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Cannabis: The down hill
slope into escapist drug abuse?
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Just what are the risks of using cannabis?
Cannabis does not lead onto other drugs - the stories that
people who start on cannabis end up with needles in their
eyeballs are myths. However, do be aware that, because cannabis
is illegal, you are perhaps more likely to come across other
drugs through the illegal nature of the supply side. This,
of course, is a problem caused by the law, not by cannabis.
Does cannabis use
lead to hard drugs? further reading on drug use progression
and the gateway effect
Using any drug as a form of escape - from problems or boredom
- is a very dodgey thing to do. Cannabis is no use whatsoever
as a drug to hide from problems, you can't "drown your sorrows"
with it - if you try, it could actually make things seem much
worse, at least whilst you're stoned, and this can lead to
the feelings of paranoia.
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Cannabis myths
It's supposed
to cause brain damage, suppress the immune system,
damage the reproductive system and flatten brain
waves. It would cause carnage on the motorways
and it leads on to hard drugs ...
Some of the
myths surrounding cannabis - the "reefer madness"
claims - are still alive today.
Read more
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Warning
A conviction for
cannabis possession or dealing can cause you big problems
later in life - far bigger problems than the plant could
ever cause
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Cannabis users can come to depend on getting stoned, "psychological
addiction" - you think you need it, but you don't really.
This is very different to physical addiction which is very
real, your body needs the drug just to feel normal if you're
an addict. TV can have a similar psychological effect, as
can chocolate and many other things.
If
you find this happening and it gets to be a problem, leave
it off for a while and find some other non-cannabis linked
activity to do
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Cannabis
and mental health
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Cannabis
can have an impact on mental health problems, in particular schizophrenia.
There
is evidence, some of which you can see in our research
library - for example here,
that cannabis makes the symptoms of schizophrenia worse in some
people. One partial explanation is that people suffering from schizophrenia
find some medicinal value in the effects of cannabis, some report
it makes the "voices" easier to control. However there
seem to be additional negative outcomes from getting stoned that
non-sufferers don't experience.
Although
the actual proportion of people adversely affected by cannabis use
is small, if you happen to be one of them it doesn't really matter
that you're in a minority.
There
is evidence to suggest that for those who might have a vulnerability
for developing mental health problems - for instance a family history
- heavy cannabis use may"trigger" the development of schizophrenia.
The
risks seem to be very much greater for young people, so it makes
sense to leave cannabis use to adults, in particular people under
18 are best advised not to get stoned.
One
symptom of a possible problem is prolonged heavy use, if you are
smoking a lot all the time, or you know someone who is, talk about
it with people you trust and never try and hide it.
Talk
about your experiences on our forum
UKCIA examines the issue here
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So, what about the health
risks the government is always going on about?
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Just about anything
we do carries risks, so, rather than simply repeating the
governments warnings, first we'll put them in proportion by
comparing the information given on the governments official
website D-2k for the dangers of using cannabis with those
for using alcohol, then we'll examine the claims. D-2k was
launched in 2001 and has now been replaced by Frank (see opposite).
(Note UKCIA reproduces
all the information provided on D-2K from the "factfile" section
of the site. We have rearranged it a bit, not least of all
by bringing the serious health risks of alcohol to the top
of the list, rather than hiding them near the bottom as D-2K
does. We added the categories)
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Talk to Frank is
the latest anti-drug information site to be launched
by the government. It contains less information about
cannabis than D-2K did, but it still tries to paint
as negative a picture of the herb as it can.
UKCIA review
of Talk to Frank December 2003
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The following information comes from D-2k, the British governments
previous official "anti drug" education website. The D2-k
cannabis information is still online however.
D-2k has now been replaced by Talk to Frank
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Cannabis
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Alcohol
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Risks of using cannabis
on its own
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Risks of using alcohol
on its own
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| •Inhaling
deeply and holding the smoke in, or sucking on a bong or water
pipe, increases the amount of tar and other dangerous chemicals
which stick to lung tissue. Smoking cannabis over a long period
of time can increase the risk of respiratory disorders, including
lung cancer. (1) |
•
Overdose (drinking far too much) can lead to loss of consciousness
and death.
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| • When stoned, the
user’s eyes become red and the heart beats faster (2) |
• When unconscious,
users risk choking on their own vomit. This can also KILL. |
| • It can make users
paranoid and anxious, depending on their mood and situation.
(3) |
• Long-term over-use
can lead to serious liver, heart and stomach problems. |
| • Cannabis affects
the short-term memory and ability to concentrate and make judgments.
