In January, cannabis was legalised in Colorado, USA.Does this mean the drug isn’t that dangerous? What physical effects does using it actually have? We delve into this new multi-million-dollar industry.
13 DOLLARS PER GRAM TAX INCLUDED:- In Colorado, the sale and consumption of marijuana has been legal for those over the age of 21 since 1st January 2014. As shown in this Denver shop, sellers offer dozens of different varieties of ‘grass’. A gram usually sets you back an average of $13, with 25% going to the state as tax. On the first day of legalisation alone, one million dollars’ worth of weed passed over the counter in Colorado.
What Causes the Effects? Professional hemp-growing is a science: marijuana is grown in warehouses using precisely controlled artifi cial UV light, irrigation systems and air humidity. The aim is to maximise tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, the intoxicating component: “The THC content in weed is noticeably increased in optimal indoor growing conditions,” says Michaela Heyer. Today, a gram of weed is roughly 12-16% THC. In contrast, the THC content of cannabis in 1970 was between three and four per cent.
HOW DOES A MARIJUANA LAB OPERATE?
They only measure a few square metres but can cost up to $18,000. Marijuana dealers are increasingly developing high-tech laboratories to cultivate large quantities of plants. Using pumps, sprinklers, ventilation systems, charcoal fi lters, sodium discharge bulbs and pH-measuring instruments, the owners can produce seven to ten harvests a year. These sell for between $3500 and $9000 per kilo. Since the growing of marijuana is illegal in Australia, World of Knowledge won’t reveal all the tricks of the trade in the following diagram…
16-20 HOURS OF LIGHT per day is needed by young plants in the growth phase.After a few weeks, this time is reduced to a maximum of 12 hours which allows the plants to fl ower. The light colour is also important: in their growth phase, cannabis plants crave blue light. In the flowering phase the light needs to be red.
20 TO 28 DEGREES CELSIUS is the room temperature marijuana plants require to flower. Lamps and sensors in the laboratories provide a constant optimal heat. To reduce the intense smell of the blossom, outgoing air is purified using carbon filters
The Three Types Of Smoke:- In general, users can choose between two types of grass: Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. Cannabis ruderalis is a robust wild form that can easily be brought to fl owering. The varieties differ in growth height, the THC content of their fl owers and even in the feeling of intoxication.
SATIVA:-Grows up to seven metres high, takes 9-12 weeks to fl ower and has a lower THC content than indica. Effect: like being drunk. It can also lead to hallucinations and paranoia.
INDICA:-Grows up to two metres high, takes 6-9 weeks to fl ower and has a higher THC content. Effect: also like being drunk. It can both increase tiredness and work as a pain killer.
RUDERALIS:- A wild cross of indica and sativa. It grows up to 80cm high, fl owers after 4-6 weeks and has a lower THC content. Effect: psychoactive and similar to sativa.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DIE TAKING DRUGS?
Around 200 million people around the world use drugs each year, according to a report published in The Lancet; and roughly 250,000 lose their lives as a result – adding up to 2.1 million years of life. Still, this is a drop in the ocean compared to the number of deaths attributed to legal drugs like alcohol (2.25 million) and tobacco (5.1 million).
THE MOST POPULAR DRUGS WORLDWIDE:- This table uses 2013 drug statistics from the United Nations and excludes legal drugs like alcohol and nicotine. 1. MARIJUANA (191 MILLION USERS WORLDWIDE) 2.COCAINE (19 MILLION) 3.ECSTASY (26 MILLION) 4.HEROIN (22 MILLION) 5.AMPHETAMINE (53 MILLION)
HOW DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT THE BRAIN? The long-term effect of marijuana is a controversial subject amongst scientists. The debate revolves around its active ingredient, THC. While some studies of THC attest to its anti-cancer properties, other experts warn of increased psychotic disorders and a decrease in IQ. What are known, however, are itsshort-term effects on the brain. They set in just seconds after consumption…
MOTOR MANIPULATOR The active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol overcomes the blood/brain barrier and binds to the receptors of the basal ganglia. This area of the brain is responsible for motor function. The consequence? Our muscles relax. Many users feel incapable of moving, much less getting up and walking.
HUNGER STIMULATOR The tetrahydrocannabinols bind to the receptors responsible for appetite. These are found in the hypothalamus. The result? A sudden ravenous appetite. Smokers call this phenomenon the ‘munchies’. At the same time, the THC also manipulates receptors in the perception area, possibly leading to hallucinations and delusions.
PAIN RELIEVER There are several pain centres in the brain which possess so-called cannabinoid receptors. The active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol latches onto these and provides pain relief. The same process also occurs in the fear centre, the amygdala, meaning fear is reduced.
100 DOLLARS PER CUSTOMER Cough sweets, crunchy snacks and drinkable elixirs – marijuana shops now offer more than just dried leaves. In Colorado, each customer spends an average of $100 in the shop.
THE MARIJUANA ATLAS:WHERE IS SMOKING POT LEGAL?
Toni Fox proudly shows off her warehouse. Hundreds of fi lled jam jars sit on shelves, sorted according to size, while dozens of green shrubs hang out to dry on washing lines. Fox is the owner of a marijuana shop in the state of Colorado, USA. Since 1st January 2014, anyone over the age of 21 can buy and use the drug here. An ounce (around 30 grams) costs roughly $400 and a 25% tax on the product lines the state’s pockets. However, only a few hundred kilometres away in the neighbouring state of Texas, Henry Wooten is paying a different price for the drug. He’s serving 35 years in prison for possessing 100 grams. With fi ve years behind him, there’s no hope of an early release. Unlike the situation in Colorado, the consumption and sale of marijuana is a crime in Texas. How is it possible that a substance can be viewed so differently within the same country? Who is profi ting from Colorado’s legalisation of marijuana? And just how dangerous is a joint? The long-term effect of cannabis is currently a controversial subject in the scientifi c community. This debate also extends to the drug’s longterm threat to the human body (see “How does marijuana affect the brain?” on previous page). Depending on which study you read, marijuana’s active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can be either harmful or helpful. It can either reduce memory capacity and intelligence, while encouraging psychosis, or allegedly prevent cancer, fi ght depression and increase concentration. Is it a dangerous gateway drug, medicine or harmless luxury? The answers – and laws – regarding these questions are deeply divided. Cannabis is legal in the Netherlands, Uruguay and now two US states. But the consumption and sale of the substance in, for example, France, Thailand and other US states like Texas is punished with long prison sentences. Depending on the quantity seized, it can even lead to the death
CANNABIS IS AUSTRALIA’S MOST POPULAR DRUG: 700,000 PEOPLE SMOKE IT EACH WEEK, 300,000 USE IT EVERY DAY penalty. Cannabis is illegal in Australia, but has effectively been decriminalised in the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and the Northern Territory for minor possessions police deem are for personal use. And it remains the most popular drug in the country: around 750,000 people smoke it each week, while 300,000 admit to using cannabis every day. The reasons for legalisation in some countries are primarily fi nancial. Experts estimate that the marijuana market in the US is worth $50 billion a year in taxes. Furthermore, prices of publicly owned drug companies have skyrocketed 1,700%.Countries that legalise cannabis and tax it enjoy huge budgetary surpluses each year. There are other benefi cial side effects too: the violent black market is signifi cantly weakened. In Europe, particularly Britain, the legalisation debate is fi erce. Steve Rolles, of the UK’s Transform Drug Policy Foundation, argues that cannabis should be legalised and governed by a strict framework. But he acknowledges Britain is still “a long way away” from tackling the issue. Many also insist that marijuana is a largely harmless drug, especially in contrast to alcohol which claims 3,000 lives each year in Australia. No study has been able to prove that cannabis can be deadly or lead to a life-threatening disease. Has the drug’s dangerous potential been overestimated? Is the substance actually quite safe? “By no means,” says psychiatrist Rainer Thomasius. “From a neurological perspective cannabinoids are even more dangerous than alcohol. Binge drinking can lead to poisoning. Using cannabis at an early age, however, can restructure the entire central nervous system.” Studies have shown evidence of memory weakness and decreased intelligence in teenagers. The risk of psychosis is also 2.2 times higher in regular users than in those who abstain. Like all drugs, marijuana has a potential for addiction. Psychopharmacologist David Nutt explains that it doesn’t matter if cannabis is weaker than tobacco, alcohol and cocaine, medical professionals and politicians will always warn against the legalisation of marijuana. So don’t expect to fi nd any shops like Toni Fox’s in Colorado on your local high street anytime soon. At least not any legal ones…
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