Cannabis

What is it?

Cannabis is a Central Nervous System depressant obtained from the plant Cannabis sativa, which grows in many parts of the world. It is available for use as a drug in three main forms: as the dried leaves and buds, known as grass or marijuana, as a solid resin (hashish or hash) which is collected from the buds and flower heads, and also as a thick liquid prepared from the flowers or resin (hash oil).

The main mind-altering (psychoactive) ingredient in cannabis is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), but more than 400 other chemicals are present in the plant.

Hashish is made by taking the resin from the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant and pressing it into cakes or slabs. It is usually stronger than herbal cannabis and may contain five to ten times as much THC.

Cannabis resin found in the UK comes from a variety of sources. Slabs of hashish from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal are usually dark brown or black and resinous, while traditional hashish from Morocco and Lebanon take the form of green/brown or red/brown slabs that are often dry and brittle. However, in recent years non-traditional forms of the drug have appeared, particularly from Morrocco, where it can now be found as a dark brown or black resin in smaller slabs than previously.

Hashish is often adulterated both within the producing country and also in Europe.

Herbal cannabis has become more popular in recent years. It is imported from many countries within Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean. Herbal cannabis as commonly sold in the UK includes nearly all parts of the plant (stalk, leaves, seeds, flowering parts) that are dried and then cut or crushed. It may be imported into the UK as compressed bales or blocks of various sizes.

In recent years ‘home-grown’ grass has become more common in the UK and Europe. This is partly due to the increased sophisticated of growing equipment and illicit producers and partly because more potent strains of C. sativa have been developed for home cultivation.

Strains of particularly strong grass are now often available, which have a far higher content of THC than was present say, in the 1960’s or 1970’s home-grown herbal cannabis market. ‘Home-grown’ herbal cannabis is usually seen as finely cut leaves, stalks etc. of the C. sativa plant that are sold loose, rather than in any compressed form.

Cannabis oil is extracted from the flowering parts of C. sativa or from cannabis resin by using some form of solvent (such as acetone, alcohol or petrol). The solvent is then evaporated off and the thick sticky liquid left behind is known as hash oil. This oil contains a high concentration of THC and is smoked in a similar fashion to the resin. Hash oil is not very common in the UK, mainly because it is difficult to weigh or to carry it, it’s fiddly to prepare for smoking and it’s more expensive than herbal or resinous cannabis.

Medicinal uses

Cannabis has been used as a herbal medicine in many countries of the world for a very long time. It has been used as a mild sedative or painkiller and for treatment of insomnia and gastric upsets. In the UK it was legally prescribed up until 1928.

The beneficial effects of cannabis as a mild analgesic and sedative, which may relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, hypoglycaemia, and other disorders, is widely attested. In some cases it has found use as a medication for the terminally ill, where other treatments have failed to relieve distress. However its possession or use in the UK is nevertheless illegal at present and doctors are not able to prescribe cannabis in any form.

Cannabis use

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the UK, with up to 3 million consumers per year. It is most commonly smoked, usually by mixing it with tobacco and rolling it up with cigarette papers into a cannabis cigarette (called a ‘spliff’, ‘joint’, ‘jay’ etc.). However, it can also be smoked with or without tobacco in various forms of pipes or smoking devices such as ‘bongs’ or ‘water pipes’. Smoking Cannabis produces fairly instant intoxication, the effects lasting from 1 to 3 hours depending on the potency of the drug and the amount used.

Cannabis can also be taken orally, either eaten direct or mixed with food preparations, such as cakes, biscuits (hence ‘hash cookies’) or hot drinks. Taking Cannabis orally means that the active ingredients are absorbed slowly into the bloodstream and take an hour or two to produce their strongest effect, which may then last for 2 to 6 hours, again depending on potency and amount ingested.

What effect does it have?

The effects of cannabis depend upon the amount used, its potency, the circumstances and the expectations/mood of the user.

The most common (and desired) effects are talkativeness, cheerfulness, relaxation and greater appreciation of sound and colour. Cannabis users frequently report perceiving an enhanced performance for tasks involving creativity (art, music etc.), although no scientific evidence indicates that the drug improves hearing, eyesight or skin sensitivity. Many users also experience a compulsion for binge eating (known as the ‘munchies’).

Some immediate physical effects of cannabis use include a faster heartbeat and pulse rate, bloodshot eyes, and a dry mouth and throat. Studies of cannabis’s mental effects show that the drug can impair or reduce short-term memory, alter sense of time and reduce the ability to do things that require concentration, quick reactions and/or effective co-ordination.

