Marijuana

Marijuana is a tobacco-like substance produced by drying the leaves and flowering parts, or "buds", of the Cannabis plant. These particular parts of the Cannabis plant are selected for illicit use due to the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in those particular areas of the plant. THC is the chemical present in marijuana that produces the drug user's psychoactive, or "high", effect. Most wild marijuana found growing in the United States has a THC concentration of less 0.5 percent, compared to Colombian or Mexican varieties with a THC content ranging normally between 0.5 to 7 percent. An increase has been noted by law enforcement in recent years of large scale domestic production of marijuana containing much higher THC values, sometimes with a THC content as high as 20 percent. Missouri law enforcement in particular has noted a sharp increase of "home-grown" marijuana production with high THC content.

Marijuana is normally used in its dry form by rolling the same into cigarettes, or "joints", and smoked. A wide variety of other smoking utensils, primarily in the form of pipes, are also used.