CANNABINOIDS
Tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) are the primary psychoactive substances of Cannabis Sativa. This is a group which stands by itself, and is sedative-hypnotic-euphoriant. Many commercial compounds are prepared on the basis of cannabis. The commercial value of cannabis-derived products is proportional to their narcotic activities, i.e. the content of THC.
The most common way of assumption is by inhaling the substance in a cigarette, blended with tobacco (in the Oriental-Arabic world it is smoked through particular pipes, sometimes with added opium). Absorption varies according to the quantity of THC in the cigarette (from 2.5 to 150 mg or more per cigarette) and the length of time the smoke remains in the lungs. It can also be taken orally, in food, although intestinal absorption is less effective.
Jargon: Joint, grass, weed, crack, cocaine, ecstasy.
The insurgence of THC effects on behaviour usually occurs after 10-15 minutes and rarely lasts more than 3-4 hours.
The most frequent psychological effects are:
- Sense of detachment from the environment, relief and sense of release from anxiety
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Well-being, euphoria, raising of morale and humor (easy laughter): loss of inhibitions acts on the imagination and loquacity rather than on behavioral expressions
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Memory gaps, difficulty to concentrate
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Sedation, pleasant sense of drowsiness
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Distorted sense of time
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Distorted vision and space relations
High doses of THC may provoke:
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Depression
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Panic attacks
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Illusions, hallucinations
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Paranoid syndromes
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Anxiety
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Tremors, skin rash
These are, however, short-term reactions, and in most cases those addicted to THC are capable of self-regulating the dosage so as to avoid unpleasant effects.
The most frequent organic effects are:
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Tachycardia
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Modest arterial hypertension
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Conjunctivitis congestion
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Dryness of the mouth and throat
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Slight myosis
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Reduction of intra-ocular pressure
Abstinence symptoms are rare among those who assume the substance for simple pleasure, and also in those who use it nearly every day. Those who volunteered to daily undergo a high dosage showed a certain type of abstinence symptoms after an abrupt suspension. The abstinence syndromes were characterized by irritability, anxiety, restlessness, muscle cramps, insomnia and nausea.