The user may also be affected by cannabis the next day, and
it may be more difficult to perform important tasks that require
a clear head or sharp reactions (4) |
• Alcohol abuse has
been linked to violent crime and sexual harassment. |
| • Getting stoned affects
co-ordination, increasing the risk of accidents. It impairs
driving skills, so never get into a car driven by someone who
is stoned. (5) |
• Alcohol impairs
driving skills, so never get into a car driven by someone who
has been drinking. |
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• Alcohol makes people
feel less inhibited. However, users can end up feeling very
down. |
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• Because of the way
alcohol affects the brain it can make the user feel different
at different times. The effects can be unpredictable. |
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• Using alcohol to
try to escape from problems doesn't work. Whatever is bothering
the user will still be there when they sober up. |
Using cannabis
with other drugs
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Using alcohol
with other drugs
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| • Mixing cannabis
with tobacco and smoking it damages the airways and lungs and
can lead to users getting hooked on tobacco. (6) |
• Mixing alcohol with
other drugs is DANGEROUS |
| • If cannabis is used
with alcohol the risk of becoming ill is increased. (7) |
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Warnings of dangers
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Harm reduction
advice
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• Plastic bottles,
rubber hoses, PVC, aluminium drinks cans or tinfoil, should
not be used to smoke cannabis. These all give off toxic fumes
when hot. (8)
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• It can be hard for
the user to keep track of how much alcohol they drink. [By sticking
to one type of drink, and not mixing different strength drinks,
the user can control how much alcohol they consume]. |
| • Some infections,
such as hepatitis, can be passed on if several people are sharing
the same joint. (9) |
• There are guidelines
on how many units of alcohol an adult can drink a day before
risking their health. These are 2-3 units a day for women and
3-4 for men. However, these guidelines do not apply to young
people. Adult bodies react differently to alcohol and the adult
liver is larger. |
| • Users should not
use cannabis around others who may be affected by the smoke,
particularly children. Low levels of cannabis have been found
in the urine of young children. (10) |
• Alcohol affects
co-ordination. This can lead to accidents. Drinking in a safe
environment, at home with family or friends, can help to reduce
the risk of accidents |
Comparing the dangers
listed above shows clearly that cannabis is far less harmful and destructive
than alcohol, but you'd never believe it listening to some of the
ramblings from government sources. Indeed, even though D-2K is supposed
to be a "drugs education" website, the anti cannabis bias is clear
to see. Frankly, some of the information given is either alarmist,
distorted or simply irrelevant.
(1) cannabis can "increase
the risk" of respiratory disorders, including lung cancer,
This
is carefully worded - the reason for that is because the proof that
cannabis smoke actually causes cancer and other breathing problems
is very patchy (see our research
section). However, it's something to bear in mind and there are
several things you can do to reduce any risk there might be. Using a bong or
a water pipe in fact removes a large amount of the tars from the
smoke and is to be encouraged.
(2) Red eye and increased heart beat
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These are certainly signs of (heavy) indulgence, but is it
a risk?
Cannabis widens blood vessels (vasodilation). The eyes contain
blood vessels so blood vessels in the eyes widen and hence
the blood within the vessels is more visible against the white
of the eye.
When the vasodilator is metabolized, the blood vessels return
to normal and the redeye disappears, it's very similar to
blushing, except the link between embarrassment and facial
vasodilation is not very well understood.
Cannabis induced redeye is not the same as the redeye caused
by inflammation, allergy or injury
The increase in the heart rate is linked to this widening of
the blood vessels, The heart beats faster
because the pressure is lowered. It's an effort to restore
the pressure to normal, part of what's meant by homeostasis.
Everything in the body is linked and balanced.
In
other words, although D-2k is correct to warn of the effect
of redeye, it isn't a serious condition and so shouldn't be
listed as a risk.
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References
relating to cannabis causing vasodilatation
Acta Psychiatr
Scand 1992 Aug;V 86(2):173-8
"Middle cerebral artery velocity during upright
posture after marijuana smoking". Matthew R J,
Wilson W H, Humphreys D, Lowe JV, Wiethe K E
J Anal Toxicol
1988 Jul-Aug;12(4):169-75
"Marijuana-laced brownies: behavioral effects,
physiologic effects, and urinalysis in humans
following ingestion". Cone E J, Johnson
RE, Paul BD, Mell LD, Mitchell J
J Chronic Dis
1987;40(2):131-6
"Behavioral factors and blood pressure in black
college students". Adams LL, Washburn RA, Haile GT, Kuller LH
Ophthalmology
1980 Mar;87(3):222-8
"Effect of marihuana on intraocular and blood
pressure in glaucoma" Merritt JC, Crawford
WJ, Alexander PC, Anduze AL, Gelbart SS
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(3) Paranoia and feeling anxious
Yes,
this can happen, especially in inexperienced users or when very
stoned. It will pass when the effect wears off. Some people find
the effects of cannabis unpleasant at any dose and it may make existing
mental problems worse, particularly if they've been caused by using
other drugs.
