A PROJECT TO MARIJUANA ABUSE By Christos Pallouras and Efterpi Tingi

Contents ► What is marijuana? ► How is marijuana used? ► Why people use drugs? ► How can you recognize someone who uses marijuana? ► Short-term effects of marijuana use. ► Long-term effects of marijuana use. ► Alert! Signs indicating that the user is in a serious situation. ► Marijuana affects dramatically our life. ► Treatment of the addict. ► Marijuana myths and facts. ► Marijuana myths and facts (2). ► Summary.

What is marijuana? ► Marijuana is a grey or green mixture of dried flowers and leaves from the Cannabis sativa, or hemp plant.

How is marijuana used? ► Marijuana is actually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint or a nail) or in a pipe or a bong. Recently it has appears in cigars, called blunts.

Why people use drugs? ► Family Influence ► Genetic Factors ► Psychiatric Disorders ► Bad Friends ► Problems in Social Life

How can you recognize someone who uses marijuana? He or she might: ► Seem dizzy and have trouble walking ► Seem silly and giggly for no reason ► Have very red, bloodshot eyes ► Have a hard time remembering things that just happened. ► He laughs without reason all the time

Short-term effects of marijuana use. A few minutes after inhaling marijuana : The user’s heart start to beat rapid The bronchial passages relax and become expanded Blood vessels in the eyes expands Then the user : May experience pleasant sensations Colours and sounds may seem more intense Time appears to pass very slowly May suddenly become very hungry and thirsty

Long-term effects of marijuana use. Long-term use of marijuana may produce damages to : ► Brain and Central Nervous System ► Endocrine System ► Lungs ► Immune System ► Reproductive System ► The infant of a pregnant woman

Alert ! Signs indicating that the user is in a serious situation. ► Altered Perception of Reality ► Continued marijuana use despite the problems related to the use of the drug ► Craving marijuana ► The user cant resist to marijuana ► Unsuccessful attempts to cut it down ► Quitting from social and occupational activities due to marijuana use

Marijuana affects dramatically our life. ► Students take lower grades than non user students ► Workers have a lot of problems in their jobs and many of them are sacked ► Users isolate themselves from the society and communicate only with other users

Treatment of the addict. ► Actually there is no specific treatment of marijuana users as many of them are also addicted to stronger drugs as cocaine and heroin and there is no medicine which reduces the need of marijuana. ► Users enter specific centers and are kept for about 3 months without having marijuana. ► The most difficult stage, isn’t the detoxification. When they exit the center we must support them to enter in the real life again, something very difficult for them. ► If we don’t help them to find a job, make new friends non- users of marijuana, they will fill isolated from the society and start using marijuana to feel happiness

Marijuana Myths and Facts. ► MYTH: Marijuana is safe because it is a plant. ► FACT: Many plants are toxic and unsafe for human use, including marijuana. ► MYTH: Marijuana users do not go on to use other drugs. ► FACT: Studies show that marijuana users may have a predisposition to use other drugs. ► MYTH: Marijuana wears off in a few hours. ► FACT: Because marijuana is stored in the body, its effects may be felt for days or weeks following ingestion. ► MYTH: Marijuana relieves stress. ► FACT: Marijuana, like all drugs, merely postpones coping with problems and deadlines; marijuana can lead to depression.

Marijuana Myths and Facts (2). ► MYTH: Marijuana is safer than alcohol. ► FACT: Marijuana contains carcinogenic chemicals, and it is a dangerous substance that should not be considered a "safe" alternative to other drugs. ► MYTH: Marijuana expands the mind. ► FACT: Marijuana clouds the mind, interfering with memory, speech, comprehension and decision-making ability. ► MYTH: Marijuana today is safer than earlier varieties. ► FACT: Horticultural development has increased the potency of marijuana and added many other dangerous chemicals.

Summary. ► Marijuana is a very harmful drug and usually leads the user to try stronger drugs. ► Marijuana affects not only our body but our mind too making the users to isolate themselves from society ► Marijuana is very spread among the young people so we must be careful wherever we are. ► Users need support if we want to cut using marijuana, so after detoxification we must help them find a job and new friends who don’t use drugs