Marijuana

SUBSTANCE INFO 4 . marijuana / CANNABIS

MARIJUANA & LEGALIZATION:

Before legalization on October 17, 2018, Marijuana was the most common and mainstream of all the street drugs. It was, and still is, smoked by a wide range of people of different ages, backgrounds, and professions. It has also been used to aid in the management of many medical conditions and mental health disorders. However,It is still very important to speak with your doctor before choosing to manage any medical concerns with cannabis. It is also still important to be aware of what legalization means for you and your friends substance use patterns, now that marijuana is widely available and marketed in different forms. You may be seeing it more around school, at parties, and even at the mall or sports games. Marijuana can be marketed most commonly through smoking, but also through gravity bongs, vapes, dabbing, baked goods & candies, sprays, tinctures, or even topically. Although legalization of marijuana prohibits the use of those under age, changes in youth’s attitude toward the drug, age of initiation, and frequency of use can occur. Research from the Oregon Research Institute indicated no significant change in the numbers of youth who tried marijuana for the first time yet found an increase in the frequency of use by youth who were already regularly using marijuana. It’s important to know that you probably see more marijuana use but that educating yourself and asking questions will help with the curiosity you may have in trying the drug. The legalization of the drug doesn’t make marijuana consumption less risky to teenagers. Educating yourselves on the risks of using marijuana while your adolescent brains are still developing will help to discuss the drug honestly and openly. You might have some of the following questions: What are the laws against cannabis now that it is legal? What are the risks? What does marijuana do to the brain? Have you ever tried it? Can people become addicted to it? Will I be missing out on something if I don’t try it? It’s important to be careful not to minimize the dangers of marijuana or other drugs. Educate yourselves on the risks and long-term consequences. Get the conversation started with people you trust like your parents, your counselor, or even your friends. Or go ahead and jump online to do some of your own research. You won’t be the only one to have questions!

Aside from THC (the active chemical in marijuana that gets you ‘high’) there are over 400 other chemicals, many of which are also found in tobacco smoke. Prolonged use of marijuana has the same effect on the lungs as smoking cigarettes

Short Term Effects:

• Increase in heart rate, possibly leading to anxiety & paranoia

• Distorted concept of space & time

•Decrease in concentration skills & short term memory capacity

• Feeling tired after the high wears off

• Increase in appetite and weight gain

• Forgetfulness, losing one’s train of thought easily.

E Sometimes I feel like weed is my best friend. It calms me down. When I’m feeling lonely and discouraged, it gives me a boost. When I am feeling down on myself and critical, it helps me see the positive side. I like myself more when I’m a bit buzzed. But it’s like a friend who has kind of taken over my life. I feel awkward now when I go to basketball practice and see my old friends. It’s tempting to avoid it, because then I don’t have to deal with my coach who is always on my back for missing too many practices, but then I think about how much I used to love it and I feel guilty. And then there are my grades. I always seem to put off doing my homework, and I am now failing social studies because of not handing in assignments. The downside to smoking weed is that I’m burnt out some of the time and can’t focus on school.

Long Term Effects:

• Marijuana contains many of the same chemicals found in tobacco smoke. People who smoke marijuana over a long period of time often develop the same breathing problems as smokers do. Their risk of developing lung cance is significantly higher • THC can also damage the cells and tissues in the body that help protect people from disease

• Lack of motivation

• Difficulty processing new information Educating yourselves on the risks of using

than non-marijuana smokers marijuana while your adolescent brains are still developing will help to discuss the drug honestly and openly. You might have some of the following questions: What are the laws against cannabis now that it is legal?

5 . cocaine & crack

A Cocaine, out of all the drugs I took, was the most instantly transforming. One snort and I felt like a different person. I couldn’t sit still, I was talking a mile a minute, and I felt full of confidence and importance. Twenty minutes later, I landed back on earth with a crash. All I could think about was how I could get more so I could get that feeling back. I switched to crack after a while because it was cheaper and I could buy it right on the street. Later, when I started to use it all the time, I’d be really irritable and depressed when I came down. It took almost a year for the depression to go away after I stopped using.

Psychological Effects:

• Paranoia & Confusion

• Cocaine Psychosis: losing touch with reality, loss of interest in friends and family, self-harm

• Crashing: feeling tired after the high wears off

• Increase in appetite and weight gain

Cocaine is a white powder that comes from the leaves of the coca plant. “Coke” can be snorted, smoked, or injected. It is a stimulant with a very short high that lasts between 5-20 minutes. Crack is a smokable form of cocaine that is highly addictive even after only a few uses. Crack and cocaine are both extremely powerful drugs that take over all aspects of an addict’s life. Both drugs can become habit forming quite easily as well we physically and psychologically addictive.

Use/abuse of cocaine and crack will cause:

• Increased blood pressure and heart rate • Rapid breathing • Constriction of blood vessels • Decreased appetite • Sweating • Restlessness, insomnia • Paranoia, anxiety • Dilated pupils Over time, and/or larger doses:

• Aggressive, hostile, erratic behaviour • Hallucinations • Rapid and irregular heartbeat • Increased paranoia • Impotence • Depression