Marihuana drug treatment

Although the commercial, industrial and therapeutic value of marihuana plant has been widely recognized and exploited in the United States from the earliest days of its history, knowledge and use of its intoxicating and psychoactive properties remained largely unknown until about 1900.

Despite the fact that marihuana is taken by most users for curiosity or pleasure, the non-using public still feels seriously affected by the use of this particular drug. Several decades ago it was popularly asserted that the drug brought about a large variety of social and individual ills, including crime and insanity. As a result it was prohibited by federal law in 1937.

The use of marihuana is linked with idleness, lack of motivation, hedonism and sexual promiscuity. Many see the drug as fostering a counterculture which conflicts with basic moral precepts as well as with the operating functions of the society.

Several studies on marihuana drug treatment have elucidated a variety of personality types or categories of users:

Experimental Users The first and by far the largest group has been designated as "experimenters" because of their extremely infrequent or non-persistent marihuana usage. Experimentation with the drug is motivated primarily by curiosity and a desire to share a social experience.

Intermittent Users The intermittent users are motivated to use marihuana for reasons similar to those of the experimenters. They use the drug irregularly and infrequently but generally continue to do so because of its socializing and recreational aspects. For the intermittent user, marihuana often contributes to the establishment and solidification of close social relations among users similarly inclined. The individual has a sense of belonging to an intimate group.

Moderate and Heavy Users The final groups of marihuana users are the moderate and heavy users. This range is wide and includes individuals who use marihuana more than 10 times a month to several times a day. The moderate users share traits with both the intermittent and the heavy users, who seem to need the drug experience more often. Their initial and continued marihuana use is motivated not only by curiosity and an urge to share a social experience but also by a desire for "kicks" and relief of anxiety or boredom.

Very Heavy Users They consume high amounts of very potent preparations continually throughout the day so that they are rarely drug-free, evidencing strong psychological dependence on the drug and requiring compulsive drug-taking. The very heavy user tends to lose interest in all activities other than drug use. A common element of the behavioral pattern is lethargy and social deterioration.

Use of marihuana was, and still is, age-specific. It was youth-related at a time in American history when the adult society was alarmed by the implications of the youth " movement". Now, marihuana becomes more than a drug. It becomes a symbol of the rejection of traditional values.

Marihuana is addictive

• Research has established that marihuana is addictive. Each year, more teens enter drug treatment with a primary diagnosis of marihuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined. Sixty percent of teens admitted to drug treatment cite marihuana as their primary substance of abuse.

• Research indicates that the earlier kids start using marihuana, the more likely they are to become dependent on this or other illicit drugs later in life.

Marihuana hurts

• The brain. Smoking marihuana leads to some changes in the brain similar to those caused by cocaine, heroin and alcohol. • Lung damage. Regular marihuana users often develop breathing problems including chronic coughing and wheezing. Marihuana contains the same cancer-causing chemicals as tobacco.

• Mental health. For young users, marihuana can lead to increased anxiety, panic attacks, depression and other mental health problems. For those already prone to depression or anxiety attacks, marihuana use may accelerate or exacerbate problems.

Marihuana affects learning and achievement

• Researchers have found that heavy marihuana use impairs the ability of young people to concentrate and retain information. Regular marihuana use has been shown to be associated with cognitive deficits and poor academic performance.

• Students who have smoked marihuana within the past year are more than twice as likely to cut class than those who did not smoke, while health problems associated with using marihuana can keep students from attending school due to illness.

Marihuana links to risky behaviors

• Kids who use marihuana in early adolescence are more likely to engage in risky behaviors that may put their futures in jeopardy, such delinquency, having multiple sexual partners, perceiving drugs as not harmful and having more friends who exhibit deviant behavior.

• Despite popular notions, there is a link between frequent marihuana use and increased violent behavior. Among youth, the incidence of physically attacking people, destroying property and stealing increased in proportion to the number of days marihuana was smoked in the past year.

Marihuana impairs driving

• Marihuana affects alertness, concentration, perception, coordination and reaction time, many of the skills required for safe driving and other tasks. These effects can last several hours after smoking marihuana. Marihuana use can also make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road.

The following are some of the common side effects of using marijuana:

• Trouble remembering things

• Sleepiness and anxiety

• Paranoia

• Altered time perception

The following are some of the common physical effects of marihuana: tremors (shaking), nausea, headache, bad coordination, breathing problems, increased appetite, reduced blood flow to the brain.

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Marihuana drug treatment

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