Legalized Recreational Marijuana
Introduction
According to Freeman et al. (2018), there are approximately 183 million active users of the cannabis drug around the world. The cannabis epidemic has overpassed opiates as a primary controlled substance. Over 53% of first-time cannabis users across Europe have been admitted to a specialist drug treatment facility for treatment of various stages of cannabis use disorders (CUD). These first-time admissions often act as gateways to hard drugs which can lead to problematic drug use. Some of the secondary drug problems include alcohol abuse, opiates overdose and cocaine use among others. A research done by Gage, Hickman & Zammit (2016) showed that high potent cannabis leads to a high dependency for the drug which consequently links long term marijuana addiction to poor mental health outcomes. Therefore legalizing recreational marijuana will increase the risk of psychiatric disorders in patients. The purpose of this literary review is to analyze how legalizing high potency cannabis extracts such as Butane hash oil in the United States will contribute to a high dependency towards the cannabis drug.
Overview of marijuana addiction
Marijuana is sold in three categories depending on the potency levels of the plant. These potency levels are determined by higher levels of the THC compound within the plant or its extracts (Arterberry et al., 2019). This includes; a) the high potency indoor plant or unfertilized marijuana flowers also called the seedless skunk; b) the imported outdoor marijuana which comes as low potency herbal weed or grass; and finally 3) hashish or resin which looks like compressed hay. The highest levels of THC can be found in hydroponically grown or crossbreed varieties of marijuana called Skunk (15%).
First-time cannabis users who initiate using low potency varieties of the drug never transition into regular or heavy users over prolonged periods. Consequently, these users are often referred to as mild users who exhibit low tolerance levels, dependence or mild withdrawal symptoms. These positive effects can range from sedation to anxiety or showing signs of relaxation. The medicinal aspect of cannabis comes from the bioactive ingredient known as the cannabinoid (Cressey, 2015). The cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system are activated to boost pleasure, appetite, creativity, and moods. For example, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) have invested millions of dollars on research to investigate how the active ingredient in cannabinoids can help relieve severe epileptic seizures in children. Cannabis sprays are also becoming popular in treating muscle spasms in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. Consequently, newer studies have proved marijuana as an effective drug for boosting appetite in patients suffering from HIV/AIDs (Hollister, 1998). Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) extracts sold in gelatin capsules contains antistatic properties for relieving severe vomiting and nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Heavy marijuana users have resorted to high potent strains to save money or boost sales. This includes the extraction of resin from the marijuana plant which is rich with the THC compound which has led to a phenomenon known as dabbing. Other ways of enjoying marijuana as a recreational activity includes smoking it under water pipes, rolling it together with tobacco, brewing it in tea as herbal cannabis or mixing it into food. High potency of THC% in cannabis has increased the addiction potential of the drug and therefore acts as a gateway to other hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine (Volkow, Baler, Compton & Weiss, 2014). Heavy marijuana users combine it with hard drugs such as cocaine or adjusting the raw forms into oils and tinctures to increase the potency levels.
The abuse and over-dependence on marijuana has led to increased incidences of cannabis use disorder (CUD) symptoms. According to the National epidemiology Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), an average of 36% of heavy cannabis users reported CUD like symptoms in the year 2013 (Pearson et al., 2017). These cannabis-related problems range from addiction to cognitive impairment and altered brain functioning. These cannabis use disorders (CUD) vary in different users depending on their drug tolerance levels, phases of intoxication and or multidimensional effects (Green, Kavanagh & Young, 2003). Some of the problematic effects marijuana use includes unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, depression, euphoria, dizziness, hallucinations or psychosis.
Effects of marijuana
The preference for high potent cannabis is becoming a global phenomenon. According to Freeman et al. (2018), the level of THC% content within the cannabis flower has been gradually increasing from 3.5% in 1994 to 12.5% in 2012 (Griffith & Cohall, 2018). The farmers who grow cannabis have been focusing on plant strains that contain a higher potency. For example, the potency levels of THC in cannabis samples found in the United States have been rising significantly. These figures range from 4% to 12% while Washington State has registered the highest potency rates of (70% THC) levels between the years 1995 and 2014 (Griffith & Cohall, 2018). These high levels of the THC compound in cannabis are harmful to the mental health status of the average consumer.
