What is Marijuana/Cannabis?

Cannabis describes any of the form of different drugs produced from Indian hemp, including Marijuana and Hashish such as the dried flowers, seeds and leaves of the Cannabis Sativa plant, usually green brown or gray in color. It is commonly known by various street names such as bhang, dope, grass, ganja, hemp, Mary Jane, pot, reefer, skunk and weed. Hashish is a related form of the drug made from the resins of the hemp plant which is tan, brown or black in color and is commonly called as chocolate, hash or shit and is six times more stronger than marijuana.

Marijuana is a drug which is classified as a hallucinogen, that is a substance which distorts the perception of the world we live in. Although there are more than 400 different chemicals in cannabis, the main ingredient which causes such distortion of the mind is known as “THC” and its amount may vary substantially but its percentage has increased rapidly in recent years. Importantly, while Marijuana is Cannabis, not all Cannabis is Marijuana.

Increasing appeal, usage & negative impact

One of the important reasons for its rapid and widespread appeal, especially amongst youth is the popularization of the “psychedelic renaissance” movement which started with the counter-culture movement of the 1960’s and advocated for free, unrestricted use of mind altering substances along with other cultural influences related with the consumption of drugs, free, inhibited sex and rock n roll music such as those adopted by the hippie and bohemian culture during those times.

Also, while the therapeutic use of psychedelic substances has continued to expand in the treatment of some mental health disorders, clinical research has not shown any scientific backing behind such claims or guidelines for medical use. Still, the creation of an enabling environment and surge in commercial interest has sharply increased access to unsupervised and non-medical use of psychedelics such as marijuana, also known as the gateway drug since it is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world and a doorway to other hard drugs.

(Studies show that of adults aged 26 or older who used marijuana before age 15, 62 per cent went on to use cocaine at some point in their lives, 54 per cent made some non-medical use of mind-altering prescription drugs)

Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette or joint but may also be smoked in a pipe or mixed with food and eaten or brewed as tea. Some users also open up cigars, replace the tobacco with pot and such blunts and joints can also be laced with other powerful drugs such as PCP or crack cocaine. After immediate consumption, the heart rate increases, coordination and balance decreases and a “dreamy, unreal” state of mind is peaked within the first 30 minutes.

Since users of marijuana inhale more smoke and hold it longer, a severe, dangerous impact is caused to the lungs. Apart from experiencing common discomforts such as sore throats and chest colds, it has been found that consuming one joint results in as much exposure to cancer causing agents as smoking five cigarettes. Furthermore, the mental consequences of marijuana consumption are severe as marijuana smokers have poorer memories and low mental aptitude than non-users as it negatively affects the structure of the brain. Such behavior of marijuana users is often reflected in statistics such as the fact that marijuana is the second most frequently found substance in the bodies of drivers involved in fatal automobile accidents in the United States while nearly 40 per cent of males tested positive for marijuana at the time of their arrest for crimes. 

A number of studies have further laid to rest the notion the cannabis is a herb meant for soothing mental anxieties and improving concentration as they have shown a crucial connection between continued marijuana use and serious psychiatric illnesses such as psychosis, early onset of dementia, schizophrenia, hallucinations, delusions and other mental health disorders such as the diminishing of critical skills like attention, memory and learning along with the capacity to deform sperm cells and the ability to upset a woman’s menstrual cycle thereby negatively impacting sterility in both men and women.

(A study of postal workers found that amongst employees who tested positive for marijuana, 55 per cent had more accidents, 85 per cent more injuries and a 75 per cent increase in being absent from work. Poor organization skills and the ability to remember also result in lower grades and less chances of admission to colleges while some people have difficulty remembering words as long as four weeks after they stopped smoking)

Furthermore, marijuana leads to abnormal cell division and severe hereditary defects. For example, a pregnant woman who regularly smokes marijuana or hashish may give birth to an undersized, underweight baby while many children of marijuana users are known to have been born with reduced concentration power and decreased ability to make initiatives and pursue healthy life goals and follow their ambitions along with considerable birth defects such as mental abnormalities and increased risk of leukemia.  

Also, since tolerance builds up more quickly in marijuana users, when the effects of the drug wear off, the person may turn to more potent drugs to rid himself of the conditions that caused him to take the drug in the first place such as unwanted feelings, emotions and situations such as paranoia, hate and other negative feelings about oneself. Combined with other drugs such as PCP (in which joints are dipped), it causes violent behavior and can further cause intense physical reactions such as seizures, coma and even death.

The important thing to remember to stay away from marijuana consumption is to be aware of clever and insidious offers by dealers and friends alike such as “the drug will help you fit in or make you cool and popular”, all facetious attempts at slowly but surely destroying the life of the innocent user.