WOLFEGENERAL WOLFE
SCHOOL
"CANNABIS"
Aaron and I decided to do a project on "CANNABIS". Originally, we were going to do al the "street-drugs" of Canada. I figured that our backboard couldn't hold all that information. So, we narrowed it down to a really popular drug. That's right...you guessed it...CANNABIS!!
ABOUT
Cannabis is derived from "cannabis sativa", a plant that is found wild in most parts of the world and easily cultivated in Britain. Cannabis was first documented as a herbal remedy in a Chinese pharmacy text of the 1st century AD. It was introduced into Western medicine in the 1840's and was used for a variety of complaints. In Britain, recreational use of cannabis was first prohibited in 1928. Since the early 1990's, cannabis has been one of the most widely misused illegal drugs.
Some doctors believe that cannabinoids are helpful for MS sufferers, patients with chronic pain and HIV/AIDS sufferers. But the most convincing evidence comes from anecdotal reports and small trials. Cannabinoids don't represent a cure, but might relieve some pain and discomfort, particularily from muscle spasm.
Other doctors believe that the cannabinoids have nothing more to offer than existing drugs. The compounds are classed as "Schedule One" drugs (drugs with no known medical use.) However, this does not prevent the performance of the clinical trials (with appropriate approval) or prevent doctors from prescribing them as unlicensed drugs on a named patient basis.
ORIGINS
The most important active ingredient in cannabis is the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinnols(THC). The different parts of cannabis come from different parts of the plants and they all variety in potency:
*"Hashish" or "hash", the commonest form of cannabis in the UK, is the resin from the dried part
*Equal in potency to the strongest "hash" is the sinsemilla, derived from the flowering top of the unfertilized plant.
*Herbal cannabis, also known as "grass", "dope", "ganja", and as marijuana, is a less strong greenish preparation made from dried and chopped leafy parts of the plant.
*Least common in the UK, but strongest of all forms, is "cannabis oil".
THE EFFECTS
In Western countries, it is generally used as an aid to relaxation and a way of becoming mildly intoxicated or "high". Cannabis causes a number of noticeable but usually mild physical effects, including increased pulse rate and decreased blood pressure, blood-shot eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite and occasional dizziness. There are no records of of fatal overdose.
The effects generally start a few minutes after smoking, and may last up to one hour with low doses and for two or three hours with high doses.
When eaten or drunk in a tea-like drink, cannabis takes an hour or more to have an effect and the effect can last twelve hours or longer. Taking cannabis in this way gives effects which are more intense and harder to control. High doses have been known to induce coma in young people.
The psychological effects of cannabis can be subtle and hard to classify. The drug has a mildly sedative effect and seems to increase the extent to which a person is (or allows themselves to be) open to external influences.
The subtlety of these effects mean that they can be interpreted by the user in a wide variety of ways, depending on what the user expects or wants to happen and on the reactions of those around them. All these influences, together with the "loosening" effect of the drug, mean that cannabis is used to produce relaxation, socialbility, talkativeness, hilarity, or episodes of introspective reflection.
THE LAW
Cannabis in it's various forms is controlled in the UK under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is illegal to grow, produce, possess, or supply the drug to another person. It is also an offence to allow your house t be used for growing, preparing, supplying or smoking cannabis.
Cannabis and cannabis resin are Class B drugs. However, following a court judgment in 1933, cannabis oil derived from herbal cannabis has been a Class A drug.
Misuse of Drugs Act 1971-Maximum penalties
*Class B:"possession":5 years imprisonment or a fine or both.
*Class B:"supply":14 years imprisonment or a fine or both.
EMERGENCY
What to do if cannabis users experience feelings of tension and anxiety.
*Calm the person down and reassure them.
*Talk quietly and explain that these feelings will pass.
*Keep them away from bright lights and loud noises.
*Encourage them to breathe deeply and slowly in order to prevent hyperventilation.
RISKS
*High doses taken by eating cannabis or drinking it in a tea-like drink have been known to induce coma in young people.
*While under the influence of cannabis, there may be impairment of short-term memory.
*Cannabis affects body co-ordination, so manual skills (eg;driving or operating machinery) are impaired while under the influence of the drug.
*Inexperienced users may undergo temporary psychological distress and confusion.
*Heavy use amongst those with latent or existing mental disorders may aggravate their condition.
*Physical dependence.
*May serve as a barrier against self-awareness.
*Heavy long-term users may be limiting their ability to learn.
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