Cannabis

1. Cannabis By: Vanessa Kintzler

2. Facts • Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States • 20% of 14-19 year olds reported ever using cannabis • 49.5% of 20-29 year olds reported ever using the drug • According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2009, 16.7 million Americans aged 12 or older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed

3. What is a Cannabis? • Cannabis is derived from the cannabis plant. It grows wild in many of the tropical and temperature areas of the world. It can be grown in almost any climate, and is increasingly cultivated by means of indoor hydroponic technology • THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinal) is the psychoactive agent in marijuana

4. Trends in the U.S. • Concerning Trends in Teen Marijuana Use According to the New PATS Data (2008-2011) • Past-month use is up 42 percent (up from 19 percent in 2008 to 27 percent in 2011, which translates to about 4 million teens). • Past-year use is up 26 percent (up from 31 percent in 2008 to 39 percent in 2011, which translates to about 6 million teens). • Lifetime use is up 21 percent (up from 39 percent in 2008 to 47 percent in 2011, which translates to nearly 8 million teens). • This marks upward trend in teen marijuana use over the past three years. The last time marijuana use was this widespread among teens was in 1998 when use of marijuana was at 27%

5. Trends in the U.S. Continued • Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States • This represents 6.3 percent of people aged 12 or older and 76 percent of current illicit drug users. Of all current illicit drug users, approximately 59 percent used only marijuana, and 17 percent used marijuana and other illicit drugs. • Fewer than half a million people per year began using marijuana before 1966 and that new use of marijuana began increasing after 1966.

6. Therapeutic Uses • Marinol • Treatment for nausea and vomiting in cancer patients • Anorexia in AIDS patients • Glaucoma • (a progressive loss of vision) because cannabis’ extreme effectiveness for reducing ocular pressure • Antiasthmatic Drug • Short-term smoking of marijuana improves breathing for asthma patients • Muscle relaxation • Aids in muscle spasms • Antidepressant • Used in Great Britain as a euphoriant for treating depression

7. Therapeutic Uses Continued • Back Pain • Whether applies as an herbal pack or poultice, is also the best muscle relaxant, back spasm medicine • Epilepsy • Many but not all types of epilepsy • Analgesic • In patients experiencing frequent migraines And chronic headaches or inflammation

8. Controversy with Medical Marijuana • Medicinal Marijuana: The benefits • There has been definite evidence that marijuana is beneficial • In the treatment of cancer to relieve the nausea caused by chemotherapy • For AIDS wasting syndrome • To relieve muscle spasms and tremors in people with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries • To treat glaucoma by reducing intraocular pressure • To treat chronic pain • Medicinal Marijuana: The potential harm • The possible harmful effects of chronic marijuana use has been studied by federal government funded studies. In 1988, scientists found receptors for the THC in the parts of the brain controlling: • Memory • Mood • Visual processing • Attentiveness • The ability to filter out extraneous stimuli

9. Controversy with Medical Marijuana Continued • Schedule 1 vs. Schedule 2 • Currently marijuana has the status of a Schedule 1 drug which means it is considered to be potentially addictive with no current medical use. It has been proposed that marijuana be changed to a Schedule 2 drug which means it would be considered potentially addictive with some accepted medical use • It is feared by opponents that as the nation struggles to educate teenagers not to use psychoactive drugs, they will be sent a contradictory message that drugs are good

10. Street Names • Marijuana • Grass • Pot • Dope • Mary Jane • Hooch • Weed • Hash • Joints • Brew • Reefers • Cones • Smokes • Mull • Budda • Ganga • Hydro

11. Effects on the Brain • THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the “high” that users experience when they smoke marijuana. • Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none • The highest density of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentrating, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. • Marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficultly with thinking and problem solving and problems with learning and memory.

12. Physiological Effects • Distorted sense of time • Paranoia • Magical or “random” thinking • Short-term memory loss • Anxiety and depression

13. Physiological Effects Continued • Central Nervous System • Alters mood, coordination, memory and self-perception • Respiratory System • Damages lungs • Cardiovascular System • Marijuana products limit the amount of oxygen that can be carried to the heart • Sexual Performance and Reproduction • Affects the sympathetic nervous system, increasing vasodilation in the genital and delaying ejaculation; high doses can decrease sexual desire

14. Health Risks • Lung Cancer • Heart Disease • Bronchitis • Decreased memory and learning abilities • Increased risk of respiratory disease

15. Sign and Symptoms • Rapid heart rate • Increased blood pressure • Increased rate of breathing • Red eyes • Increased appetite or “ the munchies” • Dry mouth • Slowed reaction time

16. References • http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/professional_drugtests_cannabis.htm • http://adai.washington.edu/marijuana/factsheets/whatiscannabis.htm • http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/marijuana-use-and-its-effects • http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana • http://www.drugfree.org/newsroom/pats-2011 • http://www.samhsa.gov/data/mjinitiation/mjinitiation.pdf

17. Reference Continued • http://arthritis.about.com/cs/medmarijuana/a/marijuanadebate_2.htm • http://www.electricemperor.com/eecdrom/TEXT/TXTCH07.HTM • http://windfoxherbal.com/windfoxherbal/articles/therapeutic_uses_of_cannabis.htm