User:KeshR94/sandbox

What is Cannabis?
Cannabis is derived from the plant cannabis sativa. It grows in many tropical areas of the world, one of the major ones being Jamaica, although can be cultivated in almost any climate. The main active ingredient in cannabis are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or more simply THC and Cannabidiol or CBD (Nordqvist, 2015). Cannabis has various other names such as; ganja, grass, hashish, Hemp, Mary Jane, hyrdro, marijuana, pot, reefer, weed (Anderson, 2015; Nordqvist, 2015). There are 3 main uses for cannabis:


 * 1) Marijuana
 * 2) Hashish
 * 3) Hash oil

Marijuana is made using dried leaves from the cannabis plant, it is the least potent of the 3 cannabis products and is usually smoked by means of rolling it into joints or water pipes known as bongs. Hashish on the other hand is made from resin, a gum like secretion of the cannabis plant. It's mainly pressed into small blocks used for smoking and in some cases used in cooking. Finally, hash oil is the most potent of the 3 and is an oil acquired hashish (Anderson,2015).

Prevalence
Despite being illegal in most countries including Australia, cannabis is still the most commonly and widely used substance. In 2005 alone it was estimated that 160 million people worldwide used cannabis. As shown in figure (1) Australia is considered the country with the highest rate of cannabis use in the world. According to the Australian drug foundation, nearly half of all Australians 14 and over have used cannabis one of more times. 14.8% of 12-17 year old's have used cannabis, which is by far the most commonly used illegal substance in that age group. With cannabis be so prevalent in Australian society these days,incidences where paramedics have been needed has doubled since 2012-2013. Cannabis is not only highly prevalent in Australian society it is very wide spread and is very quickly becoming the world's most commonly used drug.

As demonstrated by Sydow et al (2001),a prospective longitudinal study was conducted on cannabis use and disorders on 2446 individuals aged 14-24. The results of the study following a 42 month follow up indicated participants aged 14-17 had increased their cannabis use from their initial baseline than the older participants. Despite cannabis being highly prevalent in society it is mostly used and abused by younger individuals.

Short Term Negative Effects
There are numerous negative short term side effects of cannabis, these include
 * Panic and Paranoia


 * Amnesia, confusion, psychosis, (insert hyperlink)


 * Mania


 * Memory temporarily impaired


 * Increase in heart rate


 * Dizziness, loss of balance, feel weakened


 * Lethargic


 * Loss of concentration


 * At times slurred speach

Short Term Positive Effects
Despite having numerous short term negative side effects cannabis has its fair share of positive short term side effects as well, these include:


 * Euphoria, Intoxication


 * Relaxation and decreased anxiety


 * Talkativeness, feeling amused


 * Altered perception of time


 * Experiences intensify


 * Increased appetite

Long Term Positive Effects
Research has shown that there are benefits linked to smoking cannabis in the long run. Those who smoke cannabis have shown decreased levels of pain and muscular problems. Pain can be treated simply by smoking and without the use of pharmaceuticals. One of the more remarkable properties of cannabis is reducing certain types of cancers and tumors, these include:


 * Testicular


 * Glioma


 * Head and neck cancer

Cannabinoids, which are compounds found in cannabis that aid in the reduction of cancers ans tumors. In a study conducted by Rocha et al (2008) saw cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy receive cannabinoids. The purpose of giving patients the compound was to reduce nausea and vomiting caused by the chemotherapy. The study showed that patients receiving cannabinoids had reported reduced levels of nausea and vomiting. It is evident from the current study that cannabis does aid in and assist individuals with cancer.

Long Term Negative Effects
Unlike short term effects long term negative side effects have proven to be extremely harmful to the body, not only physically but also mentally. The main reason behind why long term is a lot more damaging than short term is because an individual can develop tolerance for the substance. Once tolerant to cannabis is can become difficult to get off it and in turn causing cannabis withdrawals. Withdrawals of long term cannabis use include:
 * Craving of Cannabis


 * Trouble sleeping


 * Excessive sweating


 * Loss of weight


 * Decrease in appetite


 * And in some serious cases anxiety and depression

Long term cannabis use also affects the brains memory and reading abilities these include; inability to concentrate, focus, retain and process information and decreased overall mental capacity (decreased math/verbal skills). In addition to having withdrawals and lack of brain functioning, the affects of cannabis extend to other parts of the body including the respiratory, reproductive and immune systems. Most common effects include:


 * Increased Risk of cancer


 * Impaired Immune System


 * Risk of constant lung infections


 * Panic Disorder


 * Negative impact to male and female fertility


 * Coughing and wheezing


 * Alter hormones and disrupt menstruation cycles in females

Psychosis
Despite having its clear benefits cannabis use can trigger or sometimes have severe negative effects. Research conducted on the effects of cannabis use and individuals with preexisting psychotic symptoms showed that the conditions of these individuals can worsen with the use of marijuana. Even in some cases it can bring about psychotic symptoms in people who are inclined to psychosis or have a family history of it.

But what is psychosis? It is usually a group of illnesses that disrupt the everyday functioning of the brain which, in turn causes psychosis. Symptoms of this illness include; confused thinking, delusions and hallucinations. The exact causes of psychosis are not fully understood, although it is known that marijuana can trigger the first episode.

Individuals with a pre-existing psychotic disorder, cannabinoids can aggravate symptoms, trigger relapse, and have negative consequences on the course of the illness. Patients with schizophrenia can precipitate a schizophrenic episode and heavy users of cannabis have an increasingly high chance of developing schizophrenia in the near future (Thornicroft, 1990). In a study conducted by McGuire et al (1995)patients who tested positive for cannabis use via a urine test were then also tested for their potential development of psychosis. It was found from the study that recurrence or development of psychosis was as a result of genetic predisposition to schizophrenia.

Treatment to overcome or reduce the effects of cannabis include a combination of medication and community support. Their are certain medication that help restore the chemical balance in the brain which in turn reduces the symptoms. Community support programs usually involve rehabilitation and mutual support groups.

Heavy users of cannabis have high chances of developing schizophrenia which can then lead onto future complications such as psychosis.

Depression
Depression is an extremely common illness worldwide and its estimated that over 350 million people world wide suffer from it. In addition to that 800,000 people commit suicide yearly due to depression. Feelings of extreme sadness, worthlessness and hopeless are all associated with depression and it can affect anyone at anytime during their life. Although individuals who use cannabis are more susceptible to depression. There has been sufficient evidence that correlates with cannabis use and developing mental illness such as depression later in life (Moore et al, 2007).

Degenhardt et al (2003) from their study found that heavy users of cannabis are more likely to suffer from depression than individuals who don't use cannabis. In addition those with pre-existing depressive symptoms or those who have a family history of depression may trigger an onset of depression if cannabis is used. In his study Bovasso (2001)ran a study with 2 groups of people, those with depressive symptoms and those without. These participants were then required to use cannabis. At the end of the study it was found that those who had pre-existing symptoms were four times more likely to have developed depression. It is evident from the study that cannabis definitely acts as a catalyst for the onset of depression.