Life & Style Metroplus
Published: February 5, 2013 20:44 IST | Updated: February 5,
2013 21:02 IST
Out of jointNANDHINI SUNDAR
BREAK THE SHACKLES: Before it is too late Photo: K.K.
MustafahMarijuana addiction needs to be treated with a
multi-pronged approach, writes Nandhini Sundar
It was the same smell that wafted out of the locked doors, the
smell of marijuana smoke. Shalini helplessly closed hereyes. Her
teenaged son, Sridhar, was again smoking, soon after returning from
the counsellor. Weed, as marijuana iscommonly referred to, is
touted to be far less harmful than tobacco. Many medical benefits
are attributed to it besides itbeing historically accepted in
Indian society in the form of bhang. While there are claims aplenty
about society beingdeprived of its medicinal uses because of it
being declared illegal, not many are aware of the harmful effects
ofmarijuana such as reducing sperm count, reducing sexual potency,
causing testicular cancer, accentuatingpsychosomatic behaviour
amongst others. The fact that cannabis use also results in
A-motivation syndrome wherethere is inclination to do nothing, the
user typically living in a haze, is again not widely
discussed.Shalini says: Prior to being introduced to marijuana,
Sridhar was extremely enthusiastic about his football,
music,sketching and reading besides being a top performer
academically. Weed use changed all that. While his passion formusic
continues, his grades plummeted, he rarely plays and he is unable
to get himself to read even fiction, leave aloneacademic books.As
for Sridhar, he would rather debate vehemently on the benefits of
smoking a joint than give up the habit. Claimingthat it is not
addictive and is not as harmful as tobacco or alcohol, he says, it
has the same addictive effect as caffeinebut has far more benefits
in terms of widening your perception of life. It calms you and
makes you a better person.Contradicting such beneficial claims, Dr.
Appaya, former Head of Psychiatry, St. Johns Medical College
Hospital says,the medical benefits listed have not been
substantiated. The only benefit cannabis does yield medically is in
thetreatment of glaucoma. On the contrary, the harmful effects of
prolonged use are plenty, starting from psychosis,anxiety,
depression.Insisting that cannabis is habit forming, he further
adds, Those who are prone to mental illness are at high risk as
itaggravates their condition. While users have no evident physical
withdrawal features, they become restless, loseinterest and the
capacity to apply their intelligence comes down significantly.
Cannabis also causes pulmonaryproblems, cardiac conditions in the
form of increased heart rate. Impact on lungs is as bad as nicotine
if not more, asthe tar content is high in cannabis.Stating that a
cannabis user would be content just lying on the grass and gazing
at the sky without any motivation tosomething interesting or
worthwhile, he says, the fact that tobacco and alcohol is legal
does not warrant makingcannabis legal even if India has a history
of social sanction to it. This is especially so as cannabis users
are more likelyto move to harder drugs. According to him, 35 to 40
per cent of heavy cannabis users have moved at some point toharder
drugs, justifying it being termed as the gateway drug.Voicing
similar views is Dr. Vivek Benegal, Professor of Psychiatry,
De-addiction Centre, NIMHANS. While banning
anything does tend to create a parallel market, the statement
that it is not harmful is not true. There is enough evidencethat
cannabis can be dangerous, especially for early adolescents and
those who have a genetic trait towardsschizophrenia, compounding
the risk of developing psychosis.Stating that the 9 tetra hydro
cannabinol chemical which gives the high in cannabis can cause
damage to memory,reduce sexual potency, change behaviour patterns
with some going into dependence and losing interest in life, he
says,the extensive presence of tar in cannabis makes it immensely
more carcinogenic than smoking cigarettes. Besides,cannabis gives
the illusion of increasing brain functioning initially while it is
in fact to the contrary.According to him, children who have
difficulty in sustaining their attention are at higher risk of
being drawn towardscannabis. These children are more impulsive,
cannot learn from mistakes and tend to repeat in the hope of seeing
adifference. Such children need to be specifically recognised and
treated in accordance. Here, schools, paediatriciansand parents
play a major role, he adds.What we need is de-criminalisation of
cannabis, so that users are not penalised but treated right to be
weaned. Publicawareness about it being an illness is needed, with
intervention coming before habit is formed. This interventionshould
not be in the form of sermon but a positive diversion.Certainly,
awareness of its harmful effects and habit forming nature is
vitally needed but so also is its de-criminalisation so as to reach
out to those who have already fallen under its spell as well as to
potential candidatesbefore they reach out for it.(The names of
individuals have been changed to protect privacy)Keywords:
Marijuana addiction, bhang, drug addiction,
Printable version | Feb 6, 2013 12:20:33 AM |
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