Drugs and Society

INTRODUCTION

Marijuana also known as either grass, Mary Jane, pot and herb amongst many other slang words is a common name for a drug which originates from the upper leaves of the flower of Cannabis Sativa. Cannabis "remains the most widely used illicit substance in the world" is also a term which is referred to marijuana and to other drugs that are made from the same plant. It is generally smoked or ingested and it comes in three forms mainly being Marijuana or herbal cannabis, Hashish or hash and Hash oil or resin. Marijuana comes in the form of a mixture of dried leaves, stems and seeds which come from the plant and can be a greenish, brownish or a greyish colour. It contains a harmful mind-altering chemical called THC also known as Tetrahydrocannabinol which can have many adverse effects on the user's organs but it also contains more than four hundred other chemicals. The amount of THC in the drug determines how strong the effects will be whilst other factors such as the plant itself, the soil and the time of harvest determine the strength of the marijuana. The amount of THC has been on the increase since the 1970's and this poses more health problems for the user since there is an increase in the physical and mental effects the marijuana causes. Herbal cannabis that is imported into Europe may originate from South East Asia, The Caribbean or West Africa but usually the resin comes from either Afghanistan or North Africa. In Malta, the resin mainly comes from Morocco whilst herbal cannabis is generally grown locally.

THE USE AND ABUSE OF THE DRUG

The use of marijuana can be explained through a number of reasons. Teenagers might start using and smoking marijuana from a tender age because they see others using it and are influenced to start using it as well. Others might be encouraged by their friends to use marijuana so they could be ''included'' in the group. Researchers found that the most usage of this drug begins in later teens and early twenties whilst it declines in the later years. Marijuana could serve as a remedy for some teens to escape from problems at home or school which may seem a big burden for them whilst for some others it may be cool to experiment and try it out just because they are influenced by the media or just because they hear songs about it!

One may ask how marijuana is used. Users usually roll some loose marijuana into a cigarette which is mainly known as "joint" or "nail". It has a varied THC content between 5 and 150 milligrams whilst it contains round 0.5 and 1 gram of cannabis plant matter. Marijuana can also be smoked in a pipe which can be referred to as a bong. Other marijuana users may use another method which consists of slicing open a cigar and replacing the tobacco with marijuana. Marijuana cigarettes which may contain other substances such as crack cocaine. Some may even decide to use marijuana to brew tea or even mix it into foods! Marijuana smoke is associated with "a sweet and sour odour." When it is smoked, the drug enters into the bloodstream and then spread all over the body whilst when it reaches the brain; it attacks the receptors which influence thought, concentration, memory, pleasure, movements, time and sensory perception. According to the British Lung Foundation, smoking just three joints of marijuana a day causes the same lung damage as twenty cigarettes since Cannabis smokers tend to puff and inhale longer and deeper, resulting in increased tar and monoxide levels in the body.

The way marijuana affects a person does not depend on just one factor but rather on several issues such as if this is the user's first time experience, how much THC it contains, how it is taken and whether it is being mixed with any other illicit drugs or alcohol. While some people may feel nothing while they smoke marijuana, others may feel high or relaxed as well some are likely to experience dry mouth after just a few minutes accompanied with rapid heartbeat, slow reaction time as well as intoxication.

One of the main organs which are affected by marijuana is the brain. From mental studies conducted, researchers discovered that after chronic exposure to THC, learned behaviours which depend on the hippocampus which refers to the part of the brain that is crucial for learning and for the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivation, just deteriorate. Findings from animal studies showed that exposure to THC "damages and destroys nerve cells and causes other pathological changes in the hippocampus."

Marijuana also affects the user's respiratory system. Those who smoke it regularly develop mainly the same problems that tobacco smokers do. Some of the symptoms include frequent chest colds and a daily cough. Continuance use of marijuana can lead to injured or destroyed lung tissue as well as "abnormal functioning of the lungs and airways." Traces of THC can be found in users several days after a smoking session whilst in heavy users, THC can be traced up till several weeks after they stopped using the drug.

When young people use marijuana over long periods of time they become quite dull and slow moving and the term "burnout" was coined by marijuana smokers themselves to describe the prolonged effect. When a more potent variety of marijuana is used, users may suffer bad reactions such as have sudden feelings of anxiety and even have paranoid thoughts. Marijuana can double the normal heart rate and may even raise the blood pressure slightly but this effect is enhanced when the marijuana is mixed with other illicit drugs. Using Marijuana can eventually lead to health, learning, safety and social problems as well as continuous abuse of other drugs. Nowadays marijuana is more addictive than it used to be, hence increasing the problems of users getting addicted.

Marijuana intoxication cause several problems some of which include difficulties in thinking and problem solving as well as causing distorted perceptions and impaired coordination. Prenatal exposure to this drug is usually linked with impaired verbal reasoning and memory in pre-school children.

THE LEGAL ASPECT OF THE USE OF THE DRUG

Although some people are in favour of having marijuana legalized for medical reasons, there is still an on-going debate whether marijuana should be legalized or not. Some may argue since marijuana can relieve nausea in people who are suffering from cancer and help those patients suffering from AIDS to regain their appetite. The U.S Food and Drug Administration approved Marinol- pills that actually contain THC which