Hashish and Its Effects on Users - Research Paper Example

Nahas (1982) refers to the findings of Rosenthal that hashish was first used by Hindu, Persian and Iraqi sects and Islam followers started using it later in the 9th century. “As Marco Polo relates, Hasan-I- Saban, a fanatic Islam leader used to feed his opponents hashish to keep them under his patch so that he can send dangerous missions and kill his enemies” (Nahas, 1982).

Literature also suggests that the use of Hashishiyah is reported in Arabic texts in 1125 because of the use of extensive use of hashish/cannabis by Hassan’s devotees, who were engaged in spreading the Muslim network from Egypt to Iran and beyond. There is also evidence that Sufis, another Muslim sect also used hashish during the 12th century. However, some other studies suggest that hashish was traditionally made in many Eastern countries. Evidence is also there to consider hashish as a holy sacrament, a medicine used by many people of different cultures for social and spiritual development. In countries like Nepal, there are government hashish shops and temples where “patrons smoked the goolies (balls) of hand-rubbed hashish with the babas and saddhus” (Jansen & Terris, 2002).

Research suggests that cannabis and its preparations including hashish can impair the performance of a human being and regular use can result in dependence. It can lead to the use of Class A drugs. The prevalence of cannabis use among different age groups suggests that it is one of the most widely used illicit drugs in Australia. “According to the 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 35.4% of the Australian population reported using cannabis at some time in their lives, with 10.3% having used it in the last 12 months. More than 700,000 Australians used cannabis in the previous week. The 2008 Secondary School Survey found that cannabis was the most commonly used illicit substance, with 14% of all secondary school students aged between 12 and 17 years reporting using the drug at some time in their life” (What is Cannabis, 2011). On the other hand, statistics relating to the prevalence of cannabis use in the UK suggest a staggering 30-40% among the age group 8-16 years while it is 59% among 16 to 18 years and 60% among university students as well as 46% among medical students, and 30 % among junior doctors (Cannabis: The Facts, 2002).

Compared with tobacco or smoking marijuana (one of cannabis preparation similar to hashish) smoking is stronger to create a two-thirds larger puff volume resulting in one-third larger inhaled volume. The breath holds time will be a four-fold longer one. Hence this intoxication can result in a five-fold increase in blood Carboxy-haemoglobin. Consumption of cannabis preparations can result in various physical and mental health disorders. Discussing the physical obstructions, consuming cannabis can result in mood changes, disturbed sleep, hyperactivity, nasal congestion, decreased appetite, restlessness, weight loss, irritability, loose bowel movements, increase in body temperature, nausea etc. Driving skills will be also affected by the consumption of cannabis. It has the potential to bring serious psychomotor and cognitive impairment and may lead to poor detection of peripheral lights.

Research evidence (Johns, 2001) suggests that common impairments include impaired work performance, slowing down of reactions, poor tracking ability, impairment in coordination, poor tracking ability, impaired attention and memory deficits in performing complex tasks, size and time distortion etc. Similarly, it adds to the probability of acquiring mental disorders as well. By consuming cannabis varieties, one may develop psychiatric disorders such as acute psychosis, anxiety, panic reactions, flashbacks, paranoid psychosis, social withdrawal etc and also aggravating schizophrenia and aggressive tendencies. Johns (2001) further clarifies the possibility of a cannabis user getting mental health impairment with different studies carried out in many countries including New Zealand, India and Pakistan. These studies also indicate serious mental health illnesses in the users. As Johns (2001) suggests, 1/10 of every cannabis user is at risk of dependence which can lead to psychotic episodes which also include aggravating the course and symptoms of schizophrenia. Hence it is clear that consumption can lead to serious mental physical and social health impairment. Therefore, strategies need to be developed worldwide to control the use of cannabis and its variations, especially by youngsters including students.