The Signs, Symptoms and Side Effects of Marijuana Drug Addictions

Marijuana is the flower, leaves, bud and branches of the hemp plant. Marijuana is the most used drug in the USA besides alcohol and cigarettes. It can be smoke or eaten for its narcotic side effects. Though you can smoke to get the high, eating it takes longer to feel the effected. When smoked this drug stays in the lungs for a few seconds and can last in your urine for up to 5-10 days. It can take between four to six weeks to leave your body. Smoking weed, which is another name for this drug, can cause numerous side effects.

It can cause:

Sleepiness

Hangover

Drowsiness

Slowed reaction

Short term memory

Increased heart rate

Increased blood pressure

Bronchitis

Chronic coughing

Increased risk of bronchitis and emphysema

Change in appetite

Diarrhea

Nausea

Sweating

Decreased body temperature

Depressed immune system

Dry mouth and throat

Lack of energy

Irritated eyes and soar throat

Hallucinations

Chemicals from the marijuana are stored in the blood stream and brain. The withdrawal effects from this drug are tremors, weight loss, nausea, sweating, hot flashes, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. chemicals which are transformed into 2,000 other chemicals when smoked. A person that is a heavy user, it can take up to three months for the drug to leave the body.

The potency of marijuana has increased by 275% over the last decade. It can range in colors of grey, green, brown, red and pale yellow. If marijuana has no seeds in it, it is more potent. Five joints have the cancer-causing capacity as 112 cigarettes. Because this drug affects the lungs, anyone who smokes it has a higher chance of developing lung cancer. It can also lower the testosterone in men.

Many think that this drug is not as harmful as other drugs, but this drug is dangerous to the body just like any other form of drugs. It can weaken your immune system and prevent it from fighting off colds, flu and other viruses. In women, the drug can interfere with ovulation, menstrual cycle, fertility and DNA. In male, it can cause impotence, swollen breasts that may come with pain, discharge and fluids. Despite the harsh side effects marijuana is legal is some states and prescribe to patients with certain medical conditions.

If you or someone you know, has an addiction. Please seek help life can get greater.

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Lorna Darden

Is Marijuana Dangerous?

Is Marijuana dangerous is a question that could have as many different answers as the number of people you asked? Cannabis is a hot topic today as more and more states (not to mention countries) legalize medical marijuana more and more people become interested. There is a ton of information and most of it is contradictory. Anyone could win a debate on either side of the argument using articles based on findings from medical studies. It is as important to look closely at the company or organization that funds the study as well as the findings themselves. Politics often finds its way into such studies.
Is Marijuana dangerous can depend on what other substance we use for comparison? If we compare cannabis to a long list of FDA approved medications and the deaths and health complications attributed to said medications then Marijuana wins that argument. When pot is compared to other illegal “recreational drugs” it is the lesser of two evils. On the other hand just because there isn’t a line outside Drug Detox Clinics for those that smoke Marijuana doesn’t mean users are totally out of the woods.
A recent study at King’s College in London found that small amounts of trahydrocannabinol (THC), an active ingredient in marijuana, used by subjects in the study caused psychotic symptoms which included paranoia and hallucinations. Using MRI scans researchers discovered that the inferior frontal cortex which regulates paranoia is adversely affected by THC. Many patients in Drug Rehab Centers have a duel diagnosis; that is addiction and a mental health issue. Could there be a connection? There are no easy answers and in the end people have to make up their own minds. I just think there has to be more intense research by impartial laboratories before we have a definitive answer.

Drinking and Marijuana: Where Can They Lead?

John from Virginia asked, “What’s the big deal about drinking and smoking some weed.”

Drinking and Marijuana: Where Can they Lead?

”I had a bad day and just want to relax… I just want to fit in… No one loves me… I’m ugly and don’t want to feel anymore… I don’t care whether I live or die…” There are many reasons people turn to alcohol and drugs.

Most people start out drinking or doing drugs occasionally; they don’t set out to get addicted. No one really knows who will become addicted and why? Genetic make-up, psychological and environmental factors, some develop an addiction immediately and others it takes time.

