Who uses the drug?

What are the risks?

Individuals of all ages use marijuana—data reported in the National 

Household Survey on Drug Abuse 

indicate that 37 percent of U.S. residents aged 12 and older used marijuana at least once in their lifetime. The 

survey also revealed that a significant 

percentage of teenagers and young 

adults use marijuana—20 percent of 

individuals aged 12 to 17 and 50 percent of individuals aged 18 to 25 used 

the drug at least once. 

Marijuana use among high school 

students is a particular problem. Nearly 

half (48%) of high school seniors in the 

United States used the drug at least 

once in their lifetime, and 22 percent 

used the drug in the past month, 

according to the University of 

Michigan’s Monitoring the Future 

Survey. 

Even at lower doses marijuana 

impairs attention and coordination and 

affects the way the mind processes 

information. Because of these effects 

marijuana use has contributed to 

automobile, household, and occupational accidents, resulting in harm to 

the user and to others. High doses of 

marijuana may result in image distortion, loss of personal identity, and 

hallucinations.

What is marijuana?

What does it look like?

How is it used?

Marijuana is the mind-altering 

substance produced from a plant with 

the scientific name Cannabis sativa. 

The drug is used because its primary 

active chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol 

(THC), may induce relaxation and 

heighten the senses. 

Marijuana generally refers to the 

dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, 

and flowers of the cannabis plant. 

This mixture typically is green, brown, 

or gray in color and may resemble 

tobacco. While lower quality marijuana usually includes all parts of the 

cannabis plant, higher quality marijuana often is composed only of the 

buds and flowering top of the plant.

Users typically smoke marijuana as 

a cigarette, known as a joint, or in a 

pipe or bong. The drug also is smoked 

using blunts—cigars that have been 

hollowed out and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with 

other drugs such as crack cocaine. 

Marijuana also has been mixed with 

foods or brewed as a tea.

The abuse of marijuana also can 

cause serious physical and mental 

problems including frequent respiratory infections, impaired memory and 

learning ability, increased heart rate, 

anxiety, and panic attacks. Individuals 

who regularly abuse the drug may 

experience the same problems as 

tobacco smokers including cough, 

phlegm, chronic bronchitis, and frequent chest colds. In addition, because 

marijuana contains toxins and carcinogens marijuana smokers increase their 

risk of cancer of the head, neck, lungs, 

and respiratory tract.

There are hundreds of slang, or 

street, terms for marijuana, and both 

the terms and their meanings can vary 

from one part of the country to 

another. The most common names for 

marijuana are grass, pot, and weed. 

(Please see the Street Terms text box 

below for additional names.)

What is it called?

Who uses the drug?

What are the risks?

Individuals of all ages use marijuana—data reported in the National 

Household Survey on Drug Abuse 

indicate that 37 percent of U.S. residents aged 12 and older used marijuana at least once in their lifetime. The 

survey also revealed that a significant 

percentage of teenagers and young 

adults use marijuana—20 percent of 

individuals aged 12 to 17 and 50 percent of individuals aged 18 to 25 used 

the drug at least once. 

Marijuana use among high school 

students is a particular problem. Nearly 

half (48%) of high school seniors in the 

United States used the drug at least 

once in their lifetime, and 22 percent 

used the drug in the past month, 

according to the University of 

Michigan’s Monitoring the Future 

Survey. 

Even at lower doses marijuana 

impairs attention and coordination and 

affects the way the mind processes 

information. Because of these effects 

marijuana use has contributed to 

automobile, household, and occupational accidents, resulting in harm to 

the user and to others. High doses of 

marijuana may result in image distortion, loss of personal identity, and 

hallucinations.

What is marijuana?

What does it look like?

How is it used?

Marijuana is the mind-altering 

substance produced from a plant with 

the scientific name Cannabis sativa. 

The drug is used because its primary 

active chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol 

(THC), may induce relaxation and 

heighten the senses. 

Marijuana generally refers to the 

dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, 

and flowers of the cannabis plant. 

This mixture typically is green, brown, 

or gray in color and may resemble 

tobacco. While lower quality marijuana usually includes all parts of the 

cannabis plant, higher quality marijuana often is composed only of the 

buds and flowering top of the plant.

Users typically smoke marijuana as 

a cigarette, known as a joint, or in a 

pipe or bong. The drug also is smoked 

using blunts—cigars that have been 

hollowed out and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with 

other drugs such as crack cocaine. 

Marijuana also has been mixed with 

foods or brewed as a tea.

The abuse of marijuana also can 

cause serious physical and mental 

problems including frequent respiratory infections, impaired memory and 

learning ability, increased heart rate, 

anxiety, and panic attacks. Individuals 

who regularly abuse the drug may 

experience the same problems as 

tobacco smokers including cough, 

phlegm, chronic bronchitis, and frequent chest colds. In addition, because 

marijuana contains toxins and carcinogens marijuana smokers increase their 

risk of cancer of the head, neck, lungs, 

and respiratory tract.

There are hundreds of slang, or 

street, terms for marijuana, and both 

the terms and their meanings can vary 

from one part of the country to 

another. The most common names for 

marijuana are grass, pot, and weed. 

(Please see the Street Terms text box 

below for additional names.)

What is it called?

420

Acapulco gold

BC bud

Buddha

Cheeba

Chronic

Dope

Ganja

Green goddess

Herb

Homegrown

Hydro

Indo

KGB (killer green bud)

Kindbud

Locoweed

Mary Jane

Shake

Sinsemilla

Skunk

Wacky tabacky

Street Terms for Marijuana
NDIC

Marijuana

Fast Facts

www.usdoj.gov/ndic

Other products of interest:

For more information on illicit drugs 

check out our web site at:

www.usdoj.gov/ndic 

Call 814-532-4541 

to request NDIC products

, Huffing—The Abuse of Inhalants

, Prescription Drug Abuse and Youth

, Drugs,Youth, and the Internet

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Johnstown, PA 15901-1622

Telephone: 814-532-4601

FAX: 814-532-4690

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McLean, VA 22102-3840

Telephone: 703-556-8970

FAX: 703-556-7807

NDIC publications are available on the following web sites:

ADNET http://ndicosa

LEO home.leo.gov/lesig/ndic

RISS ndic.riss.net

INTERNET www.usdoj.gov/ndic

Is marijuana illegal?

Yes, marijuana is illegal. 

Marijuana is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled 

Substances Act. Schedule I drugs, 

which include heroin and LSD, 

have a high potential for abuse 

and serve no legitimate medical 

purpose in the United States. 

Photo of marijuana leaf © Artville

Check out Fast Facts on:

, Crack cocaine

, Crystal methamphetamine

, GHB

, Heroin

, Inhalants

, Jimsonweed

, Ketamine

, Khat

, LSD

, MDMA

, Methamphetamine

, PCP

, Powdered cocaine

, Prescription drugs

, Yaba NDIC Product No. 2003-L0559-002

National Drug Intelligence Center

a component of the 

U.S. Department of Justice

051503

Questions 

and 

Answers