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Drug Use ch.15 prt.1

Terms in this set (22)

cannabis sativa
-originated in Asia but now grown worldwide
-grown primarily for its fibers, from which hemp rope is made
-grows as a weed in the U.S and Canada
-a lanky plant up to 18 feet high
cannabis indica
grown for its psychoactive resins
-cultivated in many areas of the world
-a compact plant 2 to 3 feet high
-potency varies depending on plant genetics and environmental conditions
cannabis ruderalis
-grown primarily in Russia
cannabis resin
-primary psychoactive agent in Cannabis is THC
-THC concentrated in the resin, most of which is in the flowering tops (less in the leaves, little in the fibrous stalks)
-psychoactive potency of cannabis preparations depends on the amount of resin present
hashish
-consists of pure resin that has been carefully removed from the surface of leaves and stems (may be less than pure depending on how carefully the resin has been separated from the plant)
-rare in the U.S
-average THC content of U.S hashish ranges from 3 to 8 percent (a few batches have tested as high as 20 percent THC)
hashish production
-traditional production involves manual scraping of exuded resin from the plant
-more efficient recent production method involves boiling the plants in alcohol and evaporating the resulting liquid down to thick, dark hash oil (potency of hash oil varies but can contain more than 50 percent THC)
sinsemilla
-consists of dried flowering tops of plants with pistillate flowers (female plants)
-male plants are removed from the fields before the female plants are pollinated
(female plants don't put their energy into seed production, thus increasing their potency)
-Average THC content of U.S. sinsemilla samples is about 7 to 12 percent
bhang
-consists of the remainder of the Cannabis plant after the top has been picked
-plant material is dried, ground into a powder, and mixed into drinks or candies
-rare in the U.S., but about equivalent to low-grade marijuana consisting of leaves
-average THC content of less than 1 percent
smokable marijuana in U.S
-potency varies widely (low-grade products= less than 1 percent THC
High-grade sinsemilla= 9 percent or more THC)
-typical range of potency is 2 to 8 percent THC
-proportion of confiscated marijuana samples of higher-potency has increased since the 1980s but is still only about 15 percent
marijuana tax act (1937)
-act followed the regulation-by-taxation theme of the 1914 Harrison Act (grower, distributor, seller, and buyer were taxed. administratively almost impossible to deal in cannabis
-bureau of Narcotics uniform law specifically named Cannabis sativa (current federal and uniform laws refer more generally to the genus cannabis)
-state laws made possession and use of Cannabis illegal per se
-1969: U.S. supreme court declared the act as unconstitutional
After the Marijuana Tax Act
-cost of marijuana increased significantly
-reports continued to be published that marijuana use had less serious effects than commonly believed (but there was substantial disagreement over the interpretation of research findings)
-usage rose around 1980, declined until the mid-1990s, and then peaked in the late 1990s, although never reaching the levels in the 1970's
cannabinoid chemicals
-chemistry of cannabis is complex and unique
-active agent contains no nitrogen and thus is not an alkaloid like other psychoactive plant materials
-cannabinoids are 66 chemicals unique to the cannabis plant
-THC isolated and synthesized in 1964 (the most pharmacologically active cannabinoid
-there may be several other active agents in cannabis
smoked marijuana
-thc is absorbed rapidly by the blood and travels to the brain and then the rest of the body (within 30 minutes, most THC is gone from the brain
-peak psychological and cardiovascular effects occur together within 5 to 10 minutes
oral THC
-THC is absorbed more slowly and the liver transforms it into 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC (less THC reaches the brain)
-peak effects occur about 90 minutes following ingestion
metabolites have different half-lives
-after one week, 25 to 30 percent of the THC and its metabolites might remain in the body
-two or three weeks may be required to completely eliminate a large dose of THC and its metabolites
high lipid solubility
-selectively taken up and stored in fatty tissue, to be released slowly
-no easy way to monitor THC and metabolite levels and relate them to effects
-long-lasting low concentrations of THC and metabolites may have effects on the brain and other organs that have not yet been determined
anandamide (mechanism of action)
-endogenous substance isolated from brain tissue with marijuana-like effects
-from ananda, Sanskrit for "bliss"
cardiovascular effects
-increased heart rate occurs after smoking marijuana and ingesting oral THC (time course differs substantially following the two different methods of administration)
-research findings on the effects of cannabinoids on blood pressure have been mixed
-cardiovascular risks of marijuana use haven't been shown in young, healthy users (people with cardiovascular disease should probably avoid marijuana and oral THC due to effects on heart rate)
pulmonary effects
-bronchodilation is seen following acute exposure to marijuana
-heavy marijuana smoking over a long period could lead to clinically significant impairment of pulmonary functions
abuse potential
-abuse potential has been shown
-studies show both animals and humans will self-administer the drug
-marijuana cigarettes with higher THC content are preferred
-oral THC does not have high abuse potential, likely due to its different time course (less rapid onset of effects usually associated with reduced risk of abuse)
subjective effects
-effects include euphoria,"high", mellowness, hunger, and stimulation
-peak effects occur within 5 to 10 minutes and last about two hours
-oral THC has similar effects but a different time course
-magnitude of effects is greater with increasing THC concentration
-regular marijuana smokers can recognize the effects and distinguish between real and placebo marijuana
infrequent smokers
-experience similar but more intense effects compared with experience smokers due to lower tolerance
-at high THC concentrations, may report negative effects such as mild paranoia and hallucinations
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