imarily sedative and hallucinogenic mainly effecting the cardiovascular and centralnervous system. Physiologically the heart rate increases and the blood vessels in the eyes dilate, causingreddening, and the appetite for food is increased. Though physical dependence has never been determined, users do develop a tolerance to the drug. Todays research does still suggest that marijuana smoke does havelong term harmful effects on the lungs. One of the long-term consequences are the cancer causing effects ofmarijuana. Also, the production of the male sex hormone testosterone is reduced while females experiencemenstrual irregularity and reduced and decreased fertility has now been shown from marijuana use. There has been new medical uses found for marijuana. One is that it stimulates the appetite of AIDSpatients with wasting syndrome. Since the mid 1990’s there has been a push to legalize the drug to serve theneeds of many such patient who need it. Though several states have approved initiatives to permit physiciansto prescribe the drug, the U.S. government continues to appose any kind of legalization of marijuana.The 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that 10.1 million Americans used marijuanaregularly. The same survey showed that in 1995, 8.2% of teenagers use the drug on a regular basis, while in1998 that dropped to 7.1%(Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, 1998).Marijuana use usually begins between theages of 12 and 18, mostly because of curiosity. Many people who try marijuana use it only a few times orvery infrequently, while others become regular users. Some regular users become dependent and have a greatdifficulty stopping its use. Though people believe that marijuana improves their talents and capabilities, scientists have found that it does impair all abilities (World Book Encyclopedia, 1999). In a recent study, researchers traced the record of more th...
