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Parkersburgh is the 3rd largest city in the state of West Virginia. The cities population is 33,099 according to the 2000 United States census. The average house holds annual income is $21,120 for the cities residents. A quarter of Parkersburgh’s population is below the poverty line, people desperate to provide for their families will commit crimes, use and sell street drugs.
West Virginia is a largely rural, because of this their is a large problem with cultivation and sales of Marijuana. Marijuana is seen as a gateway drug, leading to the use of harder drugs such as cocaine, crack, heroine and other street drugs. Law enforcement has issued a “Marijuana Drug War” to stop the cultivation and sales of the drug.
What is Marijuana?
Marijuana, known as cannabis, with street names of weed, pot and many others. Marijuana is a mixture of dried, shredded leaves, seeds, stems and flowers of the hemp plant. The chemical tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly know as THC, is found in Marijuana. THC is what gives the mind-altering psychoactive effect marijuana abusers look for. There are nearly 400 other chemicals commonly found in marijuana such as carcinogenics. Marijuana is highly addictive, having more people diagnosed with marijuana dependence than all other illicit street drugs.
- Marijuana users normally rolled into a cigarette commonly known as a “joint.” Users will also smoke marijuana threw a pipes, bongs or other smoking paraphernalia. Users will also slice open cigars and replace the tobacco with marijuana calling it a “blunt”. Marijuana is also commonly mixed into foods or brewed in to tea.
Effects of Marijuana use
Just a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke the user will begin to experience loss of coordination, rapid heartbeat, slow reaction time, dry mouth and feelings of intoxication. Blood vessels in the eye expand giving the user puffy red eyes. Marijuana has been known to raise blood pressure and raise heart rate to almost double its normal rate. Effects of Marijuana can be heightened with combined with alcohol or other drugs. There is research also showing the long term effects Marijuana has on a persons health. Long term Marijuana use can damage the brain. THC suppresses the neurons in the information processing part of the brain used for learning, memory and sensory system that regulates emotional and motivational in the brain. Use of Marijuana during pregnancy has been directly associated with impaired verbal reasoning and memory in preschool children. In studies on animals the chronic exposure to THC is know to damage, even destroy nerve cells and cause pathological changes in the hippocampus part of the brain. Regularly smoking marijuana can have many effects on the respiratory system, having similar health problems to that of an tobacco smoker. Marijuana smokers can have symptoms of chronic bronchitis such as daily cough and phlegm and frequent chest colds. Lung tissue is injured and destroyed with long term use of Marijuana causing abnormal function of the lungs and airways.
Parkersburgh, West Virginia Addiction Rehab Centers
Chronic use of Marijuana can damage your lungs and brain. The addictive effects of the drug can make quitting hard. There are many rehab centers in the Parkersburgh area that are here to help you regain control of your life and make a full recovery to sobriety. In an relax environment you will be given the opportunity to cleanse your body in a controlled detoxification process. There will be counselors available to help you uncover the reasoning behind your addiction and help with any mental health issues. You are not alone, there are caring counselors in a Parkersburgh rehab center waiting to help you with the recovery process.