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Cannabis
is reasonably safe for most people - if it's treated with respect,
it's unlikely to cause problems to health or well-being. There's
no toxic overdose potential with cannabis so unlike almost every
other substance you can't die from its drug effect by taking too
much of it.
Unlike alcohol, the recreational use of cannabis isn't associated
with acts of mindless violence and a lot of people claim to get
great benefits from its drug effects. Many people enjoy cannabis
with no ill effects and do so for many years; long term moderate
use causes few if any problems.
Most
people probably use cannabis because they enjoy its effects, so-called
"recreational users". Others use it as a medicine - the
current issue of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers who are being
denied real relief is a major political and social cause, but there
are many other medical uses for cannabis that need to be recognised.
It's
also true that many people use cannabis for such things as stress
relief - for example to unwind after a long day at work; perhaps
this is a grey area between medical and recreational use. Some people
use it as a sacrament as a part of their religion and others for
its creative potential.
But
some people just use it to get off their heads, hammered and out
of their trees - not just occasionally but day in, day out. It's
this last group of people who will run the biggest risk of getting
health problems from cannabis, especially if they're young.
Even
the government's own anti-drug advertising campaign "Talk
to Frank" accepts that "Most of the risks associated
with cannabis are linked to regular, heavy use." Frank has
a point; if you abuse cannabis it will not respect you,
it is not a totally benign substance, it is a perception altering
herb. What people say is true, it's got drugs in it.
Apart
from those who don't respect cannabis there do seem to be some people
who react badly to it, after all we are all different, so what may
be fine for most people may not be for you. If you know what to
watch out for though you'll recognise the warning signs and be able
to do something about it.
In
this section we try to explain the health issues that cannabis users
face and give some advice on how to avoid the problems.
Cannabis is illegal and because of this using it carries some risks
which really shouldn't be there - risks caused by the law which
are in addition to those caused by the drugs themselves.
As
always, we welcome your comments - feedback
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