Most people don’t realize that alcohol is a drug. In fact, it is a depressant and the most commonly used drug in the entire world. At first, it initiates a ‘happy’ feeling and relieves anxiety. Then it causes blurred vision, slurred speech, loss in motor function and at higher levels — poisoning and death.

According to studies, individuals who drink before the age of 17 are three times more likely to develop an addiction than those who starts drinking at the legal age of 21. If we examine the addiction rates of pre-teen drinkers, the numbers increase dramatically.

Marijuana, pot, weed, blunts, joints, one-hitters — this drug contains THC and is dangerous to the body because it acts like a stimulant and depressant, increasing the heart rate, lowering body temperature, interfering with muscle function and reaction time.

Don’t let the hype that marijuana is not a big deal fool you. Pot smokers have a higher rate of drop-out rates in school, depression and schizophrenia. More young people are in treatment facilities for marijuana dependency than all other illegal drugs combined.

Since both are depressants, the combination of alcohol and marijuana doubles the affects on the body. More importantly, Marijuana suppresses nausea, and one of the body’s primary mechanisms for alcohol poisoning is vomiting. With the presence of these two drugs, the stomach may not release the excess before it enters the blood stream.

When Alcohol and Marijuana are frequently used, you are likely to…

* Put yourself in dangerous situations and unhealthy relationships.
* Be sexually promiscuous and irresponsible.
* Develop an increased tolerance and need more frequent and larger dosages.
* Do other drugs — cocaine, prescription drugs, crystal meth, crack, heroin…
* Get arrested — perhaps serve jail time.
* Develop serious health problems — digestive, heart, lungs, neurological…

If addiction develops, the age a person starts drinking or doing drugs is where they stop maturing mentally.
”Well, that explains everything,” the unknown drunk laughed. “I started drinking and smoking before I started middle school.”

Drugs affect your body, brain, judgment — your self-control. Using them can harm or kill you and others around you. With those with an addictive personality, like the Unknown Drunk, one drink can quickly lead to two then four, ten, amphetamines, mescaline and cocaine.

”I should be dead,” the Unknown Drunk continued. “My brain’s mush, immune system’s shot… It makes me sick that I could have really hurt someone… I’m sorry, Susan… what was the question?”

Marijuana Cultivation

Marijuana Cultivation

It is illegal to grow, or cultivate, marijuana. The California criminal jury instructions gives guidance to the factors that the prosecution must prove in order to successfully convict someone of this offense.

“Every person who plants/cultivates/harvests/dries/ or processes any marijuana or any part thereof is guilty of a violation of Heath and Safety Code Section 11358, a crime.

The word “harvesting” is defined as the gathering of crops of any kind.

The verb “to harvest” means:
a) to gather in a crop: reap…’
b) to gather a natural product as if by harvesting

In order to prove this crime, each of the following elements must be proved:
1. A person [planted] a marijuana plant; and
2. That person knew it was a marijuana plant or some part thereof.” CALJIC 12.24

The operative law that results in the above jury instruction is California Health and Safety Code Section 11358 which reads:

“Every person who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes any marijuana or any part thereof, except as otherwise provided by law, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison.”

Medical Marijuana

Under federal law, sale, cultivation and possession of marijuana remain strictly illegal. However, the California Compassionate Use Act of 1996, known as Prop. 215 exempts patients and their primary caregivers from criminal prosecution for personal possession and cultivation of marijuana, but NOT for distribution or sale to others.
Medical cannabis may be legally used & cultivated by qualified patients in California under Prop. 215, provided they have a recommendation from a licensed physician.
State law SB 420 establishes Prop. 215 guidelines for possession and cultivation. State limits are set at 6 mature or 12 immature plants and 8 ounces marijuana, except where a physician declares more is needed, or where local governments authorize more.

Controversial Author Challenges Australian Drug Laws by Selling Marijuana Vaporizers Down Under

Wade Agnew, the author of the sensational autobiography “Cheating the Hangman: True Confessions of a Heroin Trafficker” is an equal opportunity drug consumer. He believes that all drugs should be legal, and the current global obsession with prohibition is very detrimental to society.

“If the aim of the exercise is to stop people using illegal drugs, then the regime is completely counter-productive. Young people especially are by nature inquisitive, and in their teenage years are risk takers. Therefore if you present taking heroin or any illegal drug for that matter, as risky and anti-social, then a good percentage of them will be drawn to it like moths to a flame.”

