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Show Marijuana is a dangerous drug despite harmless' myth of '70s was one of a natural organic product. pro-duct. In actuality, however, the cannabis can-nabis sativa plant is a complex chemical factory. The crude drug marijuana, which is made from its dried leaves and flowering tops, contains 426 chemicals. These chemicals are transformed into 2,000 chemicals when smoked. More than 70 of these chemicals are called can- nabinoids and are found in no ot ler plant By SARAH HANSEN Editor's Note: The Davis County Coun-ty Clipper, in an effort to educate the public, and specifically parents, is running a series of articles on drug abuse and related problems. Most of the information is taken from the free handbook, "Let's All Work Together to Fight Drug Abuse." A case of mistaken identity is the cause for marijuana's popularity. In the 1950s stories about its bizarre effects including tales of violence, amnesia and sexual frenzies ran rampant When scientists found little evidence to confirm those stories, many people began to reject reports of any bad effects. The 50s myth of frantic madness was replaced with the 70s myth of harmless marijuana. During the 60s and 70s, marijuana was thought by many to be safe or non-addictive. Many young people argued that smoking pot was less harmful that smoking cigarettes or using alcohoL Few were the studies that disputed these claims. Gradually, in the face of ignorance about the health hazards of marijuana, usage expanded to mainstream America. Popular music, movies and television tele-vision shows portrayed marijuana use as socially acceptable. By the 1980s, over 60 percent of American teen-agers had experimented experi-mented with marijuana. Forty percent per-cent became regular users. The economic profits from marijuana trade were just under those of General Gen-eral Motors and Exxon. Despite the myths of its harmlessness, many recognized its harmful effects on the children of America. Most researchers now agree that marijuana can be addictive addic-tive and affects its users mentally, emotionally and physically. The 1970s image of marijuana can also produce panic, anxiety, flashbacks and toxic psychosis. Long-term use can cause tissue damage. The smoke of marijuana produces pro-duces all the similar effects of tobacco. Fifty percent more of the cancer-causing chemicals ben-zopyrene ben-zopyrene and benzanthracene are found in marijuana smoke. Marijuana Mari-juana lowers the lungs' resistance to infection and causes more blockage than tobacco smoke to larger airways air-ways and the upper respiratory tract. Bronchitis, pharyngitis and sinusitis are common effects. Marijuana use can also increase the heart rate as much as 50 percent, creating a special risk for people with heart conditions or who are at risk of heart ailments. Smoking marijuana decreases testosterone, the major male hormone. hor-mone. Heavy and prolonged use can alter male hormones enough to cause deficient pubertal development de-velopment in teen-age boys. Heavy use can lead to lowered sperm count and mobility. The female reproductive organs absorb the marijuana chemicals. Changes in brain signals may lead to impaired ovulation and decreased fertility. The chemicals can be toxic to the developing fetus, causing increases in-creases in miscarriage, still births and early post-natal deaths. Marijuana Mari-juana chemicals are transferred through the mother's milk to the nursing infant. Fetal marijuana syndrome, characterized by low birth weight and developmental abnormalities is reported five times more often than fetal alcohol syndrome. Marijuana also affects motor skills. It can interfere with driving and other skills involving mental and physical coordination because it delays a person's response to sights and sounds and the ability to perform sequential tasks. Depth perception is also altered. Users tend to walk, talk and even sit in peculiar or unaccustomed manners. Marijuana is smoked in a variety of ways. Most common is the hand rolled cigarette form. It is also One of these cannabinoids is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THQ. The potency of marijuana is determined by the amount of THC it contains. Prior to 1970, THC content con-tent averaged less than one percent. Today it averages three to five percent per-cent and can go as high as 14 percent. per-cent. THC and other cannabinoids are fat soluble. They are stored in the fatty tissues of the liver, lungs, brain, spleen, lymphoid glands and sex organs. The chemical half-life, the time it takes the body to break down and get rid of half the drug, is three to seven days. The remaining half is released into the bloodstream slowly and can be traced in the urine seven to ten days after smoking a single joint. In a regular smoker, the fatty areas of the body can become completely saturated with the drug, leaving traces of THC in the body after several months have passed. Marijuana changes the chemistry of the brain. It can affect learning ; abilities and short term memory. It smoked in a pipe, a method for which many intricate pipes are now manufactured. Users may also add marijuana to food substances such as brownies or may brew it as tea. Some symptoms of marijuana abuse include a sweet odor similar to burnt rope in the room or on clothes, seeds or leaves in pockets or elsewhere, rolling papers or pipes i hidden somewhere and devices for keeping the substance such as boxes, cans or concealed containers su:h as a soft drink can with a screw-off lid. Some other paraphernalia includes in-cludes joints which look like hand-rolled hand-rolled cigarettes, roaches, the small butt end of a marijuana cigarette and roach clips, holders for the roach that could be any number of common hems such as paper clips, bobby pins or hemostats. Users often use eyedrops to cover up red eyes and excessively use incense, room deodorizers or breath fresheners. Eating binges, either after or while under the influence of the drug, are also common. Users also give the appearance of being intoxicated, intox-icated, but without the smell of alcohol, laugh excessively, and have yellowish stains on finger tips from holding the cigarette. Ten years of national surveys have concluded that marijuana is the gateway into further illegal drug usage. Among marijuana smokers, 60 percent progress into other drugs. Conversely, if young people do not smoke pot, odds are 98 percent to one they will never try another illicit il-licit drug. Among high school seniors, 26 percent try stimulants, 16 percent try sedatives, 16 percent try cocaine, co-caine, nine percent try LSD and six percent try PCP. Nearly all of them started with marijuana. The most effective deterrent to marijuana use is accurate, relevant, up-to-date information on its biological effects. If young people say no to marijuana, they generally say no to the whole drug culture. It is quite rare for a non-marijuana user to try other illegal drugs. |