(4) Short term memory and concentration
When
stoned, its maybe difficult to concentrate on certain things and
this will make it difficult to study for example. These effects
go away when the effect wears off.
Some
people find being stoned an aid to creativity, particularly in the
arts and with music but this is not always the case.
The
majority of users experience no ill-effects, sleep well and wake
calm and clear headed after the acute effects have passed. Despite
the warning above that it may be more difficult to perform important
tasks that require a clear head or sharp reactions the next day,
there is no cannabis equivalent of a hangover.
(5) Risk of accidents
It's
good advice not to operate machinery or to drive whilst stoned,
although the evidence suggests that the effect on driving isn't
as bad as the government would have us believe (see the research
library - click here)
(6) Smoking cannabis with tobacco
Note
the way they warn of the dangers of smoking cannabis mixed with
tobacco, rather than doing the logical thing and advising users
to smoke cannabis in its pure state. The problem of course, is because
tobacco is legal and cannabis is not and they can't bring themselves
to advise people not to use a legal substance when using an illegal
one
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We
can, and we'll do it now. If you're smoking cannabis mixed
with tobacco you run the risk of getting addicted to tobacco
and of suffering the ill effects of that drug, which definitely
do include lung cancer.
This is the most effective bit of harm reduction advice the
government could and should give, but is prevented from doing
so by it support for the drug war against cannabis
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If you smoke cannabis, use
a pipe or similar smoking aid and don't mix it with
tobacco
UKCIA Toke Pure
Safer smoking campaign
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(7) Mixing Cannabis
with alcohol
This
is a good way to make yourself sick. It's good advice not to mix
alcohol with any other drug - but this is a warning about booze,
not cannabis really.
(8) Dangers from plastics and aluminum
As
long as the cannabis is burned in a proper pipe, there is no problem
using plastic buckets and rubber tubes, as long as they don't get
hot. The advice not use aluminum drink cans means as improvised
pipes. This is because the aluminium vapourises and is dangerous
to breath in. It's not a good idea to cook with aluminum pans either
for the same reason.
(9) Risk of infections
Infections like hepatitis can, of course, be passed on by many routes,
sharing joints is a possible way it could happen, maybe ....
Hepatitis A is passed by the Faecal/oral route, and hepatitis C requires
inoculation with infected body fluids, but it usually needs a bit
more than a soggy roach.
Is
D-2K is really claiming that contracting serious illnesses like
hepatitis is a real risk if you use cannabis? It seems an alarmist
point to make in all honesty, deserving of a "reefer madness" award.
(10) Smoking around other people
Be
considerate - some people don't like the smell of smoke and its
not fair to make others breath your smoke
So
here is UKCIA's version of the information about the dangers of
using cannabis:
Risks of using cannabis
on its own
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| Smoking cannabis
over a long period of time may increase the risk of respiratory
disorders, including lung cancer. Inhaling deeply and
holding the smoke in may increase this risk. |
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It may cause feelings of paranoia (fear), particularly
in new users and/or at high doses. If this continues
and you find it disturbing, don't use cannabis. It is
very dependent on site and setting (where and when).
This will pass when the effects subside.
It might make existing mental health problems worse.
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| You may find it difficult to think straight whilst stoned,
and find it hard to remember things. Again, this will
pass when the effects wear off. |
| Getting stoned affects coordination, increasing the risk
of accidents so be careful where you use it, avoid working
dangerous machinery when stoned. It may impair driving
skills, so never get into a car driven by someone who
is very stoned. |
Using
cannabis with other drugs
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| Smoking cannabis with tobacco exposes you to the risks
of that substance |
| Using cannabis with alcohol can cause problems. Alcohol
is a very dangerous drug to use in combination with other
substances |
| Smoke cannabis in its pure state - don't mix it with
tobacco |
| Don't get stoned in dangerous or threatening places |
| If you use cannabis, be sure never to abuse it. Don't
be stoned all the time |
| If you find the effects of cannabis unpleasant, don't
use it. |
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