Cannabis is the general name given to a variety of substances prepared from the plant Cannabis sativa. In small doses, it is classified as a depressant. In larger doses, it can be an hallucinogen. The dried plant, resin or oil is commonly smoked for recreational purposes. Cannabis can also be ingested by cooking it in food.
Cannabis is also called 'gunga', 'dope', 'hash', 'weed', 'hemp', 'grass' and 'mull'.
The main substance in cannabis that causes the effects on the brain is a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The concentration of THC varies according to the part of the plant that is used, the variety of the plant and its growing conditions.
As with tobacco, there are many other substances that get released into the lungs when cannabis is smoked. There are large amounts of tar produced when cannabis is burned. Tar is one of the substances that can contribute to cancer, especially cancer of the respiratory system.
Under research conditions, THC has been shown to be:
Using cannabis can affect the body in a number of ways, depending on the person, how much of the drug is taken and what is happening around the person at the time. The effects include:
Cannabis can cause confusion, forgetfulness, anxiety, hallucinations, delusions, agitation and, in rare cases, paranoia. If a person has a diagnosed mental illness, such as schizophrenia, taking cannabis can induce an episode or make it worse. How people react after using cannabis may also be affected by what other drugs they may have taken. People who smoke cannabis often use it in combination with tobacco. Both cannabis and tobacco are high in tar and other chemicals so these people are breathing in damaging chemicals from two sources.
The major health and psychological effects of chronic cannabis use, especially daily use over many years, remain uncertain. The following graphic outlines the likely major adverse effects - according to the available evidence.
Possible effects of long term heavy use which have not been confirmed by research include:
There have been no documented deaths from overdoses of cannabis.
Some heavy users develop a psychological dependence on cannabis. They spend more time getting the drug and taking the drug. They have trouble cutting back. They keep using it even when it causes personal problems.
It is known that THC enters the blood stream of the developing baby from the mother when she uses the drug. Smoking, whether tobacco or cannabis, deprives the developing baby of oxygen. Other possible effects of heavy use during pregnancy (not yet proven) are:
Tolerance can develop in people who use a lot of cannabis. People who have been long term, heavy users who quit using cannabis can experience withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include irritability, anxiousness, nausea, sweating, depression and disturbed sleep.
Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in Australia. One third of the population has tried it (National Task Force on Cannabis 1994:30). In most cases, the use is experimental. In a telephone survey of 200 randomly selected households in each State/Territory conducted in 1994 the NT consistently indicated the highest level of use with 55.2 per cent of respondents indicating having used cannabis and 16 per cent in the last month (Bowman & Sanson-Fisher 1994:4,26).
Statistics from 1996 survey of NT high school students indicate that 22 per cent of 16 year olds and 33 per cent of 17 year olds had used cannabis in the seven days prior to the survey (Bertram & O'Reilly 1998).
There is little known about Aboriginal people's use of cannabis. There are anecdotal reports of it being used widely by young people, particularly in communities in the Top End. The impression among people working with these communities is that cannabis use is increasing. In a 1994 national survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, two out of ten people in the NT listed cannabis as a local problem (ABS 1994).
The Misuse of Drugs Act makes possession and cultivation of cannabis in the NT a criminal offence. It is against the law to grow, supply, sell, possess or consume cannabis. The Act permits police the discretion to issue an infringement notice for some 'personal use' of cannabis.
An infringement notice (or 'on the spot' penalty notice) is a means of enforcing a breach of the criminal law through payment of a fixed penalty rather than a prosecution for an offence through the courts.
Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act, passed in July 1996, state that:
People under the age of 17 years found in possession of cannabis will be prosecuted in court. If an offence is proven, they may get a criminal conviction. Using and/or selling cannabis on licensed premises and around schools, regardless of the person's age, are offences which will also be prosecuted in court.
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