Hashish
From Drug Rehab Wiki
Hashish is a cannabinoid, which means it made from cannibis or the marijuana plant. It is a chemical compound that produces the same psychotropic effects as marijuana. Hashish is made of compressed THC-rich resin glands called trichomes, found in the unfertilized buds of the cannabis plant of the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Hashish most often appears in paste form that can be dried and varies in color from reddish-brown to black. It is typically heated in a hookah, pipe or bong, mixed into marijuana joints, or cooked in foods and ingested. The active ingredient in hashish is tetrahydrocannabinol.
The effects of smoking hashish can be relaxation, silliness, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, loss of motor coordination, and distortions in vision, hearing, time and touch. These effects can last two or three hours. Most people have problems thinking and problem-solving under the influence of hashish, and most become mentally-impaired. At high doses, some people develop anxiety and even experience panic attacks.
Some studies indicate that consuming large amounts of hashish on a daily basis can cause permanent brain damage and a higher risk for certain mental illnesses. Hashish is a carcinogen.
Although it contains the same active ingredients as marijuana, hashish is more highly concentrated than cannabis leaves. The active ingredient in hashish is THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, and is accompanied by over 400 different chemical compounds. Hashish has both psychoactive and physiological effects, including change in perception and mood, increased heart rate, lowered blood pressure, and memory, coordination and concentration impairment. Hashish, like marijuana, is thought to exhibit properties of stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens, all at the same time.
Hashish is a Schedule I Controlled Substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and, as such, has a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. It is illegal to use under any circumstances, and the penalties for possessing, making or selling it are the most severe. Nevertheless, marijuana and its cousin hashish are the most widely abused drugs in the United States and the second most frequent reason people enter rehabilitation for substance abuse (alcoholism is first).
