Nursing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nursing management - Essay Example The prevalence of marijuana use peaked in males and females aged 20–29 years (Maxwell, 2003). In young people aged 14 to 17 years, the drug was used at least once by 28% of persons falling in this group whereas in the elderly people, consumption decreased after the age of 40 years and the rate continued to decrease as age increased thereafter. The consumption of marijuana was much higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (50%) when compared to non-indigenous Australians (33%). Also, there was no difference noted in marijuana intake between those living in urban areas and those in remote and rural areas. The drug abuse was more in those with English speaking background than those with non-English speaking background. Women who were either breast feeding or pregnant or both consumed much less than other women. Marijuana is a mixture of dried parts of the plant hemp including leaves, stems, seeds and flowers. It appears green, brown, or grey depending on the composition. It is referred to by many street names such as herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. It is usually consumed in the form of cigarette (referred to as ‘joint’ or ‘nail’) or pipe. Most often it is consumed with other illicit drugs like cocaine (called ‘blunts’) or tobacco. It is taken in mainly for the mental effects like altered state of consciousness, perceptual changes like hallucinations and heightened sensory experiences. The main active chemical having psycho-activity in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) (Astolfi, 1998). Other than euphoria and hallucinations, marijuana has other effects also. The immediate effects are blood shot eyes, dry mouth and throat, sleepiness, paranoia, decreased ability to concentrate, coordinate and react, along with impaired short- term memory, comprehension, speech and learning. There is decreased ability to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road causing accidents.