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» What is a blunt?
» Can cannabis make you sterile?
» Is it safe to smoke cannabis during pregnancy?
» Should I smoke cannabis and drive?
» Can cannabis make you schizophrenic?
» Is cannabis getting stronger?
» How long does cannabis remain detectable in a urine
drug test?
» I only smoke a few draws of cannabis, maybe a whole
joint but that 's it. Will this still be detectable on a drug test
» How come you can get different highs from different
strains of cannabis? Don't they just all contain THC?
» What are the effects of using cannabis and breastfeeding?
How does this affect the child?
» How bad is smoking cannabis compared to smoking
tobacco?
» I used to smoke pot quite a bit however I find lately
that when I get high - I just get paranoid and edgy? Is it me?
» I am off to Amsterdam today with my fiancée
who doesn't smoke cannabis. My idea is to introduce him to hash cakes
but he is allergic to aspirin and I am worried that he might have a reaction
to cannabis.
» Is it possible to be allergic to cannabis? Recently
I have had nasal problems when cannabis smoke is around me, my nose gets
plugged and sometimes I get a runny nose and occasionally I sneeze to.
» » How come sometimes I can smoke 5 grams of
marijuana and be perfectly alright, and other times have one joint and
have an anxiety attack?
» ask
a question (in complete confidence)
» What is a blunt?
A sliced open cigar with the tobacco replaced with
marijuana. If its smoked with a 40oz bottle of malt liquor, it is called
a "B-40". Good luck.
»
Can cannabis make you sterile?
Yes and no. This has been a persistent
myth for over 40 years but it actually does have some basis in medicine.
Basically the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, THC reduces lutenising
hormone (LH) in the genitals.
LH triggers ovulation in women and is involved in
sperm production in men. Result: a short-term (four to five hour) decrease
in reproductive ability. Long term cannabis users, however, build tolerance
to this effect and are immune. (1)
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» Is it safe to smoke
cannabis during pregnancy?
No. Like tobacco smoke, cannabis smoke is highly likely
to be harmful to fetal development and should be avoided by pregnant women
and those who might become pregnant in the near future.
"Marijuana has no reliable impact on birth size,
length of gestation, neurological development, or the occurrence of physical
abnormalities. The administration of hundreds of tests to older children
has revealed only minor differences between the offspring of marijuana
users and nonusers, and some are positive rather than negative. (...)
While it is sensible to advise women to abstain from all drugs during
pregnancy, the weight of evidence suggests that marijuana does not directly
harm the human foetus." (1)
You can find more on this subject
here.
» Should I smoke cannabis
and drive?
If cannabis was legal, the warning label would probably
read: "Do not operate a vehicle or heavy machinery". Being stoned
leads to a slight impairment of psychomotor and cognitive function. However,
in studies, stoned drivers appeared to compensate for their impairment
by taking fewer risks and driving more slowly, whereas alcohol tended
to encourage risk taking and aggressive driving.(2)
Analysis of blood samples from road traffic fatalities in
1996-97 in the UK showed than 10% of victims who were driving were positive
for cannabis. However, it is not clear what figures would have been obtained
from a random sample of road users not involved in accidents. (3)
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»
Can cannabis make you schizophrenic?
There is a lot of misinformation presented about cannabis
and schizophrenia. There is general agreement that heavy cannabis use
can precipate schizophrenic episodes but there is no evidence that it
can cause the underlying psychotic disorder. Heavy cannabis users can
exhibit long-lasting toxic psychosis involving delusions and hallucinations
that can be - dangerously - diagnosed as a schizophrenic illness.
(4)
» Is cannabis getting
stronger?
Yes and no. Grass or marijuana is generally stronger
thanks to sophisticated plant breeding and cultivation methods. However,
hash - which usually only contains about 4 -5 % THC - remains weak and
unchanged.
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»
How long does cannabis remain detectable in a urine test?
The active ingredient THC is detectable in the urine
after 48-72 hours in a one-off or occasional user or up to 6 weeks in
a heavy user.
»
I only smoke a few draws of cannabis, maybe a whole joint but that 's
it. Will this still be detectable on a drug test
Yes. Blood and Urine tests involve detecting microscopic
amounts of THC (the main psychoactive compound in cannabis) and THC breakdown
products so even a few draws or just a whole joint of cannabis would still
be detectable. See here
for more details.
» How come you can
get different highs from different strains of cannabis? Don't they just
all contain THC?
Cannabis has two powerful active ingredient - THC and
CBD (cannabidiol). Both substances are cannabinoids which produce psychoactive
effects by binding with special receptors which are extraordinarily abundant
all over the brain and body. Your brain makes it own cannabinoid - anandamide
- which is thought to be involved in pain sensations, memory regulation
and the immune system.
The relatives amounts of these two ingredients plus
small input from over sixty different cannabinoids in the plant determine
the subtle differences in types of high you can get from different strains
of the cannabis plant. (5)
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» What are the effects
of using cannabis and breastfeeding? How does this affect the child?
The main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, THC (tetrahydro-cannabinol),
is fat-soluble and does enter breast milk and the baby - often, due to
the size of the infant, in higher blood concentrations than the mother.
However, there is no firm evidence that cannabis or THC can stunt, impair
or damage a baby or their growth. One report (which is cited in several
web pages on this subject) has stated that THC might delay infant motor
development but we have been unable to track down and read the original
study. Information on this subject is often tainted by the general assumption
that 'illegal drugs are bad for you' when in fact alcohol and Prozac (fluoxetine)
have more worrying question marks over their effects during breastfeeding.
(6)
Nevertheless, it is probably best of avoid cannabis
and other legal and illegal drugs while breastfeeding. If for nothing
else but piece of mind. If you have smoked cannabis, the guilt of feeling
that you may have harmed your baby can be a terrible thing.
