Cannabis

Cannabis, what’s it all about?

  • It is a Class C drug.
  • It comes from the hemp plant.
  • Cannabis is also known as Marijuana, Draw, Skunk, Punk, Weed, Bud, Hash, Grass, Puff, … to name a few!

3 basic forms :

Grass – looks like dried herbs.

Hash – a hard chocolate like block.

Oil – like thick sticky treacle.

  • It costs around £7-£10 for a 1/16th oz. Or can be bought in ‘tenner’ or ‘twenty’ bags
  • It’s usually smoked in a joint or spliff, but can be smoked in a bong or a pipe. It can also be eaten.
  • Effects kick in after a few minutes and last for a few hours, longer is it’s eaten.

The Effects

  • Getting ‘stoned’ on cannabis makes most users relaxed and talkative. It heightens the senses, especially when it comes to colours, taste, and music.
  • Cooking and eating hash makes the effects more intense and harder to control. It can leave people feeling tired and lacking energy.
  • Hash may bring on cravings for certain foods.

The Risks

  • Affects short-term memory and ability to concentrate.
  • Getting stoned affects co-ordination, increasing the risk of accidents.
    It impairs driving skills, so never get in a car with someone who is stoned.
  • It can make users paranoid and anxious, depending on their mood and situation.
  • Smoking cannabis over a long period of time may increase the risk of respiratory disorders, including lung cancer.
  • Many users find cannabis hard to quit.
  • There is some research to suggest that heavy cannabis use by teenagers may be linked to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia

Being safer

  • Holding smoke in the lungs won’t make the user any more stoned, and it increases the amount of tar and dangerous chemicals which stick to the lung tissue
  • Use plain card to make the roach. Card with a plastic coating or printers’ ink will give off dangerous fumes when heated
  • Smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol increses the chance of having a ‘Whitey’ (feeling very sick and disorientated)
  • Avoid using plastic bottles, aluminium or foil to smoke cannabis with – these all give off toxic fumes when hot (pipes or bongs made from glass, steel or brass can reduce some of the health risks)

The Law

  • It’s illegal to possess or supply cannabis (a Class C drug)
  • Maximum sentence for possessing cannabis: 2 years +unlimited fine.
    The maximum for supplying (which can include giving a small amount to your friend): 14 years +unlimited fine!!
  • For further information about reducing or stopping your cannabis use, visit HIT at www.cannabishelp.org.uk
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