Marijuana abuse a serious concern

MARIJUANA is one of the most abused drugs in Papua New Guinea.
Cases involving marijuana have topped the weekly crime reports in Port Moresby.
There is no secret that this drug has been around in communities but the increase in cases should now be concern.
NCD police say that within the week of May 13-19, they recorded 13 cases, more than they recorded over the previous week.
The rise in the number of users is something the National Narcotics Bureau must tackle with all concerned parties.
Marijuana abusers are becoming a major liabilities to the nation, their families and communities.
The abusers, who are mainly young people, are disturbing the peace and solemnity of the many communities when they consume the drug.
Marijuana’s use during adolescence – when the brain is still developing – has been described as a cause of poor neurocognitive outcome.
Nonetheless, research on this topic is scarce and often shows conflicting results, with some studies showing detrimental effects of marijuana use on cognitive functioning and others showing no significant long-term effects.
There is an ever-growing gap between the latest science about marijuana and the myths surrounding it.
Some people think that since it is legal in some places, it must be safe.
But your body doesn’t know a legal drug from an illegal drug.
It only knows the effect the drug creates once you have taken it.
Marijuana comes from the Indian hemp plant, and the part that contains the “drug” is found primarily in the flowers (commonly called the “buds”) and much less in the seeds, leaves, and stems of the plant.
Marijuana, when sold, is a mixture of dried leaves, stems, flowers and seeds of the hemp plant. It is usually green, brown or gray in colour.
The marijuana abusers are at great risk of damaging their brain cells since the dangerous drug destroys human brain cells.
A collective effort is required to address this issue.
While the number of people who use marijuana at any one time does not seem to have recently increased, the number of people who have a marijuana-related disorder has risen significantly.
This is more or less true depending on age and ethnic group.
Some say, marijuana should be made legal for adults only, not for teens.
Of course, there’s no such thing as underage drinking, right? Alcohol is supposed to be for adults only, but today drinking in this country is done by people under the age of 21.
Based on alcohol’s example, we can expect that the same will happen with legal pot.
Marijuana is particularly bad for young people with brains that are still in development.
Studies have shown that teens who smoke pot regularly have lower IQs than their peers.
Another lesson that alcohol teaches us is that although driving under the influence is outlawed, too many people do it.
The result is that thousands of people are injured or killed every year by drunk drivers.
With legal marijuana we will be adding thousands of more to that list every year.
Intoxicated driving is the same no matter what the substance is.
A high driver is like a drunk driver and liable to cause accidents.
There is no need for legal drugs when the safety and well-being of all Papua New Guineans are at stake.
That is a concern and must be addressed before it takes a crippling effect on the society.