[[Image:Marijuana.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Indoor Marijuana Grow (DEA photo)]]
'''Marijuana''' (colloquially known as '''"weed"''' or '''"pot"''') is the name given to the flowering buds of the cannabis sativa plant prepared for human consumption. The main active ingredient in marijuana is [[Tetrahydrocannabinol|THC]], or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, an [[organic chemistry|organic chemical]] compound. Marijuana is illegal to possess, cultivate and sell in most civilized areas of the world. However, there are a significant minority of countries and provinces where possession is decriminalised.
The effects of marijuana can include short-term memory loss, malaise, psychosis in predisposed individuals as well as impairment of physical and mental functioning. Proponents of marijuana have claimed that it has medicinal benefits (see [[Medical marijuana]]) although other treatments can also deliver these benefits to various ailments without hallucinations and the impairments to judgment.