What does thc

The "war on drugs" launched during the s led to the large-scale incarceration of many people for marijuana possession and use. Statistics suggest that the enforcement and penalization of marijuana laws disproportionately target people of color. While drug use has similar rates for people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, Black and Latinx people are far more likely to be arrested and jailed for drug offenses.

While it is still not legal at the federal level, many states have approved the use of cannabis and THC for medical and, in some states, recreational purposes. You should always check state laws where you live before purchasing any products containing THC. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Atakan Z. Cannabis, a complex plant: Different compounds and different effects on individuals. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol.

Hadland SE, Levy S. Objective testing: Urine and other drug tests. Food and Drug Administration. Lung injuries associated with use of vaping products. Updated April 13, Quality traits of "cannabidiol oils": Cannabinoids content, terpene fingerprint and oxidation stability of European commercially available preparations.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Cannabis marijuana and cannabinoids: what you need to know. Updated November National Institute on Drug Abuse. What are marijuana's effects? Updated July Adolescent cannabis use and psychosis: Epidemiology and neurodevelopmental models.

Br J Pharmacol. Translational investigation of the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol CBD : Toward a new age. Front Immunol. Is cannabis neurotoxic for the healthy brain? A meta-analytical review of structural brain alterations in non-psychotic users. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. National Institutes on Drug Abuse. Quick Links. About NIDA. Research Report. Marijuana Research Report How does marijuana produce its effects? Compared to those who don't use marijuana, those who frequently use large amounts report the following:.

People also report less academic and career success. For example, marijuana use is linked to a higher likelihood of dropping out of school. Use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana are likely to come before use of other drugs. For example, when rodents are repeatedly exposed to THC when they're young, they later show an enhanced response to other addictive substances—such as morphine or nicotine—in the areas of the brain that control reward, and they're more likely to show addiction-like behaviors.

Although these findings support the idea of marijuana as a "gateway drug," the majority of people who use marijuana don't go on to use other "harder" drugs. Read more about marijuana as a gateway drug in our Marijuana Research Report. An overdose occurs when a person uses enough of the drug to produce life-threatening symptoms or death. There are no reports of teens or adults dying from marijuana alone. However, some people who use marijuana can feel some very uncomfortable side effects, especially when using marijuana products with high THC levels.

People have reported symptoms such as anxiety and paranoia, and in rare cases, an extreme psychotic reaction which can include delusions and hallucinations that can lead them to seek treatment in an emergency room. While a psychotic reaction can occur following any method of use, emergency room responders have seen an increasing number of cases involving marijuana edibles. So they consume more of the edible, trying to get high faster or thinking they haven't taken enough.

In addition, some babies and toddlers have been seriously ill after ingesting marijuana or marijuana edibles left around the house. Marijuana use can lead to the development of a substance use disorder, a medical illness in which the person is unable to stop using even though it's causing health and social problems in their life. Severe substance use disorders are also known as addiction.

Research suggests that between 9 and 30 percent of those who use marijuana may develop some degree of marijuana use disorder. Many people who use marijuana long term and are trying to quit report mild withdrawal symptoms that make quitting difficult. These include:. No medications are currently available to treat marijuana use disorder, but behavioral support has been shown to be effective.

Examples include therapy and motivational incentives providing rewards to patients who remain drug-free. Continuing research may lead to new medications that help ease withdrawal symptoms, block the effects of marijuana, and prevent relapse. This publication is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from NIDA. Department of Health and Human Services.

National Institutes of Health. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. As the legal use of hemp and other cannabis products grows, consumers are becoming more curious about their options. Hemp and cannabis come from the Cannabis sativa plant.

Legal hemp must contain 0. CBD is sold in the form of gels, gummies, oils, supplements, extracts, and more. THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the high sensation. It can be consumed by smoking cannabis. Read on to learn more about these compounds. A slight difference in how the atoms are arranged accounts for the differing effects on your body. This allows them to interact with your cannabinoid receptors. The interaction affects the release of neurotransmitters in your brain.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals responsible for relaying messages between cells and have roles in pain, immune function, stress, and sleep, to name a few. CBD is shown to help with anxiety, depression, and seizures.

THC binds with the cannabinoid 1 CB1 receptors in the brain. It produces a high or sense of euphoria.