Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

chloral hydrate A hypnotic drug used therapeutically
as a sleep aid. Chloral hydrate is a schedule
4 drug in the United States, requiring a physician’s
prescription for legal use and possession. As a drug
of abuse chloral hydrate may be taken alone or
mixed with ALCOHOL (“Mickey Finn”). The latter
produces a potent sedative as well as amnesiac
effect. Such a mixture gained notoriety as a “date
rape” concoction in the early decades of the 20th
century. When taken at therapeutic dosage chloral
hydrate is very safe. However, at high doses, chlochloral
hydrate 327
pus regulates memory storage and retrieval for
short-term memory. The cerebellum and basal
ganglia coordinate and control voluntary motor
movement.
THC also binds with neuroreceptors in the
brain that affect sensations of pleasure, notably
those associated with food and eating. Recent
research suggests long-term, chronic use of substances
containing THC results in permanent
changes to the cannabinoid receptors. Those in
the hippocampus seem particularly vulnerable,
which researchers believe may account for the
long-lasting difficulties chronic marijuana abuses
have with short-term memory.
Marijuana
Marijuana is a product formed from the dried
leaves and buds of the Cannabis plant, which are
usually then smoked like cigarettes or in pipes.
The psychoactive ingredients, primarily THC,
enter the BLOOD circulation rapidly through the
LUNGS. The effect lasts about two hours, though
THC remains detectable in the blood and URINE for
at least 24 hours and up to 10 days after smoking
marijuana. Some people mix marijuana with food,
in which case THC more slowly enters the blood
circulation via absorption through the intestinal
mucosa (mucous lining of the SMALL INTESTINE).
Most marijuana has a THC content of 5 to 7 percent.
A cultivation method that removes the seeds
from the plants in their early stages of development
results in a particularly potent form of marijuana
called sinsemilla, which has a THC content
of 10 to 15 percent.
Aside from the neurologic risks of THC, a significant
health concern with marijuana is its
smoke. Burning marijuana releases more than 400
chemicals, many of which are the same carcinogens
(cancer-causing agents) found in cigarette
smoke. As well, the smoke is an irritant to the
bronchial structures and the lungs. Long-term
smoking of marijuana can result in some of the
same health problems that result from long-term
cigarette smoking such as COUGH, chronic BRONCHI-
TIS and CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE
(COPD). Whether long-term marijuana smoking
increases the risk for LUNG CANCER remains
unknown, though many researchers believe it has
similar carcinogenic characteristics because it contains
many of the same chemicals.
Hashish and Hash Oil
Hashish is the dried and compressed resin extracted
from the tops of the Cannabis plant. As with marijuana,
the most common methods of consumption
are smoking (though typically in pipes) and cooking
in foods. Its THC content is 5 to 7 percent. Hash
oil is an extract of the THC and other cannabinoids
(cannabis chemicals) pulled from the flowers of
Cannabis plants using a solvent. The resulting liquid
is thick and concentrated, with a THC content of
about 15 percent. The user may place a few drops
on an ordinary cigarette or in foods. The effects and
their duration for both hashish and hash oil are
similar to marijuana.
HEALTH RISKS OF CANNABIS ABUSE
Short Term
altered judgment and
relaxed inhibition
delayed reaction time
heightened sensory perceptions
increased APPETITE
panic attack
Long Term
apathy and disinterest in life
DEPRESSION
loss of short-term memory
functions
anxiety
cognitive dysfunction
dizziness
impaired balance and
coordination
delusions
IMMUNE SYSTEM suppression
PSYCHOSIS
See also COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND DYSFUNCTION;
ILLICIT DRUG USE; MEMORY AND MEMORY IMPAIRMENT;
SCHEDULED DRUGS; SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT.