CANNABIS SATIVA (MARIJUANA)
It is commonly
known as marijuana. Cannabis is referred to in different names. The names
include: Hemp, Ganja, grass, Hashis, pot, reefer and weed. Cannabis contains a
chemical (THC) delta -9 tetrahydrocannabinol which is believed to be
responsible for most of the characteristics psychoactive effects of cannabis.
Medical uses of cannabis
Research has
resulted in development and marketing of dronabinol and cannabinoid products.
·
Marinol
(dronabinal) is used for control of nausea and vomiting caused by
chemotherapeutic agents used in treatment of cancer and stimulates appetite in
HIV/AIDS patients.
·
Cesamet
(nabilone) is used for control of nausea and vomiting caused by
chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of cancer.
A temporary
overdose of marijuana can occur and is called green out .It is important to
understand temporary overdose of marijuana will not result in permanent disability
or death but can be quite common in people who have not used the drug before.
The following
are symptoms of too much marijuana in the system:
Ø Temporary
feelings of paranoia, fear and anxiety
Ø Shortness of
breath
Ø Pupil dilation
Ø Vomitting and
nausea
Ø First heart rate
Ø Shaking that is
hard to control, feeling cold.
Ø Disorientation
or hallucinations.
How to treat marijuana overdose symptoms
Slight cases of
green out will usually go away on its own in few hours without treatment.
Keep an eye on
the person and offer fluids and rest.
Watch for
symptoms that warrant further medical care such as : trouble breathing, pale
skin color, first heart rate and responsiveness.
Medical
personnel will focus the treatment on alleviating the symptoms. They can give
anti-anxiety medications.
Medication to
control the heart rate and blood pressure are given.
Intravenous
fluids may be administered and they will be watched in a controlled environment
with doctors standing by to handle any further health complications.
First aid and emergencies
Call 911 if the
person has collapsed or stopped breathing.
1.
Begin CPR,if
necessary
If the person is
not breathing or breathing dangerously weak: For a child start CPR for children
and for an adult starts adult CPR.
The FDA has
approved a prescription treatment that can be used by family members or care
givers to treat a person known or suspected to have had opioid overdose. Opioids
include various prescription pain medications and illicit street drugs .An
overdose is characterized by slowed breathing and heart rate and a loss of
consciousness. Evzio (naloxene hydrochloride infection) rapidly delivers a
single dose of the drug naloxene via a hand held auto –injector that can be
carried in a pocket or stored in a medicine cabinet. Although Evzio can counter
overdose effects within minutes, professional medical help is still needed.
2.
Contact poison
control
Call poison
control.
Poison control
experts will advise you how to proceed.
Do not try to
make the person vomit or give the person anything to eat or drink.
3.
Collect Drug or
Pills
Give drug or
pills the person may have taken to the emergency team, or take them to the
emergency room or doctor’s office.
4.
Follow up
At the hospital,
the person’s stomach may be pumped .Activated charcoal may be given by mouth to
absorb the drug.
A psychiatric
evaluation will be ordered if the overdose was intentional.
Acute complications of marijuana/Cannabis.
- · Impaired thinking up to twenty four hours
- · Coordination difficulty
- · Short term memory loss up to several weeks
- · Traffic accidents
- · Seizures- in people with epilepsy
- · Psychotic episode- especially in people with schizophrenia
Long-term complications of chronic
marijuana/cannabis
- · Apathy
- · Loss of energy
- · Boredom
- · Loss of interest in various activities
- · Concentration problems
- · Memory problems
- · Learning difficulty(learning disabilities)
- · Reduced libido
- · Reduced sperm count
- · Irregular menstruation
- · Psychotic symptoms
- · Cannabis dependence
- · Cannabis withdrawal
- · Socially or family problems
- · Poor performance at school
- . poor performance at work
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