Cannabis – Just Another Drug

Nearly half of the people I know have tried Cannabis and the reason they give is that it’s just not as bad as other drugs.  They just don’t realise the amount of side effect there are.  It seems to me society as a whole seem to be more lenientabout this drug.  Claiming it to be less addictive and less harmful than the other drugs.  Despite common belief this is not true.  Cannabis has many side effects and can cost you as much money as any other form of drug.  Easily addictive, many parents, family, friends across the country spend money they don’t have on this drug rather than paying bills or buying food.  Below are some of the many disadvantages to taking cannabis.

Some countries allow people to use cannabis in order to relief pain but only prescribing it as a last resort.  However if your caught with cannabis in the UK it can eventually lead to a prison sentence of up to five years. 

The pleasant high you get from cannabis can fell like a relief, happiness and intense pleasure after a long, hard day but you are not guaranteed to receive this buzz every time.  Just like with any other narcotic you can experience a bad “trip”.  In fact one in ten cannabis users have unpleasant experience which cause them to become confused.  A bad batch can also cause hallucination, anxiety and even paranoia.  Even if you have a good trip the first time you use the drug you could experience an unpleasant one the next time, your mood can effect you experience.  These are only temporary effects but the drug can stay on the system for weeks, if as to take a drugs test, for example to join the army, there is no guarantee you would pass even after a month or so. 

There are also several long term effects involved in continuous use of cannabis.  You are nearly 75% more likely to have a mental disorder if you take the drug and can suffer from a psychotic disorder up to 3 years after you quit.  Studies show that if you smoke cannabis daily through out your adolescents then you are five times more likely to be depressed later in life.  This anxiety can effect relationship and change your entire life.  Research also tells us that a if you smoke cannabis over a long period of time then you have a higher than average risk of developing schizophrenia.    There is more and more evidence supporting the fact that cannabis use can lead to serious mental health issues, many of which you will have to live with for the rest of your life.

For regular, long term users three out of four people will experience cravings, half become irritable and 70 percent start smoking to help try and give up cannabis.  You can experience withdrawal symptoms such as weight loss, strange dreams and aggression if you try to stop before cutting down.  All this shows that the drug is addictive and we are more effected by it than we realise.  You will also find that as time goes on your tolerance levels towards the drugs change.  This will cause you to need more and cannabis to get the same effect you did when you first start.  This will end up costing you more and can become a serious addiction.

So next time someone offers you a spliff just remember, it may feel good at the time but eventually you will feel the effects.  At the end of the day cannabis is no better than any other drugs, it can change your life, your relationship and your health, and not always for the better.