Posts Tagged Marijuana addiction

Fat-Rich Foods and Marijuana Trigger Similar Effects

Posted by Drug Free in Marijuana Use and Abuse on July 13th, 2011

Here’s another reason why we should limit our intake of fatty foods. In a new study, it was found out that fat-rich foods can produce the same effect as marijuana which makes people overeat.

The findings were the results of a study headed by Professor Daniele Piomelli, a pharmacology instructor at the University of California, which will be published this week in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal.

burger and friesPiomelli has long been studying the effects of “endocannabinoids” in the body. In his research, he found that fatty foods signal the body to release a feel-good chemical which has similar effects as marijuana. This will result to a drug-like feeling driving a person to overeat on fatty foods, like fries and chips.

“This is the first demonstration that endocannabinoid signaling in the gut plays an important role in regulating fat intake,” says Piomelli in a feature on The Independent. While fatty foods create this effect, sugary and high-protein foods were not found to do the same.

In recent years, doctors have found out that the body can produce its own cannabinoids which brings the same effect when a person hits on marijuana. They called such chemicals in the body as endocannabinoids which, with just the right triggers, makes the body produce some reactions in the nervous system that could block or reduce a person’s sensations of pain and anxiety, like marijuana does.

Piomelli’s research can be most useful in creating a drug that will help block the reception of endocannabinoids in the body’s system to discourage overeating and prevent obesity. A good way to combat this effect is by considering a 2003 study from the Georgia Institute of Technology which tells us that 50 minutes of vigorous running on a treadmill or by riding a stationary bike can give a “runner’s high;” the sense of well-being that is beneficial for the body.

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Marijuana Danger Facts for Teens

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on May 4th, 2010

Can marijuana cause harm (illness or death) to the user?

The components of marijuana are not toxic enough to cause an illness or death. It has even been used as a form of medication in a number of states in the US. However, if we talk about using marijuana with other drugs or using marijuana while or shortly before doing activities that require focus and coordination, such as driving or operating a heavy machine, then marijuana can be dangerous and can even cause death.

teen marijuanaIs it dangerous to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana at the same time?

Drinking too much alcohol can cause serious illness or death. Throwing up is the body’s way to get rid of poison. Smoking marijuana suppresses the body’s need to purge when the blood alcohol content reaches dangerous levels. That is why binge drinking and marijuana smoking make a dangerous combination.

Does using marijuana always lead to abusing other more dangerous drugs?

Marijuana has been referred to as a gateway drug, a label which many marijuana advocates strongly oppose to. Many drug abusers may have started with marijuana, but only a small percentage of marijuana users actually move on to using other more dangerous drugs. What marijuana users should be concerned about is not how it can lead to further drug abuse, but what its effects are to the brain even when taken without other drugs.

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Answers to Common Questions on Drug Addiction

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on April 28th, 2010

We’ve heard about substance addiction so many times and we probably know someone who is addicted to marijuana, alcohol or other drugs. Addiction is a complex, chronic disorder characterized by the compulsive need to use a substance despite the harms it may cause. Here are some of the most common questions asked about addiction and the answers to them.

drugsIs addiction a disease?

Yes. National Institute on Drug Abuse researches suggest that addiction or the compulsion to take drugs is linked to changes in specific neurons in the central nervous system. It can thus be considered as a brain disease.

What are the common signs of addiction?

As addiction has 2 components — physical and psychological — it manifests both physically and psychologically. Physical manifestations include shills, weird smell, vomiting, sweating, and weight loss. An addict may also show signs of aggression, anxiety, burnout, irritability, lack of energy, poor motivation, slow reaction time, denial, depression, and paranoia.

Can an addict quit using drugs if he has strong will power?

Most people suffering from an addiction to drugs cannot stop on their own, no matter how willing they say they are. It is important to seek help from organizations offering structured rehabilitation programs.

Can someone use drugs without being addicted to it?

It depends how strong the effects of drugs are. Many people are able to enjoy alcohol without suffering from alcohol addiction. Addiction happens when a person’s drug use becomes a central part of his or her life. This can be seen on the amount of time and money he or she spends on drugs, and on what he or she is willing to give up for it, such as relationships, jobs or school.

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Marijuana Lingo Parents Need to Know

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Facts on November 1st, 2009

We often hear the term ‘communication gap’ being discussed when parents and children don’t exactly meet eye to eye. This has been an accepted reality as the wide difference in age could really bring a certain level of difficulty in communicating, although it is always a better option to make the constant effort to bridge whatever gap there is. One of the most important ‘languages’ that parents need to be aware of is the drug lingo, used by many drug users to somehow make drug discussions seem like normal ones.

marijuanaLet us take marijuana, which is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States, as an example. Marijuana goes with traditional alternate names pot, herb, grass, weed, reefer, and Mary Jane. As time passes, however, and more people become aware of these nicknames, drug users come up with more alternate names and the list can continue with Aunt Mary, Alice B. Toklas, skunk, baby bhang, boom, gangster, kif, butter flower, and ganja.

They have even come up with terms that describe certain mixes, like “51” or “crack bash” to refer to the combination of crack cocaine and marijuana, “A-bomb” to mean marijuana with opium or heroin, or “candy blunt” for marijuana dipped in cough syrup. And do you think that people are concerned with the place where the products originated only when purchasing tea or appliances? Think again. “Black gungi” refers to marijuana from India while “chiba chiba” means it’s from Colombia.

It may be difficult, even impossible, to learn all the terms associated with marijuana use, as they do not only differ from one country to another, users also come up with new names every time. The most important thing, though, is to be more observant about what your teens are talking about. If there is something that sounds suspicious to you, it would be best to ask them, in a very subtle and unoffensive way, what they are discussing. An open line of communication has always been a powerful tool.

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