In today’s world, drug culture and particularly marijuana can be overwhelming, scary, and difficult for any parent to navigate.
Teenagers have the world at their fingertips to discuss, learn, and experiment with substances and norms that go along with them. If you are a parent, regardless of whether your child has experimented or struggled with drugs, it is important to have some sense of what kids are exposed to.
With the legalization of marijuana in certain states, the methods for growing and consuming the drug have increased. In areas where there are no dispensaries, certain forms of the drug may not be available.
However, even if your child is below a legal age to obtain legalized cannabis or in a state where it is not legal, they may still find access to these products.
It is also important to remember that the marijuana that is currently available is much stronger, more potent, and carries higher risk than what was available ten or more years ago.
According to law insider, smoking paraphernalia refers to “any equipment, apparatus, or furnishing that is used in or necessary for the activity of smoking.” Marijuana smoking devices can include smoke pipes, dabbing tools, gravity bongs, double bubblers, glass bowls, hand pipes, bubbler pipes, etc.
Often times the words marijuana and cannabis are used interchangeably, but it is important to know that they are not exactly the same. Cannabis refers to everything created from the Cannabis Sativa plant.
Marijuana is a subset of cannabis and refers to products from the cannabis plant that contain large amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the substance that causes a person to experience a ‘high’ or altered mental state.
There are two main strains of cannabis which are Indica and Sativa but they are often crossed or modified in many ways. There are many different names and hybrids of plants.
The flower or buds of the plant are now more often used, and not the leaf, which was often smoked in the past. This also makes the drug stronger.
Marijuana concentrates are any form of cannabis where the plant matter has been removed by some refinement method. Potency is increased and the drug is in a more concentrated form.
Methods often use a solvent, such as butane, which can be harmful. Concentrates are only available in certain states. Using concentrates has become somewhat of its own subculture with people using specific terms, methods, and weed paraphernalia.
Hash is formed from the resin that is within the plant’s flowers. The resin is processed, and the concentrate is then pressed and made into blocks of hash. Hash is also known as Hashish, dry herb, or hay.
Hashish is consumed by smoking. Often, the smoking device is a glass pipe, bong, joint, or vape. Sometimes hash is even ingested orally.
Since hash is a concentrated version, it has a much higher potency than marijuana and requires less to feel the effects of consumption. According to the NIH, hash is potentially more addictive than marijuana, due to a higher THC potency.
Hash has a variety of ways that it can be described. It can be soft and easy to handle or hard and easy to break. The brick can be black, green, yellow, brown, or red. Hash is also known to be soluble and can be used in cooking foods like cookies and brownies.
Hash can also be made into oils and used for dabbing.
Oil is used in Vape pens or vaporizers, it is generally sold in cartridges, and often has lingering chemical solve. This is due to the fact that when the oil is extracted from the hash or plant, a solvent like butane or ethanol is often used. These solvents could potentially be harmful to the human body.
The oil can be consumed by smoking, vaping, or ingesting and is either in a solid form or a thick gel. The color of the oil can be anywhere from see-through light brown or gold, to black or tan.
Shatter is a refined version of Butane Hash Oil, an oil concentrate. It is a solid, translucent form of concentrate that has the appearance of glass and receives its name from users breaking off a piece, “shattering” the sheet.
Depending on the temperature, shatter can also appear to be less solid and more like sap. The color of shatter can range from bright amber to a darker yellow.
Shatter needs to be heated for the user to be able to partake in its effects. If a person ate a piece of shatter without heating it, it is unlikely that they would achieve any desired effect.
Oftentimes, shatter is stored in cooler environments within a silicone container. This is because heat activates the cannabinoids within shatter.
Wax is created using hash oil. The wax is a highly concentrated and almost pure form of THC. Cannabis wax generally has three times the amount of THC than the flower form.
This means that the wax can be extremely potent. It may be called “earwax” for its similar appearance to the substance. Wax is consumed by heating it to high temperatures and smoking it using a dab rig or vape.
Edibles are foods or orally consumed items that are infused with marijuana. They are often made with oils or fats that have been infused with the drug.
They can be extremely potent compared to inhaling the drug. Edibles have moved far beyond the idea of a homemade “pot brownie.” They can be mints, gummies, lollipops, candies, butter, baked goods, soda, and many other types of food.
Synthetic Cannabinoids or Marijuana are also called K2, spice, or fake weed. The technical and correct term for these drugs is New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). This is a growing class of manufactured drugs that are man-made and marketed as a legal alternative to illegal marijuana.
