What We Know About Marijuana?

Marijuana, which can also be called cannabis, weed, pot, or dope, refers to the dried flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds of the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant contains more than 100 compounds (or cannabinoids). These compounds include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is impairing or mind-altering, as well as other active compounds, such as cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is not impairing, meaning it does not cause a “high”.¹

Marijuana can be used in a number of ways.^2,3 The most common ways include:

Smoked in joints (like a cigarette), in blunts (cigars or cigar wrappers that have been partly or completely refilled with marijuana), or in bongs (pipes or water pipes)

Vaped using electronic vaporizing devices (like vape pens) or other vaporizers

Mixed or infused into foods or drinks (called edibles) like cookies, cakes, or brownies, or tea, cola, or alcohol

Additionally, some people inhale the oil concentrates and other extracts from the cannabis plant—this is known as dabbing. THC oils and concentrates used in vaping and dabbing often involve using highly concentrated forms of THC and may contain additives or be contaminated with other substances that may be harmful.⁴

How marijuana affects a person depends on several factors, including:

Amount of marijuana taken

Frequency of marijuana use

Use of marijuana with other substances (e.g., alcohol or other drugs), which could increase risk of harm⁵

Mode of marijuana use (e.g., consuming edibles or products with high THC concentration can have delayed or unpredictable effects and increases the risk of overdose or poisoning⁵)

Previous experience with marijuana or other drugs

Biology (e.g., genes, DNA)

Sex (e.g., women may experience more dizziness after using marijuana compared to men⁶)

Marijuana as Medicine

The Food and Drug Administrationexternal icon (FDA) has approved one plant-based marijuana drug called Epidiolex, which contains a purified form of CBD. The prescription medication is approved for treating seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome) as well as seizures associated with a rare genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex. The FDA has also approved two medicines (dronabinol [brand names: Marinol and Syndros] and nabilone [brand name: Cesamet]) that are made from a synthetic or lab-made chemical that mimics THC. These medicines are used to treat nausea in patients with cancer who are having chemotherapy treatment, and to increase appetite in individuals with AIDS who do not feel like eating (wasting syndrome). These approved products are only available with a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. There are currently no other FDA-approved uses for cannabis or its derivatives.

Health Effects and Risks

There are health risks associated with using marijuana regardless of how it is used. These include:

Marijuana Use Disorder

Approximately 3 in 10 people who use marijuana have marijuana use disorder.⁷ Some signs and symptoms of marijuana use disorder include trying but failing to quit using marijuana or giving up important activities with friends and family in favor of using marijuana.⁸ The risk of developing marijuana use disorder is stronger in people who start using marijuana during youth or adolescence and who use marijuana more frequently.⁹

Brain Health

Marijuana use directly affects brain function—specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision making, coordination, emotions, and reaction time.^5,10 Developing brains, such as those in babies, children, and teenagers, are especially susceptible to the harmful effects of marijuana and THC.^5,10

Heart Health

Marijuana can make the heart beat faster and can make blood pressure higher immediately after use.^11,12 It could also lead to increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and other vascular diseases.^13-17

Driving

Marijuana, like alcohol, negatively affects several skills required for safe driving. It can slow reaction time and ability to make decisions.^5,18

Marijuana can impair coordination and distort perception.^5,18

The use of multiple substances (such as marijuana and alcohol) at the same time can increase impairment.¹⁹

Some studies have shown an association between marijuana use and car crashes; however, more research is needed.^5,19

Lung Health

Smoked marijuana, regardless of how it is smoked, can harm lung tissues and cause scarring and damage to small blood vessels.^20,21 While more research on the health consequences of breathing secondhand marijuana smoke is needed, there is concern that it could cause harmful health effects, including among children.

Mental Health

Marijuana use has been linked to social anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia (a type of mental illness where people might see or hear things that aren’t really there), but scientists don’t yet fully understand the relationships between these mental health disorders and marijuana use.^6,22

Unintentional Poisoning

Edibles, or food and drink products infused with marijuana, have some different risks than smoked marijuana, including a greater risk of poisoning. Children can mistake edibles for regular food or candy. Consuming marijuana can make children very sick. Since marijuana use has been legalized in some states, unintentional poisonings in children have increased, with some instances requiring emergency medical care.²³

If you use marijuana products, keep them in childproof containers and out of the reach of children. For additional questions, you can contact your healthcare provider, your health department, your local or regional poison control center at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if it’s an emergency.

