Cannabis Medical Marijuana Drugs Facts

25.09.2018

What is cannabis? Where can used legal cannabis and medical marijuana?

CANNABIS – narcotic substances (marijuana and hashish) made from Indian cannabis (Cannabis sativa). Their smoking or ingestion causes a person to feel a sense of euphoria and hallucination, for some time affects his perception. The main active chemical in cannabis is THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol).

Other known names of the cannabis:

Marijuana, Yarndi, Pot, Weed, Hash, Dope, Gunja, Joint, Stick, Chronic, Cone, Choof, Dabs, Dabbing, BHO.

How is cannabis used?

Cannabis is usually smoked or eaten and comes in 3 different forms:

Marijuana − the dried leaves and flowers (buds) of the cannabis plant that are smoked in a joint or a bong. This is the most common form.
Hashish – the dried plant resin that is usually mixed with tobacco and smoked or added to foods and baked; such as cookies and brownies.
Hash oil – liquid that is usually used sparingly (due to high potency) and added to the tip of a joint or cigarette and smoked.

It takes about an hour to feel the effects of eating cannabis, which means it’s easy to have too much. If it’s smoked, the effects are usually felt straight away. However, smoking can cause a number of negative side effects, especially later in life.

Cannabis can also come in synthetic form, which may be more harmful than real cannabis.

Cannabis may also be refined into what are known as dabs or dabbing, slang names for concentrated butane hash oil (or BHO), a relatively new method of administering/ingesting cannabis that involves the inhalation of highly concentrated THC.

What is the effect of cannabis?

There is no safe level of drug use. Use of any drug always carries some risk. It’s important to be careful when taking any type of drug.

Cannabis affects everyone differently, based on:

Size, weight and health
Whether the person is used to taking it
Whether other drugs are taken around the same time
The amount taken
The strength of the drug

The effects of cannabis may be felt immediately if smoked, or within an hour or two if eaten and effects may include:

Feeling relaxed and sleepy
Spontaneous laughter and excitement
Increased appetite
Dry mouth
Quiet and reflective mood

If you take a large amount or have a strong batch, you may also experience:

Trouble concentrating
Blurred vision
Clumsiness
Slower reflexes
Bloodshot eyes
Seeing and hearing things that aren’t there
Increased heart rate
Low blood pressure
Mild anxiety and paranoia

The long-term effect of using marijuana

Regular use of cannabis may eventually cause:

Memory loss
Learning difficulties
Mood swings
Regular colds or flu
Reduced sex drive
Difficulty having children
Needing to use more to get the same effect
Dependence on cannabis
Financial, work and social problems

Smoking cannabis can also cause:

Sore throat
Asthma
Bronchitis
Cancer (if smoked with tobacco)

Those with a family history of mental illness are more likely to also experience anxiety, depression and psychotic symptoms after using cannabis. Psychotic symptoms include delusions, hallucinations and seeing or hearing things that do not exist or are distorted.

Using cannabis with other drugs

The effects of taking cannabis with other drugs − including over-the-counter or prescribed medications − can be unpredictable and dangerous.

Cannabis + alcohol: nausea, vomiting, panic, anxiety and paranoia.

Cannabis is sometimes used to help with the ‘come down’ effects of stimulant drugs, such as ice, speed and ecstasy. However, doing this can cause reduced motivation, poor memory, mental health problems and dependency on both drugs.⁵

Withdrawal

Giving up cannabis after using it for a long time is challenging, because the body has to get used to functioning without it. Withdrawal symptoms may last for only a week, but sleep may be affected for longer. Symptoms include:

Anxiety
Irritability
Aggressive and angry behaviour
Cravings for cannabis
Loss of appetite and upset stomach
Sweating, chills and tremors
Restless sleep and nightmares

Medical cannabis “marijuana” – definition.

Broadly speaking, medicinal cannabis is cannabis prescribed to relieve the symptoms of a medical condition, such as epilepsy. It is important to make the distinction between medicinal cannabis and recreational cannabis. Recreational cannabis is the form of cannabis that people use to get high.