2. common names for this drug?
Marijuana
•Marijuana is usually rolled up in a cigarette
called a joint or a nail. It can also be brewed as
a tea or mixed with food, or smoked through a
water pipe called a bong.
•Cannabis is number three of the top five
substances which account for admissions to
drug treatment facilities in the United States,
at 16%
4. Short-term effects
• Loss of coordination and distortions in the sense of time, vision and
hearing, sleepiness, reddening of the eyes, increased appetite and
relaxed muscles.
• Heart rate can speed up. In fact, in the first hour of smoking
marijuana, a user’s risk of a heart attack could increase fivefold.
• School performance is reduced through impaired memory and
lessened ability to solve problems.
5. Health risks of regular use of this drug
• Memory and learning problems
• Decreased motivation
• Poor school and work performance
• Respiratory conditions such as bronchitis or chronic cough
• Increased risk for psychosis in susceptible individuals
• Raised heart rate
• Decreased life satisfaction
• Increased risk of heart attack
• Easily distracted
• Decreased motor coordination
• Decreased time with family or children because of marijuana abuse
• Shortened attention span
• Loss of mental alertness and impaired judgment
• Increased risk for car accidents or STD due to altered decision-making
while high
6. Risks of dependence on marijuana
• People who are dependent on marijuana are at a higher risk of
suffering from the negative consequences of using the drug, such
as short term memory impairment, mental health problems and
respiratory diseases (if marijuana is smoked). Regular use and
dependence also leads to problems with finances, conflict in
relationships with family and friends, and employment problems.
• The earlier a person starts using marijuana, and the more they use,
the more likely they are to become dependent.
7. legal penalties for possessing and/or using
Marijuana
• For a first conviction, if you had less than 30 grams of marijuana,
the maximum penalties are a fine of $1000 or 6 months in jail, or
both. But the penalty for a first offense is usually much less.
• You may also get a criminal record. That can prevent you from
traveling to other countries, getting certain jobs, being bonded
(which some jobs require), and applying for citizenship.
• If it is your first offence, ask the judge for a discharge or ask the
Crown for diversion (or alternative measures). If you meet the
conditions of the discharge or if you complete the alternative
measures, you will not get a criminal record.
• The legal issues for this crime can be complex and a conviction can
seriously harm you
8. Resources for getting help with marijuana
dependancy
• Marijuana helpline
• During marijuana addiction treatment, clients are offered
medications and counseling that make the difficult withdrawal
process easier, lessoning and/or eliminating withdrawal symptoms.
After withdrawal, or detox, is complete, individual and group
counseling sessions teaches ways to stay clean and sober for good,
and promotes strategies for relapse prevention and information on
helpful, local support groups.
9. Strategies for saying "NO" to Marijuana if under
peer pressure to use it
• Try to associate with people who do not use drugs, and avoid
situations where drugs will be used or offered to you.
• Prepare yourself for occasions when friends, peers, or even
strangers offer drugs to you.
• Participate in activities that are fulfilling to you. They are more fun,
cheaper, safer, and healthier than abusing drugs.
• Recognize your talents, skills, and accomplishments; remind
yourself of them when you feel worthless.
• Realize that the future is full of hope and promises, even though it
might not seem that way at the time, and abusing drugs will rob
you of them.
