Colorado Drug Rehab receives many calls from adolescents and their parents seeking information and drug rehab or residential drug treatment for marijuana abuse. There are more myths about marijuana than any of the other "recreational" drugs on the market. These myths are promoted by celebraties, like Bill Marr, that see it as their mission to tout the benefits of marijuana use. In truth, marijuana is a drug that has many of the same disabilitating properties as any other drug. Admittedly, a person can function more normally while under the influence of marijuana than some of the more addicting drugs, but the accumlation of the drug in the body and the negative consequences of chronic marijuana use are damaging physically and certainly they are demoralizing to the user. If you would like more information on marijuana use and/or drug rehab or residential drug treatment, call 1-877-444-1137 and Colorado Drug Rehab will be glad to assist.
Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. There are over 200 slang terms for marijuana including "pot," "herb," "weed," "boom," "Mary Jane," "gangster," and "chronic." It is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint or a nail) or in a pipe or bong. In recent years, marijuana has appeared in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in combination with another drug, such as crack. Some users also mix marijuana into foods or use it to brew tea.
Scientists have found that whether an individual has positive or negative sensations after smoking marijuana can be influenced by heredity. A recent study demonstrated that identical male twins were more likely than non-identical male twins to report similar responses to marijuana use, indicating a genetic basis for their sensations. Identical twins share all of their genes, and fraternal twins share about half.
The main active chemical in marijuana is THC. In 1988, it was discovered that the membranes of certain nerve cells contain protein receptors that bind THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana. The short term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem-solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks.
Environmental factors such as the availability of marijuana, expectations about how the drug would affect them, the influence of friends and social contacts, and other factors that differentiate identical twins' experiences also were found to have an important effect; however, it also was discovered that the twins' shared or family environment before age 18 had no detectable influence on their response to marijuana.
News Item:
Coloradans say they are doing less hard drinking than they did in the past few years but say they are more likely to smoke pot, according to a two-year federal assessment to be released today.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found Colorado was the only state to log a decrease in those who think they are at risk to binge- drink since the last study completed in 2006, from 29.8 percent in the previous study to 25.8 percent in the most recent.
Meanwhile, Colorado is one of seven states that notched "significant" increases in teens and adults who say they are more likely to smoke pot at least once a month than those who participated in the last government survey.
Health Hazards
Effects on the Lungs
Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.
Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This may be due to the marijuana users' inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs and because marijuana smoke is unfiltered.
Effects of Marijuana on the Brain
Researchers have found that THC changes the way in which sensory information gets into and is processed by the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a component of the brain's limbic system that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations. Investigations have shown that neurons in the information processing system of the hippocampus and the activity of the nerve fibers in this region are suppressed by THC. In addition, researchers have discovered that learned behaviors, which depend on the hippocampus, also deteriorate via this mechanism.
Recent research findings also indicate that long-term use of marijuana produces changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse.
Effects on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
Recent findings indicate that smoking marijuana while shooting up cocaine has the potential to cause severe increases in heart rate and blood pressure. In one study, experienced marijuana and cocaine users were given marijuana alone, cocaine alone, and then a combination of both. Each drug alone produced cardiovascular effects; when they were combined, the effects were greater and lasted longer. The heart rate of the subjects in the study increased 29 beats per minute with marijuana alone and 32 beats per minute with cocaine alone. When the drugs were given together, the heart rate increased by 49 beats per minute, and the increased rate persisted for a longer time. The drugs were given with the subjects sitting quietly. In normal circumstances, an individual may smoke marijuana and inject cocaine and then do something physically stressful that may significantly increase the risk of overloading the cardiovascular system.
What are the effects on someone who has smoked marijuana for years?
This is a questions that comes up routinely on the help line. We find that many long-term marijuana users begin to experience untoward emotional and physical complications. Usually it starts with complaints about memory loss, both short and long term as well as a feeling of lethargy that is becoming debilitating .
There is evidence that long-term marijuana use is not unlike long-term use of any drug in that it accumulates in the fat tissue of the body and when you reach a "body burden" of toxins that causes nerve impulse problems, there will be a feeling of "unrealness" followed by anxiety and sleeplessness. It is recommended that someone that is having these or other discomforts consult with our counselors at 877-444-1137 and we will evaluate your individual situation and recommend a program or professional that can help you back to a normal.
Efforts to Legalize Marijuana are Raising Tensions
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration is claiming that proposals to legalize marijuana in Colorado are causing an increase in organized crime, but the agency says it doesn't have any hard data to back up such statements.
Now proponents who worked to push pot legalization measures in Denver and throughout the state are crying foul over what they say are baseless claims.
Wed Aug 01, 2007 at 11:18 AM MDT
A fiery e-mail sent by a federal agent from his government address does not violate employee policy, according to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official.
In July, Colorado Confidential reported on an angry letter originating from a Department of Justice e-mail address. The message, riddled with spelling errors, was sent to Independence Institute analyst Jessica Peck Corry in response to a Denver Post editorial she wrote supporting medical marijuana.
Since then it has been discovered that the note came from a DEA agent, and the agency's Denver field director says that matter comes down to freedom of speech.
Just the idea of making marijuana legal sets off emotions on both sides of the issue. Most people can agree that the government should have the power to limit citizens from partaking in activities that are not detrimental to to others and society at large. "Not harmful"
is where the argument begins. Activities in life should have more latitude than either being criminal or not, there should be more freedom in the gray areas of decision making if we really want to have a thinking and democratic and open society. The lives and productivity lost from incarceration for non-threatening marijuana possession have infringed on an open society and things need to be re-evaluated. Perhaps decriminalization is a better approach. It is very difficult to say that marijuana is not a harmful substance or that since it is less harmful then alcohol, it too should be legalized. There are many who would like to see more sanctions on alcohol. But these new items demonstrate how volatile this subject is in our society and it appears as though it will continue to be a wedge issue in the future as well.
|