Wade knows a great deal about consuming illegal drugs. He happily used heroin for twenty five years, and has smoked marijuana non stop for more than three decades.

“I’ve taken hallucinogenic “gold top” mushrooms till they came out my ears; I’ve used heroin, morphine, eaten opium, drank alcohol (my least favorite) snorted cocaine, used crystal-meth when it was called crank; but marijuana is my absolute favorite drug. So when I say that using a vaporizer is the BEST way of consuming it, I know what I’m talking about.”

Now back in Australia, Wade has turned his hand to selling marijuana vaporizers; euphemistically referred to as herbal vaporizers, under the “CHEATING THE HANGMAN” banner. Apparently herbal vaporizers are fine, but cannabis vaporizers beyond the pale.

The use of vaporizers globally for the consumption of marijuana; still illegal in Australia, is growing in popularity. There is also an increasing use of the devices in Australia, with a huge potential market among the cannabis consumers of the region, including New Zealand, S.E.Asia, Japan and India. “Cheating the Hangman” is ideally placed to service this expanding market. Offering the VapoHead marijuana vaporizer for AU with free delivery, a free cannabis grinder, and local back up service, the company is on the brink of enormous success, and will surely give the competition a run for their money.

Having smoked marijuana for more than thirty five years, Wade has only recently started using herbal vaporizers to consume his marijuana, but instantly fell in love with the device.

“There’s no comparison between using a vaporizer and smoking joints or bongs, regarding the damage to your lungs; you can feel the difference, especially when you wake in the morning. No more tightness in the chest; no more coughing. They are brilliant; wish I’d discovered them decades ago, but of course they weren’t invented until the 1990’s. Love the Dutch and Canadians; we have a great deal to thank them for.”

Having to import his first vaporizer from Canada, and risk loosing it to Customs on the way, Wade’s capitalist streak quickly spotted the gap in the local market, with the VapoHead poised to fill it. You can check it out on his website;

http://www.cheatingthehangman.com.au/about_vaporizer.html

I did a great deal of research before choosing the VapoHead to distribute. I found it to be the smallest, lightest and the best value Herbal Vaporizer of its kind on the market. Its compact size, light weight and shatter resistant glass make it convenient to carry, use and maintain. As well it comes in three great colours; Ocean Blue, Red Devil and Purple Jimi. The brushed ceramic bowl safely heats your mixture, is removable for cleaning, and the new diode light gently reminds you to unplug your unit after each use; a very good idea under the circumstances. The clear plastic mouthpiece is removable, with the design allowing the body to be detached easily from the base for cleaning; even dishwasher safe! The herbal vaporizer is designed to vaporize with the correct mixture of heat and air. Some vaporizers on the market are very beautifully crafted, but bigger isn’t better. The main operating principle is to reduce combustion. To do this you need to reduce temperature and oxygen by using a tight fitting, impact resistant, small dome jar. Each vaporizer is hand made and quality checked before sending, and guaranteed for a full 90 days from the shipping date against any defect whatsoever. As well as offering free delivery, the VapoHead Vaporizer comes with a free grinder, making it simple to “open” your marijuana. This ensures you get maximum efficiency and the best results.

Much of the controversy over the use of cannabis originates over possible long-term damage from harmful elements in the smoke. A Herbal Vaporizer releases the beneficial ingredients into your lungs without burning; no tars and other harmful carcinogens. Many imitations have appeared on the market since the first vaporizers arrived in 1994. None of them work as well as this original design. Remember that bigger is not always better. Large glass domes are inefficient. You lose many of the active ingredients of marijuana because they condense on the inside of the dome. The VapoHead cannabis vaporizer has a small dome and an airtight seal designed for maximum efficiency. The ceramic bowl allows for even heating unlike brass versions, holding an ample amount of your chosen smoke.

“If you are a serious dope smoker, and want to add years to your life, you need to get yourself a vaporizer” Wade says from his home in Brisbane, Australia.

“They are just bloody brilliant.”

