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Marijuana Abuse
Medical Questions » Marijuana Abuse
| Name: Marijuana Abuse |
| Also known as: Cannabis Abuse; Hashish Abuse; ' Pot' |
| Addictive drug taken into the body by smoking or eating. The concentrated resin from the plant (hashish) is stronger and more dangerous than marijuana, and produces a more noticeable effect. |
Causes of Marijuana Abuse
Made from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa which has as its active ingredient the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC occurs in all parts of the cannabis plant and is a depressant drug, not a stimulant. Users tend to have a poor self-image and ego. Possibly one in every 100 people is dependent upon illicit drugs in western society, and a far higher percentage have experimented with them at one time or another. |
Symptoms of Marijuana Abuse
Initially causes excessive happiness, followed by a long period of depression and drowsiness. If used daily for a few weeks it eventually ceases to have its original effect, and the user must increase the dose to reach the same level of intoxication, which is how addiction develops. |
Tests for Marijuana Abuse
Blood and urine tests can detect the presence of THC. |
Treatment for Marijuana Abuse
Treatment options available are:
1. Gradual withdrawal while receiving counseling and medical support
2. Immediate drug withdrawal (' cold turkey' ) while medically supervised
3. Half-way houses that remove the patient from the environment in which drug taking is encouraged
4. Individual or group psychotherapy.
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Complications of Marijuana Abuse of its treatment
Most drugs dissolve in water, but THC dissolves in the body' s fat, and so stores of the drug can be established in the system. This leads to a prolonged withdrawal stage, and the frightening flash-backs that regular users experience when a sudden release of the drug from the body' s fat stores occurs. These flash-backs can occur without warning for weeks after the last use of marijuana, and may cause hallucinations while working or driving and can therefore place others at risk. Long-term use may cause an increased risk of bronchitis, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases associated with smoking; decreased concentration, memory and learning abilities; interference with sex hormone production; and cannabis psychosis, which is similar to schizophrenia. Cannabis is often also used with other drugs to intensify its effects, often in unpredictable ways. Using cannabis and alcohol together can be much more dangerous than using either drug by itself. |
Likely Outcome of Marijuana Abuse
More addictive and damaging than alcohol. Better long term prognosis than with other illicit drugs, unless patient moves to using stronger and more addictive substances. |
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