Marijuana In Filipino Students

304 Words2 Pages
Marijuana in Filipino Students According to the International Narcotics Control Board, about 70 percent of marijuana supply in the world might be coming from the Cordillera region in northern Luzon. It claimed that marijuana fields have been found among the 300,000 hectares of Cordillera farmlands in the past. In 1999, the police conducted 7,956 raids and arrested 11,004 individuals on drug-related cases. Marijuana has been the most common illicit substance worldwide. Marijuana is called joints, grass, pot, Mary Jane, weed and tea. Depending on its form, it is also called hashis, hemp, bhang, ganja, dagga, sinsemilla and chasra and among Filipinos, it is called omads (damo), chonki , momay, shotgun, buddha, tiririt,ganja and juts. Marijuana comes from Cannabis sativa, a plant that contains psychoactive substances. The most potent part of cannabis is the flowering tops or the dried, black-brown, resinous exudates of the leaves (hashis). Marijuana is commonly smoked but it could also be incorporated in foods such as cake. Marijuana contains about 400 chemicals with THC as the principal, most potent component. Its receptors are found mainly in the basal ganglia, cerebellum and hippocampus, which partly responsible for its euphoric and cognitive effects. Few receptors are found in the cerebral cortex and virtually none in the brainstem. Minutes after marijuana is smoked, its euphoric effect appears, peaks in 30 minutes and lasts 2-4 hours after. It impairs motor and cognitive functions up to 5-12 hours. Abusers also experience depersonalization and de-realization, leading to odd behavior and detachment from reality. Abusers have heightened sensitivity to external stimuli and see colors brighter and richer. They have subjective decreased appreciation of time. Abusers have impaired reaction time, perception, motor agility, and attention. Literature indicates that
Open Document