There are many signs of marijuana use to be aware of. We have listed numerous below to help in determining if someone you care for may be using marijuana.

• Signs of Marijuana use:
  • Dilated (large) pupils
  • Cigarette rolling papers
  • Seeds that have been cleaned from marijuana
  • Smell on clothing, in room, or in car
  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Sleepy appearance
  • Reduced motivation
  • Pipes, bongs, homemade smoking devices (you may see sticky residue from burned marijuana)Anxiety
  • Difficulty thinking
  • Distorted sensory perceptions
  • Dry mouth
  • Euphoria (temporary feelings of elation, energy and limitless power)
  • Feeling sluggish
  • Grandiosity (acting in a pompous or boastful manner)
  • Impaired judgment
  • Impaired short-term memory
  • Inappropriate laughter
  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased appetite, craving sweets
  • Reduced coordination
  • Temporary feelings of reduced anxiety or stress
  • Sadness/depressed mood
  • Sensation that time is passing slowly
  • Social withdrawal and isolation
  • Craving for sweets
  • Discolored fingers
  • Enlarged eye pupils
  • Impaired short term memory
  • Increased appetite
  • Red, puffiness under the eyes
  • Sleepiness
  • Small seeds in the lining of pockets
  • Strong odor of burnt leaves
  • Use of incense
• Warning Signs that Marijuana Use is a Problem:
  • Altered perception of reality(e.g., hallucinations, delusions and suspicious thoughts).
  • Continued marijuana use despite significant problems related to use (e.g., financial/legal problems or neglecting responsibilities).
  • Craving marijuana.
  • Finding it increasingly difficult to resist using marijuana when it is available.
  • Spending a great deal of time in activities necessary to obtain marijuana.
  • Cutting back or stopping important social, occupational or recreational activities because of marijuana use.
  • Minimizing marijuana consumption including frequency and intensity.
  • Unsuccessful attempts to control or cut down use.
• Signs and Symptoms of Cannabis Overdose: Excessive use of marijuana can create paranoia and possible psychosis. These same effects may develop from long-term use of the drug, which has also been observed to produce sharp personality changes, especially in adolescent users.
  • lung damage
  • chronic bronchitis
  • lowering of testosterone
  • acute anxiety attacks
  • chronic reduction of attention span
  • possible birth defects, still births and infant deaths

Marijuana is usually smoked using cigarette rolling papers, a purchased water bong, or a makeshift bong that can be made from a variety of items. Hash can be smoked or eaten, and is sometimes cooked into baked goods. Generally it can be difficult to recognize marijuana use if you don't see the individual after smoking when they are still experiencing the effects of the drug. The potency of marijuana has increased exponentially in the past 20 years.

Slang: Weed, ganga, bud, IZM, jive stick, Kentucky blue, Ju-Ju (marijuana cigarette), kiff, kilter, Lakbay diva, laughing grass, light stuff, binky (cigarette), macon, magic smoke, blanket (cigarette), Mary and Johnny, Mary Jane, Mary Jonas, Mary Warner, Mary Weaver, meg, meggie, mow the grass (to smoke), moving the lawn (smoking marijuana), bowl, broccoli, budda, oboy, OJ, butter flower, pine, cannabis, Queen Ann's lace, root, rope, sasfras, sen, shrimp, siddi, crying weed, spliffy (cigarette), splim, dinkie dow, duros, tin (pipe made out of tinfoil, container), toke (to smoke), wheat, gage, gash, wooz, yeh, yellow submarine, zol, Greta, griff, grogged (extremely stoned), gungun, herb