Cannabis refers to the dried seeds, stems, flowers, or dried leaves of the Cannabis sativa plant. It’s commonly referred to as marijuana, but also known as weed, grass, pot, ganja, amongst many other slang names. This illicit drug is usually smoked in a hand-rolled cigarette, known as ‘joint’ amongst those who use it. It can also be taken by boiling the leaves or stems in a beverage such as tea. Marijuana has a distinctive sour, sweet, and pungent odor. People of all walks of life, young and old, poor and rich, educated and uneducated: irrespective of background, have ended up being addicts to this plant. The addiction to this drug has no boundaries, and anyone can get addicted.
Why would your friend, son, daughter, father, uncle, or any loved one be addicted to this drug? What makes them use it in the first place? Are they aware of what they puffed the first time they tried marijuana? Why is it so hard to stop once someone is addicted to cannabis? It’s hard to imagine that anyone would gladly take this drug with all the dangers it poses to our health. Before judging those who have tried it, it would be good to understand the causes of cannabis addiction.
Peer pressure is not confined only to the youth but transcends even to the older generation. Peer pressure can make you almost do anything just to fit in, especially amongst teenagers and young adults. If those close to you introduce you to marijuana, chances are you will give it a try to please them or fit in. It’s also quite unfortunate that this drug is readily available in the dark market, despite it being illegal. Whenever an addict wants to have a joint, they know where to go. Being ignorant of the fact that marijuana is harmful in the long-term is another reason why it is carelessly smoked. Those already in the trade will introduce it to you without your knowledge. For example, they could lace your food or drink with it. They could also persuade you to smoke it without you fully understanding the substance.
Addiction or dependence on cannabis takes place when a user builds up a tolerance for the drug, thereby necessitating a need for more. When the drug enters the brain, it supersedes the natural process of the brain. The brain will then try to resist the effects of the drug to protect itself. That is why a person will not feel high with the usual dosage and will keep wanting much higher doses each time they smoke to maintain the high. As the addiction progresses, the user may graduate from smoking marijuana to taking it in edible form or in a propane-extracted concentrate called a dab.
To stop this menace, ignorance has got to be thrown out of the window by creating awareness on the causes of cannabis addiction, its harmful effects, and how to prevent it from reaching you and your loved ones.