April 26, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Attica: 10% of the population smoke low-quality marijuana

A professor of analytical chemistry, who also studies the spread of the coronavirus epidemic through sewage, said that 1.8% of the inhabitants of the Attica region use cannabis.

“Cannabis use in Attica is one of the highest in Europe. Athens is the 5th city in Europe where drug use is monitored at the pan-European level.

In fact, since 2011, we have been systematically and every year providing wastewater analysis data to the European Drug Monitoring Center and the National Documentation Center,” said Nikos Tomaidis, Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Athens.

As the expert explained, cannabis use had a decline during the first phase of the lockdown (during the covid pandemic) from March 2020 to September 2020.

“However, in Athens, we have seen an increase in the use of the drug from October 2020 to March 2021. In March 2021, a fairly large use of it was recorded, which corresponds to approximately 10% of the population of Attica. Cannabis use has a periodicity, meaning it increases in the winter and decreases in the summer months,” he added.

In addition, a very curious discovery was made recently by the European Narcotics Monitoring Center. According to the data received, the quality of cannabis has generally fallen. The study also states that cannabis use is quite common in the south of Europe, as well as in some cities in the Netherlands, in Paris, in London.

Reference. What is marijuana

It is a psychoactive drug that has been used for thousands of years. The active substances found in marijuana are known as cannabinoids. The most abundant cannabinoid in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC.

Marijuana can be:

Raw dried flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant. Kif is a resin gland powder from the cannabis plant, rich in cannabinoids. Hashish is a concentrated resin from flowers. Khach oil is a powerful compound of oil and resin extracted from cannabis with a solvent. Residue (tar) – resin accumulated on the inside of items used to smoke marijuana.

According to statistics, smoking is the most common way to use marijuana: it is rolled into joints, and it is also often smoked through a bong, a device similar to a portable hookah with a water chamber. It can also be used as a vapor. To inhale marijuana, use a device that heats it to high temperatures.

How long does marijuana last in urine

With the first and single use, marijuana is quickly excreted from the body, from five to eight days. But with frequent use, there is a cumulative effect. So, for example, if it was daily, marijuana will be visible in the urine for 2 to 3 months or longer.

Consequences of using marijuana

With long-term use of marijuana, tolerance to the action of the drug is formed, a person takes increasing doses. Once tolerance is achieved, one of the long-term effects is withdrawal (abstinence) of marijuana after marijuana use and during periods of abstinence.

Withdrawal syndrome with sufficiently long-term use of marijuana leads to:

Irritability and anger. Aggression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety. I have pain in my stomach. Reduced healthy appetite or weight loss. Tremor. Increased sweating. Cravings for harder drugs. Difficulties with healthy sleep.

Long-term marijuana use can lead to negative effects on the brain that can affect memory and learning:

Inability to focus, concentrate and retain information. Weakening of mathematical and verbal skills.

If you notice that your child has started using drugs, then do not hesitate to decide to help him.

The immune, reproductive, and respiratory systems are most likely to show long-term effects of marijuana use, which include:

Cough, wheezing and sputum production. Increased risk of developing cancer. Frequent chest problems, including lung infections. Immune system disorder. Hormonal changes and menstrual irregularities. Negative effect on male and female fertility.

Harm of marijuana

Negative effects on birth weight and cognition, as well as an increased risk of cancer in children born to mothers who use marijuana. Paranoia, panic disorder, fear.

Marijuana Addiction Treatment

Addiction can only be cured clinically, for this it is worth contacting a specialized institution. If the craving for the drug is still small, and there is an opportunity to overcome it at home, that’s fine. However, not everyone is able to cope with addiction on their own.

In addiction treatment clinics, patients are prescribed a comprehensive approach. Narcologists and psychotherapists work with patients. In addition, patients are often prescribed special blood purification procedures, for example, such as: hemosorption, hemodiafiltration, plasmapheresis.



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