Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Drug abuse

Table of Contents

Unpleasant effects that may occur include:

  • Acute panic reactions or severe paranoia
  • Changed body image
  • Lack of orientation
  • Trouble telling oneself from others

Other troubling side effects may include:

  • Some cases of severe delirium, seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations), and violence have also been reported. In such cases, marijuana may have been laced with another drug, such as PCP.
  • Marijuana has specific effects that may decrease your ability to perform tasks that require a lot of coordination (such as driving a car). It affects visual tracking and prolongs the sense of time. It also decreases the desire to complete tasks.
  • The drug can affect learning because it can reduce your ability to concentrate and pay attention.

Other marijuana effects may include:

  • Airway (bronchial) irritation leading to narrowing of the airways (bronchoconstriction) or airway spasms (bronchospasm)
  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Increased heart rate and blood pressure
  • Pharyngitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, and asthma in heavy users
  • Possible serious effects on the immune system
  • Widening of the airways (bronchodilation)

Regular users may have withdrawal effects when they stop marijuana use. These may include:

  • Agitation
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability

Because the substance formed when the body breaks down marijuana may be stored in the body's fat tissue, heavy users may show evidence of marijuana use in urine tests for up to 1 month after stopping the drug.

The active substance in cannabis is believed to have medical properties, which include:

  • Relieving chronic pain and spasticity
  • Stimulating appetite in patients with AIDS or who have undergone chemotherapy
  • Treating glaucoma
  • Treating nausea caused by chemotherapy in cancer patients

THC has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for these purposes.

The use of whole marijuana remains very controversial. More than 13 states have laws to provide legal sanction for the medical use of marijuana. The federal government still considers whole marijuana to be a controlled substance that is illegal, even for medical use.

PHENCYCLIDINE (PCP, "angel dust")

It is difficult to estimate the current use of phencyclidine in the United States, because many people do not know that they have taken it. Other illegal substances (such as marijuana) can be laced with PCP without the user being aware of it.

PCP can be made easily and cheaply by anyone who knows organic chemistry. This makes it a prime drug for the illegal drug industry. It is available illegally as a white powder that can be dissolved in either alcohol or water.

PCP may be taken in different ways. How fast it affects the user depends on how it is taken.

  • If dissolved, PCP may be taken through a vein ("shot up") and its effects begin within seconds.
  • Sprinkled over dried parsley, oregano, or marijuana leaves, it can be smoked. The effects begin within 2 - 5 minutes, peaking at 15 - 30 minutes.
  • Taken by mouth, in pill form, or mixed with food or drinks, PCP's effects usually start within 30 minutes. The effects tend to peak in about 2 - 5 hours.

Different doses of PCP will cause different effects:

  • Lower doses of PCP typically produce feelings of joy (euphoria) and less inhibition, similar to being drunk.
  • Higher doses cause numbness throughout the body, and perception changes that may lead to extreme anxiety and violence.
  • Large doses may produce paranoia, "hearing voices" (auditory hallucinations), and psychosis similar to schizophrenia.
  • Massive doses, usually from taking the drug by mouth, may cause acute kidney failure, heart arrhythmias, muscle rigidity, seizures, and even death.

Review Date: 03/18/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)