Cannabis Fun Club in Russia

Terminology

Cannabis is a generic term used to refer to several psychoactive drugs derived from the plant Cannabis sativa ( Editor's note: also based on Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Ruderalis ). The main psychoactive component in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol THC. Substances that are structurally similar to THC are referred to as cannabinoids. In addition, there are many recently identified compounds that are structurally different from cannabinoids, but have similar pharmacological properties. The Mexican term marijuana is often used to refer to hemp leaves or other unprocessed parts of the hemp plant in many countries. Unpollinated female flowers of the hemp plant are called hashish ( Note from the editors of the site: the term hashish most often refers to the pressed resin of female inflorescences; unpollinated female inflorescences are called marijuana ). Hemp oil (hash oil) is a concentrate of cannabinoids obtained by solvent extraction from parts of the hemp plant or resin.

Spreading

Cannabis is by far the most widely distributed illicit drug (in cultivation, trade, and use). Half of all illicit drug seizures worldwide involve cannabis. The geographic distribution of such seizures is also global, occurring in virtually every country in the world. Approximately 147 million people, 2.5% of the world's population, use cannabis (annual prevalence), compared with 0.2% who use cocaine and 0.2% who use opiates. In the past decade, cannabis use has grown faster than cocaine and opiates. The fastest growth in cannabis use since the 1960s has occurred in the developed countries of North America, Western Europe, and Australia. Cannabis has become closely associated with youth culture, and the age of first use is typically lower than for other drugs. Analysis of the cannabis market shows that low prices coincide with high levels of use, and vice versa. Cannabis appears to be price inelastic in the short term, but quite elastic in the long term. Although there are more cannabis users than opiates and cocaine users, lower cannabis prices mean that, from an economic perspective, the cannabis market is substantially smaller than the cocaine or opiate market.

Acute health effects: The acute health effects of cannabis use have been recognized for many years, and recent studies have confirmed and expanded on earlier findings. ( Editor's note: WHO does not provide links to specific studies )

Cannabis use is harmful:

• cognitive development (learning ability), including associative processes ( Editor's note: The results of this study prove the opposite. ); free recall of previously studied material is often impaired by the use of cannabis during the study period and the preceding period of time;
• psychomotor performance in solving various problems, such as motor coordination, divided attention, and operational tasks of many types; the use of 20 mg of THC contained in cannabis interferes with a person's ability to operate complex mechanisms even 24 hours after smoking; the risk of car accidents increases when cannabis is used by drivers.

Chronic health effects:

• selective impairment of cognitive function, including the organization and integration of complex information, involving various mechanisms of memory and attention processes;
• prolonged use may lead to severe impairment, which is likely to persist with cessation of use, and which may affect daily life functions;
• development of dependence syndrome, characterized by loss of control over consumption (probably in chronic users) ( Editor's note: psychological dependence occurs in approximately 10% of users; there is no physical dependence on THC );
• cannabis use may contribute to the worsening of schizophrenia in people with mental disorders;
• epithelial damage to the trachea and bronchi due to long-term cannabis smoking;
• damage to the respiratory tract, inflammation of the lungs, and reduces the infectious immunity of the lungs with constant use of cannabis over a long period of time;
• Cannabis used during pregnancy is associated with impairment in embryonic development leading to reduced birth weight ( Editor's note: The results of this study prove the opposite. );
• Using cannabis during pregnancy may increase the risk of rare forms of cancer occurring postpartum, although research in this area is limited.

The health effects of cannabis use on people in developing countries are poorly understood due to limited and unsystematic research, but there is no reason a priori to believe that the biological effects on people in these countries would be significantly different from those observed in developed countries. However, other consequences may be different due to cultural and social differences between countries.

Therapeutic Uses of Cannabinoids: Several studies have demonstrated the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids on nausea, vomiting, and appetite stimulation in the final stages of diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Dronabinol (tetrahydrocannabinol) has been available by prescription in the United States for more than a decade. Other therapeutic properties of cannabinoids demonstrated by research suggest their use in the treatment of diseases such as asthma, glaucoma, and as an antidepressant and antispasmodic agent.