Are you using or abusing Marijuana?

Is Smoking Pot still Fun?

Has smoking weed become too expensive? Has it become an inconvenience? Has it caused you negative consequences?

Traditional Indian medical literature, known as ‘Ayurvedic’, describes nine stages in the toxic manifestations of cannabis use, starting with redness in the eyes, going on to “Complete forgetfulness” and ending with “shouting, fainting, rolling on the ground, difficulty in speaking, disclosure of secret feelings, misery, extreme prostration”. Notably, this same literature states that "Cannabis never causes any harm to a person who take it."¹ 

This represents the marijuana phenomenon, as it is deeply dividing those who love it from those who hate it. Very few issues have been so divided between pros and cons as the issues of marijuana, whether its good or bad for you, whether it ius therapeutic or not and whether or not it should be legalized. 

Uncertainty of Potency 

Because of current uncertainty of supply due to it's illicit status there can be great variability in strength. Typical street 'skunk' will have 10-11% THC and some as much as 20%, but much cannabis in Britain has very little THC content whatsoever. According to a study by the Dutch government in 1992 the THC content of imported weed/hash ranged from 0.5 -14%, while from indoors grown 'skunk' they measured up to 27% THC.

All marijuana users should avoid 'Soap bar' (also known as 'Chernobyl' in France or 'Euro-Hash') at all costs. This poisonous 'Product of Prohibition' masquerading as 'Moroccan' is dark brown in color. It is available all over Europe and often includes 'free' added animal tranquillizer (sometimes the only active ingredient). Soap bar may have flakes of plastic wrapping in it - a sure sign of a 'remix'. If it goes brittle when you burn it you can assume the worst. Only an end to prohibition will protect people from the dangers of this type of contamination and adulteration.

If the distribution and sale of marijuana was properly regulated (the only responsible way forward), the labeling of type and strength would be possible as is usual with almost all consumer products. This would enable users to be more informed in their use of cannabis; more able to safely enjoy its many benefits.

Set and Setting: The result of the drug is a combination of set (expectations), setting, personality, and the drug. Best case: Enjoying a puff at home with a friend at the end of the day. Worst case: Taking a puff driving down the M25, then looking sideways into the eyes of a cop. 

Marijuana Over Dosage 

Taking too much cannabis for comfort is most common by the oral route (eating or drinking). This is because the time from taking the drug until the experience of effects begin is from one to three or more hours. Impatient users often don't wait long enough until the desired effects kick in, and thinking they didn't take enough, take more until it all hits them at once. Greedy users often just take too much, period. They will have an unforgettable, maybe even an unpleasant experience, but there is little chance of any lasting or life threatening damage.  

Oral marijuana over-dosage is far more intense and longer lasting than from the inhaled route. The effects are from the stimulation and sedation of the central nervous system with a flooding of ideas and images that are vivid and rapidly changing, while attention and concentration can be markedly impaired. Time perception is significantly altered with minutes seeming like hours. There may also be distortion of spatial perception, disorientation, speeding heart rate, dry mouth, and reddened eyes. Secondary physical effects, aside from a speeding up of the heart rate is generally no more than that associated with mild to moderate exercise.  

The greater the dose, the greater intensity and longer these stimulant effects will last before sinking into a deep sleep. To avoid overdose by eating or drinking - try a little and wait at least an hour and a half; longer if consumed on a full stomach. 

Effects On Personality 

While many people benefit from and enjoy their use of cannabis, there are a minority for whom use of cannabis is contraindicated. Individuals with allergy, sensitivity, or adverse reactions to other medicines should exert greater caution and self awareness if they wish to use cannabis in any way. Individuals with personalities that are prone to substance abuse, must be extra careful that the marijuana does not indeed become the proverbial "gateway drug", in that it promotes the susceptible user to wanting to try other drugs. 

Marijuana, an effective relaxant, can at the same time cause an alienation or detachment through chronic use.

Despite the widely held 'laid-back' view of cannabis use, the most commonly reported adverse reaction to cannabis is in fact acute anxiety. The price of relief of tension may be a dulling or suppression of feelings, a prolonged dullness after use, paranoia and a fear of loss of control. Insensitivity to feelings of other people or situations may well result plus apathy, introspection and an increasing turning inwards. 

