Pubdate: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 Source: Ticker, The (NY Edu) Contact: 2009 Ticker Website: http://www.theticker.org/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5012 Author: Sabrina Smith Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?252 (Cannabis - Psychosis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) COST OF CRAVING CANNABIS For many students, the overwhelming obligations from schoolwork can be stressful. In an effort to relieve that stress, students have tried relaxation time, study breaks, spa treatments and perhaps smoking. Cigarettes have become the most prevalent substance of choice for smokers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that on average, one in five adults, as well as one in five teenagers, smoke. However, marijuana has gained preference among college smokers. According to healthyhorns, a medical care and patient education website at The University of Texas in Austin, college students use marijuana at a higher rate than the general U.S. population. Based on research provided by the American Lung Association, an estimated 14.8 million Americans aged 12 and older are marjuana smokers as of July 2008. Marijuana, also known as Cannabis and approximately 200 other names across the world, is categorized into two groups of strains or herbal forms. Sativa, known for its long leaves and impressive growth, is the form of marijuana that gives the smoker a feeling of "body high" and energy. The other form, Indica, which grows in short shrub form, keeps the smoker "pleasantly lethargic" with the relaxed feeling that some might describe as a "couch high." These forms can be used to extract medical marijuana, which have been known to ease the effects of such diseases and conditions including AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, epileptic seizures and arthritis. Controversy involving the benefits and risks involved with medical marijuana have been discussed in the medical community for years. Cannabidiol, a natural chemical found in Cannabis, alleviates convulsion, inflammation, anxiety, nausea and has been found in a study published in the Journal of Chemistry and Biodiversity to reduce cell growth, possibly benefiting cancer patients. Cannabidiol has also been found to have positive effects on patients with schizophrenia. On the other hand, studies have found Cannabis to be increasingly dangerous. In the June 1999 study, "Oxidative Stress Produced by Marijuana Smoke" published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, stated that "marijuana smoking produces inflammation, edema and cell injury in the tracheobronchial mucosa of smokers and may be a risk factor for lung cancer." According to the Amercan Lung Association, marijuana smoke, which is held and inhaled more deeply than cigarette smoke, introduces more carcinogens in the lungs. Short-term effects associated with marijuana use also include memory loss, distorted perception, loss of motor skills and muscle strength, and increased heart rate. "I don't smoke that often, but when I do, I prefer 'greens,' which is slang for marijuana leaves," said a freshman at Baruch College who requested to be quoted anonymously. "I definitely feel more relaxed and at ease, and the work from school doesn't seem so bad," he said. "Greens" is a type of marijuana that is produced from fertilized plants and is considered a better quality version of the substance. They are grown in cheaper facilities and contain a lower percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which is the psychoactive substance and main ingredient found in marijuana. Another type of the drug is "Spliff," a combination of marijuana and tobacco that increases the level of drug intoxication in the body. Hashish, which is made from marijuana leaves and contains a more concentrated level of THC, is mainly produced in North Africa and a fundamental plant in the Middle East. It takes the smoker to the optimal level of intoxication. The effects of hashish can range from temporary fertility problems and lung damage, to weakening the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to infections and other diseases. Although marijuana provides the individual with temporary relaxation, there are significant risks that come with the use of this short-term stress reliever. "I don't always like being in a euphoric state, and I know smoking weed is bad for me, but sometimes it helps get me through those tough days, whether that's a good thing or not," said the anonymous student. Research shows that marijuana is more than just smoking; it is an industry of its own. Smokers make a business out of producing and selling their own fabrications of cannabis drug strains. In Amsterdam, there is an annual Cannabis Cup competition in which competitors are judged by the strains that they have produced for their own "style" of marijuana. Despite the negative effects of smoking marijuana or cigarettes, adults and children will continue to indulge and subject themselves to the possibility of "plunging into a deeper hole," for the momentary feeling of euphoria.