For the details go to;

http://www.cheatingthehangman.com.au

Marvellous Marijuana Stories

Cannabis news is always cropping up in the papers and online. Whether it’s the latest MP venting their opinion on the dangers of the drug, before admitting they used to take it or a celebrity busted by police over possession, it’s pretty hard to avoid. Then there are the oddities – the marijuana stories which are funny, strange or just plain weird. Here are the best from the last few years:

California introduces Pot Vending Machines

Before you all pack your bags and head over the Atlantic, I should point out that it’s strictly for people with a medical prescription to use marijuana as part of their healthcare – and there are safeguards in place to prevent non-prescribed folks from using it. Patients will be required to provide their prescription, give a fingerprint and then have their photo taken.

This cannabis news remains controversial because although medical marijuana is legal in some states, the federal government does not recognise its medicinal properties.

Utah Teenager Reports Pot Theft to Police

This is one of those marijuana stories that make you appreciate just how some stupid some people can be. Not only did an 18 year old burglar report his stolen cannabis to police, but he accepted an invitation to come in and identify the stash when the robber was caught. No sooner had he confirmed the marijuana was his, then he was arrested and charged on possession with intent to supply.

Sniffer Dog Fails to Find Planted Pot

After planting some marijuana in a customer’s luggage to train a new sniffer dog, customs officials were left embarrassed when this cannabis news story hit the headlines: the mutt failed to find the goods! The mistake, combined with the custom officer’s failure to recall which bag he’d put it in, meant that one passenger left with a free cannabis gift in their luggage. A spokesman for the airport’s customs’ office made a plea for its return: “If by some chance passengers find it in their suitcase, we’re asking them to return it.”

Burglars and Police Raid House at the Same Time

One of the most unlikely marijuana stories in this list: Two Australian burglars broke into a house being used to grow hydroponic cannabis only to discover it was full of police officers raiding the place to search for drugs! The burglars fled, but were caught a few days later by police.

Pot Smoker Reports Dealer to Police over “Bad Weed”

A 52 year old Darmstadt cannabis smoker was arrested for the possession of illegal substances after reporting his dealer to the police for selling him some “completely un-enjoyable” marijuana. The cannabis news article explains that the man had previously taken it up with the dealer directly, who refused to issue him a refund of the £270 he had paid for the drugs. Upon taking his “fraud” allegations with police, he was charged for his crime, despite the “absolutely mediocre quality” of the drugs involved.

Cannabis Plants Cause Police Station Closure

Billericay police station in Essex needed to be evacuated after the stench of confiscated cannabis plants became overpowering. 150 seedlings and mature plants grown from cannabis seeds had been seized from the home of a pro-cannabis campaigner and were kept in the station’s cell, where their strong odour swept through the whole building. One source said “The smell even filtered into the public reception area and people might have got the wrong idea.”

Rock Star Charged with Wanting to Smoke Marijuana…in 1994

An Argentine rock star was charged with informing spectators that he felt like smoking a joint – a decade after the cannabis news story broke. In November 1994, Andres Calamaro told 100,000 fans in La Plata: “I feel so good that I could smoke a joint”. Attempts were made by morally offended parents to bring charges against the rock star, but these were dismissed by the judge in 1995. A decade later a less liberal judge was found, and the case was reopened for the musician, then 43.

Cannabis Smoker Celebrates 120th Birthday

A 120 year old Indian woman living with her 92 year old daughter and 72 year old grandson is baffled by her longevity: “I don’t know how I’ve survived so long. Many relatives much younger than me have died”. One theory suggests it’s her habitual drug use. According to the Sun, the 120 year old Fulla Nayak smokes cannabis cigars and drinks strong palm wine, and this could be the secret of her success.

What to Expect When you Use Marijuana

Marijuana is one of the most commonly abused drugs in the world. This is because it is relatively cheap in its true form and can be easily bought and grown. As a plant, its leaves are green with five spiky separations per leaf, like a spread out hand. It can grow fast and is hardy hemp that is named Cannabis Sativa.

Marijuana is sold as a dry greenish brown mixture of flowers, leaves, stems and seeds of the plant. People usually smoke this plant just like a cigarette or maybe put it in a bong (a glass device for inhaling the smoke, much like a pipe). Others also use it as a tea or mixed with food. Many heated debates have been launched in support of the plant and against it. It has been used for different reasons for centuries but mainly for the hallucinogenic effect and it medicinal properties. Many countries across Asia still use it in spite of its ugly reputation and the question of legality.