Paranoia and delusional thinking are not uncommon effects. In chronic use paranoid and delusional thinking appear to be the consequences of the suppression of feelings. The dulling of feelings may alienate the cannabis users from others by diminishing empathetic capabilities. This emotional insensitivity then results in conflict through misperception and relationship problems causing isolation.  

An effective relief of emotional distress then becomes an impediment to relationships for the cannabis user. Feelings are an integral dimension of social perception that convey important contextual information.  

Marijuana, as an effective sedative and antidepressant, has this undesirable side effect when misused, especially over a long period. The benefits and enjoyment afforded by the drug may be paid for by complications caused by the user avoiding dealing with the causes of the emotional pain, as well as diminished functioning while under its influence. Cognitive impairment by continuing or over use of cannabis creates a form of mild dementia that may persist for up to several weeks after discontinuing the drug.

Individuals sensitive to the drug report a persistent ‘hang over’ that diminishes the ability to pay attention and concentrate. The onset may be insidious, subtle, and gradual. This condition is reversible with abstinence from cannabis.  

Addiction and Withdrawal 

Because cannabis is such an effective medicine for the relief of many uncomfortable conditions, using the drug on a daily basis is not uncommon. One must decide issues of personal risks/benefits of continuing using cannabis. Withdrawal from chronic cannabis use can produce several nights of intense dreaming, low energy and depression - these effects usually end after a few days. Adverse effects can be reduced by good nutrition and treated by the use of tonic herbs. Cannabis, like DDT, builds up in the fat stores in the body and can stay there for at least a month. It's mild toxic effect upon the myelin sheaf (fatty nerve endings), the liver and the brain where it effects the 'basal ganglia' the area of the brain which gives experience of pleasure and discomfort, could be alleviated with the use of the fat soluble B vitamin choline which is found in lecithin, a common product in health food shops. The medical herb 'Acorus calamus' is traditionally used in India to help restore damage to the brain cause by chronic cannabis use. This herb is controlled in Britain and only legally prescribed by medical herbalists or doctors. 

Adverse Effects 

A prolonged dullness after use of paranoia and a fear of loss of control. Cannabis, an effective relaxant, can cause an alienation or detachment. The price of relief of tension may be a dulling or suppression of feelings. Insensitivity to feelings of other or situations may result. Smoking even a small amount of cannabis after drinking alcohol can trigger an almost instant ‘whirling-pits’ effect, often followed by vomiting. Fresh air usually helps. Cannabis also causes the blood vessels in the whites of the eyes to dilate, giving the user red, bloodshot eyes (treatable with eye drops). Effecting the glandular and lymph systems cannabis inhibits the salivary muscles, resulting in dry throat and mouth.  

Conclusion 

Properly utilised with realistic expectations and awareness of its properties, cannabis is a safe and effective medicine as well as being an enjoyable recreational drug. If improperly used, with unrealistic expectations and ignorance, adverse effects may result. The onset of unwanted effects may be obvious or insidious. They are all avoidable.

Remember, regardless if you think of marijuana as a natural herb, it is still also a mind altering drug. 

It is up to the user not to abuse marijuana.  

Do you believe marijuana is addictive? Do you have a problem with marijuana addiction? Rehabilitation programs such as Narconon may be an option for you. Please, share your marijuana experiences, opinions and beliefs with our Addicts Not Anonymous friends, by leaving a detailed comment bellow. 

Written By: Tom Retterbush 

Check out my articles Are You Addicted to Marijuana? and Why Parents Should Support the Legalization of Marijuana, both here on Addicts Not Anonymous, as well as Is Marijuana the Wonder Drug that could Help Millions of People? on my Health-be blog. 

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1.‘Fundamentals of Ayurvedic Medicine’. Shiv Sharma. Delhi 1995

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Is Food Addiction the Real Reason You're Fat or can't Loose Weight?

Do you feel a need for sweets,  like chocolate, donuts or cake? Do you crave hamburgers, chips or pizza?

Cravings for food can be similar to what alcoholics feel when they need a drink!

The addiction scenario in the brains of alcoholics and drug addicts is pretty well understood, but the notion that food cravings, compulsive eating and even obesity are tied to the same type of brain activity has been supported by a variety of studies, yet continues to produce controversial debates.

