A rough guide to drugs
Legal Status Class B: carries penalties for possession of up to 2 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Supply/trafficking can carry penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine |
...is a psychoactive drug derived from the Indian Hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. It comes in three forms: the flower heads and small leaves, which is called grass or weed; the resin pressed into blocks of varying colour and consistency, called hash; and the oil extracted from the plant.
Most people mix cannabis with tobacco and smoke it as a ‘spliff’ or a ‘joint’. Some smoke it in a pipe, while others make tea with it or put it in food.
Effects & Risks
When smoked, the effects occur within minutes. How long they last and how powerful they are depends on the quality of the batch. They can last from 30 minutes up to 4 hours. If ingested, the effects can take longer to start but are more pronounced, last longer (can be up to 8 hours), and are harder to predict and control.
• Generally the user feels elated, relaxed, uninhibited and sociable.
• It’s a mild hallucinogen. Colours and sounds appear brighter and sharper.
• Someone who’s been smoking a lot will have bloodshot eyes, a dry mouth and may well have hunger pangs.
• It can affect short-term memory.
• It can cause a lack of motivation.
• Even hardcore smokers can get anxious, panicky and suspicious.
• Long-term consistent smoking can cause bronchial problems, and if smoked with tobacco, all the health risks associated with that substance are present.
• It can cause an irregular heartbeat and lower blood pressure. In extreme cases it has been associated with (although not proven to be the cause of) heart attacks.
• It has been connected with reduced sex drive in men and women, and possibly reduced testosterone and sperm count in men.
• Smoking cannabis may be more harmful than smoking tobacco.
Cannabis has a higher concentration of chemical ‘nasties’ that cause cancer.
• Research has made a link between cannabis and mental illnesses like schizophrenia. If you’ve got a history of mental illness in the family the risks are greater.
• Smoking cannabis when pregnant may harm the baby. Babies tend to be lower in birth weight and to have developmental problems.
Overdose
Although an overdose is not possible, there are dangers associated with its use as the effects listed above show.
Addiction Generally not believed to cause physical dependency, but a psychological attachment can become very strong.