A Quick Take on Cannabis and Its Effects

Hemp and marijuana may look and seem similar or even identical, but the fact is that they are different plants that both happen to exist in the Cannabaceae family. Hemp and marijuana have both factored into human life for a long time, with hemp primarily functioning as a source for materials such as rope, while marijuana has primarily functioned as both a medicinal and recreational substance. Learn more about hemp vs marijuana differences and similarities!

What is Hemp?

Hemp is a form of the cannabis plant within the botanical class Cannabis sativa, grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. One of the most resourceful plants in the world, the stalks of the hemp plant can be used in everything from textile manufacturing to biofuel development, the seeds are used to produce hemp seed oil, and the flowers are used to extract the CBD cannabinoid for use in all kinds of CBD-infused products, from gummies and oils to help you sleep to self-care products like under eye balm and bath bombs.

What is Marijuana?

Marijuana is another form of the cannabis plant and exists in three botanical classes: Cannabis sativa alongside hemp, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. You likely know the terms sativa and indica from the recreational and medical marijuana industries, as those are the two main classes of strains. (Sativas are known for a headier, more creativity-inducing high, while indicas tend to be more relaxing and even sleep-inducing.)

One of the reasons it can seem confusing is that the words ‘marijuana’ and ‘cannabis’ are often used interchangeably, even though cannabis can refer to the entire genus of plants that includes both hemp and marijuana. This is why we’re focusing on the hemp vs. marijuana difference here, since technically they are both forms of cannabis.

And that major hemp vs. marijuana difference is this: marijuana is intoxicating, while hemp is not. This is due to the cannabinoid THC (tetrahydrocannabinol if you’re fancy), the main psychoactive component of cannabis and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids. (CBD, of course, is one of the others.) In other words, marijuana has higher levels of THC, while hemp has virtually none. This chemical distinction is strong enough to inform the legal distinction that made the Farm Bill possible – more on that below!

Legal Status for Hemp and Marijuana

In the United States, the legal status for hemp vs. marijuana differences is all about the level of THC. Hemp is typically defined as Cannabis sativa plants containing 0.3% THC or less. Any plants that exceed that limit are considered marijuana.

Some states have fully legalized all forms of recreational and medicinal marijuana, others have only legalized medicinal marijuana, and some still have bans on both set in place. But as far as hemp is concerned, the Farm Bill of 2018 (also known as H.R. 2: The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018) legalized the use of non-THC cannabinoids from the hemp plant grown according to the specifications laid out by the legislation. Some states do have their own hemp laws that don’t match the Farm Bill, though. This handy chart from Leafly includes each state and explains the specific restrictions. In Maine, for example, CBD must be extracted from licensed Maine hemp growers, while Kentucky bans only CBD-infused tea, for some reason. There are only three states in which CBD is illegal in every form, and those are Idaho, Iowa, and South Dakota, but federally, CBD is legal everywhere.

On the federal level, marijuana is still fully illegal, as THC is (still, somehow) considered a Schedule I substance within the Controlled Substances Act. But as we mentioned above, many states have rightfully seen the folly of this outdated designation, changing state laws to legalize marijuana to varying degrees.

How CBD and THC Play a Role

As we’ve discussed, one of the major hemp vs. marijuana differences is in their chemistry and characteristics. The amount of THC within a plant will essentially determine whether or not it is marijuana or hemp. While they can both contain varying amounts of CBD as well, hemp is historically known to contain higher levels of CBD. Within the industry, the respective plants are both now bred to favor specific amounts of THC and CBD, which will determine how they are used. High-THC plants will go to recreational and medicinal facilities, while high-CBD plants can be used in the CBD industry to infuse everything from gummies to body cream.

To learn more about how and why cannabinoids like CBD and THC have the effects that they do within the human body, read up on the endocannabinoid system.

Uses for Hemp

Hemp is popularly used in CBD-infused products, but its many other industrial uses include paper, clothing, textiles, animal feed, food products such as hemp milk and hemp protein powder, and even plastic! Hemp actually grows faster than many trees and other crops, so it is viewed as a more sustainable way of producing paper and similar materials such as textiles.

In addition to its industrial applications, hemp that is used to infuse products with CBD has a nice variety of applications, able to potentially help with everything from sleep issues to anxiety to simply promoting a calming sense of well-being and relaxed mindset.

Uses for Marijuana

Marijuana is only available in those states which have legalized it. As with the CBD laws by state, check out these lists from Leafly to find out if you’re not sure about your location:

Recreational marijuana laws by state

Medical marijuana laws by state

Recreational marijuana is often used in social settings like alcohol, with different effects. Euphoria is a common desired effect, with other psychoactive effects including things like a distorted experience of time and space. Medical marijuana has a wide variety of well-documented uses for issues as serious as cancer and multiple sclerosis to more common experiences like chronic pain.