Article: - Cannabis: not just a “harmless hippy” drug
Cannabis: Info for teens
Cannabis, pot, hash, weed, ganja…whatever you like to call it, this is probably the most common illegal drug used by teens. It is often thought of as a less dangerous drug than some of the others, like ecstasy or heroin, as it doesn’t appear to have such an extreme effect on the body.
However, it does have its own dangers, maybe not so apparent as other drugs, but they are there, and that is why it is illegal. Currently classified as a Class C drug, you face up to 2 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine if you are caught with cannabis in your possession and up to 14 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine if you sell it to others.
So how does cannabis affect the body?
Skin & hair
- Accelerated wrinkling. A 40-year-old smoker will have about as many wrinkles as a 60-year-old non-smoker. And if that isn’t enough to put you off smoking the ganja…
- Dry skin on the face
- Yellow nails
- Cuts take longer to heal
- More scarring
- Premature thinning and greying of hair
So smoking cannabis might seem a bit of fun, but when you look in the mirror in 20 years and see someone who could easily get their senior citizen bus pass, chances are you’ll regret all those hazy memories.
Brain
- Impaired thinking (We’re thinking the “Yeah man, that’s like totally out there and I was like…yeah”type. Not the most interesting of conversation)
- Slow reactions
- Poor short-term and working memory
- Increased chance of getting mental illness or worsening it
Moods
- Low motivation
- Psychological dependence on the drug (not a nice position to be in)
- Anxiety and panic attacks for some people
Relationships
- Long-term use leads to poor interaction skills, you find it hard to socialise normally
- Low motivation can harm relationships
Energy levels
- Very low
Body
- Cannabis smoke is even more harmful to lungs than tobacco smoke
- Bloodshot eyes
- Increased appetite
- Higher chance of some cancers, including lung, throat and mouth
- Hearing problems (yes, really, we didn’t know that either)
- Infertility
- Heart disease
- Higher blood pressure
- High cholesterol
As you can see, when you smoke cannabis you get all the downsides of smoking, plus a whole bunch more harmful effects. For some reason it has a bit of a “harmless hippy” “dreadlock Rasta” reputation, but both short-term and long-term use can have a serious effect on you.
Some teenagers are particularly vulnerable to the effects of cannabis and just one use can leave them feeling messed up for a long time. Our advice is don’t find out if you are one of those people.