Plant material is sprayed with chemicals and then packaged. The term “synthetic marijuana” is used in marketing because the chemicals are molecularly similar to what is found in marijuana.
However, this labeling is often construed to mean that these synthetic drugs are safer or just like marijuana, which is not true and they can be extremely dangerous.
Marijuana Joints, spliffs, and blunts all involve smoking marijuana directly from a rolled cigar or cigarette paper. Blunts use cigar papers and joints use tobacco rolling paper.
Spliffs are joints in which the marijuana has been mixed with loose-leaf tobacco. Papers can come in flavors and many different shapes and sizes. There are many different terms and a plethora of lingo surrounding these methods.
Marijuana pipes, pieces, and bowls are small glass, ceramic, or even plastic wear that marijuana is directly put into and smoked out of. They come in all different shapes and sizes.
The term “one hitter” may be used for a piece that allows one hit of the drug. The bowl can also refer to the part of the device that the drug is packed into.
Marijuana Bongs are water pipes for smoking marijuana. The smoke is filtered through the water before it is inhaled.
A Marijuana Bubbler is a combination of a pipe and a bong, filters the smoke through water but is usually smaller and easier to carry than a bong. They are typically made of glass but there are also silicone bubblers.
A Marijuana Grinder is a metal or sometimes wooden device that breaks up the marijuana flower and stems so that it can be rolled or packed into a joint, blunt, or bowl.
Marijuana Vaporizers come in different sizes. Portable ones are called vape pens. Some can take concentrates and others use the actual plant, both heat the drug and turn it into a vapor that is to be inhaled.
Marijuana Vape Pens are a smaller version of a vaporizer also called dab pens, e-cigarettes for marijuana, or e-vapes. There are many different brands and types of vape pens.
Can use concentrate or plant and are a type of vaporizer. They do not give off a smell and are often favored by people when they want to consume drugs in a public space.
They are the same as an e-cigarette for tobacco consumption. Usage is increasing and many like to believe they are “healthier” because there is no combustion or smoke. There is no evidence to show that vaping is a safer way of consuming marijuana.
Marijuana Dabbing is a newer way to consume concentrates, it is similar to freebasing in other drugs. The user will heat up the concentrated heating plate of a device until it becomes vaporized and then inhale the concentrated drug. It is extremely potent and can be dangerous.
A Marijuana Dab Rig is a bong-like apparatus that is used to smoke hash oil, wax, shatter or hash out of rather than the flower or plant material.
If you believe your son or daughter has or is abusing marijuana, is addicted to marijuana, or have questions on how to navigate your child’s drug use, finding proper help and getting your teenager marijuana addiction treatment is the first step.
Sandstone Care has a young adult rehab center and an adolescent substance use and mental health residential center. Contact us and let us support you and your family in getting back on track.
We understand taking the first step is difficult. There is no shame or guilt in asking for help or more information. We are here to support you in any way we can.
You Have Questions. We Have Answers. Our goal is to provide the most helpful information. Please reach out to us if you have any additional questions. We are here to help in any way we can.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 1 in 10 people who use marijuana will become addicted.
When marijuana use begins before the age of 18, that rate increases to 1 in 6.
Marijuana use disorders are typically associated with dependence, meaning a person experiences withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug.
Marijuana use disorder can become marijuana addiction when the person using marijuana can not stop despite the negative impacts it is having on their lives and health.
Sometimes, people can unintentionally take high doses of marijuana and experience a “bad high” or realize that they no longer want to be high.
If you feel you are in danger or unsure what to do, reach out to a trusted adult or a professional for help.
Some ways to reverse or reduce the negative side effects that may come with marijuana use can be to take a warm shower. Warm showers can help with symptoms like vomiting, nausea, or cramps.
Another way to help is by staying relaxed and hydrated.
You can try listening to music, lying down, and making sure you eat and drink water.
Based on how often and how high a dose you take, marijuana can stay in your system from days to weeks.
How long THC stays in your body can also depend on your weight, how much you exercise, and other factors.
Research done by Molecular Psychiatry suggests that cannabinoid receptors may return to normal in chronic daily cannabis users after about 4 weeks of abstinence.
Some people may experience “bad highs” from marijuana use.
Drinking water or taking a shower may help alleviate some of the symptoms of marijuana use.
Taking a shower can help with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and cramps.
Common slang terms for marijuana include:
Other names for marijuana concentrates are hash, wax, oil, dabs, shatter, or crumble.
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