Marijuana
From the Set The Young Adult Drug Library
"Marijuana" refers to the dried flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds of the cannabis plant. It is smoked as a psychoactive (mind-altering) drug. It can also refer to other products of the psychoactive cannabis plant, including extracts, oils, and concentrates. If abused, marijuana can cause negative physical and mental health issues, but studies have found that this drug has positive benefits such as reducing inflammation, pain, and anxiety and in the treatment of conditions like epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Tourette's syndrome. More than 40 states have legalized medical marijuana in some form, and recreational marijuana use is legal throughout Canada, and in more than 20 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Guam. Marijuana is one of ten titles in the Young Adult Drug Library series. Nine titles spotlight a major drug or type of drug (such as painkillers); discuss the negative physical and mental effects of the addiction on the addict and the potential benefits of their use (for certain legal drugs); and provide an overview of treatment strategies for the addiction. The last title, Facts & Figures, provides readers with the "big picture" regarding drugs, including their pros and cons; how they are made, distributed, sold, and used; why they are abused or misused; and treatment options for those who become addicted. Stories of those who are battling drug addiction are also featured in the series in order to humanize these issues.