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Herbal
Cannabis
Cannabis
Joint
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Cannabis,
Marijuana (Pot, Weed)
Street
Terms:
Grass,
pot, weed, bud, Mary Jane, dope, indo, hydro, ganga
Cannabis
(Marijuana) is a green, brown, or grey mixture of dried,
shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant.
Marijuana has a chemical in it called tetrahydrocannabinol,
better known as THC. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering
(psychoactive). In other words, they change how the brain works.
A lot of other chemicals are found in marijuana, too — about
400 of them, some of which are carcinogenic. Marijuana is
addictive with more teens in treatment with a primary diagnosis
of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs
combined.
Using
marijuana can also lead to disturbed perceptions and thoughts,
and marijuana use can worsen psychotic symptoms in people who
have schizophrenia.
Additionally,
there are higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal
thinking among people who use marijuana when compared to people
who don't use. Teens
who started using marijuana before age 15 are more likely to
suffer from anxiety and depression in early adulthood. A
new study shows that smoking marijuana is associated with a 40%
increase risk of psychosis, and the risk is greater among
regular and frequent users.
Cannabis
withdrawal
At
one time cannabis was considered a drug that had no withdrawal
symptoms because users did not display symptoms similar to those
withdrawing from alcohol or opiates. Contrary to this,
experimental research supports reports of users who relate
evidence of heavy cannabis use producing psychological and
physical withdrawal symptoms.
Kouri
and Pope examined withdrawal symptoms over 28 days abstinence
from cannabis, while Budney et al. looked at a time period of
abstinence of 45 days.
Their study assessed withdrawal symptoms among
chronic cannabis users who were assessed daily on various
symptoms while on a hospital ward for 28 days. They rated mood,
anxiety, depression and irritability and compared them to those
of two control groups of abstinent former heavy cannabis users
and non-users of cannabis. Chronic cannabis users showed
decreases in mood and appetite and increases in irritability,
anxiety, physical tension and physical symptoms and their scores
on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scale increased.
Both studies used urinalysis to ensure abstinence, and showed
that withdrawal symptoms began within 1–3 days of abstinence
and lasted for 10–14 days. According
to Budney et al., the withdrawal syndrome associated with
cannabis use is similar to that for tobacco but of lesser
magnitude than withdrawal from other drugs like opiates or
alcohol.
Significantly,
evidence indicates that withdrawal symptoms are alleviated when
cannabis users resume using cannabis after a period of
abstinence. And
recent laboratory research has focused on the role of brain
chemistry in cannabis dependence. As with other drugs such as
heroin, cannabis increases the production of dopamine, a
neurotransmitter associated with rewarding feelings. Budney et
al. argue that the upkeep of this neurotransmitter may motivate
people to use cannabis in an addictive way.
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