Marijuana Usage Among College-Aged Individuals - Case Study Example

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to identify the core of marijuana (cannabis) usage in college aged individuals and the effectiveness in treating the addicts. A short glimpse of clinical implications of marijuana usage would depict the way in which the substance affects human brain and body. Results from the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, Volume I , summary of National Findings reveal that smoking marijuana by young adults is presenting an alarming statistics in which 2.4 million Americans used marijuana for the first time in 2000. but this figure had a peak and fall and has attained a stage of 2.5 million new users in 1996. the peak reached in 1976-1977 when the new users of cannabis went high enough to 3.2 millions. What makes the figure to shoot up to such a high level? Most of the young people smoke marijuana only for fun and the temporary sensation of the ‘high’. This habit drags them into chronic users of cannabis unmindful of the impact cannabis lay in their nerve systems and the entire body. Neurotransmitters fill the gap namely the synapses in our brain between two neurons and bind to protein receptors. Such synaptic plasticity enables various functions and allows our brain and body to be turned on and off. Cannabinoid receptors are activated by a neurotransmitter called anandamide. Anandamide belongs to the group of chemicals called cannabinoids. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is also a cannabinoid chemical capable of mimicking the actions of anandamide and interfering with normal functions of the brain and body. High concentrations of cannabinoid receptors exist in the hippocampus, cerebellum and basal ganglia. On binding with hippocampus at temporal lobe affects the short term memory process and interferes with recollection of recent events. Unconscious muscle movements are impaired when THC affects basal ganglia. SECTION 1: Health risks: Casualties and injuries caused by substance use: Events at three levels of brain, person and group interact in every situation. The automobile accident that killed Lady Diana, former Princess of Wales is a very good example of how the impact of the driver’s inebriated brain caused him unable to judge or assess his own inability and pushed him to an impulsive behavior of driving too fast in a curving tunnel in response to the chase by a horde of motorcycling paparazzi. ( Kosslyn & Rosenberg, 2001). A New Zealand team headed by Dr. Stephanie Blows surveyed 571 drivers of cars involved in crashes in which at least one occupant was hospitalized or killed and a control group of 588 drivers randomly selected from cars driving in Auckland. It was found that habitual cannabis users were 9.5 times more likely to be involved in crashes, with 5.6% of people who crashed having taken the drug compared to 0.5% of the control group. The findings of their research suggested that targeting high risk marijuana use groups may be more cost-effective than random roadside testing. (Stephanie Blows et al 2005) Psychological impact of Marijuana: The impact of the use of marijuana in adolescent and young age definitely is laying its hands at later period of adulthood when many cannabis users succumb to anxiety and depression disorders. (George C Patton et al 2002). Likewise, the risk of the onset of symptoms was much higher in young people with a predisposition for psychosis. (Cecile Henquet et al 2005). Physiological affect: Moreover, the impacts of marijuana on human health practices are varying depending upon the amount of usage, duration of usage and frequency of usage. In addition to the effect of THC on the functioning of human brain, the tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three times greater than among the tobacco smokers. This may be due the deep inhalation of cannabis smokers. Effects of Marijuana on heart rate and Blood Pressure are also found to be significantly detrimental to the health of the smokers. It increases the risk of overload on the cardiovascular system. Use of marijuana by pregnant women causes the reduction of baby weight in delivery and use of the cannabis by nursing mother conveys some amount of THC to the baby through breast milk causing impairment of the baby’s motor development. Research conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse, Columbia University, New York reveals a stunning truth that maternal use of marijuana by young mothers and pregnant women causes behavioral problems of their offspring certainly at a later stage of their development. Chatterjee (1999) strongly established that maternal use of marijuana was an excellent predictor of behavior problems in children who were likely to use substances in their life time. (Chatterjee. P and Pierce J. 1999) Fertility and use of Cannabis: Use of cannabis by and large has its effect on the fertility both with men and women, although there is no reported effect on the libido of men and women. Dr.Miriam Stoppard in her book, ‘Conception, Pregnancy and Birth’ has found that long term users of cannabis certainly were subjected to infertility and recommends women to stop smoking marijuana at least before three months of their planning to get impregnated. She diligently pointed out a point that babies should not also be exposed to any such toxins and cannabis users must invariably should smoke in separate area away from the infants.(Dr.Drews, 2007) Professor Herbert Schuel in his recent presentation of research to the American Society for Cell Biology, found that anandamide played a significant role in early development of the fertilized egg and determined where within the uterus the embryo would implant to initiate pregnancy. Canabiboids affects this process too in case of long term users of marijuana. He also found that excessive use of cannabis could flood endocannabinoid –signal systems in reproductive organs and adversely affect fertility. (BBC News, dated 12.12.2000, “Cannabis clues to fertility”.) SECTION 2: Reasons for youths indulgence in marijuana consumption: The research studies so far conducted to identify the risk factor of depression linked with the use of marijuana have not able to identify the causes. Dr.Michael T.Lynskey and his colleagues in the Psychiatry Department at the Washington University Medical School in St.Louis, conducted a study on 277 pairs of twin. The team was better able to separate if the drug use and depression were caused by genetic or environmental factors. The differences between identical and fraternal pairs of twins gave a vivid picture of correlation between marijuana use and depression. They found depression among fraternal pairs of twins were relatively greater and suggested that environmental factors, family life, education, community atmosphere played a larger role in both drug abuse and psychological and disorders than genetics. At the opposite end of this correlational spectrum the medical community theorized that