Effects of Marijuana

Marijuana has short term effect and long term effects on people. Within a few minutes of inhaling the smoke of the cannabis hemp, it should take effect on your brain. The main chemical element in Marijuana that usually affects people is THC, also known as delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Some protein receptors in our nerve cells actually bind with THC and this starts off a series of events in our brain. This series of events in our brain ultimately ends with the high that users experience. It enters the body within minutes if it is smoked since it passes through the lungs into the bloodstream. It is not actually the Marijuana that is detected by the drug test kits but metabolites which are residue of the drug.

Many of the protein receptors that bind with THC to create the high are located in the part of our brain that influence our sensory, memory, concentration, pleasure, thought, time perception and movement. This is the reason why so many users like getting high because they actually sense pleasure and happiness with the high which the cannabis creates. On the other hand, Marijuana can also affect an individual’s judgment, learning, memory, distorted perception and cause increased heart rate. Long term effects of Marijuana are loss of memory, distorted perception and stress.

Marijuana also affects the heart by exposing the user to four times the risk of a heart attack within the initial hour of using the drug. It can also cause upper respiratory complications such as a painful cough and stinging throat and mouth. Users are prone to acute chest illness, high risk of lung infections and prone to obstructed airways.

Marijuana stays in an individual’s system for as short as three days and more than ninety days. The length of stay depends on how long the individual has used Marijuana and the metabolism of a person. This means not everybody has the same length of time when Marijuana stays in your body.

“We are not talking about legalizing drugs,we are talking about giving another option to doctors who are educated enough to know what to suggest to patients” said Montel Williams in this documentary film on cannabis. The film talks to many folks that are using medical marijuana and swear they would not be able to function or even live without it.

Marijuana Buzz

Marijuana Buzz is much more than just an interactive site where people can come and post their choice of marijuana topics. Here at Marijuana Buzz you’ll discover all types of activities, ranging from; how to cook with marijuana videos, pictures of the world’s finest buds and your choice of free gifts. We also serve to promote many different products including; the best growth system money can buy, 100% legal buds, paraphernalia, different avenues to make easy money on-line, awesome T-shirts, the best variety of seeds on the planet and for those in need of help, addiction resources.

It’s easy to become part of the Buzz. Just click the link and you too can join us. We are a new site, but highly interactive. The Buzz Forum is the rage. Check it out and post your thoughts today.

We also have a very comprehensive listing of tobacco pipes, bongs, rolling papers and vaporizers. Glass, brass, plastic or copper, it’s your choice. Of course Marijuana Buzz does not promote the use of any one of these products being used for any illegal purpose.

There is also something else I want to share with all our guests here at Marijuana Buzz and that’s our money links page. I added this page so our viewers could share in the dream of a lifetime and that my friend’s is easy money. Only a short time ago I thought that making money on the internet was reserved only for those you had a large amount of start-up capital. It isn’t true. It’s cheap, under fifty dollars for all the information you’ll need to get started. And once you’re up and running you’ll pick up a lot more know-how along the way. Just a few short weeks ago I was using my spare time playing video games, dreaming of better things and now they are here. This easy step by step system comes with all the links, so no research is needed, it is all done for you. To good to be true? WRONG!!! It exists and I want you to have it. Just come to my site and within days you could have a site up and running that’s making you money while you sit at home. I’m not saying that you won’t have to work, you do, but its alot better than manual labor. And believe you me I’ve had my share of that. If you want to make life easier come and check out what I’m talking about. All you have to do is come to Marijuana Buzz and click the Marijuana Buzz money link and the secret will be revealed to you. Of course while you are there you should stop and enjoy the fruits of my labor by simply clicking thru the different pages.

I hope I’ve given you a good reason to stop by. Don’t delay, come and join in the Buzz today at http://www.marijuanasbuzz.com

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Quit Smoking Marijuana – Benefits

Across the globe there are people that smoke marijuana as if it were a religion. It is the most used illegal drug worldwide.

