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 nonusers 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