Drugs

Drugs

Drugs have always been a big part of our society. Many issues arise with whether or not some of them should be legalized for medication purposes or if they all should just be kept as illegal. Drugs are a very interesting topic to learn about and discuss. There is so many things that people don't know and maybe they should. Not everyone is aware of all the risks or what can happen to you if you get caught with them. If you're ready to hear about five illegal drugs, then I'm ready to share what I have found out about them.

Marijuana, also known as: "cannabis, pot, weed, herb, green, Mary Jane, joints, bong toke, and reefer" (Drug Use, www.druguse.com/definitions.html), is probably one of the most controversial drugs. People don't know if they want to legalize it to help cancer patients or if they want to keep it illegal so that it doesn't get abused by other people. Marijuana is classified as a "class B drug. It is illegal to have, sell, or give away. The maximum sentences you can receive in a magistrates court is 3 months in jail and a $500 fine" (Illegal, www.impington.cambs.sch.uk/work/illegal.html). Also if you are caught you will have a record and it will keep you from getting jobs like a teacher and working in a bank, so watch out.

Most of the time marijuana is smoked. The users like to mix it with tobacco and roll it into a cigarette. After smoking it, it will leave a sweet herbal smell behind, which is hard to describe but easily recognizable (Illegal, www.impington.cambs.sch.uk/work/illegal.html). Not only can marijuana be smoked it can also be eaten or inhaled. Any way you do it you still get the same effects.

The only things that will change the effects you will receive are according to your mood or the atmosphere in which it is smoked. A lot of the people will become relaxed, but then you have those who will become very giggly. Smoking marijuana can also cause you to get the munchies, so you need to be prepared to eat just about anything. Many times the people who smoke marijuana become lazy and seem to put things off; they also get a loss in memory. The biggest danger comes from the actual smoking. "Like tobacco, marijuana has a high tar factor, so smoking it can cause bronchitis and cancer" (Illegal, www.impington.cambs.sch.uk/work/illegal.html).

Cocaine, also known as: "coke, blow, powder, sugar, nose candy, rock, crack, and base" (Drug Use, www.druguse.com/definitions.html) is considered a "class A drug. It is illegal to have, sell, or give away" (Illegal, www.impington.cambs.sch.uk/work/illegal.html). "It is a white powder that is made from the leaves of a coca bush, which grows in the mountains of South America. As far back as a thousand years ago the Indians of South America chewed coca leaves to give themselves more energy" (Woods, 35). "Cocaine has a limited use in medicine as an anesthetic" (Drug Use, www.druguse.com/definitons.html)

Cocaine pretty much acts on the brain and is a highly addictive drug. It can create a sense of well being, along with decreased hunger, indifference to pain and tiredness and increased confidence. That almost sounds like a good drug for people who want to lose weight and meet new people. Although, eventually you will become exhausted and paranoid due to the lack of sleep. "Cocaine is sniffed and because it is, repeated sniffing can damage the membranes lining the nose and the structure separating the nostrils" (Illegal, www.impington.cambs.sch.uk/work/illegal.html).

Heroin, also known as: "Smack, Scag, Elephant, Stuff, and Tiger" (Drug Use, www.druguse.com/definitions.html) is identified as "an opiate; not used medically in the United States; heroin is physically addictive and a major drug of abuse" (Snyder,101). Heroin is considered a "class A drug and is illegal to have, give away, or sell" (Illegal, www.impington.cambs.sch.uk/work/illegal.html). "In its purest form it is a white powder made from the dried milk of the opium poppy. When impure it is brown in color, but is otherwise white" (Illegal, www.impington.cambs.sch.uk/work/illegal.html). Heroin can be taken in a few different ways. It can be smoked with tobacco, or heated on some aluminum foil and then inhaled, or it can even be injected under the skin or into the muscle and vein.

Heroin is a pretty dangerous drug; it can depress the nervous system, including reflex functions like coughing, respiration and heart rate. Taking heroin can also make you become constipated by dilating some blood vessels and depressing bowel activity. "It can make people feel drowsy, warm and content, and relieve stress and discomfort, however, among people who have developed a physical dependence, positive pleasure us replaced by the relief of obtaining a fix, which they need to stay normal" (Drug Use,www.druguse.com/definitions.html). One very big danger with using heroin comes from injecting. People who share the same needles can pass on the HIV virus and hepatitis.

Ecstasy, also known as: "Wonder drug, E, Doves, Echoes, and XTC" (Drug Use, www.druguse.com/definitions.html) is "illegal to have, give away or sell. As far as the drug law is concerned, it is in the same category as heroin or cocaine" (Illegal, www.impington.cambs.sch.uk/work/illegal.html). Ecstasy damages the brain because it is a synthetic drug that contains both hallucinogenic and amphetamine like properties. It is very similar to MDA and methamphetamine, which also are synthetic. A lot of the time people who try and buy the drug are sold the wrong thing; they either get other drugs or no drugs at all.

The effects of ecstasy or very