COST OF CRAVING CANNABIS

For many students, the overwhelming obligations from schoolwork can be
stressful. In an effort to relieve that stress, students have tried
relaxation time, study breaks, spa treatments and perhaps smoking.

Cigarettes have become the most prevalent substance of choice for smokers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that on average, one
in five adults, as well as one in five teenagers, smoke. However,
marijuana has gained preference among college smokers.

According to healthyhorns, a medical care and patient education website at
The University of Texas in Austin, college students use marijuana at a
higher rate than the general U.S. population. Based on research provided
by the American Lung Association, an estimated 14.8 million Americans aged
12 and older are marjuana smokers as of July 2008.

Marijuana, also known as Cannabis and approximately 200 other names across
the world, is categorized into two groups of strains or herbal forms.
Sativa, known for its long leaves and impressive growth, is the form of
marijuana that gives the smoker a feeling of "body high" and energy.

The other form, Indica, which grows in short shrub form, keeps the smoker
"pleasantly lethargic" with the relaxed feeling that some might describe
as a "couch high." These forms can be used to extract medical marijuana,
which have been known to ease the effects of such diseases and conditions
including AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, epileptic seizures and arthritis.

Controversy involving the benefits and risks involved with medical
marijuana have been discussed in the medical community for years.

Cannabidiol, a natural chemical found in Cannabis, alleviates convulsion,
inflammation, anxiety, nausea and has been found in a study published in
the Journal of Chemistry and Biodiversity to reduce cell growth, possibly
benefiting cancer patients. Cannabidiol has also been found to have
positive effects on patients with schizophrenia.

On the other hand, studies have found Cannabis to be increasingly
dangerous. In the June 1999 study, "Oxidative Stress Produced by Marijuana
Smoke" published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular
Biology, stated that "marijuana smoking produces inflammation, edema and
cell injury in the tracheobronchial mucosa of smokers and may be a risk
factor for lung cancer."

According to the Amercan Lung Association, marijuana smoke, which is held
and inhaled more deeply than cigarette smoke, introduces more carcinogens
in the lungs. Short-term effects associated with marijuana use also
include memory loss, distorted perception, loss of motor skills and muscle
strength, and increased heart rate.

"I don't smoke that often, but when I do, I prefer 'greens,' which is
slang for marijuana leaves," said a freshman at Baruch College who
requested to be quoted anonymously. "I definitely feel more relaxed and at
ease, and the work from school doesn't seem so bad," he said.

"Greens" is a type of marijuana that is produced from fertilized plants
and is considered a better quality version of the substance. They are
grown in cheaper facilities and contain a lower percentage of
tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which is the psychoactive substance and main
ingredient found in marijuana.

Another type of the drug is "Spliff," a combination of marijuana and
tobacco that increases the level of drug intoxication in the body.

Hashish, which is made from marijuana leaves and contains a more
concentrated level of THC, is mainly produced in North Africa and a
fundamental plant in the Middle East. It takes the smoker to the optimal
level of intoxication. The effects of hashish can range from temporary
fertility problems and lung damage, to weakening the immune system, making
the body more vulnerable to infections and other diseases.

Although marijuana provides the individual with temporary relaxation,
there are significant risks that come with the use of this short-term
stress reliever.

"I don't always like being in a euphoric state, and I know smoking weed is
bad for me, but sometimes it helps get me through those tough days,
whether that's a good thing or not," said the anonymous student.

Research shows that marijuana is more than just smoking; it is an industry
of its own. Smokers make a business out of producing and selling their own
fabrications of cannabis drug strains. In Amsterdam, there is an annual
Cannabis Cup competition in which competitors are judged by the strains
that they have produced for their own "style" of marijuana.

Despite the negative effects of smoking marijuana or cigarettes, adults
and children will continue to indulge and subject themselves to the
possibility of "plunging into a deeper hole," for the momentary feeling of
euphoria.