The two main ingredients of cannabis are the cannabidiol and the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) compound. The THC compound in cannabis has been known to produce psychotic-like symptoms when injected intravenously in humans. First-time users have reported symptoms of foggy vision, sluggish movement and loss of short term memory immediately after use. Severe withdrawal symptoms among heavy users include irritability, insomnia, dysphoria, and anxiety. This means that the patients who have reported their first episodes of psychosis are more likely to have engaged in prolonged use of high potency strains of the drug with (THC) levels ranging from 15% to 80% (Gage, Hickman & Zammit, 2016). Continued usage of high volumes of the THC compound for prolonged periods might lead to brain damage or a deteriorating cognitive functioning.
Qualitative and Quantitative Studies
A study done by Freeman et al. (2018) revealed a positive correlation between high potency levels of THC in marijuana and first-time cannabis users. This data was collected from 50 coffee shops that have been licensed to sell marijuana in the Netherlands. A random sampling of cannabis drugs sold in retail outlets around the Netherlands provided a quantitative analysis of the level of cannabinoids in recreational marijuana. The cannabis samples were collected every year in January to reduce variations of THC content that comes from seasonal variations. The samples were sent to the lab for gas chromatography and flame ionization of the cannabidiol and THC content. Additional data samples were collected from 16 years of observational study of first-time cannabis patients admitted to specialist drug treatment facilities. The data was available to the public on a monthly and quarterly basis. Consequently, the long term nature of the national trends in cannabis potency provided the highest quality of statistical data for analysis.
The researcher was able to analyze the time-dependent trends associated with the abuse of high potency cannabis. The results of the study revealed that the consumption of high potency cannabis in first-time users contributed to the high demand for cannabis treatment facilities. There was a strong relationship between high potency marijuana and the appearance of CUD like symptoms in the first-time patient admitted for treatment within an average of 5 years. This prolonged effect of cannabis use confirms the time dependence nature of cannabis addiction. The relationship between heavy THC consumption and the early onset of cannabis use disorders is higher among the younger demographics. This is partly related to the age-related tolerance variations and sensitivity to the THC compound in marijuana. The inexperienced marijuana users reported adverse reactions to the high potent marijuana drugs. The toxic delirium to the cannabis drug caused symptoms such as disorientation, panic attacks, and hallucinations. Extreme psychotic reactions led to hypomania, auditory hallucinations and social withdrawal (Hollister, 1986). This cannabis induced schizophrenic-like psychosis were easily managed by hospitalization, but relapse was eminent with reuse.
There have been few policy regulations for managing safe levels of cannabis use and potency limits of the THC compound. For example, the Netherlands legalized the sales of recreational cannabis in coffee shops which accounts for over 70% sales of marijuana in the country. The data samples were collected from one geographic region to ascertain whether policymakers should implement a global monitoring network for high potency cannabis sales. Uruguay has implemented an upper limit of 15% THC content in all marijuana being sold within the country (Niesink, Rigter, Koeter, & Brunt, 2015). The Dutch Opium Act recognized the harmful effects of THC in marijuana and consequently classified hemp oil as a schedule I drug. This means that all marijuana products containing higher than 15% THC are considered to be a hard drug that can lead to adverse health risks on the average consumer.
A study done in collaboration with 11 universities in the United States found that over 53.3% of students had been exposed to marijuana as a recreational drug. The study attracted over 8, 100 participants who revealed that a staggering 9 out of 10 users had experienced the negative effects of marijuana use (Pearson et al., 2017). The gaps of this study reveal inconsistent results on the individual users’ resilience to the high potent cannabis drug. Further research should be conducted to ascertain the major risk factors to high potency cannabis drug abuse such as the age of initiation, genetic predisposition to schizophrenia and concurrent use of hard drugs (Curran, Hindocha, Morgan, Shaban, Das, & Freeman, 2018). The use of urinary tests will also be crucial in determining other secondary drugs such as cocaine and alcohol that might be contributing to high levels of psychiatric disorders among young patients.
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