Marijuana as a Social Drug

Marijuana as a social drug is one of the most critical substance abuse problems in the United States today. The use of marijuana and alcohol has risen to the point where almost every facet of society has been touched by the use of both.

Marijuana, or cannabis sativa, has been linked with human culture for more than 4,000 years. In fact, the first written account of use of marijuana occurred in Chinese literature around 2700 B.C. (Smith 3).

Marijuana has many names--it has been called hemp, hashish, dagga, bhang, loco week, grass, and a myriad of other terms. It was formally named cannabis sativa in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, the famous botanist and developer of the modern system of taxonomy and biological classification. Marijuana, even according to Linnaeus, is one of nature's most hardy species of plants. It can thrive on little moisture, and in soils that are depleted or sandy. It is as vigorous as many common weeds, and flourishes in nearly every possible climatic and geographic region (Abel ix).

The principle ingredient of marijuana which causes it to give the user a feeling of euphoria and well being is the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC. The THC is found principally in the resin of the plants, and in hot climates it serves to protect the plant from dehydration. Thus, marijuana grown in hot and dry climates has a greater concentration of THC than marijuana grown in other areas (Abel x).

In the United States, the marijuana problem flouris

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