THE HARSH EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA ABUSE
21:10 |
| A single marijuana leaf |
In a previous post, I told you the
story of Samuel, a boy who was brought up in a very good environment by loving
and caring parents,
but everything soon turned around negatively for him when
he entered into the university, by associating with wrong peers. He did all
sort of drug, including smoking marijuana, and this lead to devastating
results.
The university nowadays, is a place
where most children get to make huge mistakes. They mingle with the wrong
crowd, probably because their parents are not around to scold them. Most adolescents
who consume marijuana were introduced to this dangerous substance upon entry
into the university.
Marijuana, as it is generally
called, refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp
plant, Cannabis Sativa.
Teens think that if marijuana is used as a
medicine, it must be safe,” Though Marijuana can be prescribed as a drug for
certain illnesses, but it is being abused, and this is unhealthy.
“Teens who say they would never smoke tobacco
admit they do smoke marijuana.”
“The earlier an adolescent starts smoking, the
earlier the potential changes to brain structure and function,”
If you’re anxious and depressed, do
you use marijuana to self-medicate or does the drug itself cause the symptoms?”
When adolescents use marijuana,
they are “learning a certain way to cope with life. Instead of, for example,
learning how to handle anxiety, they use marijuana. Marijuana blunts personal
and developmental growth.
EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA
 |
| Rate of disorders resulting from marijuana abuse |
v
memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with
thinking and problem solving, and anxiety.
v
Taking high doses of marijuana can cause
short-term acute psychosis with symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and
loss of the sense of personal identity.
v
The main psychoactive substance in cannabis is
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). When marijuana is smoked, THC moves quickly
from the lungs to the bloodstream and the brain. THC acts on specific brain
cell receptors that ordinarily react to natural THC-like chemicals. These
natural chemicals play very vital roles in brain development and function.
Marijuana over activates parts of the brain that contain the highest number of
these receptors. This causes an immediate “highness” that people feel.
v
THC in the brain results in effects such as;
Altered senses, changes in mood, impaired body movement.
Other effects
include;
·
Increased heart rate.
·
Problems with child development during and after
pregnancy.
·
Breathing problems
SIGNS OF MARIJUANA ABUSE
·
The
signs of marijuana abuse are behavioural rather than physical.
·
Teens
exhibit a slow decline over time: they lose interest in school, work, and
extracurricular activities and withdraw from family members.
·
They
are apathetic and are friends mostly with other drug users.
·
Very
poor sense of dressing.
RISK FACTORS
Adolescents who smoke marijuana may
have parents who are permissive or who are smokers (30 percent of suburban
parents use marijuana), have friends who use the drug, have poor academic
performance, or be involved in other negative behaviours, such as drinking
alcohol and smoking cigarettes.
ADVICE TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS
it’s important to involve parents, they have very huge role
to play in curbing this abuse of marijuana. By discussing marijuana’s negative
effects starting at a young age, keeping up communication during adolescence,
and paying attention to signs of chronic marijuana use.
Pay particular attention to
adolescents with Comorbidities: nearly 60 percent of regular marijuana users
have at least one co-occurring disorder, such as learning disability,
depression, anxiety.
There is presently no medication
available to treat marijuana Cravings.
Please, let’s stop the excesseive intake of
Marijuana!!!
Do Have A Lovely Night Rest!!!!
4 comments
Stop the intake of Marijuana? I think we have bigger problems in Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteYou should probably read about the positive effects of Marijuana so you have a balanced view. Nice post though.
why do you take marijuana? if at all you do ?
Delete@BENJOHN OTU
ReplyDelete"stop the excessive intake of marijuana" and the title says "HARSH EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA ABUSE".
When something has done more harm than good, it is wise to emphasize on its detriments.
i clearly stated somewhere in this post that marijuana also serves as a form of medication.
But to be sincere among ourselves, in Nigeria, do adolescents consume marijuana for medication purpose?
Thanks!
It all about awareness... Let kepp the awareness rolling
ReplyDelete