Is Ganja a Gateway Drug?
What is Ganja?
Ganja is a psychoactive drug that comes from the dried flowers of the Cannabis indica or the Cannabis sativa plant. The psychoactive nature of Ganja is due to THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol that is a key component of the drug. Ganja is also referred to as Marijuana or Cannibis and also using slang terms as herb, pot, grass, weed and mary jane, etc.. In fact, the word Ganja was coined in India and comes from the Sanskrit language. Ganja is usually smoked, vaporised or consumed as a liquid or a edible. Ganja is a recreational drug, however it is also used as a therapeutic drug for pain relief.
Is Ganja Addictive?
Prolonged use of Ganja has been shown to lead to a substance-use disorder.
Research indicates several adverse effects of Ganja use including the following:
- One in three adults that use Ganja end up getting addicted to it.
- According to National Survey on Drug Use and Health – 2013 conducted in the United States – Ganja users are more likely to consume alcohol, tobacco, cocaine and methamphetamine than non-ganja users.
- Ganja users are also 3x more likely to consume Heroin.
- Prolonged consumption of ganja is linked to several adverse mental and physical health effects in users.
https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/heroin/infographic.html
Popularity of Ganja
Ganja is the leading illegal drug in circulation in India today and is very popular among young adults in India. Availability of Ganja has increased in both metropolitan cities and smaller towns in India and is driven by various factors such as:
1. Ganja is currently perceived as a low-risk drug and is unlikely to trigger an addiction which is false.
2. Ganja has been legalised is several countries although it is still illegal in India both for distribution and consumption.
3. Due to its legalisation in several countries such as the United States, its consumption is portrayed as being “cool” or “hip” in various Hollywood movies and TV shows.
Is Ganja a Gateway Drug?
According to research, Ganja addiction is considered to be the stepping stone for addiction to other drugs such as opioids, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. The main reason attributed to this is that prolonged and regular ganja use helps build tolerance in a user which means that they need to consume more quantities of the same drug to feel the same high. Over time, an upgrade to more intoxicating drug becomes inevitable. Moreover, Ganja consumption is more popular among young adults that paves the path for a more serious addiction in some users that do not have the ability to self-regulate. Ganja use is also linked to users spending more time in social circles that have members with the same proclivities. This could also lead to someone introducing a more potent drug to others and such scenarios are very common.
Ganja Risks in Young Adults
According to a study by the American Academy of Paediatrics – young adults that consume ganja are a whopping 104 more times likely to consume cocaine. This could validate the fact that Ganja does indeed decrease the threshold for addiction to other and more potent drugs. Another school of thought or view point on the same subject is that Ganja users are likely to share some common traits such as a genetic predisposition, past trauma, unstable psychiatric symptoms such as schizophrenia, thrill seeking and impulsive behaviours and environmental exposure that can increase their likelihood of abuse to other more potent drugs.
