CHAPTER 4 Substance Abuse^73
contain cocaine are brewed or chewed by people in the mountainous regions of
the Andes to decrease hunger, increase work performance, and create a sense
of well being.
Commonly Abused Substances
There are five groups of drugs that are commonly abused in the United States
and in other developed countries. These are heroin, cocaine, cannabis, hallu-
cinogens, and inhalants. Heroin is a Schedule I drug (see Chapter 1) that has no
accepted medical use in the United States. Cocaine stimulates the central ner-
vous system (see Chapter on CNS). Cannabis includes drugs such as marijuana
and hashish.
Hallucinogens are drugs that alter perception and feeling. These include LSD,
mescaline, psilocybin, and PCP. Inhalants are aerosols and volatile hydro-
carbons such as airplane glue and paint thinner that give the drug abuser a
“buzz” or feeling of euphoria.
CANNABIS DRUGS
Cannabis is an extract from the leaves, stems, fruiting tops, and resin of the
hemp plant (Cannabis saliva). The most common form of cannabis is hashish.
Hashish is the resinous material of the cannabis plant. Other forms of this drug
include banji, ganga, charas, kif, and dagga.
Hashish is classified as a controlled substance although it isn’t a narcotic deriv-
ative. Hashish also has sedative-hypnotic, anesthetic, or psychedelic properties
and is capable of altering perception, thought, and feeling.
Hashish is administered orally using pipes or cigarettes and can be injected
subcutaneously, however the most potent route is inhalation. Many drug abusers
prefer smoking hashish through a water pipe to reduce the irritating effect of the
acidic smoke. Some drug abusers grind hashish into a powder and mixed it with
foods in order to delay the absorption of the drug by the body.
Hashish acts to depress the central nervous system and causes mental relax-
ation and euphoria that occurs within 15 minutes and lasts up to four hours. The
drug abuser experiences a loss of inhibitions. The person’s time and space per-
ception is altered and causes a free flow of ideas to occur. These ideas, however,
are disconnected. The person can experience blanks or gaps in memory similar