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viii Contents Marijuana’s Effects on the Body and Mind 27 7. What are the general effects of THC on the biochemistry inside the human body? 27 8. How does THC impact motor functions such as physical movement, speech patterns, and reaction times? 30 9. How does THC impact cognitive functions and the limbic system? 32 10. Is there a difference in the kind of “high” resulting from marijuana when compared to alcohol and other drugs? 36 11. How do CBD extracts affect the body? 40 12. Does marijuana (THC) affect all people in the same way? 41 13. Does marijuana make people more creative? 44 Medical Marijuana 47 14. What were the main maladies that medical marijuana was originally intended to treat? 47 15. What do most patients actually use marijuana for? 48 16. What is “off-label” use? 51 17. Does marijuana provide unique benefits that cannot also be provided through other prescription drugs? 52 18. How long have researchers studied the usefulness of marijuana as a type of medicine? 56 19. How confident can patients be about the quality and potency of medical marijuana? 58 20. Does CBD provide more medical benefits than THC? 59 21. What other potential uses of medical marijuana are researchers currently studying? 60 Risks from Marijuana Abuse and Addiction 63 22. Is marijuana addictive? 63 23. Is marijuana a gateway drug? 67 24. What is marijuana abuse? 70 25. What are the signs of marijuana abuse? 71 26. How much marijuana can I take without becoming an abuser? 73 27. How do the health risks of marijuana compare to the health risks associated with alcohol and tobacco? 76 28. What are the most common social effects of marijuana abuse? 81