Leading the Way

Pot, weed, Mary Jane --- whatever the current street name, marijuana is a drug. Parents who toked up in their younger days may think it's difficult or unnecessary to come down hard on pot use by their children.

But today's pot is ten to twenty times more potent than that used in the '60s. And it is rare for young people to use any other illegal drugs without having first used marijuana.

Some other fast facts about pot:
*The active ingredient in marijuana (THC) accumulates in the body.
*It takes three to six weeks for the body to get rid of the chemicals in just one joint. The more you smoke, the more the chemicals build up.
*Long term use of pot adversely affects the lungs, heart, brain, reproductive systems and the body's immune response to infections and disease. The younger the user, the more damaging the effects.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse provides excellent information on marijuana use for both teens and parents.

Hashish and Hash Oil

Hashish is a byproduct of marijuana. The resinous part of the cannabis plant, rich in THC, is collected, dried and compressed in various forms - balls, cakes or sheets. Pieces are then broken off and smoked in pipes or sometimes mixed into cookies or cakes and eaten. Hash may range in color from light to very dark brown and may be soft and crumbly or dry.

Hash oil is produced when manufacturers use a solvent such as alcohol to extract THC from hash or directly from marijuana. It, too, may range in color from honey-toned amber to very dark brown. It is considered extremely potent, and the processing is very dangerous with a high chance of explosion.