Using Marijuana? | Is Marijuana Used as a Medicine? | What Does Marijuana Do to the Brain?
Is Marijuana Addictive? | In Your Own Words | Meet a Pot-Head: The Lows of Getting High: Alby's Story | Marijuana Photo Gallery
Contact & Credits | Teacher Links
Yvonne Mc Cann, Health Education Teacher and
Gwyneth Anne Bronwynne Jones
Library Media/Technology Specialist
Murray Hill Middle School, Howard County Maryland
Marijuana - often called pot, grass, reefer, weed, herb, mary jane, or mj - is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of Cannabis sativa, the hemp plant. Most users smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, among other names; some use pipes or water pipes called bongs. Marijuana use with teens has risen dramatically since the 1990's - learn more about this addictive and damaging drug by doing the following atctivity. Read the questions on your worksheet and look up the answers by reading the text linked on this web site.
Go back after each question. Don't be tempted to look only for the answer that fills in the blank..read the whole thing, some of these questions are tricky...
Using the Facts
for Teens Internet site complete your worksheet filling in the blanks
that correspond to the questions and links below.
Fewer than one
in _____________ high school seniors is a current
marijuana user. Q:
How many
teens smoke marijuana? A:
Contrary to popular belief, most teenagers __________ marijuana. Among
students surveyed in a yearly national survey, only about one in five 10th
graders report they are current marijuana users (that is, used marijuana
within the past month). Fewer
than one in four high school seniors is a current marijuana user). in __________________________________________. A:
The short-term effects of marijuana include: 
);
-
_________________________________________ ;
-
loss of motor coordination; and
-
__________________________.
Athletes could find
their performance is off; timing, movements, and coordination are all affected
by THC. Also, since marijuana can affect judgment and decisionmaking, its
use can lead to _____________________, resulting in exposure to sexually
transmitted diseases like HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Q: What
are the long-term effects of marijuana use?
A:
Findings so far show that regular use of marijuana or THC may play a role
in some kinds of cancer and in problems with the respiratory and immune
systems.
*Cancer
Itís hard to know
for sure whether regular marijuana use causes cancer. But it is known that
marijuana contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the __________________________found
in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per
day may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes
a full pack of cigarettes every day.
*Lungs
and airways
Lungs and airwaysóPeople
who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems
that cigarette smokers have: coughing and wheezing. They tend to have _______________
than nonusers. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections
like pneumonia.
*Immune
system
Animal studies have
found that THC can damage the cells and tissues in the body that help protect
against disease. When the immune cells are weakened you are ______________________.
: How
can you tell if someone has been using marijuana?
A:
If someone is high on marijuana, he or she might
________________________________;
seem
silly and giggly for no reason;
have
very red, bloodshot eyes; and
_________________________________________________
When the early effects
fade, over a few hours, the user can become very sleepy.
Q:
Is marijuana
sometimes used as a medicine?
A:
There has been much talk about the possible medical use of marijuana. Under
U.S. law since 1970, marijuana has been a Schedule I controlled substance.
This means that the drug, at least in its smoked form, has ______________________________.
THC, the active
chemical in marijuana, is manufactured into a pill available by prescription
that can be used to treat the nausea and vomiting that occur with certain
cancer treatments and to help AIDS patients eat more to keep up their weight.
According to scientists, more research needs to be done on THC's side effects
and other potential medical uses.
Users often have
____________________ to sights and sounds drivers need to notice. Q: What
does marijuana do to the brain? A:
Some studies show that when people have smoked large amounts of marijuana
for years, the drug takes its toll on mental functions. ______________________
of marijuana affects the parts of the brain that control memory, attention,
and learning. A working ______________________________________ that call
for more than one or two steps. Smoking marijuana
causes some changes in the brain that are like those caused by cocaine,
heroin, and alcohol. Scientists are still learning about the many ways
that marijuana can affect the brain. Q: Can
people become addicted to marijuana? A:
_____. Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction in some people. That
is, _______________________________________, even though it negatively
affects their family relationships, school performance, and recreational
activities. According to one study, marijuana use by teenagers who have
prior antisocial problems can quickly lead to addiction. In addition, some
frequent, heavy marijuana users develop ìtoleranceî to its effects. ________________________________________________as
they used to get from smaller amounts.
Locate the section
titled" How
many teens smoke marijuana?" On your worksheet, tell which of these
statistics do find most disturbing?
How
old was Alby when he went to a maximum-security jail? ______ Alby
wants to persue a career as a _____________ What
do you think Daytop is? (choose one) a]
a jail b] a school c] a rehab
center Albyís
mother died of ___________ Now
that Alby is off of pot he feels ìa lot _______about myself. I feel a lot
___________. I don't feel lazy anymore." In Your Opinion: Do
you think the title is the best title for Alby's story? Support your response
using information from the story.
a special thanks to:
Marijuana Photo
Gallery
Contact and Credits:
for more information/correction or additions please feel free to contact:
gwyneth jones, media specialist.
Teacher Links:
For the MS.Word Marijuana Facts for Teens Worksheet
click here.
first created: 12.09.03
last updated: 10.25.04
made on a mac, baby!
The
Lows of Getting High: