Cannabis

   History, problems and social impacts of cannabis

by

Joel Tumwebaze

History of Cannabis Use

As early as 2737 B.C., the mysterical emperor Shen Neng of china was prescribing marijuana/cannabis tea for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, malaria and poor memory.  The use of the drug as a medicine widely spread in Asia, the Middle East and the east African coast. In 1492, Christopher Columbus brought cannabis as a rope of hemp into America and in 1619, Jamestown colony law declarted that the settlers were required to grow cannabis. George Washington grew cannabis for fibre production at mountain Vernon as his primary crop.

By the late 18^th century, early editions of American medical journals showed recommendations of hemp seeds and roots for the treatment of inflamed skin, incontinence and venereal disease. Irish doctor William O’Shaunghnessy first popularized marijuana’s medical use in England and America. In 1906, the Food and Drug Act was enacted as a response to the 2% to 5% of the U.S. population becoming unknowingly addicted to morphine. It was not until the end of the 19^thcentury that American attitude towards cannabis changed. The government therefore introduced the act though it did it was applied to morphine and not marijuana. In 1914 use of Marijuana/Cannabis was defined as a crime, under the Harrison act that levied a high tax to regulate opium-and coca- derived drugs; the marijuana tax act of 1937 made possession or transfer of cannabis illegal throughout the United States under federal law, excluding medical and industrial uses

In the 1950’s congress passed the Boggs Act and Narcotics Control Act. In 1969, the Supreme Court held the Marijuana Tax Act to be unconstitutional since it violated the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. In response, Congress repealed the Marijuana Tax Act and passed the Controlled Substances Act as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, more than a dozen states have followed. In October 2009, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. directed federal prosecutors to back away from pursuing cases against medical marijuana patients, signaling a broad policy shift that drug reform advocates interpret as the first step toward legalization of the drug.

A medical cannabis license is commonly known as a “green card.” There are currently more than 20,000 patients licensed by the state of Montana.

Problems of Cannabis Use 

According to Gururaja et al., (2012), abuse of cannabis and methamphetamine are a potential causative factor of Schizophrenia.  Cannabis causes psychological responses such as panic, anxiety, deoression or psychosis (Johns, 2001).  A 16 year old study showed that individuals who were not depressed and then used marijuana were four times more likely to be depressed at follow up. Kids age 12 to 17 who smoke marijuana weekly are three times more likely than non users to have thoughts about committing suicide (Greenblatt, 1998). Another study also investigated changes over a 14-year period and found that marijuana use was a predictor of later major depressive disorder (Brovasso, 2001). An austaralia study suggests that there is consistent evidence from several large and well-designed longitudinal studies that cannabis precipitates schizophrenia in people who are vulnerable because of a personal or family history of schizophrenia (MHCA, 2006). A review found growing evidence that marijuana use can cause acute psychosis, as well as increasing the likelihood of an early, first schizophrenic episode. It also concludes that marijuana use would worsen the prognosis of patients with psychotic disorders (Rey, 2007). Brain scanning techniques identified abnormalities in schizophrenics. The same abnormalities in frequent adolescent cannabis users were found as those of adolescents with schizophrenia. The defects were found in part of the brain that is still developing during adolescence and associated with emotional and other higher cognitive functions such as language, perception, creativity, and problem solving (Kumra, 2007). Vulnerable adolescents who use cannabis more often than weekly, most likely increase their risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms and developing psychosis (Hall, 2006)

Social impacts of cannabis use

Poor education attainment: 

A relationship between marijuana and poor education attainment has been demonstrated acroos many studies. School performance is a function of many factors, but it is likely that the short-term effects of marijuana intoxication exacerbate existing school difficulties, and push poor performance into school failure (Single et al., 2000).

Dependence: 

Marijuana has been found to be addicting to 9% of people who begin smoking at age 18 or older. The younger the use, the greater the risk.

Cost:

there are high enforcement costs and adverse individual consequences of the criminalization of cannabis possession for personal use. Each year large numbers of predominantly young citizens are arrested and prosecuted for cannabis possession, many of whom would not otherwise have criminal records, with little or no apparent effect on rates of cannabis use or cannabis-related harm (Single et al., 2000).

 My Perception about cannabis

According to the existing research, cannabis use causes more harm than good. More people are negatively affected by cannabis induced disorders than are cancer people who have however proven to have gained relief from cannabis use. If the government should legalize cannabis use, then yes, it will cut costs associated with cannabis prohibition but more humans will die due to uncontrolled use of cannabis. I, however, on the other hand find it important to use cannabis in treatment of disease, for example in the case of cancer which has proved to have no cure yet cannabis is showing progressive results.

Further Research areas

We still are largely in the dark about what biological mechanisms lie behind drug-induced psychosis and schizophrenia, and studies that look at long-term neuromolecular changes as well as imaging studies in these animal models is a way forward. We could then begin with caution, extrapolate the findings to a human scale and, potentially, assist in guiding treatment or public health policy by identifying at-risk individuals early on in life and ensuring that they are adequately informed of the risks. An on-going dialogue between basic and clinical researchers may help to identify at-risk individuals and novel pathways for treatment and prevention.

References

Gururajan.A, Manning.E.E, Klug.M, Buuse., 2012. Drugs of abuse and increased risk of Psycosis development. Australian and New Zealand journal of Psychiatry. DOI: 10.1177/000486412455232. Published by Sage

Johns.A.,2001; Psychiatric effects of Cannabis. The British journal of psychiatry. DOI: 10.119/bjp.178.2.116

Brovasso.G.B., 2001. Cannabise abuse as a risk factor for depressive symproms. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 158:2033-2037,2001.

Greenblatt.J, 1998. Adolescent self-reported behaviuors and their association with marijuana use. Based on adata from the national household survey on drug Abuse, 1994-1996, SAMSA, 1998.

Mental health council of Australian, 2006; where there is smoke… Cannabis and mental health.

Rey.J., 2007; Does marijuana contribute to psychotic illness? Current Psychiatry, Vol.6.NO.2

Kumra.S., 2007; schizophrenia and cannabis use. Minnesota medicine, 90(1):36-8, 2007.

Hall.W., 2006; The mental health risks of adolescent cannabis use. Public library science medicine, 3(2): e39.

Single.E, Christie.P, Ali.R., 2000; The impact of cannabis decriminalization in Australia and the United states. Journal of Public health Policy, 21,2 (Summer, 2000): 157-186.