Cannabis is the dried flowers, leaves and stems of the Cannabis sativa plant. The main active ingredient in cannabis is THC (delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol). Cannabis can range from 1% THC to 8%. Hashish can be 7% to 14% THC and hash oil is up to 50% THC. THC is a fat soluble substance and can remain in the lungs and brain tissue for up to 3 weeks. Cannabis also contains CBD, which does not produce a high feeling and some people use it for medical reasons. There are over 200 nicknames for cannabis, including pot, herb, marijuana, mary jane and chronic.

There are a variety of ways to use cannabis and each one can affect people differently.

• Smoking. Cannabis can be smoked in a joint or using a pipe or bong. This is how most people use cannabis.
• Vaping. Vaporizers heat cannabis to release THC (the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) and the vapor is inhaled. This method is growing in popularity.
• Dabbing/hash oil. THC extract from cannabis, also called shatter, rosin, or concentrates, can contain up to 60-80% THC and may take effect very quickly. When dabbing, the oil is heated and the vapor is inhaled. Dabbing is extremely potent.
• Edibles. Edibles are food, snacks, or candies that are cooked with cannabis products and contain THC. The effects of edibles, teas and sodas can take longer to peak and last longer than smoking. This can delay the onset of feeling high and can cause people to take too much. It can take up to four hours to feel the full effects, and effects can last up to ten hours or longer. In commercially-available edibles, a standard serving size is 10 mg of THC. It is difficult to know how much THC is in homemade edibles.
• Topicals. These products often have a higher CBD content than THC. They include infused lotions, salves and balms and are sold for localized pain and inflammation related to skin problems or pain. Due to the higher CBD content and topical application, they do not make the user feel high.

Cannabis can relax a person and elevate their mood. This can be followed by drowsiness and sedation. Other effects include heightened sensory awareness, euphoria, altered perceptions and feeling hungry (“the munchies”). High concentrations of THC may produce a more hallucinogenic response.

Cannabis should not be mixed with alcohol or other substances. Alcohol used at the same time can significantly raise your risk of over-intoxication and impairment.

Discomforts associated with smoking cannabis include dry mouth, dry eyes, increased heart rate and visible signs of intoxication such as bloodshot eyes and puffy eyelids. Other problems include:

• Impaired short-term memory
• Difficulty thinking and problem solving
• Anxiety attacks or feelings of paranoia
• Impaired muscle coordination and judgment
• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Dangerous impairment of driving skills. Studies show that it impairs braking time, attention to traffic signals and other driving behaviors. This impairment can last 12 to 24 hours due to accumulation of cannabis in fatty tissue.
• Cardiac problems for people with heart disease or high blood pressure, because cannabis increases the heart rate

Memory and learning
Research shows that regular cannabis use compromises the ability to learn and to remember information by impairing the ability to focus, sustain, and shift attention. One study also found that long-term use reduces the ability to organize and integrate complex information.

In addition, cannabis impairs short-term memory and decreases motivation to accomplish tasks, even after the high is over. In one study, even small doses impaired the ability to recall words from a list seen 20 minutes earlier.

Mental Illness
Regular use of cannabis can affect your Mental Health. It can bring on or worsen disorders related to anxiety or depression and increase your risk of developing psychosis. It remains unclear whether cannabis triggers the onset of these illnesses only in vulnerable people or whether it can cause them in people who would not have developed them otherwise.

Fertility
Long-term cannabis use suppresses the production of hormones that help regulate the reproductive system. For men, this can cause decreased sperm counts and sperm motility and heavy users can experience erectile dysfunction. Women may experience irregular periods from heavy cannabis use. These problems would most likely result in a decreased ability to conceive but not lead to complete infertility.

Some warning signs are:

• More frequent use
• Needing more and more to get the same effect
• Spending time thinking about using cannabis
• Spending more money than you have on it
• Missing class or failing to finish assignments because of cannabis
• Making new friends who do it and neglecting old friends who don’t
• Finding it’s hard to be happy without it

Because THC is fat soluble and remains in the body for up to 3 weeks, it’s important to remember that withdrawal symptoms might not be felt immediately. If you find that you can’t stop using cannabis, then remember, there’s help on campus.

The effects of ingesting cannabis can be more intense than inhaling cannabis. Eat a cannabis edible with no more than 2.5 mg of THC. Start slow. Do not ingest more cannabis if you do not feel the effects yet.

Be sure to properly store your cannabis products. Unintentional ingestion of edible cannabis by children and pets can lead to severe health problems.