Health ministry in Austria imposed an immediate ban on the sale and distribution of the herbal incense “Spice“, which some people have taken to smoking for its hallucinogenic and psychodelic effects.

Smoking mixture Spice, which is sold legally in a number of countries as an exotic herbal smoking blend that releases a rich fragrance when burned, would be banned from sale immediately in Austria because a cannabis-like substance, synthetical cannabinoid JWH-018, had been found in it, the ministry said in a statement.

While the effects of taking the substance JWH-018 had not yet been fully determined, the risks were deemed to be high, the statement added. Thus, an immediate 14-day ban had been imposed until a more permanent ruling could be reached, the statement said. (more…)

Marijuana is a dreaded term in the world of drug addiction. It happens to be one of 200 names for a substance similar to tobacco, composed of dried leaves, stems, flowers and seeds of the hemp plant. It is a dull colored mixture in various shades of gray, brown and green and is often referred to as weed, pot, grass, herb, hashish and boom. Hashish happens to be the most potent form of marijuana. The substance contains an active chemical called THC or delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Irrespective of the form in which it is consumed, it has a strong impact on the way the mind works altering its responses and behavioral mechanism. Marijuana was initially used for medicinal purposes, to heal and numb severe pain, but its addictive powers gripped thousands who tasted it and needed respite from problems. Today, it is banned legally but is smuggled through secret channels and commands exorbitant prices.

Marijuana can be smoked like a cigarette with the powder rolled in special paper, and lit at one end. Its absorption when consumed in this manner is almost instantaneous, reaching the part of the brain controlling emotions like pleasure, concentration, thinking, memory and coordination. Its unification with the nerve cell receptors negatively affects these activities. Consequently, feelings like pain, sorrow, stress, and depression give way to an elated feeling however short lived it may be. This probably explains the reason why people are so easily addicted to it and become obsessed about it. Marijuana becomes an all consuming passion with people thinking about ways and means of procuring it, waiting in animated anticipation about the joy of having it, and are paranoid about not being able to get enough. The need for it is so intense that values, principles and morals are all forgotten just to be able to get marijuana. The most alarming aspect of taking marijuana is that the body begins to crave for the substance, and gradually the body reaches a ‘high’ after taking increasing quantities of it.

(more…)

Marijuana is a tobacco-like substance, dull in colors like green, gray or brown, made up of dried leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the hemp plant. Known by over 200 names, it is an addictive substance commonly referred to as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom and hashish is its stronger form. In whatever form it is taken, it alters the way the mind works as it contains an active chemical called THC, or delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Initially used for medication and healing, it became dangerous, dreaded drug in the 1970s as its addictive powers gripped thousands and became a forbidden drug that was smuggled into countries.

Marijuana is terribly addictive and obsessive. It is smoked almost like a cigarette and gets absorbed into the body almost instantaneously. It reaches the brain and united with receptors of nerve cells, affecting that part of the brain, which controls pleasure, thought, concentration, memory and coordination. It then impedes these activities. A person gets addicted to it very easily and it is peddled so much that it is often easier to procure than alcohol. Addicts think about the drug all the time, where and how to get it, how to raise funds for it, forgetting values and principles just to be able to get marijuana, and the fear of not getting it in the future. The biggest problem of its addiction is the body’s physical craving for marijuana, and more and more quantities are required to reach that level of bliss.

(more…)