We often see wrecks on the interstate or in neighborhoods and don't think beyond the collision. We pass it by oblivious to its circumstances. I know I have done just that, until I witnessed this particular collision where I jumped out of my car to help its victims. I was the last person to hold 15-year-old Karen Ferreira, who died as a result of someone's irresponsibility to smoke weed, snort coke, and drive. What happened to Karen can happen to anyone of us, and what I witnessed changed my life forever. Click the thumbnail to WATCH the video of John's testimonial. It never crossed my mind that I would lose my daughter to a driver under the influence. We all think that crashes happen to someone else, but the reality is that it can happen to any of us in a blink of an eye. Teens have no idea that drugs can affect their driving skills just as alcohol does. Marijuana increases your risk of injury or death from car crashes and your risk of killing or injuring an innocent victim. What would your mom do if she lost you? Click the thumbnail to LISTEN to Karen's mom. Street Names: Weed, Pot, Grass, Reefer, Ganja, Mary Jane, Blunt, Joint, Roach, Nail, Aunt Mary, Hash, Herb, Kif, Sinsemilla, Skunk, Chronic (Marijuana alone or with crack). Know the Facts. Marijuana, the most often used illegal drug in this country, is a product of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. The main active chemical in marijuana, also present in other forms of cannabis, is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Out of the roughly 400 chemicals found in the cannabis plant, THC affects the brain the most. Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette called a "joint." It can be smoked in a water pipe, called a "bong," mixed into food, or brewed as tea. It has also appeared in cigars called "blunts." Blunts sometimes are laced with crack/cocaine, PCP, and/or embalming fluid. Marijuana is illegal to buy or sell and in most states holding a small amount of marijuana can lead to fines and arrest. Using marijuana can lead to experimenting with other drugs and increases the risk of injury from car crashes, falls, burns, rape, suicide, drowning, and other consequences. Strong psychological and physical dependence can occur in many users in order to perform certain tasks such as relaxing, sleeping, or unwinding, thus revolving the user's life around marijuana as a primary activity. Immediate Effects: Marijuana distorts perception of sounds, sights, time, and touch. Motor coordination becomes sluggish, heart rate increases, and some users experience intense feelings of anxiety and panic attacks, especially when it combined with other drugs. Users may also experience dry mouth and throat, drowsiness, and blood-shot eyes. Long-Term Effects: Marijuana greatly affects your memory and learning and especially your problem-solving skills, which require focus and concentration. The tar in Cannabis is 50% greater by weight than tobacco tars and 70% higher in cancer producing substances. Marijuana is deeply inhaled and its smoke is held in the lungs, thus increasing the risk of cancer. Marijuana when used regularly tends to suppress the functions of the immune system and its users are unable to combat infections. Marijuana interferes with the physical and maturation processes when used during the primary developmental years of young people, 11 to 15 years old. Marijuana and Driving. How does marijuana affect driving? Marijuana has serious harmful effects on the skills required to drive safely. It impairs short memory by altering the user's sense of time and space. In one study conducted in Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana, and 12 percent tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine. Data have also shown that while smoking marijuana, people show the same lack of coordination on standard "drunk driver" tests as do people who have had too much to drink. References: NIDA - National Institute of Drug Abuse Click to research more issues on Teens and Marijuana Please visit our Memorial Wall for those who died from Drugs. Get the real facts about METH HOME | ABOUT P.E.D.A. | SPONSORS | LINKS | FOR TEENS | GET HELP | TAKE ACTION | MEET THE "HOOD" | INTERACTIVE | CONTACT