Cannabis
cannabis; marijuana; hash; grass; pot; mull; pot; weed; spliff; dope; THC; drugs; dependence; addiction; addict; psychosis; joint; bong; depression; high; stoned; cone; hallucination; withdrawal; pregnancy; driving; hashish ;
Contents
Substance use and misuse among young people is not new, but there has been growing concern about it and this issue is now seen as one of the most important concerns in our society. Alcohol and tobacco are still the most often used substances and have the highest health risks.
Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in Australia. By the age of 20 years, 60% of Australians have used cannabis and about 7% are daily users. Only a few young people who use cannabis go on to develop problems due to substance abuse with legal or illegal drugs.
Many people view cannabis as a 'soft' drug, one that mellows people out and doesn't cause any harm - but its use can cause health problems.
Cannabis is illegal throughout Australia, as it is in just about every country in the world. Using, possessing, growing and selling cannabis is illegal. This means you can't have any part of the plant, including the seeds.
For information about the law in South Australia
For more information about the law in Australia
What is cannabis?
Cannabis comes from the cannabis or hemp plant. Cannabis sativa is the most common variety of the plant that is used as a drug.
- 'Marijuana' usually refers to the dried flowers ('heads' or buds) and leaves of the cannabis plant.
- Hashish (hash) is the compressed resin or sap from the cannabis flowers.
- Hash oil is a concentrated oil made from the cannabis plant.
The word 'cannabis' refers to the plant itself, as well as the products that are used - the dried flowers, leaves, hash and hash oil.
For more information
Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia
http://www.dassa.sa.gov.au/
National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC)
http://ncpic.org.au/
Cannabis is most often smoked.
- Cannabis in all its forms can be smoked in a cigarette called a 'joint', sometimes rolled with tobacco.
- It is often smoked in a pipe or a water 'bong' (a pipe which passes the smoke through water to cool and filter it). A full pipe-load is called a 'cone'.
- If smoked, cannabis usually affects the person quite quickly.
Sometime people will eat cannabis, mixed with other ingredients, eg. in biscuits (cookies) or cakes.
- If it is eaten, the effects take much longer to be felt, but can build up and get stronger over a longer time.
- It is much harder for someone to control the dose of the drug when cannabis is eaten.
What does cannabis do to you?
The main active ingredient that makes people feel 'stoned' is THC or delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. There are many other chemicals in cannabis, some of which also act on the brain.
Cannabis affects your mood, thinking, concentration, sense of time and memory. Some of the effects are viewed as pleasant, and some are not always pleasant.
For more information
National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC)
http://ncpic.org.au/
Drug Info Clearinghouse - Australian Drug Foundation
http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/
Why do people use cannabis?
Cannabis can make people feel 'high' or 'stoned'. A group of young people gave the following reasons for why they use cannabis:
- for relaxation
- for socialising
- to relieve boredom
- to cope with stress
- for peer acceptance - eg. because all their friends use it
- to manage pain
- for the adventure of taking a risk
- to forget problems
- to experiment
- to rebel against adults, or have a secret from parents
- to help get to sleep.
Another reason that some people give for using cannabis is that they believe it can be helpful with certain illnesses.
Risks - short-term
When a person uses cannabis, there are some risks to consider:
- Cannabis can affect a person's driving, sometimes causing accidents.
- There is an increased risk of psychotic episodes (psychosis is when a person sees, hears or feels something that is not there, or thinks that people are trying to harm them).
- There may be a hangover after the drug wears off.
- You might feel tired or have a headache the next day, and co-ordination may be poor. This may affect school or work performance.
The not so good stuff - long-term
Heavy or long-term use of cannabis has other harmful effects.
For more information
Dependence
Cannabis users can become dependent on it, and cannabis dependence is much more common than people used to think.
- Dependence is when a person's life becomes centred on using cannabis, and they feel quite stressed if they can't get it.
- They have difficulty controlling their use - they sometimes use more than they intended, and are often trying to quit.
- They give up other activities in order to use cannabis.
- They continue to use cannabis even when it is causing them problems.
- Tolerance can occur, where the person needs more cannabis to get the same 'high'.
- There can be some withdrawal symptoms if a dependent person goes without cannabis, such as sleep problems, irritability, feeling anxious, loss of appetite and having an upset stomach.
- This goes away after a few days of not using cannabis, although there may be sleep problems for longer.
Pregnancy
Cannabis use during pregnancy has not been shown to cause an increased rate of birth defects, but, like tobacco use, the baby’s growth may be reduced. There is some evidence that exposure to cannabis before birth affects a baby's behaviour and may cause long-term behaviour problems.
- For more information have a look at:
Memory
Attention and memory may be affected, which means that schoolwork or jobs become difficult, or it may be harder to find employment.
Depression
Teenagers who use cannabis regularly are much more likely to suffer from depression.
Motivation
People who use dope often say that they have low motivation.
- They find it hard to get on with the things in their life.
- This can lead to problems with school, friends, money, work, and life in general.
Social life
Heavy cannabis users often find that they are only hanging out with other cannabis users.
- They may lose contact with old friends who don't use cannabis.
- They may start to feel isolated and down.
- The cost of using cannabis all the time can restrict the other activities they could be doing.
Relationships
- Parents, partners or friends of heavy cannabis users may hassle them about their use, causing arguments and conflict.
- Being stoned a lot can affect how people communicate - for the worse.
Money
- Smoking cannabis regularly can be a very costly habit.
- Some people have to resort to selling it or doing other illegal activities to get the money for dope.
What parents can do
If you think that your child or young person has been or is using cannabis or other drugs it is important to approach the topic carefully as most young people will become angry when challenged about possible illegal drug use. They can even be angry with you sometimes if they are not using drugs because they may see you as not trusting them. This is not saying you should ignore the issue, but prepare yourself carefully for the discussion.
- Remember that many young people try cannabis and do not go on to use the drug in problem ways. They may be much more at risk of health problems from use of alcohol or tobacco. However, unlike tobacco and alcohol, cannabis is illegal.
- If possible, talk to someone who is knowledgeable about drug use and about how to support someone to give up drug use. In Australia there are telephone counselling services which can give you some ideas of how to approach the topic. In South Australia the number to call is 1300 131 340. In other states in Australia the number to call will probably be near the front of your telephone book.
- If the person is still at school you could think about whether you feel that you can discuss this with the principal or school counsellor. Some school staff are very supportive but some are not so supportive. There is a risk that a student could be suspended or expelled if the student is using drugs because of the perceived risk of that student encouraging others to use drugs. This may not be a helpful response.
- If it is safe, discuss this with another family member who can help support you and your young person.
- When talking to your young person choose a time when he or she is not affected by the drug, and work hard at staying calm and logical. Focus on saying that you would like them to stop using the drug, and your reasons why. Remember you cannot force someone else to change their behaviour, but you can be there to give support.
Resources in South Australia
- Parent helpline 1300 364 100
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).
This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.