A common bad reaction to marijuana is an acute anxiety attack. People describe this reaction as an extreme fear of “losing control,” which causes panic. The symptoms usually disappear in a few hours.

High doses of cannabis can cause hallucinations and sensory distortions that can be very scary. Those who use the drug when anxious or depressed may find these conditions made worse. Panic and paranoia could then result.

Young cannabis users

Over the past few years there appears to have been an increase in cannabis use among young people. Several factors appear to be involved:

Public, government and media attention given to heroin, cocaine and ecstasy in recent years may have led some adults and young people to assume that cannabis is of less concern.

Many of today’s parents may have experimented with cannabis earlier in their lives and could now be

uncomfortable about warning their children against its use. Some of those arguing for legalization have promoted the idea that cannabis is “no big deal,” or that its use may even have some benefits.

Today’s youth are often told that using drugs – including cannabis – is “cool” and they may come to believe that it’s OK to “have a blow” – or whatever. These messages reach them from many sources, such as some rap and rock music videos, marijuana-emblem clothing and other products, and positive references to its use in various media.

Cannabis availability is at an all-time high.

Consequences of cannabis use

Health

There is no conclusive evidence at present that long-term use of cannabis causes lasting damage to physical or mental health. However, some recent studies have found that prolonged heavy cannabis use does cause physical damage to the brain and short-term memory loss has been reported in several investigations.

A long-term health risk arises from the common method of cannabis use. Smoking any substance over a long period of time is a bad idea and frequent inhalation of cannabis smoke can lead to bronchitis or other chest related disorders and may cause lung cancer.

Some women have found that heavy cannabis use can make their periods irregular, whilst cannabis smoked with tobacco during pregnancy produces the same risks to the mother and child as smoking cigarettes.

The fact that cannabis use does not represent an immediate serious risk to a persons health does not make this a harmless drug, or make the damage that can result from its use any less significant than harm caused by other illicit drugs.

Cannabis is a drug that impairs. It impairs co-ordination and may contribute to such potentially fatal events as accidents in the home, at work or while driving a motor vehicle.

It impairs attention and memory, reducing the user’s ability to concentrate, solve problems, learn and retain new information.

It impairs development of healthy social relationships, possibly alienating and isolating young people from bonding with mentors and positive role models and peers.

It could also impair a young person’s ability to make good decisions. Statistics show that young people who use cannabis are more likely than those who don’t to use other illicit drugs or engage in other dangerous behaviour.

Dependence

Cannabis is not physically addictive but as with many other drugs, including alcohol, some cannabis users do develop a psychological dependence on the drug. They may have difficulty limiting their cannabis use or they may need more of the drug to get the same effect. These cannabis users may develop problems with their jobs and personal relationships that are directly attributable to their drug use. Obtaining and using the drug can become a central aspect of their lives.

Cannabis use may lead on to use of other drugs, including those that are physically addictive.

Among teenagers, those who smoke cigarettes are more likely to drink alcohol. Those who smoke and drink are more likely to use cannabis. And those who use all three are more likely to use other illicit drugs.

Long-term studies show that use of other illicit drugs among youth almost never occurs unless they have first used cannabis.

Using cannabis places youth in the company and influence of those who use and deal in illicit drugs and may encourage other dangerous and illegal activities.

Physical safety

Tests have clearly proved that, while under the influence of cannabis, users cannot perform tasks involving concentration and manual dexterity – such as driving a car – as well as normal. Driving whilst under the influence of cannabis is dangerous, both for the individual concerned and for other road users. Recent evidence has shown that 20% of car drivers killed in road accidents in the UK were under the influence of illicit drugs. As cannabis is by far the most commonly used illicit drug, it must play a role in these deaths.

Some estimates suggest that more road accidents are caused by cannabis use than by alcohol.

Legal consequences

Cannabis is a Class B drug – except cannabis oil, which is sometimes considered to be a Class A drug. It is illegal to grow, produce, supply or possess cannabis, except under special UK Home Office licence. It is also an offence to allow any premises to be used for growing, producing, supplying or using cannabis. Although a first offence possession of a small amount of cannabis is sometimes only given a police caution these days, it is nevertheless a criminal offence and the maximum punishment is 5 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

The act of supplying cannabis – and this may involve nothing more than giving the drug to a friend – is a more serious offence and the maximum punishment is 14 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

Prepared by Paul Roberts in UK http://www.darvsmith.com/dox/drugtypes.html
http://eliterehaballiance.com/drug-types-from-stimulants-to-tranquilizers/

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Prepared by Paul Roberts in UK http://www.darvsmith.com/dox/drugtypes.html

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