Compulsive overeating, also sometimes called food addiction, is characterized by an obsessive/compulsive relationship to food. Professionals address this with either a behavior-modification model or a food-addiction model. An individual suffering from compulsive overeating disorder engages in frequent episodes of uncontrolled eating, or binge eating, during which they may feel frenzied or out of control, often consuming food past the point of being comfortably full.

The latest evidence suggesting that food addiction exists was done by a small study at Yale University support that an addictive process takes place in the brain when people eat certain foods.

Identifying the Addicts

48 young women were recruited by the Yale researchers, who subjected them to a two-year old test. The test, known as the "Yale Food Addiction Scale" asks about their reactions to certain foods, such as specific sweets including chocolate, cookies cake and ice cream; starches including white bread, pasta and rice; salty foods including chips, pretzels and crackers; fatty foods including pizza, hamburgers, steak and French fries; and sugary drinks such as soda. It also asks about healthy fruits and vegetables, but hardly anyone has a problem with broccoli or apples. 

Based on the women’s responses, the research identifies those who scored in the addictive eating range.

Eating disorders facts

What Happens in the Brain?

The women were then given MRIs to observe how the brain responded to images of a chocolate milkshake as well as those of a tasteless solution. The women who scored highest on the "Yale Food Addiction Scale" showed greater activity in brain regions associated with reward when they saw the chocolate milkshake.

When the women actually were allowed to drink the milkshake, the research showed the same kind of brain activity that occurs in alcoholics and drug addicts when they got their drink or fix.

Can Food Addiction Make You Fat?

Accrding to research, food addiction may very well be a major factor for some people getting fat. Many doctors and nutritionists believe that food addiction may be a major contributing factor to the ongoing obesity epidemic, actually arousing people to overeat sweets and high fat, starchy foods.

Although the women participating in the Yale study ranged in size from slim to obese, there was no anology between the women’s BMI (the measure of body fat based on height and weight), and how she scored on the Food Addiction Scale.

However, the study did note that even though the BMI reflected genetics, physical activities and metabolism, some people may be eating in a food addictive manner while crash dieting or exercising periodically to keep weight off.

Learn how to identify the symptoms of binge eating and how to get treated.

What Underlies Addiction?

Food addicts often eat to cope with negative emotions and can consume “shocking” amounts of food. Some people will eat up to 10,000 calories in one sitting. Food addicts often overeat all day long like a chain smoker constantly puffs cigarettes. A preoccupation with food definately suggests addiction.

Those who scored high on the food-addiction scale reported the need to eat more and more food to get the emotional satisfaction they experienced in the past.

Food addicts develop a physical, mental, emotional craving and chemical addiction to food. The characteristics of food addicts can include:

• Being obsessed and/or preoccupied with food.
• Having a lack of self-control when it comes to food.
• Having a compulsion about food in which eating results in a cycle of bingeing despite negative consequences.
• Remembering a sense of pleasure and/or comfort with food and being unable to stop using food to create a sense of pleasure and comfort.
• Having a need to eat which results in a physical craving.

The following are questions that potential food addicts may ask themselves:

• Have I tried but failed to control my eating?
• Do I find myself hiding food or secretly bingeing?
• Do I have feelings of guilt or remorse after eating?
• Do I eat because of emotions?
• Is my weight affecting my way of life?

The Most Addictive Foods

The Yale study suggests that the food addicts most commonly crave is highly processed, containing lots of sugar and fat. Chocolate, ice cream and fries can also cause an addict to lose control.

Some foods are naturally high in sugar while some are naturally high in fat (like avocados) but the combination of sweet and fat doesn’t occur in nature.

The worst food addiction seems to come from food processing that combines sugar and fat, adding chemicals and even caffeine or flavor enhancers, producing foods that are very different from what we’ve naturally evolved to consume.

Food addiction, compulsive eating and over eating, just like bing overweight and obese appear to be unnatural. In other words, our bodies were not designed to eat like that or be like that.

Now its up to us to eat, live and be what mother nature intended.

Written By: Tom Retterbush

Sources

Food Addicts Anonymous

Mental Health and Food Addiction, WebMD

Are You Addicted to Food?, by Lisa Collier Cool, at health.yahoo.net