Within a few minutes of inhaling marijuana smoke, the user will likely feel, along with intoxication, a dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, some loss of coordination and poor sense of balance, and slower reaction time. Blood vessels in the eye expand, so the user's eyes look red.

For some people, marijuana raises blood pressure slightly and can double the normal heart rate. This effect can be greater when other drugs are mixed with marijuana; but users do not always know when that happens.

As the immediate effects fade, usually after 2 to 3 hours, the marijuana user may become sleepy.

The effects of marijuana on each person depend on the

• type of marijuana and how much THC it contains;
• way the marijuana is taken (by smoking or eating);
• experience and expectations of the marijuana user;
• setting where the marijuana is used; and
• use of other drugs and/or alcohol.

Some people feel nothing at all when they first try marijuana. Others may feel high (euphoric).

It's common for marijuana users to become engrossed with ordinary sights, sounds, or tastes, and trivial events may seem extremely interesting or funny. Time seems to pass very slowly, so minutes feel like hours. Sometimes the marijuana causes users to feel thirsty and very hungry-an effect called "the munchies".

Most marijuana users roll loose marijuana in a pipe. One well-known type of water pipe is the bong. Some users mix marijuana into foods or use it to brew a tea. Another method is to slice open a cigar and replace the tobacco with marijuana, making what's called a blunt. When the blunt is smoked with a 40 oz. bottle of malt liquor, it is called a "B-40."

Lately, marijuana cigarettes or blunts often include crack cocaine, a combination known by various street names, such as "primos" or "woolies." Joints and blunts often are dipped in PCP and are called "happy sticks," "wicky sticks," "love boat," or "tical."