Science Cannabis

238 THE SCIENCE OF MARIJUANAin turn took a puff at a large marijuana cigar, which he passed to hisneighbor. The atmosphere at such meetings was joyful and filled withritual chanting and convivial warmth. Each of those attending took atotal of 13 puffs, and at the end consequently found himself in a state ofhallucinatory excitement and intoxication. At the center of the circle wasplaced a sacred animal, an iguana. The animal attracted by the smell ofthe marijuana smoke also rotated 13 times, turning its head towards thecigar with its mouth open, inhaling the smoke. The animal was thoughtto represent the sacred incarnation of a god presiding over the ceremony,and when the iguana became intoxicated and fell down, the participantsknew that it was time to stop passing the cigar! The reptile served afunction akin to that of the pit canary in nineteenth century coalmines!ConclusionsThe recreational use of cannabis has become common in most Westerncountries. Up until now it has been an activity indulged in mainly bythose under the age of 30, but this pattern may change as cannabis becomesmore and more accepted as a part of our culture. It has beenaccepted and widely used, often as an alternative to alcohol, in manyparts of the world.There are health risks associated with cannabis use, particularly withsmoked marijuana, but earlier reports of the dangers of cannabis havebeen proven to be exaggerated. There is a genuine risk of developingdependence on cannabis, and for some people it can come to dominatetheir lives and have a very negative impact. To many people it is regarded,rightly or wrongly, as a harmless weekend indulgence.