The intoxicating effects of marijuana include relaxation, sleepiness, and mild euphoria (getting high).

Smoking marijuana leads to fast and predictable signs and symptoms. Eating marijuana can cause slower, and sometimes less predictable, effects.

Marijuana can cause undesirable side effects, which increase with higher doses. These side effects include:

Decreased short-term memory

Dry mouth

Impaired perception and motor skills

Red eyes

More serious side effects include panic, paranoia, or acute psychosis, which may be more common with new users or in those who already have a psychiatric disease.

The degree of these side effects varies from person to person, as well as with the amount of marijuana used.

Marijuana is often cut with hallucinogens and other more dangerous drugs that have more serious side effects than marijuana. These side effects may include: