Marijuana
From Drug Rehab Wiki
What Is Marijauna
Marijuana refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug. The typical herbal form of marijuana consists of the flowers, leaves, and stalks of female plants. The resinous form of the drug is known as hashish (or hash). The major psychoactive chemical compound in marijuana is THC. Aside from a subjective change in perception and mood, the most common short-term physical and neurological effects include increased heart rate, lowered blood pressure, impairment of short-term episodic memory, working memory, psychomotor coordination, and concentration. Long-term effects are less clear, although marijuana use has been assessed by several studies to be correlated with the development of anxiety, psychosis, and depression.
“Weed”… “Mary Jane”... “Dope”… Those are just a few of the common names for marijuana, the most popular street drug in the United States today. The drug is illegal in America (except for medicinal use in some states) as well as most countries throughout the world. Despite that, it is used recreationally by millions of people. Over the course of the past year approximately 25 million people in the U.S. have used marijuana. While some use it only once in awhile, over 14 million Americans use it on a regular basis [1].
Proponents for the legalization of marijuana argue that it is much less harmful than tobacco or alcohol. However, the Canadian-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) reports that the smoke from this seemingly “mild” drug is much worse than cigarette smoke because of the amount of tar and other toxic chemicals it contains.
Marijuana comes from the buds and leaves of the Cannabis sativa plant. The leaves and buds are dried, and have a greenish gray appearance. While the majority of users take the loose marijuana and roll it into a joint so it can be smoked, the drug can also be used in other ways. Some smoke it in a bong, which is a type of water pipe. Others brew it into a tea or put it into food. Cigars, known as “blunts”, may also contain marijuana.
Effects of Marijuana
THC, which is short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol, is the primary chemical in marijuana that affects a person’s brain when the drug is used. When smoked, the effects of the drug are felt fairly quickly, and they may last for up to 3 hours. The person may experience alterations in time, sound, touch and sight. Short term memory problems, slowed reaction time, loss of coordination, and impaired problem solving and thinking typically occur.
Other effects include dry mouth, increased heart rate, bloodshot eyes, and bloodshot eyes. Some individuals who use marijuana may become paranoid. They may feel anxious or panicked, gripped with the fear that they might lose control.
In high doses, the effects of marijuana may include psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. Memory impairment and disorientation may also occur. High doses are more likely obtained from eating food laced with marijuana rather than from smoking it.
Physiological Effects of Long-Term use
People who smoke marijuana regularly are more likely to have physical problems such as bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and chest colds. The lungs and airways can become seriously damaged over time. Just as with cigarettes, long term use of the drug may cause serious medical conditions such as emphysema. Cancer risk may also increase due to long-term use.
Psychiatric Problems and Marijuana Use
According to the U.N.’s 2009 World Drug Report, the dangers of marijuana use are far more serious than most people believe. The marijuana that is available today is much more potent than the strains used back in the 1970s, and can cause permanent harm to the brain. Side effects include anxiety, depression, and even mild psychosis.
Adolescents who use marijuana have an increased risk of developing two very serious psychiatric disorders – schizophrenia and bipolar disorder – per the World Drug Report. The development of Alzheimer’s disease may also be connected to regular use of the drug.
Marijuana Addiction
Although most people do not become addicted to marijuana, marijuana addiction is possible among chronic users. Unfortunately, the myth persists that marijuana is never addictive. The rate of addiction is around 10%, similar to alcoholism rates. Therefore, 1 in 10 marijauna users become addicted. For those who chronically use marijuana and cannot stop smoking for any length of time, residential marijauna rehab might be necessary.
Street Names for Marijuana
Marijuana is known by many names by those who use it and sell it. These include pot, grass, dope, joint, weed, Mary Jane, reefer, blunt, skunk, hash, Aunt Mary, roach, smoke, ganja, Sinsemilla, Thai sticks, kif, gangster, and boom. Another name is “chronic”, and often refers to marijuana combined with crack, but may also refer to the drug by itself.
From Ancient China to America
The euphoric high for which marijuana is so popular has been known by cultures dating back thousands of years. However, it has also been used for other reasons as well by ancient civilizations.
One of the first records of marijuana goes back 8000 years, to China. The Chinese used the seeds from the cannabis plant for food in 6000 B.C. Over three thousand years later, in 2737 B.C., ancient writings of Shen Nung, the emperor of China at that time, discussed its powerful medicinal benefits for health conditions such as malaria, gout, and painful joints. It was even used to help those who tended to be scatter-brained or absent-minded. His writings also briefly mentioned its intoxicating effects.
Other cultures, including people in India as well as Muslims, used marijuana as a recreational drug. The Muslims were one of the first cultures to use Hashish, introducing it to the world. It became a popular drug in North Africa as well as parts of Iran. Marijuana didn’t reach European cultures until around A.D. 500.
It took another thousand years before marijuana made its way to the New World. Historical records vary, but some say it was first brought over by Spaniards in 1545. However, it was the British who first introduced it to colonial Jamestown. According to history, this took place in 1611. At that time, marijuana was grown and cultivated as a fiber source and became one of the predominant commercial crops of that era.
By the late 1800s and well into the early 1900s, a more potent version of marijuana, then known as Cannabis Americana, was used in some medications by drug companies. However, cocaine and opium were used much more widely for medicinal purposes. Marijuana was a common remedy for several ailments including toothaches, nausea, menstrual cramps, labor pains, and headaches. Up until 1942, it appeared as a medicine in the United States Pharmacopeia.
By the early 1900s, marijuana was starting to become popular in America for its psychoactive properties. This may have been due in part to the Prohibition according to some historians. Growing and trading marijuana was limited up until about 1910. However, once the Mexican Revolution was over, drug trafficking activity emerged. Marijuana was now quite profitable, and trafficking made growing and transporting it much easier.
Marijuana became a popular drug on the black market in New Orleans. It was used recreationally by the locals there, as well as sailors who came through the city. Marijuana’s value as a medicinal drug quickly diminished as its recreational use increased.
Politics and Marijuana in the U.S.
There has been much controversy for decades regarding whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Proponents argue that it is essentially benign, and non-addicting. Opponents argue that it is not only addictive, but that it often leads to the use of and addiction to other illicit drugs. In 1913, the first state to pass an anti-marijuana law was California. Soon to follow were Utah (1915), Texas (1919), Louisiana (1924) and New York (1927).
In 1930, a prohibitionist named Harry J. Anslinger, declared war on this popular drug. In his 32 year stint as commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, he strongly influenced the American public with regards to marijuana. He headed up a powerful campaign that painted marijuana as a “killer drug” that caused temporary insanity when smoked, although there was no scientific evidence to support this. By using this propaganda he was able to get every state in the country to support the Uniform State Narcotic Act.
In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act was signed by President Roosevelt, making marijuana possession illegal in the U.S. unless a person had a special government issued tax stamp. With the $1 stamp, it could be legally grown and sold. Interestingly, no tax stamps were ever issued so no one had any legal rights.
Years later, in the 1960s, smokers of marijuana were depicted by anti-drug literature as lazy, irresponsible, psychotic, and even threats to the country’s security. Research conducted by Dr. Leo E. Hollister, however, painted a different picture – that the drug was intoxicating and made people drowsy, friendly, and happy. The research did not support the notion that marijuana served as a gateway to the abuse of other street drugs.
When Nixon became president, he initiated the very short-lived “Operation Intercept”, using hundreds of customs agents to put a stop to Mexican drug-traffickers bringing marijuana into the U.S. Operation Intercept was discontinued after nearly 5 million searches found almost no marijuana. When that failed, he utilized the police force. This led to a sudden surge in the number of arrests and convictions related to marijuana activity.
While in office, Nixon continued his war on marijuana and other drugs. Funds were provided for research. In 1970, marijuana was classified as a Schedule I Controlled Substance by the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I substances have the highest potential for abuse and do not have any use medically. However, the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse Report, released in 1972, did not support this with regards to marijuana. The report was allegedly discarded by Nixon and never read.
