Effects of Cannabis

Recent research on the effects of cannabis have been controversial. Cannabis is a naturally occurring substance produced from plants that has been used throughout the world for thousands of years.

It is the most widely used illicit drug. For statistics on the use of cannabis/marijuana in the USA click here.

There are a number of active ingredients of which the most potent is Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC for short. There are a number of different species of cannabis, but the preferred plant is Cannabis sativa (see picture above) which produces the highest concentrations of THC and is therefore strongest. There are three main forms of cannabis:

herbal, the most common form in the USA and slightly the most common in the UK (see picture below). It consists of chopped leaves and resembles a coarse form of tobacco,

resin, the next most common, comes from a resin excreted from the mature plant and compressed into blocks (see picture below). However, it is often made by crushing the plant to extract the sap instead of waiting for the plant to mature,

oil, is the final form. It is made by dissolving the resin in solvents to eliminate fibrous tissue, the result being a high concentration of THC.

Methods of Use
The normal route of ingestion is by smoking as cigarettes (known as joints or spliffs), pipes or in short pipes known as chillums, often in the company of others.
However, other methods of ingestion are sometimes used: for example, cannabis can be used in cooking or baking.

Effects of Cannabis
Effects are usually dependent on the user’s expectations and experience of the drug, with new users often reporting no effects. However, the usual reported effects are relaxation, well being and congeniality. Some users make use of the drug to give themselves confidence. Other reported effects are talkativeness and insights into the nature and purpose of life. Some report higher levels of concentration and suggest that cannabis can be an aid to studying. Some report hilarity, with bouts of uncontrolled laughter over trivial incidents. Often there are feelings of hunger, where the user will consume large quantities of food. At higher doses, users can report perceptual distortions.

Adverse Effects of Cannabis
Short-term effects are memory lapses, anxiety and even paranoia. Lethargy and distortion of the perception of time are common. With high doses, confusion, disorientation and nausea are possible as are perceptual hallucinations, although these are less common. Novice users may experience anxiety. There are also reports of depersonalisation.

The evidence for long term effects of cannabis is a matter of dispute. However there is mounting evidence that the drug may not be as harmless as many believe. There is some evidence that smokers may be more prone to cancers, in particular lung cancer. This consequence however may depend on the route or method of ingestion: for example cannabis smokers tend to inhale deeper and for longer than cigarette smokers. It may also result from the practice of mixing cannabis with tobacco.

There is some evidence which suggests that frequent users may have motivational and coping difficulties. The area of the effects of cannabis on mental health is a hotly debated topic with some researchers suggesting that the use of cannabis can bring on psychosis. Although that is controversial belief, it would nevertheless seem that people with existing or underlying mental illnesses may be at special risk of developing psychoses. While it is often claimed that there is no evidence that cannabis users develop dependence, mild psychological withdrawals have been noted. Finally, there appears to be some evidence that cannabis use during pregnancy may increase the risk of premature birth or affect foetal development.

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