depression is the cause of marijuana use, rather than the result. Students’ perception of marijuana is entirely different, according to a survey of Stanford University students. Most of the Stanford students connected marijuana with fun and feeling high, when smoked. When the students were asked about depression, many of them began to emphasize that it depended on the change of one’s mood after smoking. Dr.Alejandro Martinez, director of Counseling and Psychological Services, CAPS, at the Vaden Student Heath Center, agreed that the number of people who came in with marijuana use problems was small compared with those seeing him for depression. Thus the connection between depression and marijuana use rates still remained obscure. (Sofer, 2004) A Swiss based research study had shown that many of the adolescents and youths ascribe group and individual peer pressure as the origin of the habit of smoking marijuana. They felt marijuana could increase a sense of belonging. Minimal use of cannabis is considered less harmful by many parents even. It is termed ‘misuse’ only when the quantity of the marijuana and the smoking frequency is enhanced. This social trend in many ways impedes any strategic evolution to curb the ill healthy practice of marijuana consumption. (P.Menghrajani et al 2005) SECTION 3: Health behavior studies to change the unhealthy practice among youth: Stevens (2006) suggested that marijuana dependence and abuse can moderately be improved by various psychotherapy treatments. In Steven’s view the reduced use rather than abstinence might be the best hope. Stevens cited Dr.Marc Auriacombe of the Addiction Research Group at the University Victor Segalen in Bordeaux, France whose team studied 1267 people who received no or delayed intervention, motivational enhancement therapy (MET), family therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or combinations of these for marijuana dependence and abuse. The team arrived at a plausible conclusion that cognitive therapy both in individual or group sessions and MET in individual sessions had been demonstrated to be effective in reducing cannabis use. They also found that cannabis dependence could not be easily treated on outpatient settings by psychotherapists. (Lise Millay Stevens, 2006,) National Institute of Drug Abuse Publication No.04-4212(B) second edition in 2003 portrays efficient prevention programs for curbing drug abuse. Some sixteen principles are postulated in the Prevention Strategy. Of these principles the first four principles are note worthy. They are: - 1. Prevention programs should enhance protective factors and reverse or reduce risk factors. 2. Prevention programs should address all forms of drug abuse alone or in combination. 3. Prevention programs should address the type of drug abuse problem in the local community, target modifiable risk factors and strengthen identified protective factors. 4. Prevention programs should be tailored to address risk specific to population or audience characteristics such as age, gender, and ethnicity to improve program effectiveness. The remaining dozen principles are cutely tailored in sub classifications of Family Programs, School Programs and Community Programs. The research based prevention program evaluates the substance abuse chiefly in the peer domain and however the academic competence stands as the protective factor. (NIDA, 2003) CONCLUSION: Chatterjee’s findings in the Meet in 1999 are re-established by the findings of Miki Sofer in 2004 wherein depression was the precursor of marijuana use/abuse. Depression per se is caused by several environmental factors including the style of parenting in which children are abused or paid no attention of their activities. The inferences lead us back to the child’s developmental phase in which parental interaction is the most predominant factor. In an atmosphere of parental substance use, it is obvious that a generation would follow the path laid by them. Hence prevention of cannabis use by college aged youth should be necessarily addressed and focused still at an early stage of curbing maternal use of marijuana. Family atmosphere and family constellation must necessarily be taken into account for assessing infantile developments. Infantile developments have been subjected to rigorous research. Alfred Adler, the ardent follower of Sigmund Freud was the classical researcher in assessing infantile developments. He was of the view that a child from day-1 interacts with the people (mostly the parents and especially the mother) about him and is in the process of learning the rules and limits of his society. The child develops some attitudes and convictions from such interactions. Thus, it becomes evident that to stem the practice of marijuana use by the college aged students and youths focus should have been concentrated on their environment especially the familial environment. * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reference list – BBC News, dated 12.12.2000, “Cannabis clues to fertility”. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1066093.stm Cecile Henquet, Lydia Krabbendam, Janneke Spauwen, charles Kaplan, Roselind Lieb, Hans-Ulrich wittchen and Jim van Os, 2005, “Prospective cohort study of cannabis use, predisposition for psychosis and psychotic symptoms in young people”, BMJ, Vol. No.330: 11- Chatterjee. P and Pierce J. 1999, “The impact of maternal marijuana and alcohol use on children’s behavior problems: findings from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth”, Abstract from the Book Association of Health Services Meet, 16:81 Dr.Drews, 2007, “The effects of Cannabis”, in Drew’s Cannabis Information site retrieved from http://homepages.poptel.org.uk/DrDrew/health.html George C Patton, Carolyn Coffey, John B Carlin, Louisa Degenhardt, Michael Lynskey and Wayne Hall, 2002, “Cannabis use and mental health in Young People: cohort study”, BMJ, Vol. 325:1195-1198 Lise Millay Stevens, 2006, “Marijuana Abuse Responds to Psychotherapy, is overall Tough to Treat”, A News Release dated 21.7.2006 at the Center for the Advancement of Health, Washington, DC Miki Sofer, 2004, “Depression and Marijuana:Does smoking pot put you at a higher risk for depression, or does the link work the otherway?”, A News Release from The Stanford Daily dated 28.10.2004 National Institute of Drug Abuse, US department of Health and Human Services, NIH, Publication No.04-4212(B), second edition, 2003 P.Menghrajani, K.Klaue, F.Dubois-Arber and P.A.Michaud, 2005, Swiss adolescents’ and adults’ perceptions of cannabis use: a qualitative study”, Health Education research, Oxford University Press, Vol. 20. No. 4:476-484) Stephanie Blows, Rebacca Q.Ivers, Jennie Connor, Shanthi Ameratunga, Mark Woodward & Robyn Norton, 2005, “Marijuana use and car crash injury”, A Research Report submitted at the Society for Study of Addiction, 100:605-611 Stephen M. Kosslyn and Robin S.Rosenberg, 2001, “Psychology: the Brain, the Person and the World”, Allyn and Bacon, Boston, pp 160 Read More