Cannabis
Other names:
Mary J, weed, pot, dope, ganja, grass, reefer
Description:
 dried tops, leaves stems and seeds of cannabis
 smoked in pipes or “joints”
 Hashish, caked resinous substance found as soft or hard chunks, comes in oil as
well
 Active drug is THC
Short Term Effects:
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High feeling, more relaxed talkative
Pulse and blood pressure will rise, eyes get red
Short term memory, concentration and ability to think clearly will be reduced
Can be used to control pain and nausea in some patients
Long Term Effects:
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Dependence upon drug
Loss of interest in activities
Ability to learn new things decreases
Memory problems
Bronchitis, throat cancer, heart attacks, strokes
Legal State in Canada:
 Buying, selling, using or possessing cannabis is illegal.
 Special permission can be given through the courts for use and possession for
medical purposes.
Alcohol
Other names:
 beer, brew, suds, wine, vino spirits, booze, grog, hooch, moonshine
Description:
 most commonly used drug, a depressant, made from fermentation of fruits and
grains
Short Term Effects:
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feeling of relaxation, lower inhibitions
person can’t think clearly, reflexes become slower, co-ordination decreases
anger, risk taking behaviours
with a large amount of alcohol breathing can slow or stop  death
hangover
Long Term Effects:
 inflamed stomach pancreas, cirrhosis of liver
 cancer, heart disease, brain and nerve damage
 pregnant women: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Legal State in Canada:
 legal age is 19 (consume or purchase)
 it is illegal to be drunk in public or to carry opened alcohol in public
Opiates
Other names:
 junk, horse, smack, H., morph, Meth, Percs
Description:
 drugs from opium poppy and synthetic drugs like Demerol, codeine and
methadone
 used for relief of pain
Short Term Effects:
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brain gets briefly stimulated and then central nervous system gets depressed.
Initial surge of pleasure/rush
Restlessness, nausea, vomiting,
Feeling of heaviness, skin gets cold
Breathing slows and can stop  death
Long Term Effects:
 Infrections from dirty needles death
 Dependence, withdrawal when you try to stop
 death
Legal State in Canada:
 can be legally prescribed by a doctor
 illicit opioids are illegal
Solvents and Aerosols/Inhalents
Other names:
 glue, gas, sniff
Description:
 substances that are not intended to be used as drugs
 manufactured by the chemical industry. Paint remover, gasoline, shoe polish,
glue, spray deodorants, hair spray
Short Term Effects:
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Feeling of euphoria, lightheadedness, exhilaration and vivid fantasies
Nausea, drooling, sneezing, coughing
Loss of muscular control
DEATH from suffocation or heart failure, permanent brain damage can occur
after one use!
Long Term Effects:
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Pallor, thirst, weight loss, nosebleeds, bloodshot eyes, sores on mouth and nose
Liver and kidney decrease in function
Mental confusion, depression, irritability, paranoia
Severe brain damage and death
Legal State in Canada:
 The possession or use of solvents and aerosols in not prohibited under Federal
or Provincial Law
Cocaine/Crack
Other names:
 “C”, coke, flake, snow, blow, nose candy, rock, ice
Description:
 Stimulates or speeds up central nervous system
 Can be snorted, injected or smoked
 Crack cocaine is much more potent than when the drug is snorted
Short Term Effects:
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Decrease appetite, lots of energy, feelings of alertness
Breathing rate increases,
Increased risk of heart attack, stroke
May act bizarre or violent or paranoid
Seizures
Long Term Effects:
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Damage to nasal passages
With continued use person will need more and more to get the same rush
Increase risk of overdose
Infections due to dirty needles death
May experience paranoid psychosis irreversible
Legal State in Canada:
 Possession, buying, trafficking, producing, importing are all illegal
Hallucinogens-Ecstasy
Other Names:
 E, XTC, Adam and Mitsubishi
Description:
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Psychoactive drug, hallucinogenic
No approved medical use
Comes in tablet or capsule, different shapes or sizes
Produced chemically
Short Term Effects:
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Sense of pleasure and euphoria, increased confidence and energy
Sweating, increased blood pressure and heart rate
Vomiting, insomnia, paranoia, convulsions
High doses psychosis, hallucinations long term depression DEATH
Long Term Effects:
 Nerve damage, memory loss, learning problems
 Weight loss, confusion, paranoia
 Live damage  death
Legal Status in Canada
 Controlled substance
 Prohibited for sale in Canada