Here
is a list of drugs and their suspected effects on breastmilk / breastfeeding
» How bad is smoking
cannabis compared to smoking tobacco?
Smoking any drug is unhealthy. Cannabis is no exception.
The smoke actually contains higher concentrations of carcinogenic polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) than tobacco smoke. Cannabis smokers generally
inhale more smoke for longer depositing more than 4 times as much tar
on their lungs as cigarette smokers. To balance this, however, they smoke
less joints and smoke less often.
However, it is generally accepted that smoking cannabis
is not as bad as smoking processed tobacco cigarettes, especially as you
smoke less material, less often.
» I used to smoke pot
quite a bit however I find lately that when I get high - I just get paranoid
and edgy? Is it me?
We have had several emails about this subject. It seems
that some people do experience a 'turning point' in their cannabis use
when it ceases to become enjoyable and instead provokes paranoia, fear
or other 'bad trip' type symptoms.
In a recent study, between 10%-15% of people who smoked
cannabis reported "paranoid" or "confused" feelings
as a disadvantage of smoking cannabis. And around 30% gave "negative
experiences" as their reason for permanently quitting cannabis.
(7)
It's not clear why this happens but rest assured,
your experience is not unique. We are continuing to look into this and
hope to find out more information.
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» I am off to Amsterdam
today with my fiancée who doesn't smoke cannabis. My idea is to
introduce him to hash cakes but he is allergic to aspirin and I am worried
that he might have a reaction to cannabis.
Your fiancée shouldn't have any allergy problems
with eaten cannabis. However if he hasn't ever taken cannabis before,
BE VERY CAREFUL about feeding him hash cakes. Dutch cannabis is very strong
and eating cannabis triples the effect (see cannabis
effects). It could be very disconcerting for him if he's never
been stoned.
Go to a good coffee shop and the staff will be able to advise you on strengths
and varieties. We wrote an full Amsterdam guide on http://www.seethru.co.uk.
You'll find some good cafes and hang-outs there.
» Is it possible to
be allergic to cannabis? Recently I have had nasal problems when cannabis
smoke is around me, my nose gets plugged and sometimes I get a runny nose
and occasionally I sneeze to.
Is it possible to allergic to cannabis although the
active ingredient, THC, is endowed with some moderate anti-inflammatory,
anti-allergic properties. There has been little study in this area. It
may be that other elements in the smoke, especially if you mix with tobacco,
are causing your reaction. If you can, try smoking through a vaporiser
(which significantly decreases the amount of toxic smoke-based compounds)
and see if that produces the same effect. If it does, then you probably
are allergic to cannabis. Unlucky.
» How come sometimes
I can smoke 5 grams of marijuana and be perfectly alright, and other times
have one joint and have an anxiety attack?
The character of many drugs effects and reactions are
dependent on 'set and setting', your mindset (how you feel at the time,
what's going on in your life, your prevailing mood, the kind of day you've
had) and your environment (where are you? are you relaxed there? who's
with you? are you comfortable with everyone?).
Maybe examining when, where, what, and how you smoke will
help?
Is there any thing consistent in your panic reactions? Time
of day? Place where you're smoking?
You say sometimes 5 grams is okay. Sometimes one joint is
enough to send you spiraling off. Could it be a strength issue? Is the
cannabis you smoke always the same quality? The difference between a mild
or low-grade strain and a fresh powerful strain can be considerable. If
you're not prepared for being so stoned, so quickly, it may unsettle or
even panic you.
What time of day do you smoke? Evenings are generally best
as the body and the mind is more relaxed. Have you eaten before? Generally,
an empty stomach will make drug effects stronger. A full stomach tends
to ground you and lessen the possible unsettling out-of-body spacey side-effects
of cannabis.
Otherwise, our page on Bad
Trips And How To Avoid Them may be helpful
» A friend of mine told me cannabis
doesn't kill brain cells, but makes them dormant. Thus, if you abstain
for say, 30-60 days, the residual effects should go away. Is this true?
Cannabis does not kill brain cells nor does it make
them go 'dormant'. Using cannabis can cause temporary impairments in short-term
memory and what's called 'executive brain functions', the ability to learn
new information or engage in complex manipulation of learned material.
These effects disappear as the drug effects wear off.
Long term, chronic cannabis users themselves complain
of problems with memory, concentration, loss of motivation, paranoia,
depression, dependence and lethargy. However there is no convincing evidence
that heavy long-term marijuana use permanently impairs memory or other
cognitive functions.
source: House of Lords Select Committee
on Science and Technology. Cannabis. The scientific and medical evidence.
London: The Stationery Office, 1998
» ask
a question (in complete confidence)
1. MARIJUANA and MEDICINE: Assessing
The Science Base, pg 123
2. House Of Lords Select Committee
on Science & Technology Cannabis - The Scientific & Medicial Evidence,
4th Nov 1998, pg 12, 4.7
3. Department Of The Environment, Transport and the Regions
study, 11 Nov 1998
4. House Of Lords Select
Committee on Science & Technology Cannabis - The Scientific &
Medicial Evidence, 4th Nov 1998, pg 13, 4.11
5. 1. MARIJUANA and MEDICINE: Assessing The Science Base,
pg 35
6. Shinya, Ito 'Drug
Therapy For Breast-Feeding Women', New England Journal Of Medicine
& 'Behavioural
Outcomes in Preschool and School-Age Children Exposed Prenatally to Marijuana'
7. Cohen DA, Kaal, Hendrien L, "Irrelevance
Of Drug Policy: Patterns and careers of experienced cannabis use in populations
of Amsterdam, San Francisco, and Bremen" pg 75-84
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