Hashish is, next to marijuana and hashish oil, a substance derived from cannabis, very popular in Poland and around the world. Hashish is made from hemp resin and most often consumed in the form of the so-called turns. Hashish causes a feeling of euphoria and ecstasy in the user, which is illusory, since the use of this drug also has negative consequences. Read how hashish works and learn about hash addiction.

Hashishis made from cannabis (Latin Cannabis sativa indica) or seeds (Latin Cannabis sativa sativa). Hemp contains cannabinols, i.e. substances that stimulate cannabinoid receptors. Cannabinols are therefore psychoactive substances - they include, among others. tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the main substance inhashand the reason for the popularity of this drug. According to the 2016 data of the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)1 , the French are the leader in consuming hashish in Europe - 40.9% of them use it, followed by Danes (35.6%) and Italians (31.9%). Poles are in 12th place with an indicator of 16.2%. The amount of hashish and marijuana consumed is not closely related to the legality of these substances in a given country - the consumption of cannabis derivatives is not allowed in any of the top three countries.

Hashish is made from hemp resin - this resin protects the plant from the damaging effects of the sun and heat, because it is the water that is kept in it. The hotter the hotter, the greater the THC concentration in the resin. To make the hashish, solid fat or honey is added to the resin so that it takes the form of a chocolate bar. Hashish has a higher THC percentage than marijuana (about 1-10% compared to about 4-15%, not counting the specific forms of the drug, which can have up to 50% THC in cannabis and up to about 99% in hashish. substances).

Usually the hash is burned in the form of the so-called turns or with the use of a pipe or water pipe.

Worth knowing

Is hashish legal in Poland?

Possession of drugs is illegal in Poland. This issue is regulated by the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction of July 29, 2005 - fine, pen altyrestriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to 3 years.

The sentence imposed by the court depends on several factors, first of all, what kind of drugs and in what quantity a given person has, whether they have been punished before, how they behaved after committing the crime and before the court. Usually, for having from a few to a dozen or so portions of hashish, the accused is sentenced to imprisonment from several months to 1.5 years, suspended for a period of several years.

Hashish: action

Hashishhas various consequences, the appearance of which depends primarily on the amount of drug used.

Small doses (10-15 mg) cause:

  • feeling of euphoria;
  • feeling insensitive to negative stimuli;
  • feeling of bliss;
  • relaxation;
  • increased verbosity;
  • excessive playfulness;
  • feeling that changes in the environment are happening at a rapid pace;
  • sensory hypersensitivity - especially to eyesight and hearing;
  • anxiety attacks.

Larger doses (25-30 g)

  • dizziness,
  • motor coordination disorder,
  • vomiting,
  • nausea,
  • muscle tremors,
  • panic attacks.

Is hashish addictive?

There is a false belief that hashish is not addictive. True, it does not cause physical dependence, but it is psychological. What does it mean? After stopping the drug, you do not feel any physical discomforts, e.g. no pain, diarrhea or a feeling of cold.

Hashish causes psychological addiction, which means that although our body does not send signals of "longing" for the drug, the psyche does it already. We are dealing with an abstinence syndrome - a person who has given up on it after a long time of taking hashish is irritated, intensively looking for new opportunities to get the drug, and obsessively thinks about it. She neglects her daily activities, her will becomes weaker and weaker. What she enjoyed the most so far loses its importance when confronted with hashish. The addicted person lacks the will to live, has a depressed mood, suffers from insomnia, and is constantly tired.

Mental addiction is more difficult to cure than physical addiction and requires the help of a specialist - addiction therapist.

Hashish Addiction: Effects

THC dissolves very well in fat, but much worse in water, so after each use of hash, the substance remains in the body for about 3-4 weeks. THC is stored in the brain's glial cells andthe body's fat cells. For this reason, long-term hashish intake slows down the transmission of nerve impulses. An addicted person has the impression, unlike the state after consuming hashish once, that time has slowed down, he is falling into apathy - he does not feel like any activity, he becomes passive. Her intellectual potential is lowered, she no longer has such ambitious plans as before falling into the addiction, her memory is weakening, and her ability to concentrate deteriorates.

If hashish is taken in the form of a so-called Rolls produce tar, similar to smoking, causing damage to the lungs and upper respiratory tract, liver and heart muscle. What's more, cannabis smoke is carcinogenic2 , even more so than nicotine smoke because it enters the lungs without a filter and stays in them longer.

A person addicted to hashish is distracted and distracted. Has a problem with proper communication with other people and is easily suggestive. In the most severe cases, addiction to hashish leads to hallucinations, choreic movements, and visual disturbances. Possible psychological consequences of addiction are hysteria, and in extreme cases even depression3 . Scientists, however, prove that depression occurs after taking hashish usually only when the addiction is accompanied by problems in the social and family life of a specific person.

The adverse effects of hashish on female and male fertility have also been proven. In women, hashish causes a decrease in the number of ovulation, in men, a poorer sperm quality and less sperm production4 .

Worth knowing

Amotivational team

There is often talk of amotivational syndrome among people addicted to marijuana and hashish. This syndrome, as the name suggests, is distinguished by the lack of motivation for any actions in people suffering from it. It manifests itself as dementia, apathy, memory impairment, lack of any goals.

The theory of the amotivational syndrome was created in 1968, when three scientists described the cases of its occurrence. However, the research was carried out on too few people to be able to confirm the existence of the syndrome with complete certainty.

Researchers continue to work on this issue, including researchers from Columbia University5and Imperial College London6 . Their conclusions confirm that the consumption of hashish and marijuana leads to a decrease in striatal dopamine levels. Dopamine is a chemical that corresponds to, among others, just for our motivation.

Sources:

1. Access to the report at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/2637/TDAT16001ENN.pdf

2. Information on the carcinogenicity of hashish smoke (and marijuana) can be found, among others. in the California Environmental Protection Agency report: https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65/chemicals/finalmjsmokehid.pdf

3. For information on the relationship between hashish consumption and depression, see the results of the research published at: http://www.biblioteca.cij.gob.mx/articulos/PsicosisYOtrosTrastornosMentales/Cannabis-Depression.pdf

4. Access to information about the study on the website: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3717046/

5. Access to information about the study at: http://thescienceexplorer.com/brain-and-body/heavy-marijuana-use-actually-linked-lower-dopamine-release-brain-study-finds

6. Access to information about the study at: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_17-11-2016-10-58-27

Category:

Psychology