In 1975, the role of primary marijuana supplier shifted from Mexico to Colombia. Strict laws with regards to marijuana possession were passed to thwart drug smuggling. But an increasing number of U.S. citizens began growing marijuana, causing the DEA to shift their focus from international to domestic marijuana suppliers by the early 1980s. By the 1990s, marijuana use in the U.S. was on the rise again, particularly among adolescents.
Legalization of Medical Marijuana in the U.S.
Despite the long war against marijuana in the U.S., its medicinal benefits could not be denied. A report released by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1997 discussed several potential ways marijuana could be used medically. The following five areas were highlighted [2]:
1. Analgesia
2. Neurological and movement disorders
3. Nausea and Vomiting Associated With Cancer Chemotherapy
4. Glaucoma
5. Appetite Stimulation/Cachexia
In 1996, California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana when it passed Proposition 215. Since then, 13 other states have passed similar laws, legalizing marijuana to a limited degree for medical use only. These states include Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. It is also legalized for medical use in the District of Columbia.
New Jersey is the most recent state to legalize medical marijuana. On January 18, 2010, the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act was signed by the state’s governor, Jon Corzine. The legalization of medical marijuana is currently being considered by other states as well.
While state laws vary with regards to the conditions for which medical marijuana may be used, most include the following:
• Cachexia
• Cancer
• Crohn's Disease
• HIV or AIDS
• Epilepsy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Nausea
• Agitation of Alzheimer's Disease
Legalization of Non-Medical Marijuana Use
Just as California was the first to legalize medical marijuana, it is now the frontrunner for making recreational use of marijuana legal as well. California currently has a measure that will appear on the November 2010 ballot. If it passes, the sale and possession of marijuana would become legal. Proponents believe this would be a significant step towards the decriminalization of marijuana in the U.S.
Many people who support the decriminalization of marijuana feel that prohibiting it has led to a significant underground market for the drug. As a result, they argue, billions of law enforcement dollars have been wasted.
Polls of California residents show that there is significant support – well over 50% - for legalizing marijuana. Polls taken nationwide have shown that approximately 44% of Americans support the legalization of marijuana.
Marijuana Use and Laws in Other Countries
With regards to industrialized countries, Canada leads the world in terms of marijuana use, according to a report issued by the UN in 2007. Nearly 17% of Canadians between 15 and 64 years of age had used the drug during 2006[3]. The average use in other industrialized countries for that age group is 3.8%. Other parts of the world have even higher percentages. For example, in Ghana, the percentage is 21.5%. Micronesia and Papua New Guinea are both at 29%.
Marijuana is legal in many countries throughout the world. Argentina, Peru, and Belgium, for example, allow possession of marijuana in small amounts. In some regions of Australia, the Netherlands, Ecuador, and the Czech Republic, marijuana has been decriminalized. It is also partially decriminalized in India, where it is used during Hindu holidays. It is illegal in Sri Lanka, but often used there in Ayurvedic medications.
Uruguay does not penalize its citizens for possessing marijuana for personal use; however its laws are not clear with regards to how much a person can have. Pakistan has laws against marijuana, but they are not often enforced. Marijuana has been decriminalized in Portugal, where marijuana use is regarded as an illness requiring medical treatment. It is also decriminalized in Venezuela; those possessing 20 grams or less are required to enter drug treatment.
In August of 2009, a law was passed in Mexico that decriminalized the possession of marijuana and several other street drugs. Individuals may have up to 40 grams of marijuana.
The controversy surrounding the dangers of marijuana and whether or not it should be legal and to what degree will likely continue for a very long time. It will be interesting to see if California does legalize it in the near future, and if so, what the ramifications of that will be.
References
1. http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7305
2. http://www.nih.gov/news/medmarijuana/MedicalMarijuana.htm
3. http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/06/24/f-unitednations-drug-report-canada-ecstasy.html
