Marijuana

Drug Information

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. Extracts can also be made from the cannabis plant. Marijuana can be smoked, vaporized and inhaled, or mixed into food known as “edibles”. A newly popular method of use is smoking or eating different forms of THC-rich resins. Smoking these THC-rich (as high as 95% THC) resins is known as dabbing. These extracts come in various forms such as:

• hash oil or honey oil—a gooey liquid
• wax or budder—a soft solid, like lip balm
• shatter—a hard, amber-colored solid

THC acts on specific brain cell receptors that ordinarily react to natural THC-like chemicals. The amount of THC in marijuana has been increasing over the past few decades, and may put users at a higher risk for addiction. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States.¹ Its use is widespread among young people. In 2015, more than 11 million young adults ages 18 to 25 used marijuana in the past year (NSDUH, 2015). Visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse to learn more about marijuana and marijuana extracts.

Policy

Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance under Idaho Law. It is illegal for any person to manufacture, deliver, possess with intent to manufacture or deliver, or possess marijuana, which refers to all parts of the plants of the genus cannabis, including or any preparation of cannabis which contains tetrahydrocannabinol. It is illegal to publically use or be under the influence of marijuana.  Specific penalties for these acts can be found in Sections 37-2732 and 37-2732C of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.

Prevention

Risk of drug use, including marijuana, greatly increases during times of transition.  The transition from childhood to adolescence presents new and challenging social, family, and academic situations at the same time they may be exposed to substances like alcohol and marijuana for the first time. Early use of drugs increases a person’s chance of becoming addicted and alters the brain, therefore preventing early use is important. Prevention strategies for the prevention of marijuana use include enforcement of laws, maintain marijuana as a Schedule I substance, media campaigns targeting youth and adults, especially parents of youth, reducing youth exposure to marijuana advertising in states where it is legal, and implementation of evidenced-based prevention programs.