There is no drug like it, marijuana provides the most tranquil feeling I have ever experienced. But marijuana slowly took control of my life, it became a daily habit and my life changed for the worse. At the time, I didn’t even notice.

Are the relaxing properties of marijuana worth all of this? I don’t think so, not even close. I chose to quit smoking marijuana for good.

I have made a list of reasons of the benefits to help you quit smoking marijuana. I guarantee if you smoke marijuana you can relate directly to most of the items on this list and help motivate you to quit smoking marijuana.

Quit smoking marijuana benefits list-

1.    Feel whole in yourself
2.    Guilt free
3.    No bottomless pit of a stomach
4.    Boost in your confidence
5.    Confidence to take on any challenge
6.    Be more outgoing
7.    Have conversation without fear
8.    No paranoia
9.    A want for self improvement
10.    Clearer and healthier lungs
11.    Less stress (seriously)
12.    Self control
13.    Increased mental dexterity
14.    More articulate
15.    Greatly improved short term memory

Need more reasons to quit smoking marijuana?

16.    Deal with stressful situations calmly
17.    Increased energy
18.    Reduction of depression
19.    Deeper interactions with your friends
20.    No social anxiety
21.    Sharper focus
22.    Enjoy the simple things in life
23.    A stack of cash
24.    Confidence to try new things
25.    Increased humility
26.    Willing to ask others if you need help
27.    Better relations with your partner
28.    Ability to learn new things
29.    Improved all round fitness
30.    Enviromentally friendly, no need to waste power growing weed and using hazardous chemicals

Have you ever thought to quit smoking marijuana?

31.    High self confidence
32.    Less paranoia
33.    Safer driver
34.    No struggle to find good marijuana
35.    No need to hang around with dealers
36.    Not funding organized crime
37.    True and strong bonds with your friends
38.    Not controlled by an addiction
39.    Intimate dreams
40.    Save time
41.    Higher levels of communication
42.    Clear thoughts
43.    Smooth, non husky breathing
44.    No risk of legal implications
45.    Increased joy and happiness

You can quit smoking marijuana!

46.    Self respect
47.    Spare time
48.    Less sleep required
49.    Find a new self
50.    Look and feel rested
51.    No time limit on your good moods
52.    Calmer mood transitions
53.    Improved smell and taste
54.    Improved will power
55.    Intelligent thoughts, that make sense to others
56.    Patience
57.    Increased mental endurance
58.    Focus to finish a job
59.    Feel rested in the morning
60.    The return of wit

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Arizona Marijuana Laws: Fair for Whom?

Arizona Marijuana Laws: Fair for whom?

Marijuana laws in the state of Arizona are targeted to stop the ongoing drug abuse occurring throughout the United States. The punishments for selling or possessing marijuana vary depending on the quantity of the drug being sold or held.

In comparison with lenient states, such as Hawaii and Maine, Arizona has relatively strict marijuana laws. This determination is based on comparing each state’s level of enforcement, weight limits, fines and/or time imprisoned. Additionally, Arizona is stricter then Hawaii and Maine when comparing penalties for repeat offenders between states.

In Arizona, if you are found guilty of a felony charge for an unlawful sale of less than two pounds of marijuana you can be sentenced to prison for a maximum of two and a half years as well as fined up to 0,000. Furthermore, if you are found guilty of a felony charge of transporting marijuana (weight less than 2 pounds) with the intent to sell you can be sentenced to prison for a maximum of three and a half years.

Additionally, Arizona law prohibits sick and dying patients from using medical marijuana to help ease their pain and suffering, even if a doctor recommends it. If an ill citizen of Arizona is found using medical marijuana, recommended by their doctor, they can be brought to court and punished. Arizona requires patients who are in need of medical marijuana to purchase marinol (synthetic THC) instead of marijuana. Sadly, this loophole only adds to a patient’s hardship. A month’s supply of marinol is much more expensive then a month’s supply of marijuana. Why legalize marinol over marijuana then? The answer is simple, marijuana is a product of Mexico while marinol is a product of the pharmaceutical industry, thus financially benefiting the state of Arizona.

If you would like to learn more about marijuana laws in the state of Arizona, please visit Arizona Marijuana Laws

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