Dope Tips
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The info in Dope Tips was put together for young people in New Zealand because there was not a lot of information around for them about cannabis.
Dope Tips includes information for young people who have already tried using cannabis. It is not just for anyone, especially not young people who have not tried cannabis.
Dope Tips isn't saying that it is ok to use cannabis. Cannabis can harm people, especially people who:
· start using cannabis in their teens,
· are vulnerable to mental illness (eg if you or someone in your family already has or has had a mental illness, particularly schizophrenia)
· smoke a lot often
The best way to avoid any harm is not to use it at all. However, we also know that some people will still choose to use cannabis. This information is about how these people can reduce the harms.
We are keen to know about any feedback or comments you might want to make. Please email it to us here
Dope Tips
Over half of the people living in New Zealand have tried cannabis at some time in their life. Of these people most don't use cannabis any more, some only use cannabis once in a while, and some use it a lot.
This information neither condones nor condemns drug use. Cannabis can harm you, especially if you smoke a lot regularly. The best way to avoid harm is not to use cannabis at all. However, if you do choose to use cannabis here are some tips for reducing the harms.
Some people shouldn't use cannabis
- If you're a teenager, using cannabis can affect how your brain works or develops. Learning and remembering things can be harder, and you may not develop a good ability to think or cope. This can affect how well you do at school or work, or in recreational activities like sport, and in relationships.
- If you have heart or blood pressure problems it's unwise to use cannabis as it speeds up your heart rate and lowers the oxygen supply to your heart.
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Women who are pregnant shouldn't use cannabis as it can damage the baby and reduce the birth weight or cause an early birth. This might mean that it is easier for the baby to get sick. If you're breastfeeding cannabis can pass through your breast milk.
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If you're using machinery or driving cannabis can make you clumsy and slows down how fast you react.
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With people who are more likely to get a mental illness, already have had a mental illness, or have a family history of mental illness, cannabis can trigger a psychotic episode (where a person loses touch with what's real). It is not proven whether cannabis actually causes mental illness, but there is evidence of linkages between cannabis use and risks of psychosis and psychotic symptoms.
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If you get depressed (really unhappy for long periods of time) or anxious (nervous and frightened), cannabis can make these feelings worse.
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Some people who have epilepsy should avoid using cannabis.
The effects
Cannabis is a depressant drug and a hallucinogen. It affects everyone differently.
The effects depend on:
The drug
How strong the cannabis is, if you have used it before, how much you use, how often you use and how you use it.
The person
What kind of a mood you are in, your personality, your reasons for using and your family history.
The setting
Where you are, what you are doing and who you use with.
All of these things work together to affect what kind of a time you have if you use cannabis.
What can happen:
Small doses of cannabis can make you:
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Have red eyes, a dry mouth and a faster heart rate.
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Feel hungry (the munchies).
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Become clumsy and uncoordinated.
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Feel drowsy.
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Feel happy and relaxed.
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Lose your inhibitions, be friendlier and talk and laugh more than usual.
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Feel nervous and frightened.
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Lose concentration and not be able to think about things logically.
If you have more cannabis or stronger cannabis these things can increase. Some people also:
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Have a strange sense of time, sound, and colour. Some people hallucinate - where they see and hear things that aren't really there.
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Feel confused and detached from reality.
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Have tunnel awareness - where they focus on one thing and ignore everything else.
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Feel panicky, frightened or paranoid.
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Go to sleep.
Long-term effects of using cannabis
- "Long-term" usually means using cannabis for more than ten years. It's pretty hard to define people's use but heavy use 7-9 joints a week.
(Auckland Regional A&D Services, 1996)
Using cannabis regularly for a long time can lead to some problems with the following things:
Motivation
Heaps of people find that they lose their motivation and interest in other people and doing things. They also find it harder to carry out plans they have made. Most people who stop smoking cannabis find that this changes and they feel motivated again.
Memory
Cannabis affects your short-term memory. People who smoke regularly find that it¡Ùs harder to concentrate and to learn and remember new things. Most people who stop using cannabis find that this gets better.
Respiratory health
Cannabis has more tar than tobacco and has carcinogenic chemicals in it. Smoking cannabis damages your throat and lungs. People who smoke cannabis for a long time increase their chances of getting emphysema, bronchitis, and other breathing problems, and cancer of the lungs, throat, mouth or tongue.
Using cannabis for a long time also weakens your immune system and it's easier to get sick.
Sexual health and reproduction
Some people find that they don't feel like having sex much.
Some women get irregular periods.
Some men have less sperm or strange shaped sperm.
Dependence and addiction
There's been a lot of disagreement about whether or not cannabis is addictive. It's now clear that some people become dependent on cannabis and find it hard to control how much cannabis they use. These people become tolerant to cannabis which means that they need to use more to get the same effect.
Other stuff
People also find that cannabis use can lead to problems like:
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Poor Relationships
Cannabis can affect your moods and your interest in other people and activities. Sometimes this can be pretty negative and affect your family and friends badly. -
Financial problems
Buying cannabis can be pretty expensive, especially when you add it up across time. Some people can get into debt and this can cause more problems. Also some people choose to spend their money on cannabis instead of other important things like food, rent and the family. -
Legal problems
Growing, using and selling cannabis is currently illegal in New Zealand. Getting busted can leave you with a criminal record that limits what jobs you can get, travelling overseas, and your plans for the future.
If you get into any trouble with the police contact your community law service or YouthLaw, if you're under 25 years: (09) 309 6967 ( you can call collect through the operator).
Is using cannabis causing problems for you or those you know?
Do you or someone you know;
- find it difficult to get through the day without getting stoned?
- prefer being stoned to being straight?
- want to give up but don't feel that you can?
- feel guilty about how much cannabis you use?
- have low energy and don't follow through with ideas?
- get forgetful?
- smoke at risky times and places?
- feel paranoid or nervous?
- need more and more cannabis to get the same effect?
If you or a friend answered yes to any of these questions, it could be a problem with using too much cannabis. Cutting down or stopping can be hard. It's useful to have someone to give a hand - a friend, family member or a counsellor.
Some people get withdrawal symptoms when they stop using cannabis. These can include feeling angry, sad, nervous, sweating, sleeplessness, headaches, nausea, shakes, and chills.
These symptoms can last from a week to a month.
To get more information on tips for cutting down contact your local Alcohol and Drug Service, a GP, school guidance counsellor or the alcoholhelpline.
Contacts in Nelson
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Nelson Alcohol and Drug Clinic: 03 5461994
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Te Makatea Hauora Alcohol and Drug Service: 03 5280933
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Te Kahui Hauora o Ngati Koata: 03 5469643
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The Alcoholhelpline: 0800 787 797
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Nelson Bays Community Law Service: 03 5481288 or 0800 246 146
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YouthLaw: 09 309 6967 ( you can call collect through the operator).
It's also a good idea to talk to a GP, a school guidance counsellor or a counsellor. Check out Health Action's Youth Services Directory for more contacts.