Cannabis – Hasch, Grass, Marihuana, Dope

History / culture / chemistry / law

Products made of cannabis, such as weed or hashish, are extracted from hemp. Hemp has a very long tradition as agricultural crop and medical plant. Concerning the use as psychoactive substance it has hardly been known in Germany before the 70es. Smoking cannabis has been known in Germany in the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20 century more as a tobacco substitute for “poor people”. Cannabis products are used as psychoactive substances (drugs, which influence the behavior and experience) and being smoked mainly as marijuana or weed (dried flowers of the female hemp plant) and hashish, aka „shit“ or „dope“. More rarely people smoke hashish oil, which is made with some sort of solvent. The possession, dealership and purchase of even small amounts of Cannabis is illegal in Germany. A medical use of the main agent of cannabis, THC (short for Tetrahydrocannabinol), is possible for certain illnesses.
The active agents of Cannabis are called Cannabinoide. Cannabis contains many different agents of this kind. The potency can very much from almost zero (such as the case in of the agricultural hemp grown in Germany) up to 20% at certain illegal plantations in the Netherlands or in Germany. Cannabis is smoked mostly together with Tobacco (in form of cigarettes „Joints“ or with a pipe), sometimes it is being consumed by drinking in greasy drinks (such as chocolate milk) or eaten in food (e.g. cookies). 

Effects & Risks

As it is with any drug, the effects depend on the dose (how much is being consumed?), the potency (how strong is it?), tolerance (how high is one’s tolerance?) of the consumer but also on the setting and environment (at home, at the club, alone or together with others etc.) and the mental state (e.g. momentary mood). The duration of the effect lasts between one and a couple of hours, depending on the dose and other aspects. Cannabis mixed with drinks or food usually has a stronger and longer lasting effect. At the same time though, it is also more difficult to dose.
Typical fort he effect of Cannabis is the coexistence of stimulating and calming effects. Additonally a change of perception of hearing, seeing and feeling as well as a changed perception of time and space. For example, one hour might be perceived as an eternity.
Typical physical effects are dryness of mouth, red eyes, low blod pressure and heightened appetite. The main reasons mentioned for the consumption of Cannabis are the wish for relaxation and distraction but also the increase of sensitivity e.g. while listening to music. Some of the immediate negative effects are nausea, vomiting, circulation problems, palpitation, anxiety and more rarely hallucinations (seeing things that are not there). These effects are mainly the result of an over dosage. Consuming cannabis on a regular basis can cause an addiction. With vulnerable or sensitive people (solche mit einer Veranlagung dazu z.B. bei Fällen von Schizophrenie in der Familie) cannabis can cause a psychosis (schwere psychische Erkrankungen). The mix of  Cannabis with alcohol can lead to strong nausea and.
If cannabis is smoked on a regular basis this is also linked to an increased risk of cancer. In addition, frequent consumption is also connected to limitation of the short-term memory. Physical cold turkey or flashbacks or a so called „amotivational syndrome“ (slacking attitude) is controversial.

Problematischer Gebrauch

Bei täglichem oder fast täglichem Konsum steigt das Risiko dass jemand in unpassenden Situationen unter dem Einfluss der Droge steht (z.B. in der Schule oder im Straßenverkehr). Solche Konsumenten vermeiden auch gelegentlich Situationen, in denen sie nicht konsumieren könnten (z.B. Unternehmungen mit nicht-konsumierende Bekannten/Freunden). Erlebt jemand negative Effekte des Cannabiskonsums wie z.B. Lernschwierigkeiten, Müdigkeit, Konflikte mit anderen Menschen (Eltern, Lehrer, Freunde usw.), Angstzustände, Depressionen und konsumiert dennoch weiter, so ist das ebenfalls ein problematischer Gebrauch und weist möglicherweise auf eine beginnende Abhängigkeit hin.

Zahlen zum Cannabiskonsum*

*Quelle: Drogenaffinitätsstudie 2008 der BZgA Die große Mehrheit der 12-17-Jährigen hat keine Erfahrung mit Cannabis. Rund 10% der Jugendlichen in dieser Altersgruppe haben mindestens einmal Cannabis konsumiert.

Nur 1% der 12-17-Jährigen konsumiert regelmäßig Cannabis (mindestens 10-mal im Jahr).

Selbst-Check, Safer Use Hinweise und weitere Informationen

http://www.suchtzentrum.de/drugscouts/dsv3/stoff/cannabis.html

http://www.dhs.de/web/daten/DHS_Basisinfo_Cannabis.pdf

http://www.drugcom.de/?uid=d8877007964d066858df51d407008f18&id=cannabis